Jim, I'm not sure yet if I want to do the shower myself or not. Still have a few more things to do on the outside of the house and need to get back to my truck one of these days. We are getting rid of the tub in the master bathroom for a large shower. I only take showers and the wife is already having some trouble getting in and out of the bath. Trying to make it so life is easier and safer as we age.

 

Exactly what we've been thinking (as far as my wife is concerned) as far as safety as well as size / functionality of the bathroom. Dealing with a window right in the middle of where a splash wall would be, currently has a cut out, but that has to be dealt will. I started a remodel a while back and stopped, thinking I may be biting off more than I could or wanted to chew. First wall facing I removed revealed that it had already been remodeled once. Pipes moved, and that space was obviously a towle or linnen closet at one point in time. Still had some old shelf hardware in place but thankfully, no bodies. Thinking it could be time to call the pro's in.
This thing was built back in the day when 'Water Closets' were truely just exactly that...Water Closets! I was worried about what it might do to the value of the house if we took out the only bathtub. The log house on the ranch up near Gilchrist we bought has two bathrooms, but both have only a shower. It certainly didn't have a noticeable impact on the value of that place, and we aren't missing having a bathtub when up there one little bit. I guess if we were, and could always move in one of the old galvanized wash tubs. AND, out in the pole barn in the one rooms is one of those big, large show dogs, (made for Afghan Hounds, plumbed in "bathtubs". The old owners took the water heater out and I'm using the concrete water heater pad for the little freezer, but that could all be rearranged in a hurry.

 

The other bathroom has a tub still. We will keep that for guest and grandkids.

 

 

Good evening Ford Drivers.
Unstable internet connection at lunch, lunch today was on the North side of The Columbia River again.

HR texted me this morning asking whether I wanted to use vacation or sick time for Monday, I asked how I was doing on hours, the response was 35hrs not counting today. I figured I would use my PTO for something more fun.

 

Good morning Oregon and everyone everywhere else. 30 degrees and climbing but after a nice sunrise, the clouds are starting to move in.
Came back up here yesterday to relax and recuperate for 4 days and to quit staring at projects at Alpha I want to work on, but can't right now Wouldn't you know it, it was almost too quiet, and I was wide awake before daylight. Tried to go back to sleep, but Demon Kitty decided that since I was awake, there was no reason to waste the day by going back to sleep. Managed to stave her off, but as it started to get daylight, we were done with bed.

So, I made a pot of coffee, and sat in a chair in front of our 2nd story bedroom window gazing out upon the front yard, meadow and river. I had the blind slats open, but that wasn't satisfying Sthickly. So, I pulled the blinds up which satisfied Sthickly, AKA Demon Kitty so she could look out as well. It was an interesting morning. Our visitors from after dark last night returned out of the riverside brush this morning. They were out here for a while last night and we caught them on the trail cameras, but it was too dark of a night to see anything with the naked eye. They joined a couple of mallards that were swimming on the pond and who apparently didn't appreciate the elk moving into the area. The ducks moved over to the river runoff channels putting a little distance between them. Our pair of 'Honker' friends made their noisy arrival just a few minutes later.

All in all, a very fine and relaxing start to the morning.

This was all natural. We haven't put out the feed stations or the mineral block for the salt lick yet. This is also the first time the elk have been out grazing in the meadow in the daylight while we've been here. They've been out in the daylight a number of times, but we haven't been here, and the trail or security camera's are the only reason we've know they were here in the daylight.


Duck moving out. Apparently the ducks thought the elk moving in was ruining the neighborhood.




She insisted I open the blinds so she could look out too.

It was like, 'WOW, what are those, but I'm more interested in the ducks!)

They moved over from the Pond area to the meadow by 'Lone Pine' and the river. Eventually they followed the river up stream to the 2nd bend and joined the rest of the heard that was grazing up there.

 

Good Saturday morning Jim and...

 

Made it home from 4 days at Eagle Crest, 2 conference days and 2 play days. Hiked around Smith Rock and saw some nice views. Lot's of people for a Friday but there are lots of people in Central Or.

A few photos. Nice hike up to the top.







Back to working on the house and next weeks mission will be finding the "unobtainium" boat part or just pay the thousands of $$$ for a new brain.

