With the rain yesterday, my gauge shows about 0.60 inches, so a good bit more than the Recorder is reporting fell in Porterville. But then, that is the way the foothill rains work. As the clouds and associated moisture approach the barrier of the foothills, and ultimately the entire Sierra Nevada range to the east, they "hang up" on the hills. And while they are "hanging along the hills" they give up moisture. The further you go up the canyons in the area, the more you observe the additional moisture. A friend of mine who lives several miles up Balch Park Drive will often find 25-50% more in his gauge than in mime.
This morning, I had to chuckle at my big gelding, Dandy. First thing in the morning I feed his mother, Shiplay, a bit of Senior Mix for horses, aiding in both her digestion, and nutrition. Shiplay came up to the pen when Sharon was leaving for work, and the big drafter Strawberry was there too. But no Dandy.
Then I realized, he was making all sorts of racket from down at the barn. When I looked, the barn door had blown shut during the storm, leaving Dandy inside, and Shiplay and Strawberry outside. And let me tell you, Dandy was NOT a happy camper.
Of course, he's a big baby anyway. If Shiplay is out of his sight for even a minute, he's upset. And he doesn't ever suffer in silence. With great whinnying cries, he lets everyone within a country mile know that Dandy is upset about something.
When I went to the barn to feed hay to the cattle and the horses, I opened the door and let him escape his storm-imposed imprisonment. You'd think the Governor had issued him a stay of execution. Out the door he dashed, as if he was heading for a fire. Then he discovered Shiplay and Strawberry standing passively in front of the barn. He set up, sliding to a stop, then tried to act as if he knew that all the time.
I throw two flakes of hay for Dandy and Shiplay, who almost always eat their hay together. I put that in one corner, then put another flake of hay down for Strawberry about thirty feet away near the other side of the barn. If I don't keep the two locations separated, Dandy will try to control both spots, keeping the hay for himself. Shiplay on the other hand goes to her corner, head down, and quietly has her breakfast.
Dandy will first go to his two-flake spot, and start eating. Strawberry peeks in the door, then makes a trotting dash behind Shiplay and Dandy, to get down to her one-flake location. Some mornings, Dandy will decide it's not worth the effort, and let her eat in peace.
But sometimes, like today, Dandy wants to run between both feeding spots, keeping Strawberry away from either one. But she's gotten smart. When he goes to the one-flake location, she strolls to the two-flake spot, and grabs a bite. When he dashes toward her, she simply circles around and goes to the spot he abandoned to chase her away.
This seems to last for about three or four minutes, and then they all get bored with the game, and peace settles into the barn.
With a crystal-blue sky, not a cloud to be seen anywhere at this hour, it's going to be a beautiful day at least for a little while. Sounds like things will cloud up and rain again by evening, and that tomorrow is going to be a solidly wet one. Bring it on!
My monthly dash to Sacramento, attend an Area meeting on Saturday from 10-4, and then dash home again, comes up this weekend. Sharon and the dogs will keep the hilltop warm, while I slosh up the Valley and back. I'll leave Springville about 5:00 a.m. and get home around 9:00 p.m. after a dinner stop in Fresno. But it does make for a long day.
Holy COW! I came past Eagles Nest yesterday and gaped at the price of diesel! $3.719 a gallon. Man, that is just ridiculous.
With the price of Crude Oil futures in the mid-$80 range, where it's been for many weeks, I cannot fathom why distillate prices are so doggone high. And I don't buy into the concept that all the upset in Egypt has brought this on, either. If so, why aren't Crude futures shooting up? That's where the refineries would turn to hedge their purchases. It has always caused me to shake my head when I hear from friends who live in the eastern half of the US, and they tell me their gas prices are $0.25 to $0.35 per gallon cheaper than right here on top of the pool of oil. And it's not like the refineries are that far away either.
