TOTALLY RANDOM POST II

[Three Berries]

tripping during a snow storm is killer. seeing the flakes coming at the windshield always makes me think of how the stars flash by in Star Trek sequences where they hit "warp speed"...

Driving in hard blowing snow with the wind behind you can really mess up your mind even straight.

 

[VenerableHippie]

The best, absolute best mechanic I ever knew

Well, I had one too. Until his Wife drove him nuts. I should rephrase that. Until he lost his temper and moved out and all his marbles got disarranged for a while. He's not the same. Sorta disconnected somehow ... put pink coolant in my green coolant radiator ... waved me goodbye on a 1400 k trip with a bad wheelbearing that needed to be fixed on-the-road.

I do my own servicing now and have found a competent undercar mechanic who will work for cash. (oop shouldn'ta said that latter. The tax man will get us now.)

 

[Green Squall]

I sacrificed one of my outdoor plants today for the better good of the garden. Out of the bunch, it was the only one being relentlessly attacked by mold/PM, so I decided enough is enough and chopped it down. Shame, too, because it was the stinkiest one, buts its also a weight off my shoulders not to have to deal with it anymore. The rest are looking great, so it should be a plentiful harvest.

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I put my rusted out Nissan on Craigslist and it baffles me that scammers are coming out of the woodwork for a car that needs thousands in work. Might just have to junk it at this point. $300 is better than letting it rot in the driveway I guess.

 

[D. B. Doober]

$300 for the car? I got like $10 for my Chevy Beretta years back. Turn it into a natural reef, I'll help you push it into the ocean. How's going?

 

[Green Squall]

$300 for the car? I got like $10 for my Chevy Beretta years back. Turn it into a natural reef, I'll help you push it into the ocean. How's going?

Yeah, I might press for $500 since the engine is still in good shape.

Speaking of a natural reef, when I was a dumb and inconsiderate kid, with no notion of negative environmental impacts, my friend and I lugged my motorized mini bike out onto the rocks and through it into the ocean. We were howling with laughter and swam down to sit on it underwater lool. And I swear, the next summer, it washed up onto the beach.

 

[moose eater]

2-foot tall cannabis plant is still in the compost bin out in the back yard, and looking pretty healthy, despite receiving a hard frost at least 3 times now. Probably ought to bring her in.

Why a 'her'? Because it's undoubtedly the off-spring of a male stress flower from my last crop or 3, and most likely the White Lotus, as stated earlier.

Got the first of 3 loads of 165-200 gallons of #1 home heating oil home last night, waiting to be transferred to the main 500-gal. tank (This load was about 170 gallons). The two 55-US-gallon drums are nearly full, with the third that stays partial so as to not cause siphoning out the pump that rests in it.

Still need to take the 99.9% lab-grade isopropyl alcohol and rinse the two 60-US-gal. poly drums cleaned out so the fuel is good once loaded in. They previously had Industrial strength (very) concentrated H2O2 in them, so more reason to make sure they're clean before I add them to the boiler's food supply.

Then the 15-US-gallon poly drums that my friend gifted me when he left the State, along with several original Bata Bunny Boots (the white ones that aren't made any more, good to -70 f.). The 15-gallon drums have spigots on them, as he used them in his aircraft for remote fuel on longer-range flights to the bush.

They'll need cleaned as well if they're to hold fuel oil.

Same guy gave me about $350 to $400 in custom loaded .30-o6 ammunition.. Though I skipped trying to fill my 'any bull' drawing moose permit this year.

When all's filled, the main tank, the 60-gal poly drums, the 55-gallon steel drums, the 15-gallon poly drums, and the collection of 30-gallon drums, I'll be leaving my wife with close to 920-945-US-gallons of #1 home heating oil. Enough for about 18 months of heat and hot water with no other back-up.Cool.

Cover supports were put into the boat yesterday and the cover put on it for the winter. A sad parking this year, for sure.

Tilled the spud field a second time this Fall yesterday, as well, turning under the well-fed weeds for the field that was not planted for the first time in over 24 years.

The culvert at the road end of the driveway is almost completely dug out now; only to discover that my younger son's claims over the last 2 years or more, to have been thoroughly digging the silt out of the culvert in his past efforts..... was bullshit.

