Couple O' Things

 

I figured another Gil Scott Heron couldn't hurt, what with what has been going on in the world. I saw where they busted out the water cannons in Northern Ireland, and the natives there have gotten restless and have decided to do something about the immigrants after the stabbing incident the other day. 

I also read of Glock handguns being outlawed in several states here. Apparently, it's fairly easy to convert them to full-auto - illegally of course, but since Glocks are extremely popular, good first step to banning firearms.

The ignition parts to make the spark plug wire for the trials bike showed up. However, I screwed up and didn't read the fine print well enough. The boot is sized to fit on the distributor, not the coil. So I still need to address that.

I welded up the brackets on the gas tank the other day. Unfortunately, when I welded one of the brackets, I developed a leak underneath where I couldn't reach it to patch it up. I fooled around longer than I should have trying to avoid cutting the welds out and removing the bracket. Eventually I welded all around it rather than skip welding it. Problem solved, but not as neat looking as I would have liked.

I went to the funeral home yesterday to pay my respects to my former minister. He married the Missus and I, my brothers, and buried my mother and father. The Missus got thrown out of the house a couple weeks before we were to be married. I explained the situation to the minister that I was concerned that when he got to the part in the ceremony about speak now or forever hold your peace, someone would take that opportunity to speak up. The minister, God bless his soul, said he'll just leave that part out. Problem solved, and the Missus and I are still married 55 years later. Rest in Peace, Reverend Starr.  

Winter in America

 

I'm thinking it's definitely winter in America. The more I read, the more concerned I am about the future of the country. I read the other day the price of tungsten carbide has gone up 600% since January. Lots of drill and lathe bits use that stuff. Lots of other indicators pointing towards the end of the empire as we know it. Looks like there's going to be some arrests of big muckity-mucks in Washington coming up in time for the November election. That won't eliminate $40 trillion debt load, but I'll be pleased if everyone starts playing by the rules and a few of the worst offenders are behind bars.

Since the Missus is on the injured list, I've been staying close. Someone has to do the chores and let the dog in and out, but I did make it out to the shop and finish weld the gas tank brackets on the trials bike and get a couple of bike rides in.

I weeded the garden to other day, but I need to do that again today. Since I neglected it the last couple of years, the weeds are coming back strong.

I made a single wheel hoe years ago that I patterned after the Planet Jr. that I've never used much at all. I'm going to pull it out of the barn today and see how it works with my mysterious chest injury. The ground is sandy loam, except for a strip Surly turned over for me this spring, so it should be easy pushing. It's a small plot, so if the wheel hoe doesn't work out, I can use the long-handled hoe. 
 

Always Something

 

Lowbrow Customs has a history of the Sportster on their website. It's a nice run-down of the history with a nice selection of photos - some factory stuff, some chopper stuff. There's a photo of Elvis on his "K" model that Surly and I saw at a museum at Niagara Falls years ago. I also saw an Electra Glide owned by Elvis out west some place - The Corn Palace neighborhood, maybe.

I was planning on working in the shop yesterday, but things didn't go as planned. I got my bike ride in in the morning, fooled around on the computer a bit, and after checking the weather, figured I had better mow the front yard before the storm came in. The Missus was planning on going uptown, so I got her car out and started mowing. I was about half finished and saw her sitting on the steps. Rather odd behavior for the old bird since it was a humid and sunny ninety-degree day. Seems she took a tumble coming out the front door. I tried helping her up but we couldn't get it done. Fortunately, my neighbor was available, so he gave me a hand and we got her back inside. Those I've fallen and can't get up commercials aren't so funny anymore. Might be time to give Life Alert a call. Especially since she's not real diligent about keeping her phone close at hand.

I didn't make it out to the shop but I did order an air cleaner and the pieces to make up the coil wire for the trials bike. Depending on the weather and the condition of the Missus, I'm hoping to get out there today.

Car, Corn, Bike, and Editorial

 

Beautiful Auto-Union car. The panel beaters had it going on, that's for sure.

The corn had a growth spurt the last couple of days with the heat and the rain - mostly the rain. We're supposed to get a few more days of rain, and if it warms up again, I'll be able to hear it grow. A couple weeks from now I'll be isolated behind a wall of corn, which I prefer. It really cuts down on the road noise. The farmer sprayed for weeds last week and did a real nice job of keeping the herbicide in the field and not in the yard. The young guy has done a fine job of taking over from his grandfather. I've never had a problem with either of them.

 Made a little progress on the vintage trials bike. I've still got a few things to do before I have my buddy come out to help me get it running, but the list is shrinking. The exhaust pipe is too close to the float bowl, so that's a definite. I need a return spring on the rear brake, an air filter, a boot of the coil end of the spark plug wire, and finish weld the mounting brackets on the gas tank. Nothing that'll hold me up other than the lead in my ass.

It's Ride Your Motorcycle to Work Day. Like always, be careful out there. Farm vehicles on the roads, knuckle heads on cell phones, dirt and fresh cut grass on the road surface. Too many things to list, so be aware.

  Interesting article I ran across here. It's rather lengthy, but in my opinion, very much worth the time. Your mileage may vary. 

Heat Wave

 

On my bike ride the other evening I spotted a couple pieces of angle that were put out for the garbage man. After I finished the ride, I went back with the truck and picked them up. They're a pair of old bedrails. I'm assuming they're old not only by the rust but by the length as well. The one thing to remember about old bedrails is they are made from a high carbon steel - hard to cut and drill, and if you're going to weld on them, it's best to use a low hydrogen electrode like a 7018.

The bag of dirt is for planting flowers. I got the last of them in the planters yesterday afternoon. It was close to 90 degrees out and after the planting I did a couple other little things and called it quits. I need to work my way up slowly to get myself acclimated to the heat. Being an old man and a cardiac patient, discretion is the better part of valor. I need to get out early or late in the day for my bike ride and tending the garden. 

There's a couple things on the calendar for this upcoming week but should be able to get back out in the shop and make some progress.  

 

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling

 

I took a little short hop on the bicycle over to the Industrial Park the other evening and the paving outfit has upgraded their driveway entrance. They used to have just one roller, but now there's two and they're both painted up nice. Once upon a time in my checkered past, I worked for a blacktopping outfit and when I wasn't changing tires or running a scoop shovel, I was rolling asphalt. The one I ran was a little smaller than the ones in the photo, but it paid the bills and my college tuition. Just a small part of my diverse background, but I learned how to drive a tri-axle dump with a 5 and a 3 transmission.

My little orchid I received as a gift many years ago. It's still in the original pot but I'm afraid to mess with it. As you can see from the photo, it seems to be doing OK as it is. When we first moved here roughly 25 years ago, there wasn't a flower anywhere, which I found surprising. No "ditch lilies", iris or multi-flora roses, which were almost always to be found at old farmsteads. That's all changed now. We've got quite a few things blooming around here, it's certainly not a showcase operation, but the place looks lived in now.

The Missus and I went to the movies Monday to see Revolutionary America. It's a very good movie chronicling the events leading up to the Revolutionary War, the war years, and the beginning of the new country. It gives an excellent description of what the founders and the original Patriots went through to form the country. Much of the content came from Hillsdale professors. I was impressed with their presentations. It didn't seem they were just reciting facts, but rather they seemed to truly understand what the founders went through and the importance of preserving the ideals they were willing to die for. I'm of the opinion the knuckleheads running this country, at the very least, should see this movie. It probably won't change much, but maybe they would at least have a tinge of regret for what they've allowed to happen, because there damn sure isn't going to be an easy way to get us out of the mess we're in.