With fuel costs this high, I have begun to really think about bundling all my "town chores" into one trip, then staying home if at all possible on other days. That said, today I think I may be forced to get ready and go to town at least two hours before my job starts at 1:30 p.m. so I can run some errands, and pick up groceries, get some copies made and prevent having to go back to town tomorrow.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Spring in the Foothills
This is without a doubt, my favorite time of year. The hills are green, the weather is bright and sunny, and the temperature is mild, often cool in the morning and shirt-sleeve weather by midday.
Coming up out of the river bottom a week ago I noticed the willows that have stubbornly insisted on growing around the telephone terminal box along Globe Drive, have put out the bright green/yellow blooms. The long narrow leaves will follow soon, but for now, the stark thin sticks are accented along the tops by the bloom.
The spring season is also a time when ranchers build fences. The ground is wet and will dig much more easily than any other time of the year. The weather is not overly hot, so being out in the sun all day is not such a huge job. And, well, that's just when we've always built fence.
My neighbor and I have a pair of bulls that tend to want to butt heads, and this means fences between us often need repair. Finally, this winter, we decided one particular stretch needed to come down entirely and be replaced. So ... that's what happened.
Because we both have other obligations, the project has run out over several weeks to get finished. But this Saturday is finally "Finish Day" and should wrap it up.
Fortunately, I have a hillside that the cattle are grazing on now, as my field is to the left of this line, his to the right.
Coming up out of the river bottom a week ago I noticed the willows that have stubbornly insisted on growing around the telephone terminal box along Globe Drive, have put out the bright green/yellow blooms. The long narrow leaves will follow soon, but for now, the stark thin sticks are accented along the tops by the bloom.
The spring season is also a time when ranchers build fences. The ground is wet and will dig much more easily than any other time of the year. The weather is not overly hot, so being out in the sun all day is not such a huge job. And, well, that's just when we've always built fence.
My neighbor and I have a pair of bulls that tend to want to butt heads, and this means fences between us often need repair. Finally, this winter, we decided one particular stretch needed to come down entirely and be replaced. So ... that's what happened.
Because we both have other obligations, the project has run out over several weeks to get finished. But this Saturday is finally "Finish Day" and should wrap it up.
 |
| Not a huge length, and the braces at the top of the hill, and also at the bottom , are all in, and the steel posts in between are all driven. All that is needed now is to pull the six strands of barbed wire tight, then clip them to the steels. |
 |
| Bottom set of braces, with my transportation parked out of the way. You can see how pretty it is out here now. |
Friday, January 28, 2011
Strawberry and Spirit
Several folks have asked about or newest arrivals on the hilltop, Strawberry the drafter mare, and Spirit the twin calf. Well, here they both are.
As you can see, all are doing well. Spirit is still taking a bottle twice a day, but may get cut down to maybe 3/4 bottle or less, as she picks up on Calf Manna, a grower grain ration, and alfalfa hay.
Strawberry on the other hand is enjoying green grass, and daily alfalfa hay down in the barn.
And, though Dandy still likes to lord it over her, she has manages to get past him and into the barn so she can get to the hay.
 |
| Spirit is on this side of the fence, Dandy with the blaze face, his mother Shiplay hiding behind, and Strawberry up next to Spirit. |
Strawberry on the other hand is enjoying green grass, and daily alfalfa hay down in the barn.
And, though Dandy still likes to lord it over her, she has manages to get past him and into the barn so she can get to the hay.
Spring is Sprung
The old saw about "Spring is sprung, Fall has fell, Summer's here, and it's hotter'n ...." is not true now, for sure, but it is indeed starting to be true. At least the part about Spring, springing.
The first harbinger of a change that I saw was the rate at which my Hummingbird feeders are being emptied.
During the late summer, we have 75-100 birds coming and going all during the daylight hours, especially during the very early and last-light times. But during the winter months, I have taken down two feeders, until that slows down, and then removed two more, leaving only a basic two feeders for the mid-winter months.
