FEB 7, 2009

TODAY WAS 40 DEGREES. A HEAT WAVE! OFF WITH THE JACKETS, IT'S TOO HOT TO WORK WITH A JACKET ON. WE SPENT PART OF THE DAY WORKING ON LOG PILE BESIDE THE DRIVE.
THE COUNTY HAS WAITED FOR YEARS TO CUT SOME OF THE TREES ALONG THE ROAD IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE. WE CAME TO AN AGREEMENT AND THEY REMOVED SOME TREES AND BROUGHT THEM UP THE DRIVE AND STACKED THEM UP. SOME OF THE TREES ARE LARGE ENOUGH FOR MAKING LUMBER, SOME ARE FOR FIRE WOOD. WE WERE TRIMMING THE SMALL ENDS OF THE LUMBER TREES FOR FIRE WOOD AND SORTING THE LOGS

IT WAS NICE AND WARM, THE SNOW WAS MELTING WHICH MADE FOR A LITTLE BIT OF A SKATING RINK IN SPOTS AND A MUD SLIDE IN OTHERS. THE TOP OF THE MUD WAS SOFT, BUT BENEATH THE PUDDING THE GROUND WAS STILL FROZEN. ALL KIDS ENJOY PLAYING IN THE MUD (I THINK). IT WILL FREEZE AGAIN TONIGHT AND BE SOLID IN THE MORNING. CHOSE THE TIME OF DAY TO MAKE YOUR CHORES EASIER. THE MUD IS A BIT OF A PAIN, BUT IT'S THAT FREEZING AND THAWING THAT MAKE OUR SOILS YOUNG COMPARED TO THE SOUTH WHERE THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN. WE LIKE YOUNG SOILS AND GOOD PLANTS.

THIS IS THE STACK OF LOGS WE WILL SEND TO THE SAWMILL. THE NEIGHBOR WITH THE SAWMILL LIVES A FEW MILES AWAY AND ALSO HAS A LOG TRUCK . WE NEED TO CUT THE LOGS INTO SHORTER LENGTHS, BUT I WILL LET HIM DECIDE WHERE TO CUT THE LOGS TO GET THE BEST YIELD OF LUMBER. IT'S BEEN YEARS SINCE I'VE DONE ANY SERIOUS WOODWORKING AND I WOULD LIKE TO DO IT AGAIN. MAYBE I'LL MAKE A GRANDFATHER CLOCK, OR A SERIES OF GLASS DOORS (I HAVE A LOT OF 30 X 70 INCH PLATE GLASS PIECES) TO MAKE CABINETS ALONG A WALL. WHAT AN OPPORTUNITY. ANOTHER PROBLEM TO SOLVE -- WHAT TO MAKE.

BEEN A BUSY WEEK, COLD TO START,BUT WE WORKED INSIDE ON THE HEATER FRAMES AND A NEW DESIGN FOR THE SUMMER WATERERS WHICH SHOULD BE MUCH MORE GALVANIZING FRIENDLY. I'LL HAVE TO PUT THESE ON THE ABC WEBSITE. ALSO SPENT TIME ON HOW TO MAKE BIRD SEED BLOCKS. NONE OF THE MANUFACTURERS OF BIRD SEED BLOCKS WILL DISCOUNT PURCHASES OF LARGE QUANTITIES OF THE BLOCKS. MY FRIEND, FOREST, GREW SUNFLOWERS LAST YEAR AND IS SELLING BULK SEED TO THE PUBLIC. I THINK WE NEED TO MANUFACTURE THE SEED BLOCKS (GLUE AND PRESS THEM TOGETHER) AND MARKET THEM IN QUANTITIES OF 50 OR 60 AT A TIME. WE'LL HAVE TO MAKE A SPECIAL WEBSITE IF WE CAN MASS PRODUCE THEM. (ALWAYS SOMETHING NEW RUNNING THROUGH HIS BRAIN! WHAT A THINKER!!!)

WE ALSO REPAIRED A COUPLE OF HAY FEEDING RINGS. THE COWS AND THE TRACTOR TAKE A HEAVY TOLL ON THEM. WE TRY TO FEED BACK NEW BALES IN A NEW SPOT IN THE WINTER PASTURE. THIS HELPS TO SPREAD THE FERTILIZER (COW POOP) AROUND THE FIELD. WE ARE GETTING THEM REINFORCED (WITH OLD FENCE POSTS) WHERE THE TRACTOR LOADER PICKS THEM UP SO THAT WE DO LESS DAMAGE MOVING THEM. THE COWS, HOWEVER, HAVE THEIR OWN SPECIAL WAY OF DESTROYING THINGS THAT'S HARD TO FIGURE OUT AND PREVENT. THIS PRESENTS AN ONGOING CHALLENGE TO TRY TO BE SMARTER THAN THE COW.

GUESS WHAT? TOMORROW, SUNDAY, I AM GOING TO MY FREEPORT HOME FOR A FEW DAYS. ON VALENTINE'S DAY, MY DAUGHTER, TAMMY, AND I, (PAT), ARE GOING TO NEW ORLEANS (NOLA FOR SHORT) ON THE AMTRAK FOR TWO WEEKS. WE ARE GOING FOR MARDI GRAS. THIS WILL BE TAMMY'S FIRST TIME LOOKING AT ALL THE WEIRDOS AND ALSO RIDING THE TRAIN. IT IS SO MUCH FUN JUST CHECKING EVERYONE OUT. CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT YOU CAN SEE. MY OTHER DAUGHTER, CHERYL AND HER HUSBAND, JAY AND DAUGHTER JADE LIVE THERE SO WE DON'T HAVE TO GET A HOTEL ROOM. CAN YOU IMAGINE BEING ON THE AMTRAK FOR 19 HOURS. I HAVEN'T DONE THIS SINCE MY FIRST GRANDSON, PATRICK, WAS BORN, 30 YEARS AGO ON NEW YEAR'S EVE. CAN'T WAIT UNTIL WE CAN GO UP IN THE OBSERVATION CAR, HAVE A LITTLE "DRINKEY-POO, ALONG WITH SOMETHING TO EAT" (OF COURSE) AND CHECK OUT ALL THE SIGHTS AND JUST "VEG OUT." WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD WE LIVE IN. ONLY IN AMERICA!!!