Good morning!!!!

[Wagtail]

Good (Saturday) morning. Overnight Low of 15C and it's presently 22.4C, partly cloudy & calm.

Yesterday I did get all of the pruned branches disposed of. All that's left to do is to cut up the larger branches for some extra firewood, which I should/may get at this arvo.

That's about it, take care all.

 

[WinterDeere]

Trailer is done! Damn, it’s been years since I’ve worked any project with that much scope creep. Months of “might as wells”, while I had it apart.

I may loom the battery cables a bit more in spring, but it’s all good enough to put back into service today, and not a moment too soon, I need some logs!

Batteries were relocated from tongue to aft of axles, for better tongue weight balance:



AWG-2 from each battery forward to junction box at winch stand:



Solar maintainer and battery charger powered from tow vehicle re-wired:



All done, ready to move out of my driveway for now:

 

[two_bit_score]

Frist cup of coffee has been poured. 17° with light snow falling this morning. Heading to 22° with cloudy skies. Plugged block heater on tractor to warm it up before starting it yesterday. Did not take long to clear walkways and driveway. Checked temperature just after sunrise. -5° Brrrrr. Got the plowing done quickly. Bakc into house to get warmed up. Going have to do some walkway cleanup today. May get some shop time in. Need to make a mounting bracket for new bird feeder I got for Christmas.
Bird seed bell did not last long.

Everyone stay safe and well.

Good Morning All.

Nice birds Ron!

 

[ponytug]

@WinterDeere Congratulations! That looks like a great trailer to have around.

Can you recommend a brand of solar panels to use as a maintainer? With our limited sunshine here, I couldn't keep two batteries maintained with a 20W panel during the winter, and had to go to 2x20W. I suspect it is more the panel, than the solar illumination.

Gorgeous moon rising through the faint clouds that are already showing the signs of the incoming rain forecast for later tonight.

All the best,

Peter

 

[two_bit_score]

Buccees was packed. We bought a couple of BBQ sandwiches. I got her chopped beef to help her eat it easily. I got the sliced beef. My sandwich was crap with at least 50% fat. They must not trim the fat off the brisket and I'm Jack Sprat. Her chopped beef was better than my sliced. Also, I saw they now offer "no sauce" option. I will go for that next time as IMO they put too much sweet sauce on it. Good brisket doesn't need sauce.

I'll pass up Bucc-ees for Texas Burger anytime.

 

[scott_vt]

Good Tractor Evening Billy,

Billy, me at 64 and Kathleen at 72 just entertained 4 adults and 4 grands for the past 5 days

Billy, I wish I was 64 Let’s add another 10 on that number

 

[Looking4new]

Good Tractor Evening Billy,

Billy, I wish I was 64 Let’s add another 10 on that number

Add 15 for me.

 

[Wagtail]

Good Tractor Evening Billy,

Billy, I wish I was 64 Let’s add another 10 on that number

And here you had me thinking that Kathleen was a cradle robber.

(mind you, your age is in your profile)

 

[WinterDeere]

@WinterDeere Congratulations! That looks like a great trailer to have around.

Yep, it is a great trailer. I've been using it to haul logs and tractors the last 10 years, now it's refreshed for 10 more!

Like everything, if I could start over from scratch, I'd have configured it a little differently from the factory. But overall, I'm very happy with it.

Can you recommend a brand of solar panels to use as a maintainer? With our limited sunshine here, I couldn't keep two batteries maintained with a 20W panel during the winter, and had to go to 2x20W. I suspect it is more the panel, than the solar illumination.

I can definitely recommend staying far away from Battery Tender brand, I burned out 3 of theirs before switching brands.

I've been using the model linked below the last 2 years, which is about a year longer than any Battery Tender brand ever lasted, and it does a great job of keeping my pair of rather large batteries charged all year. I do adjust the solar panel inclination a few times during the year, but probably don't even need to bother with that, I'd suspect.

Amazon.com : SOLPERK 50W/12V Solar Panel Kit, Solar Battery Trickle Charger Maintainer + Waterproof Controller + Adjustable Mount Bracket for Automotive Motorcycle Boat Marine RV Camping Roof : Patio, Lawn & Garden

Amazon.com : SOLPERK 50W/12V Solar Panel Kit, Solar Battery Trickle Charger Maintainer + Waterproof Controller + Adjustable Mount Bracket for Automotive Motorcycle Boat Marine RV Camping Roof : Patio, Lawn & Garden

www.amazon.com

 

[mostly_gas]