This year, I cut down to four hanging feeders, but never went lower. In November and December I would fill them about every third or fourth day. But in late December, and especially during January, the activity level picked up, at first slowly, but still increasing.
But about mid-January, the feeding frenzy in the early and late hours has become frenetic again. I am now filling all four feeders every other day, to stay up with them. I think it is a bit early to put up the final two feeders, but that time is surely not far away.
In this forum, I have talked about things I observed in the surrounding Nature, and reported them to you. This increase in Hummingbird activity was quite expected, but not until now, maybe even another couple of weeks, before we began to see an upswing in activity.
So I am wondering if that 13.30 inches of rain we got a month ago was not only the high point in winter storms, but may have also been the last shot out of the cannon. We have seen this happen in years before, as the winter rains quit early, but it means for a somewhat shorter grass year, too. The final flush of growth on our hillsides depend on a good drink of water sometime in late-February and hopefully a little more in March.
But, that time is still a ways off, and we could still get a good rain. Nothing is drying out around the ranch yet, as every possible niche is either oozing water, or only now beginning to stop leaking. So the ground is wet, and the grass is feeding on it.
Above the fog level, here in the foothills above Lake Success, the sunshine is delightful. It is beginning to warm up during the middle of the day now, and that will certainly put the plants into a growth burst.
Speaking of fog ... which nobody likes to drive in ... many folks commented on the "smell" of the fog Wednesday evening.
About 4:30 that afternoon the evening fog came swirling in with a vengeance. I stepped outside the building on Olive, just west of the PHS, and was startled as I smelled smoke. Then I realized it wasn't smoke, like from a burning fire, but smelled more like a fireplace.
I puzzled on that one a bit, wondering why we suddenly had early and thick fog, as it has been a little less aggressive. Then I realized an old science fact, and it began to make sense.
Fog is nothing but a high level of humidity floating along. When something solid gets in the way, a small bit of that humidity attaches to the tiny piece of something and becomes a floating water droplet. The smoke from the Main Street fire during the morning hours threw a large quantity of smoke in the atmosphere. And smoke is nothing more than a plethora of tiny particles of carbon and other chemical compounds, floating away from the fire.
So when the sun went down, and the air began to cool, the humidity found the smoke, and bingo ... we had a thick, aggressively-formed fog bank. Granted, we had fog that morning, but it wasn't nearly as thick, and only formed during the late-night hours.
Spring is fencing time in the ranching country, as the ground is wet and much better for digging than during the summer months. The weather is more comfortable too. My neighbor, Rusty Hunter, and I are replacing a fence between us, renewing the entire thing. The only way to fix this one was to tear it all down and start new. The new posts on the ends are in, and the first wire will soon be strung to define the line where the two or three wood posts in between will be placed. We'll both be glad to get this one finished, and get the cattle back in that pasture.
The first harbinger of a change that I saw was the rate at which my Hummingbird feeders are being emptied.
 |
| Five of the six feeders hanging on my front porch. |
This year, I cut down to four hanging feeders, but never went lower. In November and December I would fill them about every third or fourth day. But in late December, and especially during January, the activity level picked up, at first slowly, but still increasing.
But about mid-January, the feeding frenzy in the early and late hours has become frenetic again. I am now filling all four feeders every other day, to stay up with them. I think it is a bit early to put up the final two feeders, but that time is surely not far away.
 |
| Morning feeding time. |
In this forum, I have talked about things I observed in the surrounding Nature, and reported them to you. This increase in Hummingbird activity was quite expected, but not until now, maybe even another couple of weeks, before we began to see an upswing in activity.
So I am wondering if that 13.30 inches of rain we got a month ago was not only the high point in winter storms, but may have also been the last shot out of the cannon. We have seen this happen in years before, as the winter rains quit early, but it means for a somewhat shorter grass year, too. The final flush of growth on our hillsides depend on a good drink of water sometime in late-February and hopefully a little more in March.
