Just for Ole Rag Top Cruising Along, ROOF DOWN

You ole rag top cruising down that lonesome highway headed for the end of the state, here are a couple pics just for you.

Snow is blowing parallel to the ground at about 50 miles per hour = same speed you are driving



Piling up faster than the sand at the Birthplace of speed during a hurricane.



Bus better fill the ole jeep up with petro and get ready to do some plowing.........

The big cows have even opened the door to the stable and are in a stall hunkered down for the night. Good feed couldn't even coax then out in this stuff. Horses are packed into their buildings, and the calves are packed like sardines.

March, in like a lion, out like a lamb.

Thanks also to the Bus for helping me avoid a scam involving a John Deere Tractor.

So while the snow will continue all night long, with wind chill hovering around 11 degrees, we will settle in for a quiet evening and just

CELEBRATE LIFE

Breakfast at Denny's

In recognition of the single mother of the octuplets and her six previous babies, all by "in vitro fertilization", Denny's Restaurant has introduced the "Grand Scam"......... You get 14 eggs, but no sausage, and the guy at the table next to you has to pay the bill..........

borrowed fm Bus Plunge

Getting to be a habit

So I think there is a habit being developed here.

The last three Friday nights I haven't been able to get to sleep until about 2 in the morning. Joints ache, can't get the mind to stop, same old age stuff.

So each Friday night I have found something on Craig's List to buy. Gotta stop this.

So anyway, finally get to sleep and when I wake Saturday morning, yep, snow on the ground.

3 Saturdays running, snow on the ground. Now Saturdays is the day I have to get up and feed the critters. When the Barngoddess did it on Wednesday, temp was 60 degrees.

Ole well, sold 22 bales of hay this morning, making nice profit. Got a good cup of java. Longrooffan is on his way south because temp was too cool last night for him in birthspaceofspeed.



So question is: not who, but WHERE and WHEN??????

Celebrate Life

DISCRETIONARY SPENDING

Some of you are aware that I spent 21 years in the good ole US Navy, submarine service most of my career. You are also aware that with my pending retirement in September 1989, the Gentleman Farmer couldn't stand the thought of his son retiring before him, so he took an early retirement.

So before I joined the good ole USN, I was into the Sea Cadets and our family had a pram sailboat that I would use on Fellows Lake, located north of the Queen City of the Ozarks. I have posted about that before......... but don't know how to link that site on my blog to this blog. Longrooffan or Bus... Daughter is at school so she can't show me........ so here is that wagon



Anyway, our family had a 1967 Ford Country Squire Station Wagon that was way too cool. 390, auto, electric rear window, windshield that had a hole in it when I slammed the tailgate shut and drove the mast thru it.
Mom picked Dad up at the airport late that day and Dad asked what happened to the windshield, Mom's classic reply was "I hoped you wouldn't notice it".

Now how does one not notice a 4 inch hole in the middle of the windshield? That boat was forever called....... well, the Jeep had the right name for it; but I can't link that post here either.

Now the Lee boys are into old vehicles........ well except for the oldest "BBB" he is into Nascar race cars... (he is a lot like me, I have miniature horses, he has miniature Nascar race cars).. but I can't link that blog either.........

Maybe I should get edumacated and learn how....... nah.........

Anyway,
the Bus has had about 60 old cars .... you can see his blog for all of them.
I have two 1966 Ford Broncos, had a 51 Ford F1, 48 Ford F-5 Fire Truck, 52 F-6 Dump truck, 55 Chrysler New Yorker


Longroof has a 63 Ford Econovan, and a bunch of other cars that go by numbers, not names.
and the Jeep has two old jeeps, 40 vintage and 50 vintage, one is a CJ2 the other a CJ something.

Joking around Longroof found a 1967 Ford Country Squire Station Wagon dang near identical to the one our family owned. The guy has it for sale in Florida for $8,500

Now the Barngoddess is the one who has all the money in our family. Yeah I got some from Mom when she died, but most of that is already disbursed and the rest is reserved in the bank. Well when in the Navy I spent quite a bit of time at sea, and the Barngoddess would hide money from me so I wouldn't spend it.

