Horses try it out too every so often. I reckon they draw straws and the loser gets to dance a little
If you think a trucks hard try a lowered mini, there's a knack to falling into the seat just right, otherwise your hat lands on the ground, but at least it's not a long way to reach out and pick it up again...

 

Jack, we have a Chevelle at a shop near Bridgeton, NJ being restored. I haven't been to NJ in many years and was very surprised how pretty South Jersey is and how rural. We were up there in Nov and will pick the car up in the spring. You can keep the traffic at the Delaware Bridge, that was a pain!

 

We used to have many Ford and Chrysler people visit my little test facility over the years by the Toms River area, and if they were staying (some targeted a Jersey Shore weekend with the visit), I would tell them to treat NJ with an X pattern. The NJ turnpike or Southwest to Northeast area to avoid; the Northwest to Southeast areas to enjoy. South Jersey (my father's family is from the Bridgeton/Vineland/Millville area) is very rural.

Based on an image from the Star-Ledger newspaper that I'm using to illustrate this, it's also the republican vs. Democratic voting patterns. Just sayin', I have no agenda.

Cape May would be a great place to stay over; Congress Hall has a great restaurant, the Blue Pig. The best calamari outside of the NYC area, an extension of the blue leg of NJ.

 

We were staying at a relatives house in Ocean City, MD and made a day trip up there to drop the car off. With your Governor's mandates we snuck in and out of the State quickly.

What I noticed is NJ drivers tend to pull out of intersections quickly and unexpectedly and there are a lot of 4 way stops.

If you need classic car work done Mid-Atlantic Muscle Cars is the place to get it done. I have known the owner for many years. He just doesn't work on Chevelles, he has a Cobra, Charger and Nova in his shop too. Funny, he is not used to working on cars like mine with very little rust.

 

Thanks for the link; I've heard of them, never visited.

After a century of exposure to NY and PA drivers, we ain't got no respect for out of state plates. If you think 4-way stops are interesting, I've got a few traffic circles for you to try.

While many believe NJ'ers think of Springsteen as our musical muse, South Jersey is more in line with this, explaining the driving attitude.

 

Anybody into old lawn mowers? My 2 Lawn Boys have been in the family since new. The 7229 has bee in the building for 10 years. A new coil and carb float adjustment and she fires up on the first pull. I need to clean her up, sharpen the blade and get a new fuel shut off valve (if I can find one).

 

Not bad sounding and for sitting for so long.
I have an Ariens 21"mower that I let the gas in
the tank sit for so long it was dry. I had one heck of a time cleaning the varnish out of the carb.
It was so nasty I just replaced the jet in the lower end of the bowl with a new one. Now if I am going
to let it sit for a long time I drain the gas out and don't have any problems nest tim I go to start it.

Also Ariens has gotten out of the smaller mowers (or at least that is what I was told) They still make
the larger ones for bit jobs. But no more of the small walk behind ones.

Now the only thing I need is an old just horizontal engine so I can make a Moleinator I am so tired of the trenches in the grass.

The fun way to do it. I just plan on using CO to give the molds a dirt nap. Doing the explosive type would upset the neighbors.
I just don't want to kill all the worms and grubs in the grass do to the carry over of the insecticide to other insects.

 

I saw something like this years ago that had a really funny vid promoting it: it was called (years ago) "the rodenator" and they wanted a couple grand for one - A neighbor had a service come out to eliminate their ground squirrel problem using the unit, and they came out again and again and again... The funny video was when these yayhoos set off the tunnel and it went into detonation (flame front goes just right up to fuel and an explosion occurs) - and the exploding tunnels are heading right towards this house! Oh my gosh that was a fun one to watch...

Here's what I'm doing next, it is such a simple idea, I just don't know why I didn't think of it!

 

When I was in school to get my A&P there was a guy in the class with me that owned a dairy farm.
What he used with the propane and a spark igniter. He was out in the pasture one day and let it run
and then went to set it off. To his shock the explosion took the down spouts off the house. It seems
that the mole has tunneled fight next to the plastic drain pipe that he had on the down spouts.
You can guess what happened. His wife was not too happy about the results.

 

Sounds like Caddyshack to me!

I have brought back to like a few 2 cycle engines lately. For weedwackers etc a cheap Chinese carb seems to do just fine. I have a 1977 Echo chainsaw that has been a challenge, it runs great but parts are a bear to find for it. Call me crazy but I like old equipment.

 

Let me show two different techniques for celebrating the birth of Christ and his teachings with the stealing of Christmas trees.

The first arrived organized, probably came with a battery power Sawzall, a very clean single cut—up for a quick getaway. Back the pickup to the gate, around the gate, a quick cut of the tree, into the truck and gone in 60 seconds.

I suspected this tree was a goner as the highway department cut back brush on the next property, which greatly exposed my one field right on the highway. Around 7' with a great shape, I wanted to wait another year for higher growth and fill out.





The second tree was back farther on the property, but still the same driveway. One night I didn't close the gate as I was so tired. I'll be back first thing ... right.

This person was not as well prepared, no saw. So they took the Neanderthal approach; Groog picked a tree without a substantial stem.





A 5 to 6 footer, from what I can remember, on the driveway in so I saw it coming and going for 7 years.


I decided I would not go through the backfields to see if others were liberated as done in prior years. I don't need to color the rest of my Christmas with more of these thoughts.

A few years ago, I found there were both adult and offspring shoe prints at one tree, nothing like teaching your child the meaning of Christmas.

 

That's sad. The tree stealing is one thing, but bringing your children is just...the word I wanna use is not allowed.
I really worry about my grandchildren in this day and age. It is So sad what today's young adults morals, and our country has become.
Sorry about your Trees. But I applaud you for not letting it effect your Holiday. Merry Christmas Jack.

 

That is such a shame. People are just plumb mean nowadays and can't keep their hands off of other peoples stuff. The Golden Rule no longer applies.

 

People are meaner these days but I would argue this has more to do with selfishness and the creeping socialist mindset. What a world we've created for ourselves. Sorry for your loss, Jack.

 

I have my feet on that farm for 67 years now; for as long as I can remember, there have things taken from it, almost every year. Including my Yamaha DT250, all the batteries from the equipment at one time (8), Mustang 4B carb and aluminum manifold, irrigation sprinkler heads (brass), heavy drag chain for my dozer, 30' aluminum 4" irrigation pipe - about 1000', and much more. It's just amazing and frustrating. When my parents operated it as a nursery, garden center, and fruit/vegetable stand, there were always things gone; they would check every morning.

The Christmas tree stealing is just pathetic. More so because this year, like others, I gave trees away at the front. You sometimes get people to come in and ask if I have any cheap trees; they are in a troubled state once you start talking to them - I gave 2 away this year. Sales lots usually end up with a few dozen leftovers; either way, it's no big deal for anyone to give away trees. The people typically come back in better times and buy a tree. It's a two-way street, and I don't really do this for the money; I could sell the property and be better off financially and with a lot less effort in my older years. It's been a few years since tree theft, so more frustrating right now - I'm venting.

I keep a few deer cameras up in the back. I guess it's time to buy more. I have cameras around the equipment and buildings.