Hot!

[HappyCPE]

On days like this, I sit in the house with the AC cranked to the meat-locker position, and pop the "Doctor Zhivago" DVD into the player!

Six months from now, though, I'll be on the same sofa under blankets, thermostat set to Fission, and watching "Lawrence of Arabia."

98 in Jersey today and tomorrow. To heck with the plants.

 

[3RRL]

This come to a complete surprise to me that you guys on the other side have all that heat instead of us out on the West Coast for a change. That will probably change in a month though, when it will approach 110F at my property. Last year we had one day at 117F. That was hot!
A couple of thermometer pictures from last year between Winter and Summer.

 

[scott_vt]

Sheesh Rob,
That first pic wouldnt be cold up this way unless the pointer was on the other side of Zero !

 

[Skyco]

Re: the kidney stones and hydration- also BTDT here. I now drink lots of water year round as I do not want to repeat the kidney stone fiasco. Mine sent me to the ER at 0400 and an overnight in the hospital trying to get it out. Finally had it removed a week later- for those that don't know they remove it via an existing opening with tools obviously much larger than anything ever meant to travers that path Yep- I now drink LOTS of water year round

 

[jinman]

Its about 100 here today. They were calling for 102 yesterday so I guess we got a bit of a break. I'll have to admit, I haven't done much outdoors this weekend due to the heat. Worked hard last weekend finishing up my tractor shed, but this weekend I've wimped out. Sitting behind a laptop and watching the Nascar race right now.

How about grass fires? Is it dry enough that you have trouble with fires? We have had extremely windy condiitions. Straight line winds around here have been as high as 50 mph. Gusts are even higher and grass fires are starting to happen more frequently.

I just installed a new storm door on my walkout basement a few weeks ago before Ron and Betty Hall came to visit. Within two weeks, it was sagging and not closing. I checked and it turns out I used #6 screws where I should have used #8 screws. So, I redid the door and it has been working perfectly. I love it because it allows me to leave the basement door open and also open the screen on the storm door if possible.

That was before the wind. Last week we heard some noise and thought it was the wind blowing chairs around on our deck. That happens pretty often when we have gusts above 25 mph. Kathy happened to be in the basement and heard the sound again. She realized it wasn't the chairs and opened the door to check. To her horror, our new storm door had been ripped off its hinges. I guess it was not completely closed and locked. When one of those 50 mph gusts hit, it flung the door open and ripped out the closer and completely destroyed the hinges. Only one hinge was keeping the door from blowing end-over-end across the yard.

Luckily, the door itself is not damaged. We need a new hinge plate to mount on the door facing and one new door closer. Maybe the 3rd time will be the charm...if the wind doesn't blow.

 

[dmccarty]

I did pull the PTO shaft off my mower and disassembled the slip clutch, cleaned it up and put it back together Friday afternoon.

I put the MX 6 on the JD4700 two weeks ago and did the slip clutch work for the season. Then I mowed for a 4 hours. The plan for last week was to go mow for a few more hours and then change the engine/hydrualic oil/filters.

Too danged hot for that idea. Instead the wife's Honda was all but stalling out. We inherited the car and it was supposed to have been maintained. To avoid the heat I spent a few hours on the Internet Saturday morning researching Honda's stalling. Found some things that scared me about Honda's but they appear to NOT apply to ours. Ruled out a few other things. Went through the receipts we had on the car and the air filter had been changed at 30K. Now has 67K with no record of an change.

Being over by 7K should not cause the problem but a new filter is easy to change so I run some errands and buy a new air filter. $10. Figured I would change it on Sunday since it was supposed to be cooler aka 98 instead of 102.

On Sunday they called for 102. Changed the filter which required removing two hoses and loosening 5-6 screws. The old filter was filthy. So filthy I wonder if it really was changed at 30K like the receipt said. Put in the new filter and drove it slow, let it idle with the AC cranked up and drove it fast. No problems. Whew.

Prior to the change the wife drove the car to the mailbox and it almost stalled. Since I drove it for a good 30-45 minutes without a problem I think the filter change was the cause.

Late in the afternoon I went out and weeded the garden. Hardly strenuous work but I was drenched even though I was in the shade due to the setting sun. YUCK!.

Saturday night at 11:15ish the temp outside was 82. Twas 76 with 76% humidity this morning at 7:00ish.

Hopefully this stuff ends soon. I have some trees to take down and this heat limits me to one or two tanks of fuel in the Stihl and I'm done.

I used to do the two shirt trick when we did not live on the property and I was out there 10-12 hours during summer. Also I would soak my head in water before and after working to stay cooler. And I would take a third Tshirt that I would changed into at the end of the day for the drive home. I would clean up a bit and that clean dry shirt was wonderful.

Still stank like something the dogs dug up and the buzzards would not eat but I felt better. Wife would send me straight to the shower. Can't blame her either.

Later,
Dan

 

[Redbug]

Dear Three Shirt Dan,

If the car acts up again, my guess would be to change out the fuel filter. When they get plugged it also creats the same symptoms...

Two shirt and a towel Dave

 

[dmccarty]

Dear Three Shirt Dan,

If the car acts up again, my guess would be to change out the fuel filter. When they get plugged it also creats the same symptoms...

Two shirt and a towel Dave

Fuel filter was my first thought.... But on the Honda they are not easily changed nor are they recommended to be changed. The Volvo we have is the same way. At least on the Honda the fuel filter is not IN the fuel tank. I did find a discussion on how to change the filter if it has to be.

That air filter was FILTHY. My tractor's air filters have NEVER been as dirty as what came out of that Honda. And I have mowed in dusy and pollen heavy conditions. I pretty sure that filter was not changed in 67K miles.

This Honda was a Generation II. The Gen I's have to have their valves adjusted very 30K even though the manual says 100K or some such. Otherwise you get stalling and you can burn out the valves which leads to an expensive repair. I just think the mechanic either forgot to change it or did not want to take off two hoses and 5/6 screws to open the filter housing.

Later,
Three Shirt And TWO towel Dan.

 

[4720 OWNER]

Soakinig my hat in the stock tank and having a small towel down the back (think the french foreign legion).

Had brief heat spell. Not that warm but so humid could only work in the tractor. Thank goodness for a/c. Have tumbled a few times from the heat. Finally figured out that sport drinks had too much sodium.

 

[charlz]

We seem to be having a cool spring.... was in the 70's or so last few weeks but today it is only supposed to get to 56! Upper 80's by Friday though so maybe the garden will finally take off. Very poor germination of my sweet corn due to the cool weather.