So the Barngoddess allows me to borrow money from what she calls
""TC's allowable discretionary spending" that I have to pay back. At least it is interest free.

So I ask for a loan to purchase the 67 Ford Country Squire Wagon. Her reply was "What part of NO don't you understand" followed by "Not NO, but Hell no".

So I got to thinking: sometimes dangerous.
MSNBC.com reports that Hilary is going to Gaza Strip to give 900 billion of US aid to rebuilding the Gaza Strip that Isreal destroyed.

My mind is running rampage now......... MAYBE I could get the good ole USA to bailout me and give me the money to buy that 67 wagon.

Now this makes sense, we give 900 billion to rebuild what Isreal destroyed, we give untold billions to fix what we destroyed in Iraq.....

Maybe the government could give this old sailor retiree 8500 to buy a piece of his early childhood development years.....
Hell, I'd even let them put a 4 inch hole in the windshield so I could be nostalgic about that too.........

Hey Kit Bond, how about bailing me out here....

oh yeah, he doesn't care, he's retiring too. Bet he has a hell of a better retirement plan than I ever thought I would have......

Oh well, I will just look at picturees and remember the good ole days.....

Celebrate Life.....

Problems Problems Problems

Oh life's choices are so hard

WORK ON THE BRONCO

WATCH NASCAR

WORK ON THE BRONCO

WATCH NASCAR

can't do both, whatdoido???????????????????

WORK ON THE BRONCO

WATCH NASCAR



BARNGODDESS just made the decision for me.......

get your rear in gear and go finish feeding the cows, horses, cats, dogs and chickens.

oh well................

NOW I'M SCARED

To those of you who follow the course of action of our country remember this

Back in 1990, the Government seized the Mustang Ranch brothel in Nevada for tax evasion and, as required by law, tried to run it. They failed and it closed.

Now we are trusting the economy of our country and our banking system to the same nit-wits who couldn’t make money running a whore house and selling whiskey!”

Thanks to ORTLRF for a link to this information.

Long time coming

Well I woke to another Saturday morning ready to hit it and get a lot done.

Looked out the window and "yep" another Saturday with snow on the ground.

Did the right thing and got back in bed with the Barngoddess and went back to sleep.

Lot's happening around the homestead...
The Barngoddess and I have been working quite bit on her Bronc to get it registered and on the road.

Got the mirrors on it, both outside and today an inside windshield mirror. Battery is checked out ok at my local favorite parts store... this can mean two things, one the battery was just low and needed a good auto parts store charge, or >>>>> dreads to me.... there is a short somewhere in the wiring.
With all the work Steph and I have been doing on the wiring, I hope it is the sooner and not the later. Would hate to have to redo all the wiring again......

Have got the new seats in and the back window in.....
Two of the local auto glass stores wanted 150 to 170 to put a new window in the tailgate of the bronc. Found a used one on line, 40 bucks plus shipping. Came to 57 big ones. Barngoddess and Sharks Angel and Little Princess and I installed it in about 30 minutes. Yes save 100 big ones on that.

Took most of the day, well most of the day except when I was bs'ing with the Bus or the Ole Rag Top Long Roof Fan, but finally got the brackets for the back seat out of my Bronc so we can install it in Her Bronc so she will have back seat with seat belts. Comedy of sorts, the gas tank blocks all but about two inches of space so one cannot get his hand or a wrench into the space to hold the nuts while the screw is undone.

After about ten minutes of me twisting and turning trying to get a wrench on the nuts, Barngoddess casually makes the remark "hey could we tape a wrench to a stick and reach it that way?"

Now that is thinking.

So got the 9/16 wrench duct taped YES RED GREEN WOULD BE SO PROUD, and yes we got the nuts loose from the screws. Well the nuts are still on top of the gas tank, but hey the bracket is ready to be installed in her Bronc tomorrow. One more item done.
Of all the things I can do, one of my downfalls is transmissions. Especially automatic ones. I can't figure them out.... So

In test driving her Bronc on the highway (yes we have insurance on it, just not licensed yet) found that it will not shift out of low gear. Don't know if it is the shifter or tranny, so Barngoddess talked to a girlfriend of her's and long story short, the gal down at Wood's Transmission in Aurora MO is going to work her Bronc in this week and have the guys figure what is wrong. Not what you know, but who is a realism..

