Is the weekend over yet?

[RowdyRebel]

I'm ready to get back to work where I can sit down & relax!

Friday I got home from work and fired up the chain saw...knocked down the sweetgum tree that's been dead for years (only green on it was a 3-leafed vine that has grown up on it). Anyway, got it knocked down, most of it bucked up, and loaded into the bed of the Ranger, and the smaller limbs added to the burn pile in the front yard. I dropped the trailer, and used the Mack to move the trunk out of the road for the night when I parked the truck in the driveway so I can change the oil & grease it. (...and yes, I cut the tree so it'd fall across the road...nobody drives on it anyway since it really only leads to my house and a farm field). I also noticed the rear of the Ranger wasn't sitting straight...the right side was holding the weight just fine, but the left was resting on the fender. I looked underneath and the helper springs I had mounted between the axle and the frame when I was out west 3 summers ago for my brother's wedding...the right one was missing. So, I head into the garage to grab my 12 lb sledge hammer to remove the fender from the tire so that I can move the truck.

Saturday, I woke up & got a good breakfast...'cuz I knew I was gonna need it. Went outside and knocked the last 2 limbs off the trunk (they were propping it up last night before I dragged it into the drive way with the Mack)...got them bucked up and loaded into the Ranger, too. By this point, the load of wood is well-rounded higher than the top of the cab. Parked it in the driveway, too, and then started unburying the lawn mower. I had to replace a nut on the tie rod so that I could steer the stupid thing...but found that the end of the tie rod was stripped & bent, too. So, I had to get creative...shortened the tie rod just a hair by trimming off the stripped off section, then cleaning up the threads and readjusting where the stop nuts were. A few years ago, I had slipped some pipe sections over the tie rods because they were bent, restraightened, bent again, and restraightened again, and were weak....wanted to strengthen them. Anyway, when I centered that extra pipe, I had enough thread left on each end to put it back together. It's SLIGHTLY toed in, but it's not like I'm running 90 mph down the highway....just mowing the yard. Anyway, had to charge the battery, too, because it's been a while since I mowed. Got 'er fired up, but had to stop twice to dislodge crap that got tangled up in the blades...but anyway, I got it mowed and then got back to the sweetgum job. Drove the Ranger around back to stack the wood up against the rotting shed...and when it was empty, I headed back around front to get back at that trunk. Even though I was cutting it into 18" long pieces, they were still too heavy to lift into the bed of the Ranger, so I used a hand truck to move them around back. When I got the trunk down to aroung 9' long, I couldn't prop it up anymore to keep cutting the end off...so I wrapped a chain around it figuring I'd pull it around back so at least I'd be cutting into soft dirt instead of an asphalt driveway....a little easier on the blade if it happens to hit the ground. Wrap the other end around the Ranger's trailer hitch....and spun the wheels. Ended up driving next door and swapping trucks to use the F250....and it got the job done. Cut another piece or two off it, stacked 'em up, and went back around to the front to clean what's left of the limbs from the driveway. I quickly decided I wasn't in the mood to pick all that crap up, so I called the sheriff to see if the recent rains have been sufficient to lift the burn ban, or if we still are prohibited from burning. He said I should be fine, that to the best of his knowledge it has been lifted....so I raked the limbs into a pile, grabbed a gallon of diesel (saved from past oil changes...dump the fuel filters into gallon jugs...usually use it to clean motorcycle chains, etc...) and poured it over the pile....then used a propane torch to light it. A cold beer (or 3) and a lawn chair under a clear sky by the fire....pretty good way to end the day.

Anyway, still gotta change the oil & grease the Mack...and I've got a tire that needs to be swapped out....and finish cutting up & stacking the trunk (still got about 6' of trunk left)...get hooked back up to the trailer and get some sleep tonight.

Compared to yesterday, it SHOULD be an easy day.... but I'm still ready for the weekend to be over...

[other dog]

I walked out and got the newspaper out of the box.

[hatcity]

Damn Rowdy, you was a busy boy.

Gotta love weekends that are harder than work.

Had to chase an electrical short this morning. Got lucky and found it in about 10 minutes.

Had to run 2 new wires though. It will work til winter, then I'll run all new all the way.

Clean up shit in the yard, cut the lawn. 4 hours in today. Now watch the Dolphins smash lose to the Jets

[other dog]

.

[Vladislav]

.

Tom, you're incredable!

[RowdyRebel]

Well, today wasn't NEAR as productive as yesterday. Hell, sat around until after the cup race before I even thought about doing anything. Got the oil changed, trans & diff oil levels checked, and chassis greased. Tire can wait for another day...and the rest of the trunk can, too. It ain't going nowhere. Still gotta get showered up (right after Hee-Haw is over) & grab dinner (which I'll probably end up skipping...hate eating this late)...and get paperwork done (during Ice Road Truckers) to turn in tomorrow.

Anyway, a few pics...

[41chevy]

I had to take my wife grocery shopping, cause her clutch has no more adjustment and starting to slip. Grocery Shopping.... that was hard work!! Paul

[other dog]

Damn! Dozer, you need to go on a diet- no more rabbits for you, just celery sticks and water!

[Green Dash]

I haven't used a firearm since the late 70's, but today I got some target practice with a 22 revolver, a 22 rifle, a 38, and a crossbow, but wussed out on a chance to fire a 44 Magnum. Now all I want to do is shoot something.

[RowdyRebel]

If I'd got everything done yesterday, I would have headed up to the gun range. It's been closed all summer for maintenance & repairs...just opened up last weekend, but I didn't go because I figured it'd be extra crowded. The gun show was this weekend, so I was figuring on heading out to go shoot while eveyone else was at the show...and then hitting the show on the way back, but this weekend's projects took priority.

I still haven't shot my newest gun...figuring the stacked wood will make a sufficient back stop, though, so I might just shoot it off a few times right here at home once I finish getting that trunk bucked up and stacked.