Fernan s Shorthorn Farm Life

Fed up with whether Ugly was or wasn’t going to start when I was in the going mood. So, I parked it in front of the shop to cool off. While it cooled I moved the 1435 Hesston rotary-mower to the front of the shop. I thought Ugly needed the company. The turtle bar needed it’s oil changed. I could remove the plugs and while it drained I could get back to Ugly’s temperamental soul and work out what was wrong with it. A piece of cardboard for easy sliding MY soul under the truck I noticed there was enough length on the wires I could lower it then take the wires off. I’d been saved by the saints. I needn’t scrap, scratch, nor bust my knuckles removing electrical nuts I couldn’t see.

I found removing the cussed starter it was a wonder it hadn’t fallen apart hanging on it‘s mounting bolts. I’ll check it out, going through and threw and thru it, another fouled weather day. Today I opted to put a starter on I had rebuilt more than a couple years ago. It was one of two I had put on the shelf for just such use. What got me was the fact that the starter I took off was supposedly professionally rebuilt having been prettily sand blasted, painted, and impressively stickered plus sporting a falling apart new solenoid. My rebuild installed, Ugly’s happily starting when I ask of it. Oh happy day!

Made a trial part for changing 1435 Mo-Co’s cutting height. Starting to look good. One more trial part and we’ll be ready to make three more of each. I had even gotten in some oily wrenching time on JD engine.

Checking on carburetor for Green Machine it’s cost, $106.99 I didn’t pay much more than that back in the seventy’s. May just put a few more bucks with that sum and buy a new one. I'd buy a rebuild kit if there was one?

I managed to cut the front west side pasture hay here. Forgot to do the field down the road. Opps. This has been my day. BGKC.

Fernan

gotta get it off and on

Summing up my day it was bordering on a bust. I didn’t get near as much done as I should have. But I did put in 10 hours. Ugly’s acting up. Me thinks the starter needs rebuilding. Figuring this out, I was in no mood to try fixing it at 6:00 in the evening. I was getting on to hungry for starters.

My truck’s tool box funnel giving me fit’s the screen falling out all the time I fixed it this morning. I cleverly made myself a personalized snap ring out of some springy fence wire to hold that slippery filter screen in place.

I also made myself another tractor key, hopping this one will fit tighter in the backhoe’s ignition switch better rather than the sloppy last one falling out as it has wanted to do all the time. (grrr) What probably be the best bet would be to get into some fishing tackle shop and get me an 18” wire pike leader and fasten the key permanently under the tractor’s dash. That be one way to keep that key handy and not loose my whole key ring.

Supper coming up ready, Handy calls and needed ride for a birthday steak for his 86 year old mother. (smiles) If that’s what she wanted how could I deny the ride. Was alright, I needed a gallon of milk as well. Getting back we had pork and beef mixed meat loaf, tater salad with lots of other good stuff mixed in, and fresh fried summer squash out of Handy’s garden. Yup, life is good. (burp!) BGKC.

Fernan

************

{Follows some answers I’ve provided for questions on three boards of rural interest I frequent.}

Soap box Instruction

We've got more than one 1850. have had same problem a couple times.

Sitting on your seat check out priority valve on your left side top of rockshaft case. Had it had apart couple/three times. Never saw what problem was. Likely a plugged hole or dirt sticking the piston. Carefully take off rear cap (or plug), for horizontal valve assembly, and let spring push out (or fish out) the parts. clean, inspect parts, replace broken spring if necessary. Not difficult task. Just oily.

As for steering right or left all the time, either the slave cylinder or steering motor is wearing out. Have honed and resealed slave cylinder with some success. No guarantees. Saginaw (rebuilt) steering motor and Char-Lynn (new) are available. Been suggested replace like parts for repairs simplicity. $600.00 price tags. (We’ve a C-L back ordered right now. Had old one rebuilt (resealed) couple years back, didn’t last two seasons.)

(If you’ve got one) Enjoy your Oliver.

Fernan

************

Soap Box Observation

I've been needing a new sawbuck for some time. Have made mine with three cross-frames and planked the bottom frames.

I like this one better with a couple modifications. I'd drop top 2x4's 10" and put them together with either dowels of aluminum nails. I've been known to let chainsaw swipe (slip) occasionally. :^) The last one did sort-a fall apart via to many saw nicks? :^(

Fernan

PS: That sawbuck would also plainly make a nice decorative addition to my firewood yard giving the piled wood a more respectable appearance. ;^)

************

Soap Box Rant

Having heard to many times, "That is a seasonal item. We wont stock anymore of those until next year."

