Good morning!!!!

[masseyrider]

I've heard rumors of something called the "sun."
Another gray day on schedule.
We're at about 35F going into the lowish 40Fs.
Just that damp uninspiring sort of day.

Feeling a bit foolish still.
I have a 2nd drive down the middle of the property that goes almost to the back.
This time of year I don't go out back too much but if I'm coming back from somewhere I'll drive down and just see what's going on.
It has a decent gravel base.
The weather here has been above freezing and rainy for the last week +.
Got to the back, just a bit greasy, but no problem.
Went to turn around and got off the gravel. Good grass cover, hasn't been cultivated for 10+ years. I thought (or didn't think) it should be OK.
All wheel drive didn't help.
Tractor started on first touch of the key after standing since the Fall.
Needed just a light tug on the trailer hitch.
Neighbor got a good laugh.
Forrest got it right, "stupid is as stupid does."

Oatmeal with Blue berries for brekky, couple boiled eggs for protein.

I must be old. Hated oatmeal as a kid and never thought about healthy choice combos before.

 

[mpham]

Morning all!
Up since 3 am with back issues. 3rd coffee in the machine already. Glad to hear your feeling better Buppies! Hopefully all your issues will get better soon!
Not much going on here. I'm not in any position to get much done in the shop!
I will be taking a ride today to check out a lumber mill about 25 miles away. Hopefully the prices aren't as crazy as the last place! Speaking of the last place. I sent a message today to see if they're available this weekend. I want to bring him his dishes I made.
Still waiting on parts for the blower! Thank goodness we don't have any storms in the 10 day forecast!
Will be taking it easy for a while. Back is getting better daily.
Hope everyone stays safe and Healthy!

 

[masseyrider]

Coffee is done brewing. 33° with cloudy skies this morning. Heading to 43° with overcast skies. Started day off with hauling 2 weeks of garbage to road. Put neighbors garbage out also. He hurt his back. There was no pickup last week because of weather. Got laundry folded and put away. Made some brackets to mount backup lights on Mule. Went to bring garbage cans back in. Driveway was blocked with snow again by road grader. Seat time to clear 5 drives. Grocery shopping this morning. With a stop at Menards for some machine screws. Then work some more on mounting backup lights on Mule.
Who is next.

Everyone stay well and safe.

Good Morning All.

Nice picture.
3-4 years ago we had huge numbers of doves.
Sitting on the power line it was near impossible to get an accurate count.
The last couple years they've vanished.

 

[plowhog]

Another great picture Ron, thanks!

Our big storm has arrived. It poured all night long here in formerly-great CA. 40F going to a rainy 48F today.

Transited Donner Pass yesterday with no chain controls. Getting back will be different. Heavy snow, and the summit is over 7,000 ft. Here is the snow forecast over Donner Summit for Sun/Mon:

 

[daugen]

Phil, glad your back is improving or at least chilling out for you
Masseyrider, always fun getting stuck. I laugh at myself a lot...

I wish all vehicles had a dedicated pull spot in the front. Youtube is littered, literally....
with videos of folks pulling off their front bumper. I kept a long synthetic rope on the back of my big tractor in NC.
Used that rope twice, first time used a chain and while strong worried about scratching up someone's nice truck.
But if no tow hook, where to wrap it? All kinds of different suspensions.

it was nice on my Subaru, Audi and this Volvo they provide a knockout spot on the bumper to screw in a tow hook.
But when someone is down in your ditch in the snow, and the two women sure did not know much auto mechanics,
yes one on the phone where she spun. Big shady spot in front of my farm with overhanging trees. They'd hit that at 45 and whooeeee.
Up and down the street into the ditches they went. Half worn summer tires sure don't grip snow well...

So I'd have to find a place to hook up under the front. And then you don't know if the lady is going to be a lunatic and floor it.
you really have to talk to them and get on the same page.
The one guy in a 2wd old p/u with bald tires was a delight, big hook up front, got him out in two minutes.
Two of the wreckees slid/spun out on black ice, the lady in our rare one inch of snow.
She was one on the phone going almost regular speed.
clueless
but she gave me a nice smile when I pulled her out

My three Ram trucks all had tow hooks on the front and a large pull hook in the rear hitch.
marvelous trucks, too bad for the hemi tick and the body rot. Really reinforces value of getting new truck
undercoated before it sees salt. But I always felt "equipped" knowing I had those front hooks.
likely this comes from being a fireman and being ready to assist folks
When you pull from the front you can see exactly what is going on. Just need to have a very good synthetic rope
that won't come back through your windshield.

It's nice to live with the seasons. Trick for me was having a small driveway and small walkway.
And a good car with awd and good winter rated tires.
The Volvo awd is good but the Subaru and Audi were better in snow.
put snow tires on an Outback and you can literally go anywhere
and for families up North, you get home too in one piece

sorry to blather on. One of those mornings.
hard frost out, everything coated in white frost
including my car
c'mon sun

I just read Plowhog's post. Now he's the one who clearly knows how to drive in snow.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

THANK YOU! beautiful! The Goodyear Blimp! Haven't seen that in person for a looong time. As a kid, I used to see it all around Philly, it used to moor at N.E. Philly airport.

I could see myself fishing off that pier!

