Good morning!!!!

[lostcreekranch]

I wish the local fire company here did a chili cookoff. They don't bring the community in at all, little rural VFD, which I contribute
generously to each year. Same with local ambulance corps. Now I'm waiting for them to have a big feed and invite me.
Pancake breakfasts are too much sugar and carbs for me in the morning, bad mid morning crash after eating pancakes, but give me a blueberry
or strawberry pancake and I'll take the risk. Not the plain stuff.
Back in PA local VFD would sell hoagies and the moms could drive through in their expensive SUVs and never have to get out of the car.
Anything you can drive thru seems to do well...

Don, you sound like you are having a great deal of fun. And busy as you want to be.
I hope your wife enjoys it too.

Jay and Roy, you two particularly, be careful in the snow. Visions of Jay being dragged down a snowy street by
that enormous dog, hopefully on a bob sled. Mush. Mush.

Drew, we do two fund raisers a year. We hold a very successful Chicken Steak Dinner, in the Spring. Those funds go to our operational fund for our VFD.

The proceeds, from the Fall Chili Cookoff and attendant activities, go towards our future new Fire Hall. I've recently taken on the roll of soliciting larger donations, grants, etc. from local organizations and benefactors to get our new building completed. Our goal is to begin construction next Spring.

 

[RoyJackson]

I wish the local fire company here did a chili cookoff.

Speaking of chili, my wife made some yesterday...a bit thinner then usual, but very tasty. I added onions and a dab of hot sauce. Ate too much and I'm paying for it this morning

Jay and Roy, you two particularly, be careful in the snow. Visions of Jay being dragged down a snowy street by
that enormous dog, hopefully on a bob sled. Mush. Mush.

For the most part, I'll be in a warm cab. The walks are cleared with an EGO battery powered snow blower. This does a good job up to 6" or so, especially if it's powdery snow. Only downside is it's not self propelled...that would be nice! But, I've only got about 40' of walkway. I haven't yet, but it's small (22" wide, IIRC) and light enough to bring through the house for clearing the 14'x20' deck too

 

[check]

Good morning all. A bit of snow today, L4N looks like you will be getting more. Temps right near freezing yesterday and today, so we can work outside and finish off the last 2 little boards on the garage siding/soffits (yay! No more jokes about our "Muskoka Siding.)

Final winter prep tasks this weekend. Take off BH, put on 3 pt. hitch and (rear) blower. Take off Piranha Toothbar, put on Bucket Expander (which doubles the heaped capacity of the FEL). Pontoon boat is in position for the winter and tarped, batteries out. Will leave the AGM batteries in the Sea Doos for the winter - just disconnect the -ve lead and charge them up. (Anyone see a problem with this? There seem to be differing opinions.) Trailers go to their winter spots, out of the way.

Have to carefully check all the driveways and parking areas for sticks and/or rocks that might get run over by the blower. And hook up the plow on the ATV.

Sure wish I was doing the opposite, but have to wait for Spring for that!

Bring on the snow!

 

[jbrumberg]

A cloudy 20ºF for today'a low; 31ºF presently with mixed clouds/sun; and I anticipate similar conditions and an afternoon high temp in the low to mid 40ºF's. The NWS/Norton-Boston is predicting some snow for this area. I am more concerned about the possible icing during the transition from rain to snow with this pending (cold) frontal passing. Today may be a good day to repair my old wood cart. The frame is metal and 40 years old, the remainder is bits and pieces of leftover wood from other projects, all held together by "100's" of self tapping wood screws.

Kyle- Thanks for sharing the locomotive pics.

Don- Thanks for the lizard picture.

Bruce- Thanks for the scenery pics

Randy- I am happy to read that your Mom had a good day and about all your and Ellen's + family experiences.

Drew- Your breakfast plans read to be great good eats My experiences in the "City of Brotherly Love" were not so loving nor friendly. Thanks for your concerns. I still have + 25#'s over Brogen. I did have one Nantucket Sleigh-ride experience with my last St. B

Bill- Jeep was the first vehicles that I started to research on the internet. I had an original Toyota Landcruiser; expensive parts, but I miss that beast. . Good luck convincing your DIL that she needs a new Jeep.

RonJH- I hope the snow that you need to shovel with this next frontal passing is light and fluffy.

Rick- I am happy to read that the Chili Cookoff fund raiser was well attended in good weather and that everyone had a good time.

"Bring on the snow!? Check. I am ready.

I hope that everyone has a decent Sunday doing exactly what they planned to do.

My + thoughts and prayers.

 

[sodamo]

69°F and .16 inches rain.

Nice to sleep thru the night again without concern about batteries or generator running.

Nothing major planned for the day. More slow piddling in tractorshed, watch some football, Hand & Foot this afternoon. Going to try grilling some Tandoori chicken.

Prayers for all
Be safe
Have a great day

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

69°F and .16 inches rain.

Nice to sleep thru the night again without concern about batteries or generator running.

Nothing major planned for the day. More slow piddling in tractorshed, watch some football, Hand & Foot this afternoon. Going to try grilling some Tandoori chicken.

Prayers for all
Be safe
Have a great day

Good job, glad you got it done. sorry that the old ones failed on you. Hope the new ones last a long time. Any ideas on new battery bank's longevity?