So now I'll need to drag a modified shovel point (or similar) through the culvert with a stout rope or cable, probably numerous times before the temps get too cold and freeze the damp dirt inside the thing.

The rope will be brought through by shooting an arrow tied to a string, uphill through the culvert, out the other end, then tying the string to the rope and pulling the rope through, then attaching the shovel point or similar 'tool' and dragging them back the other direction, downhill.

No telling how many times this will need to be done in order to clear that culvert now.

"Trust but verify"

The arrow and rope technique is apt to be a WHOLE lot less expensive than a new 20-24 ft. x 12-inch culvert and a bunch of heavy equipment time, diesel and tailings.

Tomorrow we'll transfer that first load of fuel and go get another, then finish clearing and digging out the 6' of ditch below the culvert that still needs the slope of grade adjusted a bit.

Then transfer the stuff back into the shed that had been placed into the barn and onto pallets over the Summer, so we could build massive shelves in the shed, as well as an outboard motor stand built along one wall for the 2 older OMC short-shaft outboards that have been hogging room in the basement.

Then we have the remaining downed spruce trees and wood in the bowl below the house to bring up and cut, then sell, and we're more or less done with our pre-Winter outdoor chores lists... other than maybe for a bon fire to both cleanse this last year from our memories, and to get rid of burnable debris.

What a fucking year.

 

[Three Berries]

Ft Meyers

 

[moose eater]

Got the second load of ~170 US gallons of heating oil into 55-gallon storage drums, but still have about 47 gallons in the 30-gallon poly drums, so I'll have to postpone my third and final run until the tank is down by 45-50 gallons. By then there'll likely be snow on the ground, and loading fuel oil to the primary tank in the barn becomes a bit more challenging, and will involve smowmobiles and freight sleds. Had hoped to get it all done while I can pull the trailer up to the barn and be more direct.

Currently sitting on an accumulated ~765 US gallons. Feeling settled about that.

Bucked and limbed the last/third spruce tree of good size that I've found thus far, following the recent wind storms last month, down in the lower property. Bucked up the entirety of the third decent spruce tree, but for the last narrow 10 feet or so at the very top. Still have the remnants of the 2 respectable but lesser spruce trees the wind took down to finish bucking and limbing.

All of it's going to the firewood sale pile, so bucking into 16" lengths will be next, then find someone who wants a deal on a cord or 3 of good firewood, at a cut rate in exchange for picking up their own cut wood, so I don't have to load, unload and stack this shit again.

Maybe haul a load of D1 road mix to pack around the base of the pads we built under the shed last year.

Approaching the end of pre-Winter preparations. Wasn't too terribly painful compared to some years.

Still haven't transplanted that rogue cannabis plant that's growing out in the compost.

 

[Gry]

10 Health Benefits of Cardamom, Backed by Science

Cardamom is an Indian spice known for its intense flavor and its use in traditional medicine, such as to help with digestion. Here are 10 health benefits of cardamom, backed by science.

www.healthline.com

 

[tobedetermined]

The dough is made - using Tenderflake lard, of course.. Don't even try to claim that you can make better crust for an apple pie because it is hard to beat perfection.

 

[armedoldhippy]

The dough is made - using Tenderflake lard, of course.. Don't even try to claim that you can make better crust for an apple pie because it is hard to beat perfection.

ah, lard...what once was old is yet new again. hard to beat for frying chicken too!

 

[Three Berries]

Lard and fat. Eat like a cave man, enjoy a healthier diet and leave the carbs for the addicted.

 

[moose eater]

Got to sectioning/bucking and limbing the last of the large spruce that were victims of the last wind storms. The largest we're into now was likely brought down by a combination of spruce beetle, ant, and wind. Combined they're a nearly unbeatable tag-team.

My older son has stacked a fair bit of the older, more solid scrap from the aspen we're taking down in the lower end of the property. It's looking a lot cleaner down there now, but LOTS and LOTS to stack or remove yet.

Meant to take a photo of the plant growing in the compost; still green and erect as of last night, though this morning it was snowing pretty good, but this may be the day she gets her pic taken and posted up.