There used to be multiple Goodyear blimps. There was one that was hangar-ed north of Houston.

I think I figured out why I always put off putting laundry away. 700 steps later it’s all folded and put away.
During Dr visit Monday. Dr was trying to explain to me how exercise is important. Until I showed my collected data for last year. I averaged 5977 steps a day for 2023. That’s very good for someone my age. Already on pace to do the same this year.

That's good you are staying very active my friend.
Glad your legs still work. I'm starting to have troubles with mine, and my ankle nearly gave out today about 200 feet from my building. Had to rest for a moment. Resting and getting off of them help out. Don't drink alcohol much at all anymore. Have been a teetotaler this year so far. I bought some beer, but only my wifey has had 1 every now or then

No success with my fuel tank clean out other than getting it cleaned out. Tractor started right up after. Let it run about 45 minutes then decided might as well mow abit. Not even a complete circuit and it stalled. Stalled another half dozen times getting back to shed.

I feel your frustration. Does it have a low pressure pump in the tank, or does it pull the fuel up by vacuum pump near the engine?
Former boss had a diesel 4WD Kawaski mule that he asked me to fix. Took me days and days of my spare time to figure out there was something that would intermittently clog the tube in the fuel tank. I ended up putting some fine mesh screen around the tube's end, and used a small radiator clamp to tighten it down. Told boss it was time to sell it. It had completely bald tires. He was a multi millionaire, but being tight with money, would drive on bald tires. That thing would get stuck on the slightest incline that was slippery. Couldn't drive over a watermelon rind. LOL. On top of that, the Daihatsu diesels were notorious for catastrophic failure.

Coworker took over the Torchmate plasma's motherboard repairs. Parts are ordered. I will have to reload its memory. DB9 sounds right RNG. My buddy bought a twisted pair USB>DB9 cable to talk to his cnc machines. He said it came with a small cd to load a piece of software to utilize it. Our weld instructor does a demo with it. But since we have a waterjet, it prolly won't get used much.

Prayers for Buppies and wife, and our team, our country, Ukraine and Israel.

 

[Popgadget]

I wish all vehicles had a dedicated pull spot in the front. Youtube is littered, literally....with videos of folks pulling off their front bumper.


The Volvo awd is good but the Subaru and Audi were better in snow.
put snow tires on an Outback and you can literally go anywhere

I used to help my neighbor that has a Christmas tree farm. Inevitably, someone would drive off the pavement back into the field to get a tree and get hopelessly stuck when the ground wasn’t frozen. Often times in expensive European sedans, not a truck, but trucks would get stuck as well.
I would take a 140 hp articulated tractor out to get them, and throw them a chain, telling them to hook it on to what ever they wanted to follow me out of the mud, suggesting that they probably wanted more than the bumper.
I still remember a BMW driver insisting that I crawl under his car in the mud because he didn’t want to get dirty. He didn’t take it well when I suggested that he should have thought of that before driving off the pavement. I left him there and suggested that he might want to call a towing service.

I agree about the Subaru Outback, it was pretty much unstoppable in the snow. Not a great or trouble free car, but best car you could ask for in the snow.

 

[txdon]

Good morning! 45˚F heading to 70˚ with a South wind and partly cloudy skies.

I got my graduation certificate and T-shirt yesterday for finishing my last day of Physical Therapy. Surgical knee flexion was 124˚, (goal of 120). I like that this place, they did not harp on the flexion degrees but concentrated on practical use and the flexion just came naturally.

Drew I can't imagine having both knees done at the same time but I know it is done.

Today will be a good day to clean out the garage. Yesterday I mowed the dead grass out of the yard and took the citrus from the garage to the back yard.

 

[scott_vt]

Good Morning Guys,
Deerfield Beach, 56 to start going to 74 !Another sunny day ! We went out last night for happy hour, went to 3 different places, and just had some starters for dinner !

Mike,hoping your milk house guy starts soon for you !

David, any chance one of your safety switches is malfunctioning when it gets hot ? Or maybe a new fuel cap ?

Buppies and Mostly prayers !

Phil, hope your back starts to feel better, and a saw mill with good prices !

Plow hog, that is some serious through the pass !

Ron , nice picture thanks !

Kyle, hopefully your leg and ankle improves!

Hope a have a blessed day !

 

[LouNY]

Morning all;
A "warm" 31F already this morning heading for a forecast 38F snow and ice becoming muddy and sloppy.

As far as pulling people out I'll agree if the stuck vehicle doesn't have a good easy to access pull point I hand the stuck owner the hook put it were ever you want. I've used a chain to tow with most of my life, but I broke down and bought a stretch rope the other day a 1" Yankum rattler, put it in a Harbor Freight tool bag with a couple of these new soft shackles, should bet a couple of steel shackles also to throw in the same bag, they get expensive with a wide enough throat to fit the tractor drawbars.

That is one thing I wish the various interfering government bodies would do is mandate a solid tow point easy to access on stuck or disabled vehicles front and rear.

Then if the manufactures and buying public would get away from these ridiculous wide and low profile tires that are only good for smooth parking lot autocross driving and a hazard on snow or even rain. And back to a narrower taller tire that actually gets traction in more places then clean dry smooth pavement which is rare to find.

Everyone have a safe and healthy day.