Hello Guest

Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.


Messages - Charlie V

Pages: 1 [2] 3 4 ... 40
16
'round the pot-bellied stove / Western Ohio Update
« on: January 11, 2017, 06:21:09 PM »
That is to cold, Ralph. I hope it stays north of the Great lakes.  We started the day in the plus mid 30's then warmed to plus 50.  Not at all bad for Jan.11, even if it will not last.  Cold front scheduled to move in tomorrow afternoon.  Enjoying your drone videos.  Looking for some nice ones in the summer as your crops grow and mature.  

Charlie

17
'round the pot-bellied stove / Western Ohio Update
« on: January 01, 2017, 09:33:11 PM »
Hi Gene and Ralph.  Great to see that you men are still cranking along. With  Jan. 1, 2017  being nearly worn away it must be time to wish a Happy new year.  May the key ingredients for this year be Health, Wealth, and Happiness, old tractors and good crops.  

Nice job with the drone video, Ralph.  I will look forward to more.  Not a lot to talk about going on here si I guess it is time to park this, do a few chores and get some sleep.

Again, New  Years Wishes.

Charlie

18
'round the pot-bellied stove / Western Ohio Update
« on: September 25, 2016, 10:14:07 PM »
Here I am!!  Just like the proverbial bad penny I keep turning up.  Not a whole lot of outside stuff for me.  Replaced left hip and same leg have been acting up pretty bad and keeping my flying low.  It was a difficult chore just to grocery shop a couple of days ago.  I have been walking with the aid of two canes for a few days. Only good news is that I increased one medication today and my walking is a little better.

I see by my phone today that Ralph is swathing a pretty good crop of oats, even though some is laying flat. Keep it going, Ralph.  We were down to 38 F last night.  Winter may not be as far away as we think.

I have been watching an Allis Chalmers 7040 about 10 miles from here on Craigs list for a month or so. The seller has dropped it to $ 2600 now which is not even good lawn mower money.  Darn, I wish I had any kind of use for that one. If it had a FE loader, it would be mine provided it checked out OK. I would expect a loader to jump the cost a bit.  Considering where it is, I think I may have known the original owner of that tractor.


Good to hear  from Gene.  I think I am ready to sell my Honda Shadow as well as the Elite 250.  I have not renewed the plates this year and let the insurance drop last month.  Time to let someone else enjoy them. They do not take huge garage space but when it is full, every bit helps.


I just now found Gene's morning post.  Great looking combine.  Looks new.

For Dean:  Watch those cats.  Not exactly sure but I think I am feeding 20 now.  They sure are good at math.  Multiply like HE double toothpicks.

Charlie

19
'round the pot-bellied stove / Western Ohio Update
« on: July 28, 2016, 12:20:02 PM »
Ralph,

Your picture is an awesome nature shot even without the Mercury, but better with it.  Good to see that you are getting a lot of enjoyment from the old girl.

Charlie

20
'round the pot-bellied stove / Western Ohio Update
« on: July 26, 2016, 12:15:52 PM »
Hi Ralph. Glad to finally see a post on this forum. I have sure let down my end. The older I get the more difficult it is to keep up with things. This summer is going down the tubes for me As my wife fell and broke her second hip a month ago. (broke the first one five years ago). Her care has been all consuming for me.  I do not believe in nursing homes.  Care should be given by loved ones as much as possible.  Being out of the home and loaded with drugs is even more disturbing for folks who already have memory issues.  With her discharge after five days in the hospital I brought he home.  Even her care there was not all that good.  Things in the health care area have taken a decline from what they were even three years ago.

 As she recovers the burden eases a little for me.  I have to get out soon and install a new pair of front tires on the zero turn mower.  Finally got some rain yesterday. The grass might soon come back to llife. There was more but l lost it to send from this dumb phone.

Charlie

On the computer now!  The rest of my post went something like:
It has been very hot and dry here too.  Even weeds are not growing much.  Numerous days in the 90's and a lot of drying breeze.  

I have missed talking with you men and keeping up with what is happening in your worlds.  Hope Gene and Dean are well.