But, that time is still a ways off, and we could still get a good rain. Nothing is drying out around the ranch yet, as every possible niche is either oozing water, or only now beginning to stop leaking. So the ground is wet, and the grass is feeding on it.
Above the fog level, here in the foothills above Lake Success, the sunshine is delightful. It is beginning to warm up during the middle of the day now, and that will certainly put the plants into a growth burst.
Speaking of fog ... which nobody likes to drive in ... many folks commented on the "smell" of the fog Wednesday evening.
About 4:30 that afternoon the evening fog came swirling in with a vengeance. I stepped outside the building on Olive, just west of the PHS, and was startled as I smelled smoke. Then I realized it wasn't smoke, like from a burning fire, but smelled more like a fireplace.
I puzzled on that one a bit, wondering why we suddenly had early and thick fog, as it has been a little less aggressive. Then I realized an old science fact, and it began to make sense.
Fog is nothing but a high level of humidity floating along. When something solid gets in the way, a small bit of that humidity attaches to the tiny piece of something and becomes a floating water droplet. The smoke from the Main Street fire during the morning hours threw a large quantity of smoke in the atmosphere. And smoke is nothing more than a plethora of tiny particles of carbon and other chemical compounds, floating away from the fire.
So when the sun went down, and the air began to cool, the humidity found the smoke, and bingo ... we had a thick, aggressively-formed fog bank. Granted, we had fog that morning, but it wasn't nearly as thick, and only formed during the late-night hours.
Spring is fencing time in the ranching country, as the ground is wet and much better for digging than during the summer months. The weather is more comfortable too. My neighbor, Rusty Hunter, and I are replacing a fence between us, renewing the entire thing. The only way to fix this one was to tear it all down and start new. The new posts on the ends are in, and the first wire will soon be strung to define the line where the two or three wood posts in between will be placed. We'll both be glad to get this one finished, and get the cattle back in that pasture.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Wow, how time flies
A couple of you have dropped me e-mails asking what was going on with me. To make a long story much shorter, I applied for, interviewed, was hired, and have worked two weeks on a real paying job. What a marvel that is.
I have returned to teaching, and am working as a part-time teacher (actually more of a tutor) at the Tule River Indian Study Center in Porterville. I have been assigned six youngsters, five boys and one girl, from 5th Grade to 9th Grade (freshman at PHS). I work Monday through Thursday, 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. with Friday off. Those Fridays when I need to leave for the northern part of the state for one of my monthly meetings, I am already off and don't have a conflict.
Since it has been much too long since I posted, it's time to catch you up on what is going on around the hilltop.
Spirit, the black and white twin calf is still doing reasonably well. She's still on the bottle, and doing quite nicely. She's started picking up on Calf Manna, and today I added grain and alfalfa hay. She's growing and really fills up the dog house in the kennel, so may have to make some further arrangements soon.
Strawberry, the big roan drafter, has found her place with Dandy and Shiplay. Dandy is still a bit of a stinker to her. He tries to herd her away from hay, or if we offer a carrot. She simply moves away a bit, until he quits, then immediately returns.
IT RAINED! Man, did it rain. Over a period of sixteen days, I got 13.30 inches of rain in my gauge. On the hill behind us, and north to the south side of Snailhead, the ridge between here and Springville, there are several outcroppings of white stone, some of which was responsible for the digging of a Tungsten mine on the hill behind my home during WWI.
Also present in this area is a deposit of crystal stone, similar to Rose Quartz. Every spring I have seen in these hills has a smattering of quartz which carries the water. My theory is that when the mountains shift and slip, stone such as granite simply crumbles and crushes. But the quartz stones shatter like glass, leaving cracks which carry water.
During the big rain, a much greater amount of water than usual was deposited on the foothills. As this soaked in, it found quartz paths which do not usually get filled with water. But this winter every outcropping is oozing water.
One of the small gullies draining some of the country to the east of the house, will only run if the rain is heavy. Not only did it run, but it ran strong.