Good evening all. 46ºF for the start, clear sky, light breeze. Light wind, clear to partly cloudy sky, and high temp was 72ºF. Made coffee to start day, office work, leaf control, bike ride, nap, dinner at Manuelito's. Watch some football.
RS thanks!
Two_bit Thanks!
Two_Bit Hope you got depredations taken care of. Glad you had a good feed on New Years day.
Ron glad plowing went well, in spite of cold. Hope you got walkway cleared and some shop time in. Great pic
Drew hope food shopping went well. Favorite ride is the Bike Across Kansas.
Scott(VT) hope you and Kathleen recover from all the entertaining. Thanks for square gears explanation.
Billy got to do some baby sitting of great granddaughter, she wears me down Glad good first day hike.
Drew good story. I drove a Chevy with two speed axle, and the shifter was a red knob on shifter.
Bill thanks for the more details and story.
Bill hope day went well.
Happy(NC) had a bird feeder with camera, all I got was squirrel butts. Congrats on you steps accomplishments.
ArlyA hope you did ok with no one else at camp C.
Ron nice step totals.
Frits hope you get better weather work in the barn
Buppies sorry snow gone. I thought Georgia had the game in hand and started doing other stuff. Prayers for you and Holly.
Paul hope plowing went well. good to hear new welder hooked up and making beads. Glad you got more modeling experience. Nice you are getting to play with fireplace. Hope music went well.
Dennis thanks for story and hope you stayed warm.
Don sorry to hear about the downturn of BIL prayers sent. Hope you did well last quarter.
Drew nice imagination.
Friend(trac) glad you got a stretch to recover. Hope tree work gores well.
Kyle hope you get a good racket for son. Glad pick of your mom went well. Love the pic of son on GT 80.
Mike glad not losing a horse you wanted to hang around. Hope changes go well.
Ken glad good brunch. Nice step total.
Bill had a load shift one managed to get back to loading dock and get load recentered.
Ken nice story.
Dennis nice stories.
Frits my truck mishap was backing into a truck, sun was in my mirrors.
Bill good story.
David hope Cardio heart consult goes well.
WinterDeere glad plowing done with leaf blower. Hope you got wire loom done.
RS hope basement remodel going well.
Thomas sorry boredom set in, like Scooter story.
WinterDeere glad you got trailer done.
prayer for all, especially Jay/Peg, Kyle /Daughter, /mom's breathing, /son's migraines, Mike /BIL in FL, Ron /heart, David(moss) /remodel, /divorce, Buppies /cancer, parathyroid, blood sugar /wife, Thomas /gout, Phil /reflux, Frits /veteran son with mental issues, /granddaughter with Evans Syndrome, Ken /chronic fatigue, Diet not working, Randy(wag) /sister stoke, Scott(vt) /wife's back pain, Don, / BIL motorcycle accident, Steppenwolfe /son-auto immune disorder, Grev /wife's eye, Ted /knee recovery, /retirement & disability red tape, /family issues, /wife back issues and cancer, Lou /eye issues, /heart issues, /wife hip replacement, Doug and wife/health issues, / hand nerve and surgery, /fall and recovery, / wife headaches and heart eval, / David(sadamo)/Sophie's hip or leg pain, Eye recovery, /back issue, Scaredy/shoulder dislocation, /marriage dissolving, / friend stop drinking, Dennis /neighbor issues, /brother's lymphoma, /dad surgery recovery, Drew /back operation issues, /friend's wife cancer diagnosis and recovery, Scotty /back pain, Helogabals /wife's friend situation, Fatjay /father broken hip, Ukraine war, and Country.

 

[ronjhall]

Coffee is brewing. 12° with mostly cloudy skies this morning. Heading to 25° with chance of afternoon snow showers. There was more snow than I thought yesterday. Got tractor out and plowed my driveway and neighbors. Found metal I needed to make mount for bird feeder. Hoped to get mount made today.
First Full Moon of 2026. Wolf Full Moon.

Everyone stay well and safe.

Good Morning All.

 

[daugen]

good morning all
18 out now going up to 33 in sun and clouds today
before going to sleep, looked up at huge bright moon last night, pretty
glittering off the remains of the snow.

Saturday morning and no plans other than taking down some outside xmas lights.
The one strand on the wooden fence will stay on; the cord is still encased in an inch of ice on the driveway.

I may take a drive up to Tinsman Bros this morning, the lumberyard north of me, oldest one in the country.
Used to be married to their younger sister, still have a great relationship with their family. Our families all grew up together in local public school. When only 53 in grade, you get to know folks. Want to take some business cards for my young friend
trying to get his new dumpster business off the ground. Builders and carpenters a good market. I have mentored this young man since he was very young, and really want him to succeed.

pricing for dumpsters start at 400 per load. Have no idea if that is competitive; likely it is since he checked out competition.
I may give him an easy one, might rent one for a few hours and get my broken hot tub and unwanted rv couch hauled off.
Would cost just as much to call Got Junk people, plus my young friend will bring a buddy and the two of them will carry this stuff out of my basement, up the steps and into dumpster. That sounds like a good deal to me.

last call, if anyone wants a perfectly good beige/tan jacknife sofa out of rv, holler before it winds up in Grows landfill.