Spent some time on the phone with the Ole Rag Top Long Roof Fan, man I wish he would figure out what name he wants to be called............... ORTLRF is too danged long. Anyway, we talked about this bracket I need to put the arm rests on her Bronc. Seems the 66 Broncs had a bracket that was scr... anyway, I sent him some scanned images of this "Arm Rest Bracket" to research and see if he could find a couple so her Bronc will have arm rests on it.

tonight I found a couple Brackets for a 66 mustang that look very similar to the ones I need. So ordered them and will see if they will work.
ORTLRF don't stop looking.

tonight it is cold and the heater ran out of fuel, so we quit and came inside to watch the boob tube and get caught up on internet withdrawls.....

Tomorrow is another day.

Oh almost forgot..... Little Princess had another bball game today, and because the team was short a player, she had to play the whole game. this after spending the night at her girlfriends house (girls staying up half the night giggling), so she was tired, but she did score a basket, and got a rebound or two. She is becoming quite a bball player.

Well it is news time, Barngoddess is in bed, and I thank everyone for a great day and continue to remember that our mission in life is to

CELEBRATE LIFE.

Daytona 500 Nascar Day

I just figured out why the Daytona 500 Nascar Race is held in Florida instead of Missouri at this time of the year.

Yesterday was perfect race day weather, high 50s, not a cloud in the sky, perfect driving weather.......
Today would be even better driving weather, nice and cool, engines run better, tires wouldn't get so hot, all them honeys in tee shirts would be a sight for sore eyes.... oops...

Today, well it's 30 on the back porch and we have



yes Long Roof that is SNOW, about 1/4 inch of it.........

So that's why the Daytona 500 is run in Florida and NOT Southwest Missouri......

Next year at this time, this old Horse-Farmer plans on being at the Birthplace of speed, enjoying that warm weather, good fellowship, and lots of burning rubber and engine smoke......

Jeep you better come thru next year like you did this year.....

I'll even bring the ole Bronc down so we can play a little between the races... just so long as you don't do this again



Longroof, can I camp out in your parking lot???? If not, we'll use the Jeep's front yard, set up the tent, bonfire, lite keg and watch the girls go bye........

Will look for youall in the pits.....

And I almost forgot:



The Bus learning how to shovel _ _ _ _ , well there is soo much of it in Greene County politics these days, I better get him on a bigger mover..

so enjoy the race today, keep warm, don't get too under the bottle, and remember

Celebrate Life

Finally feel human again

Seems the OleRagTop was under the weather a couple weeks ago..... and he lives down there at that place called the Birthplace of Speed, 500 miles of flat out running.
So true to form, he sends that weather up here to me and I spend three of the last four days under the weather myself. 2 days in bed drinking nitequill(sp) and taking aspirin has finally helped kick the weather out of here.

So today a quick run to KC MO for funeral of an old friend of the Barngoddess's family, Herb Long, 82 years old, 61 years married to Louise. Herb painted our names on the side of our truck when we moved from KC to San Diego. I'll post them when I find the pics of that 74 Chevy, half ton, 6 cylinder with split manifold, better than glasspaks. He also took our male Irish Setter "Rusty" to care for him while we moved to San Diego until we could find a place where we could have a dog.
Now Herb was the same type person I am. Dogs belong outside and not in the house.
Well I learned today that when Karen (Herb's youngest daughter) left home for college, Herb and Louise would let Rusty in the house, he even had a place at the kitchen table... picture I saw today proved that.....
Lot's of good laughs about Rusty grabbing me on the hand the day I was going to spank the oldest for something or another.... never broke skin, but made it clear I was not to spank the oldest...... Also about Rusty at the kitchen table eating with a spoon, fed by Herb of course.....
Rusty was son of La Sheine Rouge (Joannie correct me if spelling is wrong) and came to the Barngoddess and I when we were married about a year... Great setter, would go out into field and bring back live quail, and throw them at my feet, then look at me like "Hey dummy do something!"