Likely try to get snow tires onto the truck and my wife's car today. Can't do the tires on my commuter, as it's at the shop.. still. With what will be over an $1,100.00 bill, in great part, correcting what another shop did to the thing a couple years ago.

My mother-in-law's camper van is getting all the deficiencies taken care of, but I'm a bit anxious or worried, as I don't know the mechanic in the Lower-48 who's doing this work, and I've already seen a pic of things on that van from before that concerned me a bit.

As soon as the van's ready for the road, my wife will fly down to see her mother and stock the van with the list of items I need for the <3,000 mile drive, then I'll fly down a few days later and start back up North.

Not real excited about bringing up a bulbous-shaped 2-wheel-drive van with a raised top during Fall freeze-up, so I'll likely skip the Alcan, save 150-200 miles of road, and take the Stewart-Cassiar Hwy (BC Hwy. #37) out of Kitwanga, up to just North of Watson Lake, Yukon Territory, though services on both highways (Alcan & Cassiar) have been shrinking over the last 20 years, and there are times now in the off-season (Fall, Winter and Spring) where a person wants to study what is and isn't available, very carefully. And fuel cans are no longer simply for saving money when around expensive gas. Now they may be required to -get- to the next gas.

On the bright side, if this all comes off without a mechanical or other hitch, then camping, fishing, hunting, and transporting just got a bit more comfortable, with 2 queen-size beds (one high & one low), metal walls that make it more difficult for bruins to acccess chow or gear, a small furnace for heat for the chilly season, a reasonably economical engine (and commonly available for replacement) by way of a 5.7 liter Chevy/GM 350.

All it's missing is an upgraded stereo system at the dash, repairs, and a clean bill of health.... and then.....

 

[tobedetermined]

From that same incredible album by Jackson Browne was a song that I always really connected with. I was never a roadie but I have setup hundreds of trade shows and so I really empathized. Fly in. Set up. Work show. Knock down. Pack up. Fly out. And repeat . . .

 

[moose eater]

From that same incredible album by Jackson Browne was a song that I always really connected with. I was never a roadie but I have setup hundreds of trade shows and so I really empathized. Fly in. Set up. Work show. Knock down. Pack up. Fly out. And repeat . . .

 

[moose eater]

Refundable mileage tix arranged for my wife and I for our 2 separate trips to see Wa. State; her to visit her mother, and me to drive the van home.

Time's short, but perhaps we can pull this off.

My shotgun permit from the August trip is still good, so if I fly with that, I just need to gather some TSA-approved locks, so they can access it if they decide to.

Woulda' been nice to sneak in a PET Scan or so while I'm down there, but time's short, so...

Would like to take our German Shepherd, too, but... costs to ship a large air-freight pup kennel are steep at the moment, and they won't let us fly her down on air miles..

I think I need a good solid road trip once or twice a year, if not three times, just to keep me more mellow.

 

[moose eater]

The compostage with the mostage.. In this case, what appears to be a relatievly healthy, somewhat wild, likely White Lotus #4 (or other WL)

My 'compost squatter' White Lotus...

She was snowed on hard yesterday and last night.

She's been frosted HARD 5-6 times now, and at least 2 times, if not 3, she has been into the mid to lower 20's fahrenheit.

I'm beginning to feel compelled to dig her up, maybe tonight after putting on my wife's snow tires, and transplanting her to a warmer climate; indoors. The shock of someone actually taking care of her, however, might just kill her.

And I hate to bring ONE plant into a box; it's wasteful of both electricity and time.

 

[armedoldhippy]

And I hate to bring ONE plant into a box; it's wasteful of both electricity and time.

dang shame to just let her die when she's trying so hard...

 

[D. B. Doober]

Does anyone else shave with an electric razor? After 20 years, maybe 30 years of shaving, I was gifted a Braun Series 7. Best shave ever. Anyone else?

 

[tobedetermined]

Does anyone else shave with an electric razor? After 20 years, maybe 30 years of shaving, I was gifted a Braun Series 7. Best shave ever. Anyone else?

I never liked cutting myself every morning so I have been using Braun electrics since the late 70s. My 1st lasted 30 + years. I am on my 2nd 'new one' since then.