48F this morning headed for a high of only 70F, under partly cloudy skies as another Alaskan low makes it way south. Chance of thundershowers later in the afternoon, to be repeated as multiple lows make the same trip over the next week or so. Would have been nice to have this weather pattern in place earlier in the year while there was enough moisture in the air to make a difference, but now it's just a PITA, a case of too-little-too-late.
Dave, a few years ago I borrrowed a neighbor's spreader to seed the acreage here with an erosion control mix. Took a bit of experimentation to get used to it, but never did get the results I was hoping for. The mix had clover, rye, and barley seed, and the clover seemed to sink to the bottom of the hopper (it's very small) and come out in streaks, at least that's the way it showed up when it sprouted. The next year I had much better luck slinging a bucket over one shoulder and just throwing the mix out by hand. Good exercise, too, as I did about five acres that way.
And you're right about Apple computers: no SPAM, antivirus, or spyware worries at all. I always buy used, then wipe the hard drive and install a fresh version of the latest OS. Have never installed antivirus software, and never had a virus in the 20 years I've been using MacOS (knock on wood).
Carpenters doing great work in the woodshop, they should be done today and then I can finish the rest. Need to call the electrician back so I can get some light in there to see. I just love the smell of sawdust.
Drew, I've heard good things about the 4' LED shop lights available at Costco, but no personal experience yet. LED seems to be the way of the future, and as my fluorescent bulbs bite the dust here I'm slowly converting over. If I ever get a shop built, it'll probably be all LED...
rswyan, I've enjoyed your posts on many other topics, and as a relative newcomer here, look forward to seeing them here as well. Welcome back!
Was all set to pick up paint for the loader yesterday, but it seems like a big deal to get a batch mixed to match. Town's a long way off, and the mixer felt he needed 24 hours to be sure he got it right. After I explained that the rest of the paint on the tractor is faded into several different shades he didn't seem so concerned, so this morning I'll drop off a piece of sheet metal with the proper color on it then do some shopping while he tackles the paint. I guess I got spoiled in the old days when I could watch the mixer work and learn a little bit about how it got done.
But I was able to get the loader back off the tractor without killing myself. Used a porta-power on one side to actuate the arms high enough to attach the parking props, then held it up with a jack while the pins were driven out. That got it back down on the props, but still leaning back on the tractor. A gentle shove rocked it forward and down, safely landing it on an old plastic tarp and ready for washing and paint. Probably use some reversed version of that routine when it comes time to get it back on the tractor and mount the hydraulics.
An old friend was cleaning out his garage and gave me his almost new 4-ton porta-power (like my old one, it's also a Harbor Freight product). I was pretty excited because mine is pretty beat up (came to me that way) and the straps to the carrying bag are broken on one side. Got it all set up to use yesterday only to find that the seals on the cylinder leak like a sieve. No wonder it still looked new
. So it was back to the old nag to finish yesterday's work, and now I'll have to make up a tool to remove the slotted ring that holds the new cylinder together. I'm hoping I'll find a standard size o-ring that has gone bad inside, and that it's included in the Harbor Freight assortment I keep on the shelf...
Hang in there gang, Friday's comin'!
