Good morning!!!!

   / Good morning!!!! #70,261  
31 going up to 55 today with morning rain. Should start raining just when buyer is hooking up the hitch to my trailer.
Cut up the brownies this morning, was good not to eat any, put them in Tupperware and turned up the heat in the trailer.
Before they get here I'm taking my little electric heater out. I gave them plenty of free things but that heater is going back in my house where it came from. I told them to buy two...why use your own propane when you can heat with the campground's electricity? They sure agreed.

Got very lucky with neighbor, his fire training class was cancelled for today so he can come over and help me mount the phd on the Kubota.
Then I drill about ten holes and plant four Asian pears, red buds, dogwoods, lilacs and river birch. None of these were planned, just using up a store credit for pecan trees that died the first year, I believe because they were frozen in transit last year. This year all trees were nicely boxed and looked great. Small two to three foot bare root trees, some larger, not hard to plant, but I like big water retention rings and the phd makes those just by drilling the holes.

I've already planted over a hundred trees here, almost all along the property line to block the neighbors.
These trees are for the main lawn area, and yeah, each additional one is another to trim around.
So I have to really think about how this will all look, like a painter with a canvas. I think redbuds in a line, dogwoods in a triangle, river birch in a corner, and none can block the view of the fruit orchard, since when that blooms, it's too nice a view. I printed out pictures of the grown trees so I can stand outside and try to visualize all this ten years from now.

Yesterday I planted a green smoke tree and a Chinese fringe tree along the side of the paddock area facing my fireman neighbor. Those trees are supposed to be really colorful, hope there's enough light in there, partial shade. Always a battle to get sunlight when you have a lot of trees around. Morning sun, afternoon sun, how much of each.

Oh, I missed the Smyrna quince tree. Somebody someday will make quince jam from this tree.

This is definitely it for tree planting this year, now to concentrate on the garden. I got the tops of the rows pulverized yesterday after making another pass with the super A. I could do this whole garden with the Gravely pulling the tiller, but doing it with the tractor was more fun.
Until it started to smoke...hmmm.
 
   / Good morning!!!! #70,262  
Anyone else ever feel a little sad at the prospect of saying goodbye to a piece of machinery ?

1970_fastback.jpg
So far, it's only happened with one motorcycle. I sold a 1970 Commando Fastback many years ago, the first of many Nortons I've owned. It was relatively stock, always started on the first kick, and surprisingly reliable for a British bike. Put over 40,000 miles on it, and sold it to make room for another Commando that had every "upgrade" in the book, some of which were anything but. Other than that, the garage/shop is pretty much a Hotel California for tools and machines...:laughing:
 
   / Good morning!!!! #70,263  
RNG, out of curiosity I asked him how long his restoration has taken. With great pride he showed me a picture of it and said it had taken five years so far as his wife put building their house at slightly higher priority. I got the feeling that much of the enjoyment is in the slow but steady progress, almost as much as it will be in the journeys to come when it is finished.

If your mechanic is looking for additional excuses for his slow progress, we can put him in touch with my mechanic, who seems to have an unending supply.:smiley_aafz:
 
   / Good morning!!!! #70,264  
Got my Bird recommended weather station today, man it was easy to set up using the app! Took a couple of hours for everything to sink, forecast is still syncing, everything else is doing well. Mounting the sensors for wind,rain and humidity was as simple as it gets. Color display is a little busy but easy to read. You can add additional sensors simply by scanning the bar Cade with the ap on your phone. It’s a Lacrosse Professional, don’t remember the model number.
I think this is the one you ordered from Sam's Club.
Mine works great. Except right now the wind sensor is covered with snow and will not spin.
 
   / Good morning!!!! #70,265  
6 and going to a high of 14 Wind WSW 7 mph. It is supposed to be cloudy, today.

No more excuses, I will go plow today. I always said I wouldn't even attempt to start the tractor in below zero temps. I have no doubt that with a block heater it will start, but the damage comes in when you work it. According to the owners manual I would have to 'warm it up' for at least 20 minutes. If the ambient temp is below -4 the manual says to warm up 'more than 20 minutes'. We all know that the only way to warm up a diesel engine is to work it, yet the manual says otherwise. I have auxiliary hydraulics on the rear and an anti deadhead hose between the two plugs. I just kick the power beyond lever into either 'A' or 'B" and let it run like that for 10 of the 20 minutes and work my bucket up and down with full curl/dump. That seems to loosen up the cold oil pretty good.

Those that are flying, stop and rest every so often, give your arms a break.

The rest of you stay safe and enjoy the weekend.
 
   / Good morning!!!! #70,266  
Good morning all, 40 going to 50 and 80% chance of rain. Feeling better now, Naproxen sure does help. Don't know what I will do today, will wait and see.

Ron thanks for the weather station tip. Am going to try to talk wife into it. Ours is having troubles, old age.

Prayers for those needing them. Ed
 
   / Good morning!!!! #70,267  
Yesterday was National Pizza Day, and my reward for celebrating it is heartburn in the wee hours. While I'm waiting for the Gaviscon to kick in, I found a link to the video shot when Musk's Tesla was still in Earth orbit: Watch Starman drive Elon Musk's Tesla after SpaceX launch - CNET

Entertaining for a few minutes, but I don't think I'd waste over four hours to watch the whole thing.:laughing:
 
   / Good morning!!!! #70,268  
Added:
I've been suffering with really dry skin...bad enough to go to the doctor's. He prescribed prednisone and Benadryl as well as using baby lotion after my morning shower. Hasn't seemed to help much. My skin on my neck, lower back and arms is red and itchy to the point of painful. The skin is also wrinkled....almost like I'm turning reptilian (or The Elephant Man!).
Any recommendations?
Hot showers can cause the skin problems. Especially if it has chlorine in it. We have well water with a softener. Try Tone Soap. Another item that works for me is Neutrogena Intensive Moisture Wrap Body Treatment Fragrance Free. Walmart carries it.
For really bad spots I use Kirkland Hydrocortisone 1% Plus from Costco. Gets rid of the scale skin quick.
Low Humidity makes my skin do the same thing.
 
   / Good morning!!!! #70,269  
Well, my new weather station is still working! Now the forecast seems to be up to speed as well. Warmed up 10° overnight. 50s and rain later, near 70 tomorrow. Might play with tractors today, might go look at a Monte Carlo SS and LeMans a guy is selling. Might do both.
Have a good day folks, safe travels and GET WELL!
 

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