Yard

Spring is well along now. The lilacs are on their way out and tulips and daffodils are done for the year. On the other hand, iris are starting to bloom and we had a few yellow columbine open this past week. The blue flax is putting on more flowers, making a nice show of blue in the flower bed. The lawn has been mowed a couple times and, due to rain, is looking nice and green. While we had a couple days near 80 degrees, a front has moved in that will give us 60s and 70s for the next week, which is about perfect for us. 

Blue flax

High Country

The one drawback to a wet spring is that it is still snowing in the high country. Normally we “open” The Lot and begin our summer trips to continue the clean up effort about this time. This year it looks like it will be a late start.

I had planned to go up to Sanderling this weekend and set up The Box, which includes reinstalling the batteries, propane tanks, and getting water. (The batteries are in my garage on a maintenance charger and the propane tanks are kept in The Lot’s storage shed over the winter.) A couple nights this upcoming week will hit below freezing temperatures up there, so I decided the “opening day” will not be until Memorial Day weekend. I’ve taken an extra day and a half off over the holiday to get The Box set up for the season. Hope the weather cooperates!

Spring Cleaning

Photo by Pam

Big Boy Toys

This weekend I did some maintenance on a couple of my “big boy” toys. The chipper received an oil and filter change and the Ford 8n tractor had the air cleaner system rebuilt.

The 8n uses an oil bath air filtration system, quite common on tractors, construction equipment, semi trucks, and older farm equipment. This filtering system is considered to be more efficient than systems using paper filters but requires more service and maintenance.

In the case of the 8n, it looks like the air cleaner had not been serviced in decades. The cup, located at the bottom of the air cleaner, had almost no oil in it as it had filled with dirt and crud over the years. I had to scape out the junk with a putty knife then clean the cup with solvent.

I had expected the filtering media to be in bad shape, and it was. I had ordered replacement media (which is woven stainless steel) to have on hand before I started this job.

I removed the old filter material, installed the new filter material, and put the unit back on the 8n. I filled the oil cup with oil and put it back on the filter, installed the battery (which had been in the garage on a maintainer) and started the tractor. It seems to run much better now that it can get a good supply of air!

8n air cleaner taken apart for servicing. (Yesterday’s Tractor photo)

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Penny

Due to the still-winter conditions in the high country, Fields will be opening The Box solo over Memorial Day weekend. After our snowy visit to Rice Lake (WI) in April, the dogs and I are “so over” doggie coats and leashes.

Happy Trails.