The next few weeks are going to be hectic. Posts will be a bit erratic, moving away from near-weekly to whenever I get a chance. Why?
This weekend I head to Iowa to close on our Elma house. This means a 2,400 mile road trip is about to begin. While I am there several projects will be started; catio, dog fencing, bank account opened, create an account with the local Co-op for LP (propane) fuel, and take delivery of our new refrigerator. I will be in Elma for a few days before heading back to Colorado. The adventure begins!
Back at home
Some good news, some bad news. I worked on my F-150 truck, replacing the noisy idlers that keep tension on the fan belt and the truck ran much quieter. However, on my return trip from The Lot (more on that visit in a bit) the truck developed a misfire, running on only 7 of the 8 cylinders. I have replaced both the spark plug and the coil that fires the plug but those efforts did not cure the problem. Next up will be to replace the fuel injector but I just don’t have time to work on it now. This means the trip back to Elma will be with the Honda and not with a load of “stuff” (truck plus trailer) as I had planned.
The packing continues. I did a first pass through the garage and ended up with 3 bins of metal recycle stuff and a full garbage bag for the dumpster. Still to go though: all my old Macintosh computers and gear in the garage attic. Not looking forward to that.
Pam keeps working away at packing the house items and has completed several painting projects. She is one busy lady!
The Lot
I did make a trip to The Lot over the weekend of September 7 – 8. My goal was to see if the Ford 8N tractor could be used to pull the chipper around the lot a bit and get to places where the ATV could not pull the chipper. While I was able to move the chipper around, it is clear the 8N is not capable of pulling the chipper into the steeper parts of the lot. It just does not have the power and traction to move the chipper, all 1,700 pounds of it, up the steeper slopes present on the upper part of the lot.
Still, I managed to chip 4 piles of brush. Two were smaller piles but the other two were larger in size. I did not get the chips spread; that will have to wait until next year. I plan one more trip to winterize The Box and the other equipment at The Lot, probably the first week in October as usual. That will close down all activity for the year.
Fall is approaching
I saw a few yellow leaves at The Lot, and the city of Steamboat Springs, in the north-eastern part of the state, had measurable snowfall on September 12th. Summer is fast drawing to a close in the high country.
The upcoming weeks are going to be busy and involve a lot of driving. There is much to pack, sort through, and get rid of. Somewhere along the way I need to work on the truck. Stay tuned!
Pam’s Two Cents Worth
The F150 out of commission means I needed to revise previous plans to use it for hauling during the relocation. It now appears we’ll rent a 20′ U-Haul self-drive twice over the next three weeks. Those two trips — in addition to the one Himself is making in the Honda to begin project work this next week — should move most (if not all) of the items I’ve been boxing. I have at least 150 boxes stuffed around the house.
Over the past year I’ve been monitoring an old house renovation site in Iowa, and just this week I saw a fretwork item I have been on the lookout for. And I purchased it online (sight unseen), because it features a stylistic heart in the middle. Hearts have been something of a theme this year in the house hunt; I’ve been thinking of 702 Main in Elma as “Heart House.”
Happy Trails.