During this rainy period, a portion of the hillside behind the house fell away. Because it was just below the road leading up to the old mine shaft, I assumed I needed to do some ditching on the road or have it wash out during the next good rain.
When I got to the site, I discovered it had nothing to do with run-off from the road, but simply was the hillside being saturated with water.
Of course, all this water falling on the area raised the Tule River up to the point the County Road Department removed the railings and support posts on the Upper Globe Bridge, closing it to traffic.
The Tule River drops quickly but the high-water level is obvious.
Looking upstream from the deck of the bridge, the highest water level deposited a little trash there.
Most of the locals went around the signs, crossed the bridge without the safety measures, and saved time and miles, especially if the trip were to Springville.
The book is coming along, even if slowly, with the support and advice of the Writer's Group.
I will make an effort to get in here and blog a little more often ... let's make that a whole LOT more often.
I have returned to teaching, and am working as a part-time teacher (actually more of a tutor) at the Tule River Indian Study Center in Porterville. I have been assigned six youngsters, five boys and one girl, from 5th Grade to 9th Grade (freshman at PHS). I work Monday through Thursday, 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. with Friday off. Those Fridays when I need to leave for the northern part of the state for one of my monthly meetings, I am already off and don't have a conflict.
Since it has been much too long since I posted, it's time to catch you up on what is going on around the hilltop.
Spirit, the black and white twin calf is still doing reasonably well. She's still on the bottle, and doing quite nicely. She's started picking up on Calf Manna, and today I added grain and alfalfa hay. She's growing and really fills up the dog house in the kennel, so may have to make some further arrangements soon.
Strawberry, the big roan drafter, has found her place with Dandy and Shiplay. Dandy is still a bit of a stinker to her. He tries to herd her away from hay, or if we offer a carrot. She simply moves away a bit, until he quits, then immediately returns.
IT RAINED! Man, did it rain. Over a period of sixteen days, I got 13.30 inches of rain in my gauge. On the hill behind us, and north to the south side of Snailhead, the ridge between here and Springville, there are several outcroppings of white stone, some of which was responsible for the digging of a Tungsten mine on the hill behind my home during WWI.
Also present in this area is a deposit of crystal stone, similar to Rose Quartz. Every spring I have seen in these hills has a smattering of quartz which carries the water. My theory is that when the mountains shift and slip, stone such as granite simply crumbles and crushes. But the quartz stones shatter like glass, leaving cracks which carry water.
During the big rain, a much greater amount of water than usual was deposited on the foothills. As this soaked in, it found quartz paths which do not usually get filled with water. But this winter every outcropping is oozing water.
One of the small gullies draining some of the country to the east of the house, will only run if the rain is heavy. Not only did it run, but it ran strong.
During this rainy period, a portion of the hillside behind the house fell away. Because it was just below the road leading up to the old mine shaft, I assumed I needed to do some ditching on the road or have it wash out during the next good rain.
When I got to the site, I discovered it had nothing to do with run-off from the road, but simply was the hillside being saturated with water.
Of course, all this water falling on the area raised the Tule River up to the point the County Road Department removed the railings and support posts on the Upper Globe Bridge, closing it to traffic.
The Tule River drops quickly but the high-water level is obvious.
Looking upstream from the deck of the bridge, the highest water level deposited a little trash there.
Most of the locals went around the signs, crossed the bridge without the safety measures, and saved time and miles, especially if the trip were to Springville.
The book is coming along, even if slowly, with the support and advice of the Writer's Group.
I will make an effort to get in here and blog a little more often ... let's make that a whole LOT more often.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
A Scratching Ghost, and Way-too Friendly Neighbors
Several months ago, I purchased a 6-year-old Charolais bull for my small cow herd. He's a big white, muscular guy, and very quiet. I was a bit concerned that a new bull in a new pasture might try to look for a way out, so the first morning after I'd turned him in with the cows, I looked out in the back field. No bull.