So after lunch with the oldest daughter, the Barngoddess and I headed home on a "Long Roof Adventure", not 4 lanes, all back country roads. We were going to travel roads we had not traveled between KC and Marionville.
So southbound on 71 we go, Harrisonville is the jumping off point................ well, with the sun shining in the window, the Barngoddess soon fell sound asleep, and I went into automatic driving mode.... guess what... yep, we both woke up when we turned into the driveway... so much for a "Longroof adventure"...........

But things worked out... got the front seats installed in the Barngoddess's White bronco, and even have the doors shutting correctly. Installed the back window hydraulic rams that assist in lifting it, and the Bronc would be road worthy if AND
ONLY IF
the JEEP HAD BROUGHT THE BACK WINDOW UP WITH HIM AT CHRISTMAS..............

So beings as I have Monday off, yes us poor government employees do get a day off once in a great while..... I think the White Bronc is going to Monett Glass to have the back window installed.

So while the 500 race is on, I will probably be putting up some more fencing so the little calves can have access to the pond for water, and the little horses can chase the little calves all around the fields.... or is it the calves chasing the horses?

So Jeep here is a picture of the interior for you.



I'm a little po'd at the guy who sold me the original Bronco front bucket seats, seemed the jerk sent me two driver seats. Oh well they fit and they look good. Live and let live. Won't do business with him again.

Only thing left to do is install the step on the driver's side so the Barngoddess can get in and out without the help of a milk crate and string.....


So the Longroof and the Jeep will be at the Daytona 500 Nascar race tomorrow, in the pits no less........ Longroof better make another best post ..........

To get a view, go to By the Numbers link on the side bar to follow what it is like to be in the pits and on pit row with all the upety ups during speed week.

Gotta love it..............

Celebrate Life, it's the only one we get................

The Bus out does me>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Ok Bus, loved the AAA and Safety Ambulance photos.
Having spent 5 years on ambulances, and over 24 years on Fire response to emergency medical calls, you have finally trumped me.
Enjoyed the photos from AAA in Springfield.....

So to top that, name the year and who is in photo below.... extra points for year and where photo was taken...



Good luck you bloggers.............

BBB if you get this right, you win a free trip to Marionville MO in the midst of tornado season.............

Celebrate Life..

WHAT A DAY 70 Degrees at 3 pm

Today started wonderfully.
We had the Little Princess's girlfriend spend the night, so to allow the girlfriend's Mom and Dad to have an evening alone, we also had her brother, 5 years old and a smart little runt.
Beat me three of four in video games.....

So yesterday while the Jeep and the Long Roof were in the pits at the Daytona Budweiser blast, Nascar's opening, 75 laps wide open. I sat at home watching the race and all 7 or eight wrecks, good race, but a lot of cars were sent to pit row where the Jeep and Long Roof tooks some good pictures I am sure....

Barngoddess and I took the seats to Her Bronc to the upholstery shop to get the new cushions and covers installed. Local fellow who does it on the side to make ends meet. Keep it local and know that the money spent is going to someone in USA instead of China.

Today with weather so nice, spend part of this morning cutting heads off chickens, oh hell don't tell PETA or SPCA or I'll have them out here screaming that I should give them a shot of morphine first so they don't feel the pain.......

Anyway killed and skinned 3 of them big roosters and the Barngoddess now has them in the freezer for dinner next weekend. Judging from thier size, 4 of us could get two meals out of one of them......

Anyway, the Little Princess and I started looking at the Barngoddess's Bronc and decided we would investigate what it would take to install the heater and defroster assembly.

NOW I have shopped the internet and auto parts stores/shops for the past three weeks looking for the defroster ducts for a 66 Bronco, to NO END... have plenty for 68 and up, but not the 66. So in true Lee fashion, I got the sheet metal out (parts left over from the new roof) and made my own. Turned out great. Pop rivets and duct tape worked wonders and the Little Princess and I soon found we had the ducts installed on Her Bronc. Next thing we knew, the heater was done and we were off to my favorite parts store for heater hose..

