And more junk.

[MFDAC]

Put that tee together then rolled the sink out to do the work. Got the faucet in place.


Clamped the hose weight into place and put a couple of copper extensions on the water lines so I can put rubber hose on.


Got this mess all hooked up and pressured up. No leaks! I like the flexible steel braided lines that came with the faucet. Simplified the installation a lot.


Checked the faucet. It has this spray---


---then toggle the black switch on the head and get this.


The head pulls out to wash the sink out and it also swivels.


Have plenty of hose to roll the sink out for cleaning under and behind it.


Moved the tee more towards center then zip tied it up out of the way.




Rolled it back into place and put tools away. Was raining pretty hard by that time so it was getting loud out in the shop.


Done with that for this season.

DAC

 

[MFDAC]

Well, got a notification from Walmart Pharmacy that some meds were ready---on the day of one of the biggest madhouses of the year. I would have put it off a few days, but looked and I took the last of one this morning. Dang it! Oh well, it started raining about 10am anyway. Real light but still couldn't do much outside. Picked up some other crap while I was there. they had 8 checkouts open! Normally 5 or 6.

Got home and had some lunch. The rain stopped and even though humid it was much cooler than yesterday so went outside to do some dirtwork in the front yard.

Loree is out of town so nothing stopping me! Shoveled up the pile the contractor left for settling. Been a while since this geezer ran the dumb end of a shovel---LOL! Was a Bobcat bucket full. About 2 loads with the yard trailer. Already feeling the humidity!

Happy 249th birthday, USA!


Used the GT5000 to pull the trailer. The mobility scooter started hunting bad the other day when I sprayed weeds. Haven't had time to work on it.


Dumped the first load in the back yard where the trailer house hitches have been laying nearly 20 years.


Left the second load in the trailer in case I need it for low spots.


Then it was time to see if the MF1450 will do the required breaking up and smoothing. The drag with the scarifier bolted to it definitely needed more weight. Went around behind the shop and drug out the old I-beam that used to drag on the go-kart track. Pulled that beam behind the MF8E back in those days.


Fit on the grate just fine. Made a couple passes and it was obvious that I needed a bucket for rocks.


Kept dragging back and forth until the dirt was loose and got a bucket full of rocks.


Went to the shop and took the scarifier off. There was a low spot so I took the trailer back out and shoveled a bunch of dirt onto that area.


Might still need some more work yet but that was enough for today! Still needed to put the spare tire on the '55.


Tired again! Story of my life anymore---LOL!

DAC

 

[Cvans]

That turned out nice.
Your rain didn't get here until around 7pm if I remember right. Was tilling in the garden. It would pour briefly and then quit so I'd go back out to till and it would pour again. Reminded me of Hawaii when it rains it's warm and people just keep going about their business. After the 3rd rain I gave up.
Normally I don't like the feel of wet cloths but for some reason it didn't bother me at all and I just kept working. It almost felt good with the breeze and warm humid conditions.

 

[MFDAC]

That turned out nice.
Your rain didn't get here until around 7pm if I remember right. Was tilling in the garden. It would pour briefly and then quit so I'd go back out to till and it would pour again. Reminded me of Hawaii when it rains it's warm and people just keep going about their business. After the 3rd rain I gave up.
Normally I don't like the feel of wet cloths but for some reason it didn't bother me at all and I just kept working. It almost felt good with the breeze and warm humid conditions.

Might get more rain tonight "they" say, Chris. Didn't get much done outside today even though I needed to. Did get a hose run around the back of the house to the area where the soaker hose will hook up. Don't have a well sillcock out front now. Just water from the system that I don't want to pay for.

Then I noticed something that ain't going to work well for grass to grow. Where the dirt pile was, it looks like hard packed clay. Might be able to see some cracks in the pic.


I suppose the weight of the pile compressed it in 7 months. Right away I started over-thinking it---LOL!

Went around back of the shop and started looking at the badly weeded up junkpile. I need to get that area sprayed. I knew I had a dirt ripper of sorts that could dig deeper than the scarifier. Thought I might be able to break it up with that. Problem is that I haven't used it for at least 25 years, long before I knew anything about garden tractors, 3 points and all that! It came with the MF8E when I got it over 30 years ago. Used it to tear up the go kart track. It would pack hard and that thing would do a decent job of breaking it up.

Finally spotted it!


Problem was that the old scaffolding that I use to store my good scaffolding had punched through the rotten signboard and sank far enough the ripper was stuck under it. Went and got the trusty old handyman jack and it lifted it up with no effort at all! pulled the rake out and it just so happened I had an adjustable pipe support laying in the junkpile too. Put that under the scaffold to hold it up.