This encouraged us to just order better parts from select implement dealers and sympathetic merchants for overnight delivery. Shipping's cheaper than time and fuel wasted looking for something (so called) “seasonably” out of stock. We’ve found our farm fuel supply dealer sells us all our tractor fluid needs delivered for less than TSC.

The most expensive products they offer for less than legitimate dealers are lawn tractors without any hope the buyer guaranteed service or repairs.

TSC has seriously become (shoot, always been) a yuppie country wannabe outlet.

Fernan

************

A home made truck extra.

A number of years back I needed a new truck. I couldn’t afford one so I set about assembling me a new one: out of `51, `52, `57, `74, `76, Chevy parts plus some pieces from Chrysler Corporation, and yes so help me, Ford. When it was finished it was a gasoline guzzling one ton stake model Chevy resembling a 1952 Chevy tilting the scales at 6000 pounds on the nose.

Now this is where it became rather interesting the modifications under the 350's hood. Under the carburetor I stacked two 2” think aluminum blocks bored out matching the carb’s to intake manifold barrels to sit right. Between the barrels I fitted brass window screening with two grommets center fitted under the primary venturies. Into the back of the lower aluminum block I fit an air intake port (below the brass screening). This port was a ¼” ID air line what came up from a water jug I had fit into a carrier I had made and installed on the fender well. While I had fit the ¼” air line to the jug’s cap, I had also poked a hole through the jug’s top near the cap. Into that hole I pushed thru that tight fitting hole a ½” ID copper line with a bias bottom cut to the jug’s bottom. Air drawn off that bottle stimulated by the engine vacuum also stirred the jug’s water contents introducing water vapor into the engine when ever the engine was running. I had also equipped engine with near straight stacks going up either side the cab. It was rather neat the way my gas millage had improved from 10 mpg up to 17 mpg.

That old cross bred 1 ton 4x4 truck was never happier than when it was running breathing easy over the road. I put over a another half million miles on it before metal fatigue had finally set in and I had to let it go. One gallon water lasted almost 40 gallons gasoline. I wish I still had it. It was the funnist truck I'd ever driven (owned).

Fernan

waste some, hord some

Cashed our incentive check, little going in pocket, most going into savings. Simply have to hang on to some. This RRR economy is hitting my household just as heavily as every one else's. Thankfully we only used about 70 gallons heating oil each the last two winters. Our primary heat is the parlor stove burning about 4 full cords ash wood this winter last. I prefer seasoned oak, but for the cussed ash-bore beetle killing so many ash trees we've got to get them cut, cutup, and split before they all fall down on our fences and hayfield borders. (gnashing of dentures here)

Next cost cutting issue may have to do with our giving up the cable service. Un-interested in the cable movie channels they'll give me a whooping $5.00 or $6.00 discount for dropping the movie channels saving my internet hook up. I drop the whole thing I can save in excess $135.00. Then go back on TV antenna, new HD converter, and dial up internet. (sob)

The need for two three foot front door installations finds me rummaging around in the out building for the doors and jambs I'll need to cut them into our walls. It's a hitch on the ass when a body can't afford the materials to simply up-grade an old house to handicap friendly.

So if I come up missing one day, be not alarmed. It'd for an electronic cost cutting measure.

Thankfully, we've got all the beef we can eat, what wont sell profitably.

So these are a few of our woes. What we can cut on what's already been cut lessens the options.

Has anyone noticed lately how many generic and/or store branded products have disappeared off the grocer’s shelves? Take a good look and take note how the primary manufactures want more of our un-influenced middle man money. It just might be I’ll have to get out the roller mill for conditioning my own morning’s full fibered breakfast oatmeal.

Fernan

PS: I save enough, I can buy my thirty days smoke free celebration’s beer. (smiles) Enough saved I may even get a whole case? (joy)

**********

Been a slow day here. It had been a total bore if it weren’t for the county road activity. My stone part the road’s shoulders here were mowed of the white periwinkle, a now and then belated bachelor button, the pretty blue cone flowers, the bright yellow chicory, lots of white Queen Ann’s lace, and eye catching orange tiger lily’s. It was so sad to see so many of them go. The paved part this road passing Bro’s place, they was putting down a liquid asphalt sealer covered with pea rock broadcast over the sealer’s surface for protecting passing motorists vehicles from a tarred finish.

