NOV 12, 2008

YESTERDAY IT SNOWED ALMOST ALL DAY. WHEN IT WASN'T SNOWING IT WAS RAINING. IT DEFINITELY WAS A DIFFERENT TYPE OF DAY TO WORK IN. WE MOVED HEIFERS INTO MACHINERY ROW FOR THEIR WINTER PASTURE (THEY WERE HAPPY) BUT WE COULD NOT GET THE ELECTRIC FENCE TO WORK. PETE WALKED THE FENCE AND FOUND NO PROBLEM. I RAN THE ATV AROUND THE FENCE AND COULD FIND NO PROBLEMS. WE DISCONNECTED PARTS OF THE FENCE AND FOUND THE LOWER WIRE DIDN'T SHORT THE FENCE BUT THE UPPER WIRE DID. I TOOK OFF WALKING THE FENCE LINE AND LOW AND BEHOLD ABOUT HALF WAY AROUND, THE ELECTRIC WIRE WAS WRAPPED AROUND THE BARB WIRE FENCE. PRETTY OBVIOUS, HOW COULD BOTH OF US MISS THAT IN THE RAIN? SOME TIMES THE LORD THINKS WE NEED MORE PRACTICE.

THIS MORNING EVERYTHING IS WHITE, AND SLIPPERY. BUT WE POURED CEMENT FOR A WATERER AFTER WE FIGURED OUT HOW TO GET UP THE HILL. THE SNOW AND WET GRASS AND SOFT EARTH, ALL WE DID WAS SPIN AND SLIDE SIDEWAYS. 4 WHEEL DRIVE GETS YOU MOST PLACES, BUT NOT HERE. WENT NORTH A WAYS WHERE THERE IS SORT OF A ROAD CARVED INTO THE HILL RUNNING AT AN ANGLE UP THE HILL, AND WE MADE IT TO THE TOP. THEN "SNUCK" UP ON THE BACK SIDE. WE GOT IT POURED IN THE RAIN/SNOW. THAT DONE WE HAVE ONE TO GO.

GOT THE NOSE WHEEL ON THE TRENCHER BACK TOGETHER WITH ALL NEW BEARINGS AND SEALS. A TOUGH PROJECT, AS MUCH OF THE ROLLER AND PIN PIVOT PARTS WERE BADLY BEAT UP. A LOT OF SALVAGE WORK. I FELT LIKE A DENTIST FIXING ALL THOSE LITTLE SPOTS. NEXT WE HAD TO GET THE CHAIN THAT DIGS THE DIRT BACK ONTO THE BOOM AND SPROCKETS. WE WORKED IN THE RAIN AND MUD (TRENCHER WILL NOT FIT INSIDE ANY OF THE BUILDINGS) FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS; GOT THE CHAIN ONTO THE BOOM BUT COULD NOT GET THE PIN COUPLING THE LINKS TOGETHER INTO THE CHAIN. COULD NOT PULL THE CHAIN ENDS TOGETHER TO WHERE THE HOLES LINED UP. FINALLY FOUND (AFTER MUCH PULLING, PUSHING, GRUNTING AND CURSING) THE BOOM WAS EXTENDED OUT TOO FAR. WE HAD TAKEN THE BOOM OFF THE MACHINE TO PRESS THE PIN OUT OF THE WHEEL (THAT WAS GOOD BECAUSE THERE WAS FINE SAND EVERYWHERE FROM WHEN THE BOOM WAS IN THE GROUND AND WE GOT 3 INCHES OF RAIN AND THE TRENCH WASHED FULL OF FINE SAND AND LOCKED EVERYTHING UP. JUST LIKE AT THE BEACH). WE WASHED EVERYTHING UP, BUT WHEN WE PUT THE BOOM BACK ON THE MACHINE WE HADN'T SLID IT (PUT THE END OF THE BOOM AGAINST A TREE AND DROVE INTO IT) IN, WE DIDN'T HAVE THE ADJUSTER ALL THE WAY CLOSED. WE LOOSENED THE ADJUSTER AND CALLED IT A COLD DAY.

WENT TO BED AT SIX THIRTY. GOT UP AT SEVEN THIRTY TODAY, FEEL RESTED AND READY TO POUND OUT ANOTHER GLORIOUS DAY!!!

WOW, I REALLY GOT CONFUSED WITH THE BIG PARAGRAPH ABOUT THE TRENCHER, BOOM AND ALL THE PARTS. WHEN THIS IS READ, HOPEFULLY EVERYONE WILL REALLY KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON UP HERE IN THE NORTH WOODS! SOMETIMES I THINK WE ARE ALL A LITTLE BIT "CRAZY".