I got on the quad and made a circle around the 35-acre back field. Found all the cows, no problem. No bull. So I rode the fence-line. No holes, but still no bull.
I opened the back gate into my neighbor's property and went northwest around the point of the hill nearly to Springville. No stray bull over there, and not even any tracks in the trail. I decided there couldn't be any bull in that field because he'd make tracks, or I'd find him hanging along the fences somewhere. So, back to my field and shut the gate.
Having gone around the western half of the outside fence, I started along the eastern half. No holes, no broken wires. Everything seemed secure. Now I was beginning to wonder if I had Houdini for a bull, and he'd magically gotten out somehow.
Within 100 yards of the house is a big oak tree with several granite rocks of significant size scattered near the base. I'd glanced in there when I looked the first time, but there weren't any animals, just boulders. Besides, the cows were all half a pasture away.
As I approached the house, puzzling in my mind trying to figure out where this new bull could have gone ... I rode right up on him. He was laying under the tree, in the shade, between the boulders which are about his size, resting quietly.
He had literally disappeared from view by being in plain sight. So nothing would have it, but he must be named Ghost.
This morning, my bride was on her way down the drive on her way to work. Ghost was standing right at the gate. When I glanced over, this was the picture I saw. Sharon going down the road, visible under Ghost.
I wasn't sure why he was standing right at the gate, other than he was simply waiting for me to go to the barn to feed hay. So I walked a bit closer. Then I discovered why.
There is a Pyracantha bush growing along the fence (you can see a hint of red berries above his tailhead). Ghost was slowly and gently swaying side-to-side scratching his rear-end on the berry bushes. Even Ghosts have itches in their britches.
Yesterday, late morning, I went to the back door to let our three dogs go outside. As I opened the back door, the large male bobcat we often see in the area, ducked off our patio, and around to the far side of the garage.
This cat is fully large enough to make a very quick meal of either of the two Chihuahuas, and could really cut up the Boxer. I watched the dogs, who'd gone the other way, and they'd not seen the cat. I walked outside with them, making sure the bobcat beat a hasty retreat and wasn't waiting on the far end of the garage.
My concern is that often I let the dogs go outside by themselves. The key is to make some "people" noise, sending the wild critters scurrying to safety away from humans, and before they decide to catch a quick snack.
Yesterday evening, probably around 8:30, I heard a coyote talking between the house and the barn, so they are coming very close to the house.
During the day when I know where they are, I really don't mind them being in view. But I'd rather they stay a bit further from the house for the safety of my dogs.
I got on the quad and made a circle around the 35-acre back field. Found all the cows, no problem. No bull. So I rode the fence-line. No holes, but still no bull.
I opened the back gate into my neighbor's property and went northwest around the point of the hill nearly to Springville. No stray bull over there, and not even any tracks in the trail. I decided there couldn't be any bull in that field because he'd make tracks, or I'd find him hanging along the fences somewhere. So, back to my field and shut the gate.
Having gone around the western half of the outside fence, I started along the eastern half. No holes, no broken wires. Everything seemed secure. Now I was beginning to wonder if I had Houdini for a bull, and he'd magically gotten out somehow.
Within 100 yards of the house is a big oak tree with several granite rocks of significant size scattered near the base. I'd glanced in there when I looked the first time, but there weren't any animals, just boulders. Besides, the cows were all half a pasture away.
As I approached the house, puzzling in my mind trying to figure out where this new bull could have gone ... I rode right up on him. He was laying under the tree, in the shade, between the boulders which are about his size, resting quietly.
He had literally disappeared from view by being in plain sight. So nothing would have it, but he must be named Ghost.
This morning, my bride was on her way down the drive on her way to work. Ghost was standing right at the gate. When I glanced over, this was the picture I saw. Sharon going down the road, visible under Ghost.
I wasn't sure why he was standing right at the gate, other than he was simply waiting for me to go to the barn to feed hay. So I walked a bit closer. Then I discovered why.
