Stars and Stripes Forever

 

Probably should have posted this one yesterday, but that's pretty much the story of my life - day late and a dollar short. 

Memorial Day started off with a telemarketing call at 8:45 in the morning. Apparently, the greedy bastards forgot to turn off the automatic caller or they just don't care about recognizing those who have given their lives in the service of our country.

Another quick observation about Memorial Day. While the holiday was originally Decoration Day, a day to decorate the graves of the fallen soldiers from the Civil War, it became a national day of remembrance in 1971 on the last Monday of May. Veterans Day, in November, is for all who have served. However, around here there's no way you can plant flowers in November, so we plant flowers and flags in May, the graves look nice all summer long and all who have served, whether they died in service or not, get recognized. Not a bad thing, really.

Finished up the table legs and got them delivered. If you enlarge the photo or squint a bit, you can see the knee braces sitting on top of the legs. Those are made from 3/4" angle that I notched the ends on, bent to a 45, welded together and drilled the holes to match the hole in the leg and allow them to meet the wood top at the proper location. I didn't make the center legs. I gave the boss the line-up on the installation. When he's got them bolted to the top, I can make the center leg and the stretchers.

I got an update from my buddy on the engine for the trials bike. Steady by jerks like my old friend Joey used to say. Not much left to do on it.  

I got a little more garden work done and as soon as I clean up from table leg job, I'll make the bushing for TVI. Take a couple of days for yard and garden work and then tackle the rusty Ranger. Hopefully back on the jitney after that and then maybe take a look see at the BSA. 

With the holiday on Monday, I almost forgot the Tee Shirt Tuesday post. QBlast was a locally made sports drink. The creator, Leon, is a piece of work, The product was a good one. He sponsored and sold this stuff at races. I liked it and would buy it by the case - sugar free and lots of potassium. Shame it's no longer available.

Memorial Day

 

Cuzzin Ricky and I did our annual "Dead Relatives Tour" on Saturday. Instead of the guys from the American Legion posts putting the flags on the markers, there were a bunch of Harley riders taking care of it. As we were heading to the cemetery where our dads are buried, I spotted a guy off to the side of the road carrying some flags and a parked motorcycle. I thought it strange until I remembered the little strip of property is actually the pauper's cemetery. I'm not sure what the group was that was taking care of that, but they were at both of the cemeteries that we visit. My thanks to all of you.

Rick and I talked a little politics along with our usual reminiscing while traveling and planting flowers. Lots of politics and news to discuss this year. I've got a fairly good idea what both of our dads would say about the current state of affairs - in fact they're probably spinning in their graves. I doubt they ever thought things could have gotten to this point. I pray those who lost their lives in the service of our country didn't make the supreme sacrifice for nothing. Unfortunately, it's looking that way.

Good Looking Legs

Madeline's one of my favorite artists. I can't listen to her day in and day out but when the mood strikes, it works well for me.

I'd never heard of these guys before - just stumbled across them and I've always liked the song. Probably the wrong season for it but I'll forget if I wait for the Harvest Moon.

Jumped in on the table legs after the dentist visit, which was mostly painless, by the way. I need to pick up another 6' of the 1-1/2 square tube in order to finish the job which I'll get this morning. One of the legs in the photo is all tacked together, the other one ready to go. If I get busy today, I'll have all four of them tacked together today. I looked at the wire in the MIG and even though it's a little rusty, it might work if I run a few feet off the outside of the roll. If not, I'll pick up a roll at Harbor Freight when we do the dead relatives tour. I should be able to have them all done, other than the stretchers, tomorrow or Sunday at the latest.

Here's To The Salt Of The Earth.

Here's to all the hardworking people - especially everyone struggling to buy gas to get back and forth to work, trying to feed their children since they're not getting lunches at school anymore and, of course, all of us middle class retirees watching the value of our savings and Soc. Sec income shoot craps. As we approach the Memorial Day holiday, we should be remembering all of those who gave their lives so that we could indeed live in the home of the brave and the land of the free. Hate to think their sacrifices were in vain.

Talked to the boss at the side gig yesterday. He's wanting the table legs ASAP. The plan was to have his son help me with the welding but I don't know if we can co-ordinate our schedules and get them done in time. Would have made it easily without the covid. I was cutting some more pieces last night and the power went out. The generator kicked on but I didn't want to weld anything using the generator, plus it was raining. I don't like getting trapped out in the shop during a storm.

Trip to the dentist today. The tooth quit hurting but yesterday I woke up with a pus ball about the size of a marble along the gum line. It popped when I took the first couple of bites of my yogurt. Interesting flavor combo. They're calling for rain again today. When I get home from the dentist I'll get to work on the table legs. Get the frames all tacked together and finish cutting all the pieces that go inside the frame. That'll take a while but if I get that done, maybe I can get the boss's son to finish weld them in the next couple of days. I don't know if I've got any decent MIG wire. The welding would go a lot faster with the MIG than the TIG, which is what I've been using to weld most everything the last couple of years.

