I wish it was snowing!

Well here it is early Sunday afternoon.

Had a great week, got to attend a Veteran's Day concert by the Springfield MO Army National Guard Band with my granddaughter. Great show held at the Marionville school. Kids had a grand time, especially the songs that had a strong beat to them = ie: marching song and the Service Songs. I sang along with "Anchors Aweigh". Last time I heard that song was on 9/30/1989 at my retirement ceremony.

Then on to working on the tractor and travel trailer.

Even better news from my two sisters who live way out east in the mountains of NC somewhere.
Seems my grandmother's dining room set won't fit in either of their new homes, so it is offered to any family member wanting it.
I piped in and volunteered to take it. "To keep it in the family" as with all the other heirlooms. Granny bought the set in the 30s if I am not mistaken, and it is well taken care of.

So after a wonderful visit on the phone with Mary and Carol, and a couple revisions along the way, this coming weekend Viola and I will be heading east to meet Mary and her Don to pick up a UHaul trailer full of the set. The girls are having "two men and a truck" load the dining set in a trailer for us. What a wonderfull gift, as I know the furniture will survive the trip from NC to MO.

On the sad note, the big bad 1 ton of mine, used to towing our mobile house, wouldn't start that morning, so jumper cables and it started. Later in the day, it would again NOT start. I hooked the cables up, got turned around on the second set of cables and "yeah" I hooked them up backasswards. by the time I got in the truck to start it, we had a major smoke scene going on, and by the time this old man got out of the truck and up to the front the cables were fried. Fried hell, they were toast. The dually now won't start. So after checking all the fuses, finding one blown (duh wonder why?), trip to my local parts shop "Hey tom what's up" and back home again, truck still won't start.

So looking at the battery cables... yep, rust and corrosion to the max.

So I have this 2001 Ford F350 crew cab super duty truck with a 7.3 deisel that needs negative battery cables replaced. Yep two batteries = two negative cables corroded. So back to my parts shop, "Hey tom what's up" and find out that one of the cables is listed at $109.99. NOT OUCH, NOT WHAT, NOT HOLY COW.... came from my mouth, just a simple "oh shit, you gotta be kidding me". 3 days to get it also.

So after talking with the Manager and deciding to use the local machine shop, off I went. $75.00, and 45 minutes later I was out the door with the two cables needed to replace my corroded ones. Now note, for once in my life I did things in proper sequence, yep the proper sequence. Before heading to the parts shop, Viola helped me remove the two cables from the F350 so I could take them with me to get exact duplicates.

So this morning I am ready to head out and put in the new cables. WRONG!!

MAN ALIVE, IT IS COLD OUT THERE. Temp o meter is below 40. If it was snowing I would have an excuse to stay inside and watch football and nascar. But it ain't snowing, so I guess it's get bundled up and head back out to get the job done.

Forget it, the truck can wait till this afternoon when it warms up some.

And in the middle of all that yesterday, Viola (aka Barngoddess1) tells me I need to put a couple round bales out for the horses and cows. So that is the easy part, just hook the bales mover to the three point hitch and easy..........

Tractor won't start! So on one of the trips to town bought deisel (off road deisel is now $3.03 a gallon). Hook jumper cables to tractor from My little mule, and it won't start. Finally got the daughter to pull me with the F250 and we got it running. Quickly delivered the two bales and headed for the Ford Garage.
More bad news. Fuel tank is leaking again at one or two previously welded joints. And to top it off the fuel injector pump is now leaking. ARGH>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

So set up and drain the fuel tank again.

So it's been a fun weekend so far.

Really great thing is that Derek (daughters friend) borrowed my 243 to go deer hunting. Haven't heard from him yet. But can tell him where for the past two days I have dodged a doe and her baby on the highway. Maybe next time hit them and bring them home to put in the freezer.

Even better, oldest daughter, Michele, popped in on Sat morning for a couple days to just visit with the wife and girls. Always great to have her here for a visit.

So it's now time to decide to buy another tractor, or invest more money in this one. Glad the deal to buy the property next door fell through.

So hunting for tractors like I have now, in any kind of shape is rough. Found one in Tallahassee Florida, motor is froze up, but the parts might work; maybe I could get the Jeep and Long roof to buy it for me and deliver it........... nah, long roof went and got a job, so now he is tied up 6 to whatever every day. In fact he told me he gets up a 4:30 in am...... hell that time doesn't come unless you have been up all night.

Oh well. keep looking for parts. Fuel tank runs from 470 to 700, fuel injection pump is 1400 with 300 core deposit.

So the saga of the Haven Lee Farm continues.

Have a happy day and remember as you go about the trials and tribulations of the day, it took the Long Roof about 700 and some days to find a job, but he perserved and something finally came through.

Remember to Celebrate Life and enjoy.

tom