Break Out Another Thousand = B O A T.

 

Good evening Rich and...

 

Good evening Oregon and everyone everywhere else. Dozed off in the chair again, Warden woke me up for some snake bite pain killer medicine. Now I’m wide awake. Snake bite / pain killer didn’t work last night, no reason to think it will work tonight.

 

I have a boat I’ll sell you for $300. Very economical on gas, old school so the only brain is non electronic…far less than $1000. Extra couple of hundred I might be able to throw in the kids…,





Or for $800. Rigid cat type hull. Price reduced as it needs some rudder work! Elk not included.

 

Rich and Jim, you both have shared some cool photos, thanks.

Jim, glad to hear things are looking good.

 

Good Sunday morning Ford Drivers.
I don't feel like working in the rain so it's inside projects today, other then I may have heard something about supplies.

 

Morning all.

Jim, I don't think either one of those will work for me but thanks for the offer. I can't complain too much as this is the first time I've ever had any major problems with a boat. However, none of the other boats were 19 years old either. I'm a little miffed you can't get the part from the manufacturer and it's already obsolete. I'm trying to figure out how to do a repower but I don't think I can swing that. Meanwhile my salmon season, like yours, is passing us by.

Waiting and hoping it dries out some as I've got mowing to do.

 

Good morning Oregon and everyone everywhere else. 32, and I could see stars earlier, but as light started moving in pre-dawn, so did the overcast. I can't believe it, but the Wx guessers are calling for snow beginning tonight and for the all but a couple of days in the next week. I'll believe it when I see it.

Must be drill weekend, jets from K Falls are out playing in the mountains. Last weekend of the months, probably some pilots short on flight time.

Got a call from the VAMC in Portland yesterday. Didn't know if I wanted to answer it or not. It's a Saturday and I thought that was strange. But, they are running several clinics, including imaging for appointments on Saturdays now so........It was a good news call. All tests now have final results. They show no signs of cancer. They are really getting ahead of themselves, they also set up an appointment for next March for the Annual Cancer testing and screening. Like, really? I'm supposed to remember an appointment set a year out?

Rich, I was told years ago, depending on the marine manufacturer, once a marine part has been replaced or upgraded to a new model, the engine-parts being replaced only have a couple of years before being declared 'obsolete' and a max 7 year shelf life for parts. On a boat we bought brand new in Medford in 1989, the engine had been made by Suzuki but marketed under a different name. Right at the time we bought they sold to Chrysler. By 1992, Chrysler had sold it to Mercury. Mercury incorporated a lot of it into the Mercury Mariner line. We were told by Dave Denton at Roseburg Marine, Medford Waterworld, Jenson in Eugene, Salem, Portland and Stevens Marine in Tigard that Mercury was assuring everyone that because a lot of the motor design was in the Mariner line, we would have at least 7 years of parts on the shelf, if not longer. In 1993, because of the cheap pot metal that the carbs were made out of, I needed a new carb. Went to all of the above and it was Stevens in Tigard that was able to get me the lower carb. All parts for that engine had been declared "obsolete". The upper carb was "no longer available". Fortunately, the only thing keeping the boat out of the water was the lower carb. Was going to get an upper carb for the just in case moment but couldn't. A few years later after the upper carb blew out, and after exhaustive searches, I found that these carbs had actually been made by the Irish Company, Tillicum. They still made them, and I was able to the carbs that would work. Only problem was some seals, but I was able to "custom" cut some of those from stock board. Just sold that boat last summer. Interior needed a complete gut and stuff job, but the guy who bought it said he needed a "project" for his 14 year old to work on and his son didn't want to work on the tractors.

The engine on our 92 was rebuilt 3 or 4 years ago. I wanted to up the motor from the 4.2 Vortec to the larger Vortec or a 305 - 350. The difference in prices wasn't so much the problem, but the cost of all of the other stuff knocked that idea right out of the ball part. New electrical harnesses (not an option due to different requirements), longer control cables, motor mounts, hoses and on and on. Dennis rebuilt the 4.2. Good little motor, very fuel efficient, but there are times I would like to go faster than 32 MPH WOT with a 20 mph tail wind.