Heat wave before Deep Freeze

[Gale Hawkins]

Today I had thought about tearing into the ATV engine or burning of where we are clearing some ground and got side tracked last year. Well the temp when above 60F for a change and the wind was too high to burn the grass and weeds over the area where a lot of trees are down on the ground that need to be cut up and burned.

We ended up and starting back hoe, MF and F700 flat dump and taking it for a drive.
Topped of antifreeze in all three and checked things out. The F700 needed PS fluid and ATF in the hydraulic parking brake plus added a quart of engine oil that was 20 years old (Rotella 15W-40) and after it ran for a while and we dumped a couple times we took it for 4 mile drive. We did a few other similar things getting ready for the cold of the next three days. Wednesday is the last day forecast this winter to stay below freezing all day. After our last electric bill that is a good thing.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Today was very nice with high of 69F but its gonna be quite different tomorrow. I got out this morning, hooked up to my new tiller and tried it out on my garden mixing in a bunch of leaves that I added from yard cleanup. My soil needs a lot of organic matter but of course I cant add it all at one time. It worked so well, I went over and did my sister-in-laws. Brother in law usually does it with a walk behind but since he is under the weather with some pinched nerve problems, he had no issue with me tilling it up. He had put in a layer of about 6" deep in leaves but they all chopped up really well. They should decompose nicely now. This afternoon we all sat out on the back patio and enjoyed the weather till almost dark. It was as good as it gets, not too hot and not too cold.

 

[oldballs]

About the same here, 56 hi this afternoon with 5 forecast for the morning. The winds have been fierce (on and off) for several weeks and are howling at about 40 mph right now. Am redesigning the 50 x 100 garden deer fencing so as to get the B2620 and tiller in there. All these years I've used a walk behind tiller in the enclosed area. But now I'm looking forward to using the tractor/tiller to do the job. It's good to read what others are doing in this seesaw winter. BTW, there has not been much moisture this winter. Cheer, Mike