The "Ranger repair" stopped by yesterday morning. The frame is cracked right in front of the rear leaf spring mount - about the only thing holding it is the top flange. Not much to weld to - mostly flaky rust. He said he's not in a big hurry but I'd like to get to it before it breaks completely loose and then have to chase it all around to get it lined back up again. He told me it cost him $600.00 to fill up his big septic tank truck I repaired last year. He never brings me an easy job but I always enjoy talking to him - old guys with common attitudes and values. 

Water

We got a new water conditioning system yesterday. This replaces a couple of filters that I had to replace every couple of months. In addition, there's now a reverse osmosis set-up for the ice maker and a separate faucet on the sink. Even with the filters, we used bottled water for drinking, coffee, etc. With all the agricultural chemicals surrounding us, this should give us good water without any chemicals, iron or sulfur. The young man who installed everything is a former student of mine. Pretty much typical story. Knucklehead in high school but plenty of talent and is now making the world go round. Did a fine job for me.

I did some more yard work yesterday. I've about chased the cooties away. However, I broke a tooth a week or so back and yesterday it decided to start causing me pain. I'm now on a round of antibiotics and I see the dentist tomorrow.

I was supposed to rendezvous with the boss at the side gig on Monday but he never called. He sent me a text last evening so we'll try it again. I also got a call from Jimmy's dad about the same time. He's in need of some more welding on his little Ranger pickup that I worked on not too long ago. What he should do is jack it up and drive a new one underneath it. He said he'll be by in a couple of days for me to take a look at it, however. 

I've only got a couple more things to do in the garden and then it will just be normal maintenance. I need to get back on the jitney if it's going to run at the end of the summer.

 

Tee Shirt Tuesday #30

I dug this one out of the bottom of the drawer. Normally when I do the laundry, whatever comes out of the dryer or off the line in the summer, that's what I wear. No point in folding it, putting it away and then grabbing another one. This one made it to the bottom of the drawer and has been there for a while. I can't remember the last time I wore it. It's been around since 2007 and the event was a 10K, meaning it was before I screwed up my chest. No way I could run 6.2 miles now days. It must have been an everyday shirt for a while judging by the dark spots on the left shoulder. Those are from oil slinging off the lathe chuck. Not the first time that's happened, probably won't be the last either.

The flowers are starting to bloom. We've got several colors of iris blooming and the wild rose is coming into its own. When I first moved here 25 years ago, there wasn't a flower visible anywhere. A couple of multiflora roses came back a year or so later but rare was the old farmstead that didn't have flowers. Not the case now.

I've decided to start incorporating garden plants into the landscaping in the future. In addition to the iris and hostas, I've got a couple of pepper plants and a tomato plant in there. No reason I can't fill in some of the spots along the outbuildings with veggies instead of annuals. Not much difference in the work required and with the forecast food shortage, be good to have a supply of organic vegetables easily accessible.

I did some yard work yesterday - mowed the front yard and pulled some weeds. I've still got a few things to plant. Walked three miles on Sunday. Getting my strength back but still a little short of breath if I try to turn up the wick. There's a 5K locally in about a month. I'm hoping to be in good enough shape to walk it at a decent pace. Time will tell.

Sleepless Night

"Car knocker" flashlight. Just the ticket for around the farm and shop. Nice bright, wide beam. Just the thing for working on a piece of equipment or checking for varmints in the middle of the night.

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 The Missus woke me up a little after midnight Friday night. She told me the chickens were making a lot of noise like something might be out there. I grabbed my slippers, flashlight and firearm and went out to reconnoiter. Nothing seemed to be amiss, so I went back to bed. About an hour later the cat woke me up trying to cough up a hair ball. Shortly after that I was awakened by the cat batting at something on the other side of the screen.

My window is of the awning type that hinges along the top edge. I had it open to the point there was about a three inch gap along the bottom edge. Just enough for a bat to get between the inside of the window and the screen, as it turned out. The cat chased the bat away so I went back to sleep. Round two came along some time after that. The cat batted the screen, the bat left and I closed the window completely. Never a dull moment around here.

I received a catalog from Lee Valley recently and saw a reel mower sharpener. It's got a gizmo that clamps to the mower base and a strip of adhesive backed sandpaper goes on that. Spin the reel and it sharpens the blades. Hope it works as advertised. The little blue & silver gizmo in the foreground is a sharpening stick. I was a dime short of getting free shipping on my order so I threw that in. I ran it across the serrated edge of my pocket knife and it seemed to work well.

Worked a little more on the table legs for the side hustle yesterday. I'm still not 100% but don't have the shortness of breath, at least with what I was doing in the shop.