**********

What’d I do today? I fought with a couple weed whackers. The Robyi refusing to run up to full speed, it had run at only a couple days ago? I even drained, made up it’s very own gasoline diet mixture and greased the low ends differential. The second weed eater was an old Green Machine (bought out some years ago by John Deere for the “Green Machine“ logo). Good compression, spark, priming bulb good, fuel hoses in good shape. Can’t figure why it wont go?

~~~~~~~~~~

Moved a fence; fixed another, what had let some girls into an area they didn’t belong, all because the wind had blown a hot wire to cause it to become entangled or wound with a barbed wire strand. All in all I got little constructive done all day. Bought a few groceries and filled Ugly’s belly with some near $4.00 yellow liquid gold, and purchased a spark plug. All this only because I had to do something with that stimulus check. BGKC.

Fernan

Good news

First off I damned near didn’t do anything yesterday. Only what I had to do to fix a fence in the twilight of the evening.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now for the Good News. They’ve finally thrown Keith’s ass in the hospital. It’s surely about time. He hasn’t been able to keep anything down for near three weeks. He’s lost at least 38 pounds. Three weeks ago doctor told him he had a summer flu and gave him some antibiotics. A couple weeks ago he’s in ER, and they’ve told him he’s suffering food poisoning. Over the last three weeks he’s been back in ER where he’s had a cat-scan and a MRI. The results never passed along to either him or his doctor he’d had no idea what might have been found. This morning he was checked in to the hospital out patient clinic for a colonoscomy(s?). He was in such bad shape they admitted him into he hospital. Likely for some IV’s. It is about time!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Went way out back checking on the ladies. Getting back, Frieda asks, “how they doing?“ They’re all being good girls and boys. The day was starting out fuller than I was about to expect. I knew I had to grind. Finishing that, it was close enough to dinner time for me. While I fed my face the ladies and their kin got out. Whoopee! Bro’ had called to tell me and I was sitting right here. The critters back where they belonged it wasn’t long and I was into shop time. The 4020 JD was about to get some long overdo attention. First cylinder sleeve package opened a cylinder to block “O” ring was broken. We had to go through all the packaged parts, seals and gaskets looking for damaged or missing goods. What a drag. However, I did manage to set five cylinder sleeves. Some 9/16” course thread bolts to hold the sleeves sure, we may roll the block over for the crank installation tomorrow. Haying’s on hold for continued rain forecasts.

Would you believe do to recent rains I’m about to get a second cutting clover off an already pastured field? I ain’t seen it all yet.

Other impotent items. Sheesh, I’ve assisted in the dispatch of eight raccoon over the last couple weeks. Of some healthier impotence I’ve made two-weeks/fourteen-days smoke free. I’m half way there to a two beer party. (drool) My limit (by Doc’s order). (sigh)

~~~~~~~~~~~~

From the forty’s memory lane

When the Veitareenie’s had to go to town they hired for the day a what I dreamed a rather pretty young lady to look after the corner store and gas pump in their absence. We rode the same school bus to town school days. A couple years ahead of me in high school I never thought to date her, but she was easy to look at just the same.

Easy day

Started my chores at 8:00 AM and shared my new born calf information, heifer born to cow 823, for linage records. Loaded up forestry tools and cut a couple limbs off a couple fences making two brush piles Bro’ took care of with JCB’s grappler implement. Them looked 951 Ford over for easy solutions as how to put some spring back into brake returns and some ingenious way to attach brake handles to the brake peddles. This activity lasted me until noon lunch, at what time I took 951 Ford home.

Lunch was simple enough. One hot dog, some Pringles and a glass milk served with her Mostess’s grumbling. I swear in spite of the mind altering drug I’m taking to mellow me out of wanting just one more cigarette, the medication isn’t interfering with love in becoming a mean “old son of a witch” for her continued health‘s moving. Damn it, she just can’t keep sitting all the time. (grrr)

After lunch I fought the brush-hog onto the Ford tractor. It’d been easier if it had slipped off the steel rims dunnage I had put it on last fall. I thought hooking up the three point was difficult the PTO was worse needing oiling to loosen it up to yield to my installation.

