Howdy all. Temp just dropped to 28 and it is snowing here. The weather forecast said it wasn't supposed to snow until 0945. They were an hour and 45 minutes off.

Our slide in camper and the F350 are still in the shop. Supposed to be there for a 3.5 hour job I couldn't do myself due to the surgery and it's really a two person job anyway. We are on day 10 now and it still isn't done. They've had it for nearly 80 working hours and still don't have the "3.5" manhour job done. I don't think they were happy with me. I got a text last Thursday (day 7) saying it was 'next in line' for a service bay. I asked them if there was a problem causing it not to be finished, that I was quoted a 3.5 man hour job, and the appointment was for 0900 on the 18th, the day before the surgery. We set it up that way so I could get everything done and get it home before the surgery and the service manager knew this. The Service Writer who was texting me responded with, "Sorry, we are doing the best we can". Well, I may have responded to the Service Writer, Service Manager and the GM with, " I don't think so. If you were, it would have been done on the 18th when I had an appointment to drop it off at 0900 in the morning when you had a full 8 hour work day to get a 3.5 hour job completed so I could get it home before the surgery. You've now had 8 days and 64 shop hours to complete the 3.5 hour job. The sad part XXXXX,(Service Writers name, whom I know) is that this isn't the first time this has happened." Got a 3 word response from the Service Writer, "Monday or Tuesday". I'll have to make arrangements with my son to pick it up when and if they call.

Whoa, the snow just increased its intensity from these pics of a few minutes ago. This is almost the first of May isn't it?

 

.... and if you are concerned about them running off..... put a noose around their neck.....

 

We lock our cats in the shop at night, no getting out, no waking us up in the middle of the night and we don't have to worry about cat fights or cayotes getting them..

 

Cats in France have to be chipped so we have a cat-flap with chip reader and they can go in and out as they please. Had to have one with the reader after a stray found out how to get in. We get the odd cat fight but the dogs tend to keep the strays on their toes.

 

Good morning guys and Happy Taco Tuesday!

Cats...I'm a dog guy Don't get me wrong, if cats are mousing and earning their keep, great! You can stay. You aren't earning your keep, it's a no for me.

 

You guys are seriously confused about my wife. She loves the cats and tolerates me.

Cat showed up 15 years ago in my haystack. Couldn't touch them or pet them. I felt bad for the cat in the winter and put some food out.
Spring time she had a litter, Two of the kittens hung around and now we had three. Next year another litter and one more stuck around, now 4. All wild.
Next summer there were 15 kittens, So we went into trap mode. Got all the momas fixed. Gave away all but two kittens Which my wife brought in the house and they have become her buddies.
What ever room she is in, They share with her. All the wild momas have disappeared over the years.
These cats lay around the house all day, and then want out around 2 or 3 in the morning. My wife is a deep sleeper and never hears them asking to go out. I try to throw them out before bed time. But that doesn't always work.

I would much rather have a dog to run with the horses on the trail. But my wife hates dogs.

 

This is pure GOLD

 

So the B&W hitch came in Friday. I forgot to mention it. I put it together, but have not put it in the truck yet (need the bed space this weekend). I did measure and recalled why I was sticking with the Ford hitch (originally). The B&W at it's lowest setting is 2" higher than the Ford hitch plate elevation. So my camper will sit a couple of inches higher. As much as it pains me to not be level, so be it. The Ford hitch is a PITA to hook-up and disengage. I'm going to try the B&W.

 

I can relate to this.

The next time I'm in the Salt Lake City area I'm going to put a face to the name. Even if I have to become a day laborer to do it. I probably won't last long on the job though. I'm a desk jockey and don't have any calluses on my hands.

 

It sucks to spend that kind of money to find out you have a sub-optimal solution. Hopefully it will end up better than you think when you put it in the bed.

The recent hanger failure on my trailer reinforced to me the necessity to get the trailer level.

My brother the Snap-On dealer finally gets his tool truck back this week. It's been four months since the accident. I'm headed up to Casper on Friday to help him move all the tools back to his truck out of the borrowed truck. Just when he was figuring out where I put everything, I'm there to mess it all up again.