Lavazza coffee going down nicely. When I finish this bag will start on the chicory coffee that just came in.
buying coffee at supermarket seriously overpriced, better at Costco or online. Supermarkets want 10 bucks for a 10 ounce bag.
only inexpensive coffee is big containers of Maxwell House, but that stuff tastes like wood chips to me. Lot of light colored "chaff" in the coffee. Why it costs less I'm sure.

 

[daugen]

quite the news this morning
bet they make a movie of this...
we went in and extracted the President of Venezuela and took him out of the country.
Sounds like a Seal Team Six special.

should make for some interesting reading today

 

[ronjhall]

Good Tractor Evening Billy,

Billy, I wish I was 64 Let’s add another 10 on that number

My wife and I used to joke about her being a Cougar when we married. She was 21 and I was 20 years old. She also paid for the Marriage License. I had a $20 bill in my wallet. She had the correct $10 bill in her purse. We are still married even though she passed 7 years ago. That would be 64 years ago.

 

[Happy in NC]

Good morning TBN!!
44 this morning and that is probably the high temps for the day and somewhat wet.

Did very little yesterday. Started to straighten up the shop somewhat putting away tools and supplies strewn all over from various projects going on.
Neighbor down the road texted and wanted to know if I could scrape a place down a but for a shed he is putting up. Got the tractor fired up for the first time in a while. Got that done about the same time the wife got home from her errands, so I called it a day.
Probably resume cleaning up my work spaces but nothing big on todays agenda.
Panthers at 4:30. Hoping for a playoff spot today.

Time for a second cup
Everyone have a great and safe day!!

 

[scott_vt]

Good Tractor Morning,

All done, ready to move out of my driveway for now:

WinterDeere, nicely done sir

And here you had me thinking that Kathleen was a cradle robber.

Randy, it’s actually the other way around

My wife and I used to joke about her being a Cougar when we married

Ron, a good laugh to start the day

 

[daugen]

went to see Nadene yesterday Ron, been 12 years for me.
still haven't found anyone in the same league to open my heart up to again.
I got such PTSD when she died just don't think I could do it again.
needed some serious farm therapy after that.
which thankfully I got.
replaced death with tons of vegetables and fruit trees growing up into the sky.

but there's a few more family plots left behind me, so who knows.
on the back of Nadene's gravestone I had them carve a tiny heart so she would know
I would always be with her. And I guess I have.
though being alone this long takes a lot of adjustment and sure isn't easy at times.
it is amazing how much your wife does for you.

I had to take this pic to send to caretaker because Uncle Dick's headstone on the front left is leaning.
in the Spring need to reset the foundation, otherwise like an iceberg would keep leaning til it fell over in a
hundred years. Graveyard is 300 years old so some amazing old historical gravestones there.
many so old the names have long worn away.

this is what a Quaker graveyard looks like. All the same, or close to it, and usually no ornamentation.
most of these monuments are from Barre VT granite.
nothing allowed on the backs so I was a rule breaker with my little heart.
so be it, such a rebel...
yes US flags are allowed, put in and then taken down. I have mowed this entire graveyard dozens of times over last 30 years.
you get to know the old folks...

 

[wngsprd]

27 to 37.

Kyle, your son has really grown up!

WinterDeere, real nice job on that trailer! Looks like it came that way originally.

Son and 2 YO granddaughter came yesterday and we had a blast. We had saved a couple of her Christmas presents for this trip, so she was excited. After they left, I split firewood until dark...splitter was cold and gas was old...took 64 pulls and some secret sauce to get it started. By then I was almost too tired to use it.

I always let the woodstove go out and cool off before she comes, so need to clean it and build a fire this morning. Very cold the next couple of days.

 

[Looking4new]

Good morning, the low is -4 and going up to 7°F. Wind NW 2 mph. 40% chance of flurries.

Today is going to be another energy conservation day.

Probably next Tuesday I will order oil to be delivered on Thursday.

Have a safe day all

 

[Thomas]

Trailer is done! Damn, it’s been years since I’ve worked any project with that much scope creep. Months of “might as wells”, while I had it apart.

I may loom the battery cables a bit more in spring, but it’s all good enough to put back into service today, and not a moment too soon, I need some logs!

Batteries were relocated from tongue to aft of axles, for better tongue weight balance:

View attachment 4689121

AWG-2 from each battery forward to junction box at winch stand:

View attachment 4689123

Solar maintainer and battery charger powered from tow vehicle re-wired:

View attachment 4689120 View attachment 4689122

All done, ready to move out of my driveway for now:

View attachment 4689119

Nice...darn nice job.