The Ford and I knocked down some burdock that had gotten well over six feet tall down towards the barn in the general direction of the stock tank. I had to have reasonable access to that tanks hydrant should I need for watering stock in sick bay. What a mess that has left behind, yet better than the one I had been looking at. Maybe tomorrow the crapsman mower and I’ll kind-a clean it up a bit, now that we can get over that area. Somewhere in here I kind-a crapped out. I needed water and some quiet sitting for I had lost my ability to walk a straight line. Could be I has suffered a bit of heat stroke. Regardless, while sitting out those symptoms I tore up the whole pile of boxes and papers into feed sacks for stall liter up in the barn. I had to do it (tearing up the paper I mean) having failed to get her Mostess to do it for some healing right arm exercise. Perhaps I should have insisted. It took me but an hour to hand tear-up all that first of Spring accumulation until now waste cardboard and paper into some recyclable useful litter. This activity was particularly useful as it kept me occupied right up until it came a nice pouring down rain. {:^) Then it was getting on to rattler and supper time. };^D

*********

Burdock?

Somebody just had to ask?!?! I put together a couple sources of burdock information. This info surprised me. Could you also!

If anybody wants some I could easily enough scare up some seeds. In that event we’ll have to E-Mail (exchange) snail mail addresses.

So it was another one of the Shorthorn country days when some ar won and some lost. BGKC.

Fernan

I whacked away at a lot of bull-thistle today, all day enough my hands are suffering budging calluses with tingling sensations to keep them company. From 8:00 AM ‘til 5:00 PM was day enough for me hanging onto the incessant vibrator in my hands. I almost got them bull thistles knocked down with a few in some out lying areas to get another day. Now, with a head start, I’m not looking forward to knocking down some miserable burdock, some of this stuff already well over my head. Only first I have to sharpen my weed eaters medieval three bladed steel blade. An ugly piece of iron if there ever was one. Something I don’t use in the company of another individual anywhere near me. But necessary for cutting down these woody weed this late in the season. I dislike it this way, but what’s a guy gonna do when the has to be brought in first.

********

It may be Blue and Libby will gat a day off with Secret and Meatball’s mistress planning a porch party. Sadie’d likely be the official greeter and Mr. filing the role as official gopher. The way I see it ya either better make your reservations early or be prepared to perch upon the railings or wear some extra falling off padding for soft landings. Her porch only looks big enough to stand four adults if nobody’s sitting, whiles some perched, and no body’s falling off. AND, I’m not so sure about perching on the railings???

~~~~~~~~

The great Northwest may inaugurate a new blond bombshell stacked with smarts. Lets all wish this new party animal all the confidence this purty smort girl can hold so’s she may hold her own amongst the masses.

~~~~~~~~

A Texas lass is talking magnetic mattresses while only a day or so early talking about hardware disease. I’ve experienced that hardware disease going to Sears fifty years ago never getting out there without another new wrench. Opps, falling off track I’m meaning to say I remember feeding a suspected cow with hardware disease with it’s own chrome plated iron magnet. The magnet would settle into the cow’s stomach holding any settled scrap metal to it keeping it out of the big animal’s intestinal tract.

~~~~~~~~

I’ve got to sketch out a plan for Loopymama’s pool house. That is if I can just find one good straight ruler. Note: I used the excuse I couldn’t find paper last night. Now wondering if the lack of pencil will hold up tomorrow night?