Long story short, the heater is in, defroster connected, and it works..........

so now I sit here contemplating.......... forget that,,,,, I'm going to the hot tub to get these old bones to stop complaining about all the abuse today....

Look forwad to this week, temps to be in the 60s, chance of storms, but rain is always welcome on the farm...

It was a blast working on Her Bronc with the Little Princess. Jeep I acknowledge your enjoyment with the jeeps and the Kid. Get more done with two, and she is learning about tools and how to manipulate parts to make them work...

Celebrate Life.

Oh almost forgot my daily test............

67 Ford Wagon, 64 corvair convertible, boat was a Pram until the mast incident, at the airport Dad asked Mom what happened to the windshield, her reply "I thought you wouldn't notice". Boat afterwards was "that damned boat".......

So figure this one out.......... what is the car in the driveway???????




Good luck.........

A novel idea

Okay, so here I go again with something off the wall.........

in my last post I included a picture of a Long Roof with some questions

So now I will continue with my TRIVIA HAVEN LEE FARM style

the one who gets the most points, gets a free overnight stay at the Haven Lee Farm...

Now remember, there are several Haven Lee Farm divisions

The Original Haven Lee Farm, Highway 96 and Turn Back Creek, Halltown MO

Haven Lee Farm Headquarters, just outside Marionville MO

Haven Lee 5 Acre Dream, just north of Halltown, MO

Haven Lee Farm NW Florida, Joan's little spot in NW Florida

Haven Lee Farm Bus Plunge, Springfield MO (City division)

Haven Lee Farm Jeep Division, somewhere in Florida

Haven Lee Farm Long Roof Division, somewhere else in Florida

Haven Lee Farm tropical paradise, Tampa Florida

You have to identify the Division of Haven Lee Farm, the location where the picture was taken, the people in the picture, and the Year picture was taken,

bonus points for Month-Year, identifying vehicles in picture correctly, etc....
So watch for more posts, probably one a day, unless I get bored, then I may include a couple a day.......

So today I am starting with two pictures: the longroof in the last post, and this pickemuptruck

Doing this in honor of the Bus Plunge, a double down day...........

Correctly id this print.........



This should be easy for Complaint Department Manager.....

Good luck and Celebrate Life

45 mph wind notwithstanding

So today on the back porch it was a balmy 58 degrees......... wind speed at time gusting to 45 mph........

but the men from Southern Builders got the Barngoddess's roof done.
not only was the roof done, and done correctly, but all the trash was picked up and disposed of ........

No pictures due to wind blowing too much for me to stand still long enough to get a photo or two....

Tomorrow temp expected in the 60s, shorts and tank top weather......
more working on the Bronc and getting er done...

So a trivia question:

Where was this photo taken????

When was it taken (year good enough)???

Who is in it???

What year is the long roof???

Bonus: what is the name of the boat on top????



And super bonus worth 20 points: what happened to the windshield of this Longroof?

And that's all today, time to relax and visit Captain Morgan and his friends....

Celebrate Life

DON'T BE A SHEEP IN A JEEP

Just for the Jeep and the Bus

Hey Bus -- we climbed rocks like this down on the Buffalo when we were a whole lot younger........ laughed remembering the climb down and then up and then down on that one raveen....

couldn't do it now, but

go to

www.Broncohut.com

click on adventures, and look at the pictures

AS FOR ME: I'd rather be in the mud and ponds with the jeep, the Kid, and the Long Roof, than doing what they are doing...........



these guys are crazier than I ever thought about being, even when I was 21 and not so sober..............

this is more my style....




am I seeing this picture correctly??? is the Jeep driving while the Long Roof is co-pilot???? doesn't the Long Roof ever DRIVE on something other than sand??????

Hey BBB, I seem to remember a time I took a VW bus and followed you down a long hill and across Turn Back Creek, because I couldn't get back up that long steep hill. Was following you in this same jeep.......... boy did the Barngoddess give me a ration of cow/horse manure on that one.......

it's great to be one of five who still enjoy the older vehicles and the need for mud, just plain old mud..............