This is the rake. Figured I would have to adapt it to the 3 point on the MF1450. Would just hook it on a hitch ball and put some concrete blocks on top of it to dig up the track. Yeah it has lost some teeth just like me.


Then I saw this old snowblade that I have no idea what it came from. It was in the scrap at work too. The pivot and mount is all there, just disassembled. Thought that it would be good to build a rear blade for the 3 point. Maybe I would need that too to scrape up the clay after breaking it up with the rake!


Then I started coming to my senses! All I need to do is soak the area and then use the MF8E to scrape it up into a pile then shovel into the cart!

Had loads of laundry going that needed attention. Had to sneak in a load of shop towels and coveralls while Loree is out of town, and do my normal laundry too. Got all that done and put away.

Got the skid taken off the MF8E and that is where I ran out of steam. Was 5:30 by then anyway. Checked oils and filled with gas.


Maybe more tomorrow. Not sure yet, depends on when the better half gets home.

DAC

 

[Cvans]

had a dirt ripper of sorts that could dig deeper than the scarifier.

That thing ought to rip things up. We don't have much in the way of clay around here so I don't even know if you can grow grass on or in it.

 

[chieffan]

This is clay country down here. Top of a lot of field is mostly clay and it is hard to grow much of anything but weeds in it. Takes lots of moisture and fertilizer applied at the right time to make it worth while. Clay is why a lot of ground is in CRP any more.

 

[MFDAC]

That thing ought to rip things up. We don't have much in the way of clay around here so I don't even know if you can grow grass on or in it.

It is clay country out here for sure, Chris. That's part of the reason ranching is more popular than farming out here. In our yard there is probably a foot of ok dirt then clay under it. of course plenty of clay was dug up when the water line was excavated.

This is clay country down here. Top of a lot of field is mostly clay and it is hard to grow much of anything but weeds in it. Takes lots of moisture and fertilizer applied at the right time to make it worth while. Clay is why a lot of ground is in CRP any more.

What you said about lots of water is true here too, Rog and that is something that doesn't happen steadily, except for now while I'm trying to do this dirtwork---LOL!

Last night's rain total! 1.2"!


I figured since the temp rapidly got into the 80's today that I would try to drag the scarifier over the dirt that needs seeded, and break the clay up some. That was dum@$$ attack #2! Yeah #2.

Put the scarifier back on. That rock bucket was full of water to the top but I dumped as much out as I could without dumping out the rocks.


All I did was make a damm mess.








I didn't want to drive into the gravel like that to park so I left the tractor sitting where I'm going to spread some dirt for some seed in front of the shop. Standing water killed grass there a long time ago and it never came back.

That's when I spotted dum@$$ attack #1! I did that stupid mistake yesterday so that's why it is #1. Forgot to throw a tarp over the dirt in the yard trailer. That ought to be packed in there like concrete!


I had to go in and hit the shower so we could take our son out to eat for his birthday.

We went to a place called "Sickies". Dumb name but good food. They have some cool junk around there. Old Dodge pickup. Not good on the year of these.


Here is an "engine tree". Look behind that and you will see another downpour heading our way. Looked like hail too. Got home and moved junk around in the shop and ran the mobility scooter outside to put Loree's car inside. Started raining before I got done and still is but not as heavy as last night.


That was enough for today.

DAC

 

[chieffan]

When it come to working clay there is about 3 days a year when it works good. Yesterday, today and tomorrow.

After I got the old fireplace stuff in the storage container I cleaned up a small shop vac. Has the reusable filter that washes out about like a shop towel. Got that all back together and down to the basement. Have to bring the stainless vac up that is used for wet pick up only. Carolyn uses it to clean out her small pond. Now that the walnut tree is gone can keep the pond a lot cleaner easier.

Need to make a gas run in the morning as both mowers will need filled along with the Ranger. Was hoping the wind would blow most of the night but see it is calm out there now so it will be real wet in the morning.

 

[Cvans]

There’s an enhanced chance of storms this afternoon. Trying to decide if I should try to sneak in a trip to the VA with JB this morning.

 

[chieffan]

Go for it. JB might like a drive in the rain.

 

[MFDAC]

We got another .25" last night. Had errands in town again this morning. Still pretty muddy out front. Decided I had to get that wet dirt out of the yard trailer no matter what. It didn't shovel too bad considering. All the rain showed low spots in the dirt I want to seed so I threw it out in those areas. Took a rake after the piles afterward.






Got that done and parked the GT5000 and unhooked the trailer. Walked around the side of the shop and it looked like we were going to get hit again!