~~~~~~~~

Sweet Alice got back on line a couple days ago. She writes something about ‘puter failure. Me thinks the lass has been honing and demonstrating her snake charming skills. Will wonders ever cease?

~~~~~~~~

A Catskills family has been bringing home the prize ribbons for a successful showing at the Fair for vegetables, floral arrangements and photography. Good showing kids. Our fair is mid August in my Genesee county.

~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~

This is it. Another great shorthorn country day. Over cast and as humid as it was all day, I’ve survived it. BGKC.

Fernan

Rain day generally means an asy day

Morning’s comments

Eyes burning, nose stuffed up my snifter enjoyed the smell of the hay I baled until I woke this morning. (sigh) (trade offs?) (he he)

One bare block in shop, a resurfaced old crank hanging around, plus lots of new gaskets and parts; checking, I’ve got all my bearings. Could be a good time day putting JD power plant back together again?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Afternoon’s lunch comments

Doing what I had to do I was soon available for getting into something else. What I got into was the 1816 case.. That machine is a small skid-steer into which I normally use for cleaning the barn for it’ll go though a four foot gate. It’s so small it’s like putting on a pair of tight fitting pants. Rather than transporting it from one end to the other I drove it at the break neck speed all of three miles per hour. LOL I used it for top dressing the holes dug over the septic tank and cleaning up the surplus top soil left over from the ramp construction. Then drove it back. It took more time moving it than time using it, but them panama shovels just don’t fit into my arthritic hands anymore. Lastly I poured some fuel into last night’s miracle drive making it all the way home without running without fuel. (smiles)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Evening’s comments

Some cooler today I opted for walking some barnyard fences weed whacking bull thistle. What a nuisance weed. The leafs spines feel like sharp knives prickling the flesh even through clothing. And if left unchecked the stuff can take over a field our in my case a pasture and/or hayfield. Thinking about little Ford tractor and brush-hog I was celled. Bro’ needed hay. I delivered hay, he decided he wanted to put remote controls on little Ford. The tractor sitting around for months and weeks he chooses today to want to work on it. I think his (devious maybe) mind is slipping more than mine. It’s okay. It’ll just take me so much longer o walk the fields ridding them of the bull-thistle the long way. (I wont put into print what I’m really thinking!)

Hay delivered I was drawn into another cattle round up and separating some for moving here. As the sun sets tonight I’ve twelve more head out back to keep an I on. They’ll need their pasture changed tomorrow. This last activity kept me busy until a half hour before sundown. That was late enough for me to call it quits for another day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Frieda has a new therapist. The last one as sent up her to help her all the way from Detroit. That’s nuts. Detroit is 75 miles and some south of us. What were his employers thinking of? I take it this gentleman lives much closer. This then pretty much covers another Shorthorn country day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Memory Lane

Winter's eating was at it's best where I grew up on the family farm. Often come in with wet jeans and soaked "Keds" having picked berry's, straw, blue, & black berries, with mom when the morning dew was still on. Coming in dry was more assured buddying with dad after evening chores in the homestead orchard picking quince, apples, plums, pears, peaches. That was when each commodity was in season, and always seemed something was in season all summer vacation long. Plus there was the money making five acres wine grapes we took off, when the sugar content was just right, in three days each September. Mom was canning something every day all summer long. Them winters were the palette tempting, belly filling, evening snacking best. She got little grumbling from me. Her's was always (and I mean her's in all ways) better'an store bought anytime. (sigh) Richelieu and Smucker’s never came close.

Be Good Kind and Careful.

Fernan

A cough woke me this AM. Nose running, eyes itching, and I had only though about weed waking evening last when I took a wee time out. This morning’s wake-up call has to have been the punishment I either earned deserved for being lazy.

While I languished evening last I didn’t know it but I’ve gone ten consecutive smokeless days. Only twenty more days and it’ll be beer party time. Come to think of it I hadn’t had what I’d actually call a smokers cough for a week now. I do believe I just may be making some headway. I’ve been blessed with a hay-fever attack just for thinking about weeds?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Starting early enough I had my lonesome only to contend with. I unloaded yesterday’s modified JD crankshaft out of Bro’s van, along with lighter objects being electric fence gate handles and an inner-tube. The inner tube I used to fix the 1816 case skid-steer‘s flat tyre. Did you get it? Tyre: United Kingdom spelling. Having earlier finally moved Ugly up on shop apron and having cooled for a bit, I threw a couple corrugated cardboards under it for easier carcass sliding down under. The old exhaust manifold‘s nuts and studs coming out easier than half expected I soon had Ugly‘s exhaust system partially a-part. Any further apart I‘d had to run to town for more parts, namely exhaust system hangers. Trying to use the parts I had purchased yesterday finding them unworkable I gave up on them and installed my Chevy exhaust donut and using original nuts and bolts I put the pipes back together again, saving the unused new parts for an other later date use. The Ugly’s sound had been improved its crackling tempo brought down to fresh thrush sound without the holed exhaust pipe.

Somewhere in the midst of making fix on Ugly the twins came up and we rounded up the AI-ing bunch for sorting everybody out we didn’t want and bred the three lucky contestants left last. When the truck was finished it were my lunch time.

After lunch it were time to check out the distanced hay field. Would it be dry enough for baling. The hay still damp I had to find something else to do for a couple hours until projected bale ready time. I didn’t have to think long on it. By nature’s way the cows were out on the other end. Only me on legs I didn’t make any head way with them every time I had one headed right another on had out flanked me. The twins making an appearance I was saved, the afternoon was saved, my life had been spared.

Figuring I’d take the re-tyred 1816 up to my place I climbed aboard. The battery was dead. So, I brought out the charger and covered with a pail. Good thing I had.

The two fallen limbs on a couple fences didn’t get cut. It was to hot anyway. Plus by the time I had the time to do them I had run out of time. It were time to head out for distanced hay field baling. This year I baled these hay fields into smaller bales and tied them tighter with more twin than I had last year to hold this slippery grass together.. I finished up with a shade of a blade of grass short of 16 tons. Not bad for a lazy late/early afternoon’s sand box playing. Most interesting parts of the routine was the flashing white thunder bolt horizontally lighting up the clouded sky. I felt rain in the air as I rolled the last bale. Then took a chance on making it home on an inch and a half fuel in the tank. I had driven home 8 miles on less than a gallon of diesel. I doubt I had enough fuel left in that 1850 Ollie tractor to turn it around. Oh, the last mile and a half the rains started coming down getting steadier wetter until I was soaked through by the time I wheeled in my drive. Entering the house hail was falling right behind me. ‘Twas an interesting day going from yeller sun to precious liquid rain drops. My crop in, let it rain! BGKC.

Fernan

I can’t take it any more! I’ve simply got to speak out! A couple weeks ago when I had taken my froe to her medical appointment in lovely Lapeer my eyes saw sights I had never seen whilst growing up. Whatever happened to dress codes? When a teenager even going to the beach we were covered up. I don’t want to be the prude; BUT, whatever has happened to modesty or better yet decency in dress codes? What I saw was a couple deffinent candidates for centerfold stardom. Whew, seeing these gals almost wearing something like a boiled short shorts with similarly treated tank tops, everything so tight every detail made an impressive convex or concave imprint on their clothing(?). Today, signs on the supermarket doors “No Shoes Shirt No Service” evidently doesn’t apply to young women wearing bikinis. Whatever has happened to leaving something to the imagination. It’s like these young women are seeking attention and all the wrong kinds of attention at that. Whatever has happened leaving anything anymore until last. I’m sure as Hell glad I was an old fashioned boy having courted the proper old fashioned girl. I had gotten me an old-fashioned girl just like the girl who married dear old dad. Between us I think we managed to teach our children the same old fashioned ideals our parents had taught us!

