Sunday 4 October 2015

That was a busy day!

Buster was reluctant to start his day.
I was a cold morning (3 C.!)
Friday, hubby had to drive himself to have his eye checked after his laser surgery. I was waiting for a delivery and could not go. We spent the family fortune and bought a new tractor. With Line of Credit interest rates so low, and the frustration with the stupid 10-year-old tractor konking out...

 My old lawn tractor wouldn't keep its charge, and the piece were wearing out slowly. ["Don't criticise the coffee, you'll be old and weak one day!"] With end-of-season sales, we couldn't go wrong.

It arrived! Not too much to putting it together, just had to connect the battery.

Working it is a bit of a old dog, new tricks thing. There is a brake on the left, and the right pedal is for forward or backwards. It used to be that the right pedal was the brake, with a gear shift for speed.
You cannot imagine the trials and errors with this, as I gave myself whiplash a couple of times. Don't laugh. OK, feel free, but with empathy!

Next project, changing the flag. Hubby was given a HUGE 4' x 6' flag last year, by a clerk in the grocery store (they love him!) but it had worn out. It was her dad's but they didn't have a place for it. Isn't that sweet?

The old one was hooking itself with the ratty ends. Daisy helped me install the new one. The flag pole is heavy, tricky to lower! There are two bolts you have to remove, then SLOWLY lower the pole. It's heavy 6 x 6 and tends to drop like a bomb!


Sure, two already
 in the cupboard.
Next project, I've been wrestling with a new aquarium pump installation. The old one was leaking and I could have replaced just the connector, the O-rings wear out, but the tubes were covered in algae, and it was wearing out, too.
I thought I needed more batting, the filter medium you change monthly. I thought I had some, but wasn't sure. When I got home, I realized I did this last year, too. I now have 3 full batts. They last a year. Sigh. Don't tell the kids. I'm failing... my parents, when they were ill, hoarded freezer food, afraid they'd run out.

While at Big Al's, hubby insisted he buy me a long cleaning tool. He's always afraid I'll fall in, standing on my chair! It's a deep aquarium.



I couldn't get the tubes onto the connectors. One of the guys, who delivered my tractor, suggested a blow dryer! It worked. I needed a wrench to snap the other pieces on. I record this for posterity and hopefully I'll remember this trick another time!

The pump is working! 


Today, Sunday, I shall have to drain the pond somewhat and try to catch some fishies. Only one came in yesterday, Saturday. It was a fluke I caught it! ('scuse the pun.) The buckets are out and ready. I've cleaned the pond pump in vinegar and water, which I used to clean the windows and saved for this task.


In the meantime, I don't know where I contracted it, but I have another bought with contact dermatitis. Some on my chest bone and my left wrist. I haven't a clue where it came from unless it was some clothing I haven't worn since my bout in the early summer. Crikey, it hurts. I'm using my salve, and it helps.

8 comments:

DUTA said...

Enjoy your new tractor, and get rid soon of the contact dermatitis!

Nancy J said...

Somewhere I read. " Put on your working gear and us girls can do anything". Assembling the battery, doing the flag changing, worthy of any palace guard's duty , and the water cleaning, well done, Cold up your way, down here gale winds battered parts of the South Island, thousands without power, caravans blown over, and fires fanned by the wind. Stay warm, keep that furnace stocked up. Hugs.

Hannah said...

Nice lawn tractor, Jennifer! We got another riding mower last year, I haven't operated it but Hubby can mow the yard twice as fast with it as our old smaller mower. He also picks up fallen leaves with it in the fall. It's trickier to drive too. You are dedicated to have a pond and bring your fishes in for the winter. I've had a struggle with a pump too for my aquaponics system, and could get it to pump again by submerging it in vinegar. I'm sorry to hear about the allergic rash, I've had a terrible time with poison ivy before, and had to keep it very dry to get rid of it. Your cold weather is coming fast, I hope ours will hold off for a while.

William Kendall said...

That's a lot of work! The fish must find it puzzling.

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
Yes, our cold weather arrived all in a hit... had to fire up the heating tonight; knee blankets and shawls just didn't cut the chill. Hey ho. The aquarium is looking good and ready for its winter guests. Good luck catching them all this year! sorry about the skin... hope it is just a small flare up. YAM xx

Red said...

Projects projects! Your kids like this because then Mother is busy she's not a pain for them! Now you really need a new pair of pliers. Yours are terribly rusty! Did you leave them out in the rain? That's enough for one day.

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

You are the busiest lady! Love the spiffy new tractor... Our daughter sometimes mows their five acres ... Their tractor seems huge to me. I hate seeing her on it, scares me to death (I'm not really a country girl at all, but she is and fortunately inherits her dads skill level not mine!). Anyway, as I tell her , be careful out there!

EG CameraGirl said...

I'm impressed by the new tractor! Hope your dermatitis clears up quickly!