  Charlie

21
'round the pot-bellied stove / Western Ohio Update
« on: February 23, 2016, 11:22:57 PM »
Your post looks a little lonely here, Ralph.  Guess I should help out.  It looks like you are getting a little snow to go along with the wood cutting.  The snow is good stuff to keep the buzz saw blade cool.  Our snow less winter changed it's tune a week ago today.  Here we got 18 inches all in one day.  With a temperature if 31 F. that 18 inches was not by any means fluff.  Darn stuff was gummy enough  to get my truck stuck mucking in it just trying to turn around to plow my way out.  At the time the plow was not in snow either.  Just stuck tires with wet packed snow around them.  After I pondered the situation a while I tried clearing around the truck with the walk behind blower.  No success.  the blower was working OK in undisturbed snow but where I had driven through it, it was well enough packed that the blower wound not go through.   Decided a little shoveling behind the tires was in order.  That gave just enough movement to rock it two or three times, then back up a foot and one half or so.  Then I was able to drop the plow, get moving out the driveway and break a path clear to the street. Home free from then on being able to always clear ahead of the truck.  Just a new inch here and there since then.  That is OK though.  One day of that was enough to last me until this time next winter.

Not a whole lot else to gab about here.  I have been wondering how things are going for Gene.

Charlie

22
'round the pot-bellied stove / Western Ohio Update
« on: February 02, 2016, 09:02:12 PM »
That is a nice looking jeep, Gene.  Hope you enjoy it.  Betting it  will do better than 23 MPG with a four banger and a sensible driver.  We are still enjoying spring weather here too.  Looking for 60 degrees tomorrow.  Will break the record if it happens.  Lots of wind though to bring the warmth in here.  Any trace of snow is pretty much a thing of the past. I am thinking if last winters temps were added to this years then averaged the average would be right close to a normal winter for here.  Winter is sure not over yet but the calendar is narrowing in on it now.  

OMG!!  My third child (second daughter) will be 52 tomorrow.  I remember her birth date like it was yesterday.  I stopped at the post office to mail the county taxes on the way to the hospital with her mother.

Charlie

23
'round the pot-bellied stove / Western Ohio Update
« on: January 28, 2016, 11:03:33 PM »
Good that the tests looked O.K., Gene.  Too bad about having to repeat the one.  Once is more than enough.  On another subject, I know you and Ralph are both the proud owners of this style Case tractor.  If either of your tractors have turned up missing I can help out with that.  The one below turned up in my kitchen around the first of this year and has been hanging around ever since.  A pretty machine with plenty of muscle.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]952[/ATTACH]

Charlie V.

24
'round the pot-bellied stove / Western Ohio Update
« on: January 20, 2016, 12:45:43 PM »
Good luck with the two today, Gene. Getting all clean and shiny for that type of test messes me up for days.   I do not envy you.  I tried your Feb 10 test thirty some years ago. I could not do it.  Maybe better methods are used now.  Best of luck in any case.  If you end up saying "UNCLE", know you are not the only one.

Charlie V.

25
'round the pot-bellied stove / Western Ohio Update
« on: January 06, 2016, 11:51:44 PM »
The new year brought us a taste of winter.  We made a low here of +7 F last night and the night before.  Coldest temp/ prior to that this season was +22 F four or five times.  Literally no snow at all prior to New Years Day.  I am pretty thankful for the mild winter we have had so far.  We had about 3 1/2 inches on Jan. 1.  A couple if 1 inch doses since then. but it will be back to green grass by the weekend.  My Geraniums out in the open, both potted and in the ground all froze off by early December.  Pretty unusual for them to hang on that long.  I had one in a large pot on the east side of the deck that somehow was spared from frosts and 22 degree freezes. I looked at it on Christmas day and felt sorry for it.  It was looking a little wilted but still green so I dug it up and brought it inside.  When that is done, the outdoor foilage normally dies off and new indoor growth sprouts.  Today the outdoor green is mostly gone, but one little cluster of leaves are flourishing.  A few more bright, sunny days like today would do that plant a lot of good.  Not too bright around here this time of year even near a window.  Lots of cloudy days thanks to the big lakes.  It will be interesting to see how the orphan plant makes out, anyway.

Sorry to hear of your ongoing problem, Gene.  Hope all comes out well with your tests this month.  Lets hope they are just problems you will have to outgrow.  

I wanted to use the Santa Fe yesterday after it sat unused for four days and the battery had not a spark.  I put a jumper pack on and started it up.  Let it run about 15 minutes to charge then shut it off to see if it would restart.  It did so I felt safe to go to Canandaigua with it.  Turned out to be a wasted trip anyhow but I will not go into that story. I had a feeling that battery was on the way out as it has seemed just a little lazy on cold days.  I guess 7 degrees was the killer but I scratch the date in them when new and that one lasted six and one half years.  Not bad for a cheap blem.  I decided to borrow the new battery I put in the International Cub about a month ago and did the switch after we got home.  Luckily the posts were in proper orientation but I have  nearly two inches of case left over on  each end.  No matter.  It has lots of energy to crank the engine and should do fine until I get into my supplier for another new one.