There is a Pyracantha bush growing along the fence (you can see a hint of red berries above his tailhead). Ghost was slowly and gently swaying side-to-side scratching his rear-end on the berry bushes. Even Ghosts have itches in their britches.
Yesterday, late morning, I went to the back door to let our three dogs go outside. As I opened the back door, the large male bobcat we often see in the area, ducked off our patio, and around to the far side of the garage.
This cat is fully large enough to make a very quick meal of either of the two Chihuahuas, and could really cut up the Boxer. I watched the dogs, who'd gone the other way, and they'd not seen the cat. I walked outside with them, making sure the bobcat beat a hasty retreat and wasn't waiting on the far end of the garage.
My concern is that often I let the dogs go outside by themselves. The key is to make some "people" noise, sending the wild critters scurrying to safety away from humans, and before they decide to catch a quick snack.
Yesterday evening, probably around 8:30, I heard a coyote talking between the house and the barn, so they are coming very close to the house.
During the day when I know where they are, I really don't mind them being in view. But I'd rather they stay a bit further from the house for the safety of my dogs.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Home again, Sycamores STILL Holding Leaves
After a wonderful trip to San Francisco, then Vacaville to visit, Rocklin for dinner, and back to Napa to visit kids, we returned home yesterday. As we entered the river-bottom area, I started looking at the Sycamore trees.
Almost every leaf is now a brilliant yellow, but amazingly, most are still hanging tightly to the limbs of the tree. I was quite surprised, as I anticipated the wind we had while we were absent, would have brought down the majority of leaves. But it sure didn't. A few more were on the ground than before, but not nearly the carpet of leaves I expected.
Sharon commented how beautiful the trees are dressed in their Fall Finery, and they certainly are that.
The dogs spent the days in the kennel at our vet, and were mighty glad to see us return. With the fireplace warming the house, and dogs spread out on the couch, things were normal again.
I had a rather embarrassing event while we were gone. Embarrassing in that it could have been prevented.
I parked the truck in a parking structure across from the hotel, only to learn it would not crank hard enough to start the diesel engine when I went to leave San Francisco. After a 30-minute wait, and a few unproductive efforts, I was soon on my way again.
A stop at a Kragan auto-parts store in Vacaville, and I learned the terminals were corroded. I seriously doubted it could be THAT corroded, but maybe. So bought a terminal brush and a little foaming spray. After 15 minutes effort, the terminals had been cleaned, sprayed, removed and replaced, and I was a bit chagrined to discover it cranked briskly. So, now I have to schedule a terminal-cleaning about every 6 months.
The column needs finishing today. I need to get some pictures to go with the column.
Almost every leaf is now a brilliant yellow, but amazingly, most are still hanging tightly to the limbs of the tree. I was quite surprised, as I anticipated the wind we had while we were absent, would have brought down the majority of leaves. But it sure didn't. A few more were on the ground than before, but not nearly the carpet of leaves I expected.
Sharon commented how beautiful the trees are dressed in their Fall Finery, and they certainly are that.
The dogs spent the days in the kennel at our vet, and were mighty glad to see us return. With the fireplace warming the house, and dogs spread out on the couch, things were normal again.
I had a rather embarrassing event while we were gone. Embarrassing in that it could have been prevented.
I parked the truck in a parking structure across from the hotel, only to learn it would not crank hard enough to start the diesel engine when I went to leave San Francisco. After a 30-minute wait, and a few unproductive efforts, I was soon on my way again.
A stop at a Kragan auto-parts store in Vacaville, and I learned the terminals were corroded. I seriously doubted it could be THAT corroded, but maybe. So bought a terminal brush and a little foaming spray. After 15 minutes effort, the terminals had been cleaned, sprayed, removed and replaced, and I was a bit chagrined to discover it cranked briskly. So, now I have to schedule a terminal-cleaning about every 6 months.
The column needs finishing today. I need to get some pictures to go with the column.
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