Can't Quite Figure This One Out

Our electric co-op has a good arborist that is in charge of line clearance.  He must have been on vacation when the crew did this tree.  It's a dead red maple, and the entire tree should have been taken down and chipped. 

Maybe the chip truck was full; maybe it was close to quitting time...  I do have to say that our power is extremely reliable since Jim Gifford became the line clearance guy at Wayne-White Electric Co-Op.

Pinckneyville, One Week Away...

...Be There!

Always a large time!

Oh Boy, New Boots!

My work boots are getting old, so I ordered a new pair, and they are nice.  They feel like pulling on a set of kid gloves.  They just need a good treatment of Pecard's and they will be ready to go to work.

Ruger's Auction To Benefit The USA Shooting Team

Ruger is offering a P85 this week, and these guns have a great reputation for being built like a tank.  This one was built in 1988, and it comes with a 15 round magazine.  These pistols don't fit the current mold for concealed carry, but they make a great house or car gun.  This one comes with ambidextrous mag release and safety catch.  It is a new gun that has been stored in Ruger's vault for more than thirty years.  The hammer will fall mid-day, Wednesday, August 7, 2019.  CLICK HERE to read the full description and to place that winning bid.  These do not draw the big collector money, so be sure to study this one and how it might fit into your life!  $660

Tuesday Torque: Buckley Michigan Engine Show

Here is a pleasant video showing some of the machinery at the Buckley show a couple years ago.  There are lots of engine shows going on, and they will be going on until winter weather threatens.  Get out and enjoy them!  Note, at 6:24 the Farmall on stilts.  No Way would I ever be tempted to get on this thing! Tippy!

Plenty More Where This One Came From

I could be cutting problem trees every day, and there are three more on the other side of the barn from this walnut that I will be doing soon. It's all very satisfying, but we don't have as much play time as we thought we would have when I retired. Gotta hit it again this week, so it's Back To The Old Grind!

Grasshopper 727 Lawnmower Review

Our Grasshopper mower is in its fourteenth year of mowing grass at two homes, and we just did some repairs to keep it going. Here is the rundown on the repairs and maintenance we have had to do on this machine.



The gearbox in the mower deck is the only part of this machine that is cause for dissatisfaction.  Grasshopper could punch a hole in the skidplate assembly to provide access to the oil plug.  Maybe they don't do it because they don't want their customers working under the deck.  There is probably a liability risk if they tell people to do that, and then a deck flops down on the person checking the oil.  It looks like a good modification, though, if you want to make your maintenance chores easier.

Weekend Steam: Steam Legends Reunited

Another great video pick by Merle!  Thank You, Merle!

Joys Of Country Life

Lisa loves to go for rides in the country with me, and you can hear her grumbling at this crop duster.  I love the free air shows we get out here.

Extreme Wedging

This is definitely not fun.  This walnut was past my lean limits by at least a foot, but this takedown was not optional; it was threatening a barn.  We used a rope to counter some of the back weight and pounded wedges 'til it went over.  The problem with extreme wedging is when you pass four inches of lift on the back of the butt log.  Wedges won't hold if you need to add more, and they kick out rather than lift.  After sleeping on this problem, I think I see a solution by adding an angled seat to the stump with a chainsaw, plus a hefty wooden block.  That is something that I will try if I have to do this again.