 

[sodamo]

Randy, sounds like you had a super family day

 

[sodamo]

Drew, however long it would take to use 36 kw. That wouldn’t take down to zero, just to the 20% warranty level. That would also assume zero input. Yesterday, bank got fully charged and recalibrated to battery meter to 100%. This morning it was down 75% - EXCELLENT and being as the sun is out I’m already recharging.
Not sure operating limits. Installer was telling me of others running AC, big water pumps, a guy with a woodshop with a 3hp saw. Likely welder would be ok, but I will run from generator. Will be adding receptacle at my transfer switch.
I purposely oversized my capability with the hope to minimize generator use. If I only ran for exercise and welding I’d be happy. Installer did tell me he has several smaller installations that don’t use their generator.

 

[sodamo]

Good morning.

29 and going to a high of 32 °F. Wind SSW 21 gusting to 32 mph. One one hand they say 'flurries' and the other says snow squall warning. Looks like we can expect another 6" today. This is a good thing.

jbrumberg; Jeep is building pickups again. 4 doors and a pickup box, what is not to like?
I suggested to the DIL that I trade the Dodge in on a new Jeep. She suggested that IF I liked the twins where they are that I would NOT trade 'her' Dodge in. I bought the Dodge, insure it, plate it, fuel it, maintain it and drive it, yet it is 'her' Dodge.


Have a good day all

Bill, think you may have been given wifely wisdom.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Up to 54° and partly sunny

I lead songs at worship, first time since my illness. Then a bunch of us had lunch at our usual local Italian spot, and the best part is my working son picked up our tab.

Now to go home and veg out.

 

[sodamo]

Good job, glad you got it done. sorry that the old ones failed on you. Hope the new ones last a long time. Any ideas on new battery bank's longevity?

Set up for 10,000 cycles warranty. That would mean 27.3 years if cycled every day. I turn 73 in a couple weeks, so looks like lifetime plus

 

[ronjhall]

Forgot all about the Chili was suppose to make Friday. I was so tired that I just threw a couple of mini pizzas in microwave. I did get it done yesterday. Looking threw pantry found what wife used when she made Chili. She used French's Chili-O Seasoning Mix. Dumped some ground chuck, diced tomatoes, red kidney beans and the Chili-O in Instapot. Put cover on and press Chili setting. 30 minutes later. It taste like I am a chef. It was last nights dinner and today's lunch. No pictures. Next time.

 

[ronjhall]

Drew, however long it would take to use 36 kw. That wouldn’t take down to zero, just to the 20% warranty level. That would also assume zero input. Yesterday, bank got fully charged and recalibrated to battery meter to 100%. This morning it was down 75% - EXCELLENT and being as the sun is out I’m already recharging.
Not sure operating limits. Installer was telling me of others running AC, big water pumps, a guy with a woodshop with a 3hp saw. Likely welder would be ok, but I will run from generator. Will be adding receptacle at my transfer switch.
I purposely oversized my capability with the hope to minimize generator use. If I only ran for exercise and welding I’d be happy. Installer did tell me he has several smaller installations that don’t use their generator.

Down 75% or down to 75% from 100%?

 

[RoyJackson]

Chores all done...driveway markers out and the rubber "cutting" edge fixed. I even went to my neighbor's place to ensure no door mats in the drive...you guys might recall my blower almost ate one last winter...well, almost means the shear bolt did it's job and getting that frozen, partially digested mat out was a real SOB

 

[Steppenwolfe]

Beautiful fall day here. Part of my driveway up to the house.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Beautiful fall day here. Part of my driveway up to the house.
View attachment 628147

Pretty drive

 

[sodamo]

Down 75% or down to 75% from 100%?

75% State of Charge (75% of full). Like a numerical fuel gauge.

Used only 25% of capacity, I like it. Settings allow me to go down to 20% SOC (use 80%) and stay within warranty.

 

[sodamo]

Beautiful fall day here. Part of my driveway up to the house.
View attachment 628147

Nice

 

[PILOON]

Sometimes I get lucky.

My winter tires are really shot* and I priced out new ones which would be in the $900 range.
For the fun of it I do a search on a local site and lo and behold 235 x 65 R17 mounted on Kia Serento rims (my car) for $400. and 1 season (local) wear.
Well shucks they actually look new!
AND they are studded to boot! (studs=more $'s)

Picked them up at 11AM and drove past a buddy's place and he was in on a rare Sunday so we mounted them before having lunch.
LOL, I bought him lunch.

Now I might even recoup some $'s on my older set for someone that just wants to be legal as snows are mandatory here as of Dec 1st.

*shot but just barely legal according to the wear bars, but I have a steep drive and need all the help I can get.

 

[jbrumberg]

Steppenwolfe- You have a pretty driveway. Thanks for sharing

PILOON- A nice score on those studded snow tires.

Tomorrow I plan to visit the small independent and tire shop up the road with whom I do our tire business. My Tundra's tires are barely legal and show signs of poor wear.

My 40 year old wood/garden cart is now cobbled together again and I only needed a half dozen of new self tapping wood screws to tighten the cart up enough to handle my firewood 1/4's