~~~~~~~~~

AI-ed three cows this AM. Went rather smoothly until we got to Grace. Take a cow who was spoiled from birth and has somewhat become a pet, they’ve no fear of you and can be so stubborn. In her case she wasn’t wanting anything to do with our sort of romancing’s end.

~~~~~~~~~

Took a coffee time out this AM. It was a few precious moments to reconnoiter our next farming life moves. I did manage to load JD’s crankshaft into Bro’s van with the shop cherry-picker. With him settled into what he was going to do going to Saginaw for a couple minor crankshaft repairs I also had my itinerary.

During the same morning I had made inspection of Ugly’s needs. One of them Bro’ watched the amp-meter while I unplugged/re-plugged spade fuses in the fuse box idiotly placed way up under the drive’s dash. Without a prayer I was on my knees looking for the offending circuit. And, found it leaving it disconnected for good or until fixed. Also figured out what parts were needed to close up gap between exhaust pipe and exhaust manifold. Had called ahead and ordered parts in advance in Mount Morris. Then I was ready to hit the road.

My first stop was by the Crossroads county Library Branch. Found GM Manual covering my ugly truck in the country lending library system. Made arrangement to pick it up later. From there I drove into MM for my exhaust system parts. As promised they were there. Only, they were no good to me, in sizes, my Ugly’s parts clearances use. Made another three products selection, likely paying more but saving fuel, and was on my way again. I stopped by Save-A-Lot grocery for filling Frieda’s shopping needs. Got a bunch of static about my debit card difficult to read. Baa humbug! I had to go home for cold keeping purchases.

On The road again I headed out for Ottsville this time. I had to pickup meds Frieda had called during the AM hours. Hitting the village limits I stopped first by this community’s county branch library. Got my book and ordered “Prosecution of George W Bush war crimes.” The librarian thinking I was putting her on looked it up. While they didn’t have this book in their system I was non the less forth put on the waiting list. She didn’t laugh anymore. Next stop was grocery store again for those items I couldn’t get the last store I was in. Out of there I stopped by my favorite druggist’s and crew. This crew never seems to take me seriously snickering, giggling and outright laughing with me. One of the girls commenting, “Mr. Gruber’s always smiling and joking around.” Tom the druggist added, “He’s the happiest man I know even when he’s hurting.”

The day getting pretty far along by the time I got home, I found I wanted to retire for the evening. It was the ideal time to take some of the time I don’t otherwise get to myself or Frieda. Announcing my intention’s Frieda got up and went to bed. So here I sit all broken hearted, all by myself having never been smarter……. BGKC.

Fernan