Being 11:47 PM I guess I will click SEND, then  park this machine.  I have a cat looking at me as if to ask if I am ever going to bed.  She is waiting to beat my belly up with her paws.

26
'round the pot-bellied stove / Western Ohio Update
« on: December 09, 2015, 09:51:46 PM »
That is a good bit of research, Dean.  Thank you.  Now we are all a little better informed.  As with any fairly new program I hope it is not learned in the future that harmful effects happen as a result of the diet change.  Only time will tell.

Charlie

27
'round the pot-bellied stove / Western Ohio Update
« on: December 08, 2015, 10:56:41 PM »
I won't be shocked if the price of natural gas is raised because the suppliers are not selling enough, Ralph.  You know how that goes.  Sell a lot in a cold winter, shortage makes the price go up.  Sold out our contracted quantity and had to buy more on the open market the suppliers say.  Warm winter price is raised because suppliers are not selling enough to make the expected profit.  Now how do I know we are in the wrong business.

Strangely enough, I still have a happy and green Geranium living by my back deck on December 8.  Been meaning to take a dated picture of that plant.  I have seen our temp. at 22 deg. F three or four different nights and plenty of thick frost.  No measurable snow here yet.  Just a trace twice that I have seen.  With Dec. being this mild it might be wise to go far south for the next two or three months.  May not see Spring weather until July of 2016.

I am seeing something this year that is new to me.  A farmer on the other side of town combined  probably a couple hundred acres or more of corn a week and 1/2 ago then baled all of the cornstalks in large wrapped round bales.  Every time I go by I want to take a picture of them but do not have my camera along.  A lot of bales out there as the fields are dotted with them.  Do they have some value as cattle feed in winter?

Charlie

28
'round the pot-bellied stove / Western Ohio Update
« on: November 26, 2015, 11:51:25 AM »
This from the two of us...............................................



[ATTACH=CONFIG]942[/ATTACH]


Best Wishes for a great Thanksgiving day.



Charlie

29
'round the pot-bellied stove / Western Ohio Update
« on: November 24, 2015, 09:56:45 AM »
YIKES!!!!!!!!!!MORE CATS!!!.  Nice offer. Dean. but I have to decline. The ones I have go through a 22 lb. bag of Purina in a week or less.  I might be accused of running a not for profit farm here.  The bad part is that I like the little critters.  Here is a shot of the three little orphans who lost their Mama three or four weeks ago.  I believe the big fella with them is their Daddy or at least one of them.  You know how that goes.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]940[/ATTACH]

WNY is beginning to look a bit like winter.  There was a trace of snow on the ground the last two mornings.  High yesterday of 35 F and low the last two nights of 23.  We are looking for 50 again on Thanksgiving so there is still hope.

Getting a few outside jobs done.  Went and bought two new batteries last week.  One was for my 95 Chev ck 20 that I plow with.  I have been stretching the old one by keeping a maintainer on it the last two winters.  Otherwise it would be dead in a week or so without running.  Now it started going dead in a couple of weeks even in warm weather without the trickle.  Seemed smart to replace it now rather than on a January day a 0 +- degrees. The other was for my ,66 International Cub.  That one has not taken a charge in a year or more so I have used a jumper pack whenever I needed to move it.  I kept saying that whenever I go to the battery place where I buy Blems for about 1/2 price I would buy the Cub one, but not making a special trip.  Last week was the week and so far both start up fine.  The next day (also 70 degrees) I moved things around so I could get the truck to the plow and put it on.  I hope that is ready to go now except it needs to be topped up with Dex Cool anti freeze. I will have to buy some as I cannot locate the gallon I think I already have.  Also cannot remember using the stuff up.  When I don't need it , there it will be.

Lots more to say but have to go wake the Mrs. and construct some pancakes for breakfast.

Charlie

30
'round the pot-bellied stove / Western Ohio Update
« on: November 12, 2015, 11:43:39 PM »
Thank you for the pictures, Gene.  That concrete sure looks very nice.  Do you ever open the building up and just stand and admire it?  I would.

Charlie

Pages: 1 [2] 3 4 ... 40