 

Speaking of finished projects, (from 2 weeks ago!) I am done with the sawmill shed. The first poles in June last year, so not too bad. All the siding and the 2x4 framing is pine lumber made either from the local state park or my neighbor's yard.

And this chair is the latest from the 7th grade woodshop. Hickory is the wood, used a free plan I found online. Had just enough of this wood to make a second chair which is in production now. They'll be for the porch at the cabin.

 

Beautiful chair. It almost looks like Cedar with that stain and finish.

 

Beautiful work Eric!

 

* Good morning, Gents. Happy Tuesday (of the taco variety?) to all. I started a workout program at the gym my daughter belongs to. Wifey started last week while I was still away. Pretty intense training. Day 2 and I'm still standing. Day 1 was upper body and today was metabolic day. No, I can't keep up with my daughter (Tracy) and her crew but Wifey & me give it what we've got. Feels really good to get back into it after all these years. Tracy turns 40 this year and her and her gym partner are ranked in the top tiers in the world for their age group in DEKA, which is a fitness program which pretty much kicks your a$$ in every conceivable manner (redneck interpretation.) Everyone there is at different levels and the support and encouragement is awesome. I figure I'll do this, get back in shape, get my knee replaced, and buy some new drawers!
* Jon, man, that sounds painful! I hope you can get that fixed asap. Good luck. I know you ride all over the state as I check out all your photos. I didn't see any horse turds on or around Sand Mountain OHV area so I guess that is a no-fly zone for the hay burners. LOL. Don't blame you, it gets kind of crowded over there on the weekends. Weekdays are great tho!
* Andre, Don: The Honda air filter cannot be cleaned, at least by compressed air. That's what it says anyway, so the only answer is to change the filter. The particle separator helps, I'm sure, but the areas we've been riding and the position in line subjects us to a lot of dust. So I guess it's more frequent changing or get a new kind of filtration system. The replacement filters are $50 +/- so I guess I'll stick to doing that more frequently.
* Andre, sucks to have an unlevel trailer. LOL.... Throw some more weight in the bed or level it out with the airbags & let it roll.
* Ore Jim, nice pics. That view every day wouldn't suck! Hope you recover from your medical procedures fast. Looks like winter won't give it up at your place. I kinda feel your pain. I had to wear a flannel shirt t omy grandson's baseball game last night!
* Eric, that's awesome. Great job!!!
* Allright everyone, got to go and be semi-productive today. Everything's cleaned up from the trip except for my truck. I need to get to work on that. Hope you 'uns have a great day!

Tracy and her antique collection.

 

Howdy all. 24 this morning but no snow developed. One time I can say I am happy the Wx guessers were wrong.

Went out with the .410 this morning just before sunrise. Two large woodpeckers were hammering on the metal ridge cap this morning between dawn and sunup. No shot without putting holes in the roof. I was thinking they have sounded like a jackhammer, Re-thinking that, they would put the jackhammer to shame. They're hammering is more like a Vulcan Gatling Gun. Jackhammers don't cycle fast enough. Have to be deranged woodpeckers to be hammering away on the metal ridge cap. They (or their relatives) have put a hole in the West Gable I'm going to have to climb up and fix once I'm able to climb ladders and lift again.
Silly cats, all 3 lit out for the walk-in closet this morning when the birds started their hammering.

Lovey the monster cat, follows my wife around like a puppy dog. When she's not here, Lovey follows me from room to room "talking" to me constantly. It's like, "Where the heck is she at, what did you do with her?".
Demon Kitty thinks my lap is her own personal possession.

We've decided things have settled enough we could probably start looking for another Lab. I think we have gone from missing our 17 year olds to having a big hole to fill. Especially when I'm out walking around the place and don't have someone dragging a tree limb along wanting me to throw what I can't even lift.
I did some nosing around yesterday and the reputable kennels I know of, currently have no pups. Other kennels have pups, but I'd have to do some serious research and background on them. That would entail talking to people I know in the business of field and show dogs, and that means asking my sister which of her friends have good strong field / working dogs. And wow! The prices I have been seeing....