Ed -- I parked my BH under a tamarack tree on firm level ground, greased all my fittings, and sprayed the sensitive areas with Boeshield T9. I got that stuff in a woodworking shop for my table saw top, but didn't like the tacky film it left behind. Since the stuff was developed for exposed surfaces on aircraft, I tried it on the backhoe. Works fine, and easier to apply than the grease smearing thing.
Pete