To Bob, Jim, John, and Ed........thanks for the memories...........

tom

Thinking of You Long Roof

Just got to thinking about the original Haven Lee Farm and decided that I need to send this picture to the Long Roof.

Truck offered on Ebay starting bid $4,500.

Our New Roof

So after two tornadoes, two or more ice storms, our 4 year old roof final has bit the bullet and failed.
Roof leaks into the Living Room, down the hall, and who knows where else.
Options are several that include sinking more money into an asphalt roof, or go for a metal roof-over system.

So we went with the roof-over system that puts three inches of polystyrene insulation board ontop of the asphalt shingles, and then a metal roof over that.

Same system that we have on daughter's single wide that is just perfect and has been perfect in every regard.... no leaks, no more roof rumbling.... etc.

Crew arrived this morning and got right to town on installing the new roof. Will finish tomorrow.
So here are some pictures of the roof.............



at the bottom of this picture you can see our killer watch dog doing what he does best........ sleeping....



So the back is finished..........



and on to the front........




of course I had to supervise.... just like the Gentleman Farmer used to do.....
well until the Barngoddess told me to get off the roof before I fell off.......

so off I went and pulled the White Bronc out of the garage, took the loader off the Big Deere and in two hours had disassembled and reassembled the metal work on that Deere along with replacing the exhaust manifold and muffler system.
Fastest repair job I have done in a long time... well since the Jeep was here....

TEMP ON THE BACK PORCH THIS MORNING AT 7 AM 25 DEGREES

3 PM 55 DEGREES

Great day and got a ton of stuff done, did forget to take pics of the Big Deere repair job, but alas, was on a roll and was done before I knew it.
Dinner tonight was Ham, mashed potatoes, green bean and corn. 3 of the 4 raised and grown right here on the farm....... can't ask for better.

So another day had on the Haven Lee Farm, and another day where we

CELEBRATE LIFE

Am I jinxed????

Well I tend to be optimistic about life, and the blows dealt to us.
But sometimes I just have to ask am I jinxed or what??

Our house is 4 years old, the company that makes them has declared bankruptcy and closed its doors in December 2008.

The latest ice storm has damaged our roof to the point of needing replacing.

Adjuster told me that repairs from last years ice storm held up, but we should consider putting a metal roof on our house or plan on re-roofing every year.

So after carefull consideration, we are going to get our roof fixed.
Do I do the $1500.00 fix every year, or do a one time $7K fix with a metal roof over system?
So as Jay says....

Augggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

So we sit trying to make a decision.............

Too cold in the Ford Garage to work on the Broncs tonight, and nothing really good on the boob tube, so I guess I'll just go to bed early and sleep on it.

Kind of reminds me of the problems Jeep had with his roofs.......

more aug.gggggggggghhhhhhhhhhsssssssssss...

So we continue to

Celebrate Life

even with it's ups and downs.

She won't let me.............

So the big game is on and with all the great commercials and good teams playing,
the Barngoddess won't let me in the room to watch the game.........

everytime I went into the living room, the Steelers either scored, intercepted, made a great play, or the Cardinals goofed up.....

so I got thrown out.....

Get the idea the Barngoddess is a Cardinals fan??????

yep.

so I just surf the internet and write blogs........

but I sure

Celebrate Life

A perfect day

Today started great.... and that theme continued all day...

Temp at 4:00 pm on the backporch 55 degrees and not a cloud in the sky....

Temp in the Bronc Garage a hot 65 degrees. Tee shirt and shorts weather working on the Broncs.... and still sweating up a storm.....

Temp in Florida.... cold and rainy.... looks like it could snow at any time....
that's from the Oleragtop so I imagine the temp is in the 50s.. with no sun to beach on.......

Now it is time to surf and search for more parts.......
been calling all around the country this afternoon......
Barngoddess says I have to put my ears on while telephoning cause I talk too loud....

So we had a perfect day, will be better after I get out of the hot tub and have a cool one to make it a beautiful day while we

Celebrate Life

The day is starting right

It's 49 degrees on the back porch at 0845 this morning.

Not a cloud in the sky, little snow and ice left.........

gonna be a great day to

Celebrate Life