Started hearing the thunder too. Fired up the MF1450, raised the 3 point and knocked off as much dirt as I could. Knocked what I could off the tires too. Put the in hydro high and made some laps around the old go kart track to sling more off the tires. They cleaned up ok. That thing is still the fastest tractor I have! Front has been kind of light with all the junk hanging on the 3 point so I decided to dump the rocks and water out of the bucket. That helped the steering a bit---LOL! Probably should put the front weights on.

That thunderstorm scooted by just south of us. No more so far.

Put a new fuel line, shutoff valve and filter on the mobility scooter after that. Seems to run fine at the low speeds I normally use it at. No more hunting.

DAC

 

[chieffan]

Late last night and early this morning we had storms move through. I slept through them but Carolyn was up with Magnum. He does not like thunder or lightnig. Got another .81" rain out of it so it is muddy. High wind gust was 37 Carolyn said. She had several flower that blew over. I think the same people that design the drinking tumblers design the flower pot also. Small on the bottom and bit on top so they fall over easy.

 

[MFDAC]

Late last night and early this morning we had storms move through. I slept through them but Carolyn was up with Magnum. He does not like thunder or lightnig. Got another .81" rain out of it so it is muddy. High wind gust was 37 Carolyn said. She had several flower that blew over. I think the same people that design the drinking tumblers design the flower pot also. Small on the bottom and bit on top so they fall over easy.

You had a big one go through, Rog! That shape of drinking cup and flower pots really are top heavy! A storm formed up in the Black Hills early afternoon and sat there all afternoon. Looks like it is breaking up now finally. We didn't get anything from it down here in the valley.

Did outside chores today but took a few minutes to check out the tire I took off the '55 the other day. It's definitely getting weather checked but didn't look like a blowout at all. Put air in it and it was filling nicely. Took the air chuck off and air was blowing out of the valve stem. I figured ok maybe the core went bad. Went to take out the core and the whole brass part of the valve was spinning! pulled on it and the whole brass part blew out---LOL!




I'm thinking that it got so hot since it was in direct sun on a 102F day that it delaminated! I have never seen a valve stem fail like that. They always split at the rim hole.

Will pick up a stem later this week and pull it in. If it still holds air, maybe I won't have to buy new tires just yet!

DAC

 

[Cvans]

Shoes and tires are two things I never liked spending money on. Have gotten better about it over the years but it’s still not something I look forward to. The car that my wife and kids got around in is one vehicle that always had good tires.

 

[esbbent]

Dac my luck is rubbing off on you, had a valve stem break off on the outer dual of my pickup in the last 120 miles. I ended up putting a metal valve stem in vs the rubber ones.
The time I went thru Rapid city a few years ago me and my daughter went out to eat a Sickies. Best wings I have had, ruined wings for my daughter. She cant find any place that makes them like they do.

 

[MFDAC]

Shoes and tires are two things I never liked spending money on. Have gotten better about it over the years but it’s still not something I look forward to. The car that my wife and kids got around in is one vehicle that always had good tires.

I'm exactly the same Chris! Back in the day I used to be able to trade a case of beer for some good used tires for my trucks, and usually got to help drink it too---LOL! We drove pretty junky vehicles for a long time, I still do, but I always made sure the ones Loree and the kids had to use were safe and reliable.

Dac my luck is rubbing off on you, had a valve stem break off on the outer dual of my pickup in the last 120 miles. I ended up putting a metal valve stem in vs the rubber ones.
The time I went thru Rapid city a few years ago me and my daughter went out to eat a Sickies. Best wings I have had, ruined wings for my daughter. She cant find any place that makes them like they do.

I have a couple metal ones but the gaskets are for the big hole. They are really old too. Didn't get into town yet to get a new one.

For some reason I always order something beef when we go out to eat, Ted. We eat a lot of chicken at home so that's probably why. Seems like I saw bottles of Sickies buffalo sauce for sale there. Will have to look. Maybe you can make your own wings! Our son had some kind of boneless wings when we went there the other day.

No shop time today and too hot to do anything outside. Drove a 250 mile round trip to look at a small motorhome. I like it but there's a couple things that need help. Made an offer but don't think they will accept it.


DAC

 

[Cvans]

I like it but there's a couple things that need help. Made an offer but don't think they will accept it.

My personal feelings are that I would much rather drive one like that than one of those huge things. I've only driven a semi truck around the plant and they don't interest me nor would one of those huge motor homes.
I guess when I was growing up we camped in a tent with no floor and woke up to the sound of Chipmunks jumping out of the trees and sliding down the sides of the tent or bears sniffing around the tent in the middle of the night. Now that's true camping fun! But now I would much prefer what Doug is looking at. No bouncing around in front of a 5th wheeler either.
You might be surprised and in a few weeks they might call and except your offer.