nature in the city

I stopped at the post office and saw the liqueur store lady looking up at the roof of her store, I looked but couldn't make out what she was so interested in. I walked over and low and behold this is what I saw up under that loose piece of tin. Apparently the starling had made a nest up there and the bull snake had found it sitting on its eggs.  soooo.

as you can see it had squeezed the life from it and was trying to swallow it. After several attempts it gave up. Don't know if it was too big or if it decided that it couldn't swallow it under that piece of time wrapped around a couple of nails or what the deal was but it left it behind and never returned.

 Sad for the bird but that's nature.    

Alternative transportation

2007 Honda XR650L Enduro

Street legal for the highway or I can hit the back country roads :O)

I didn't want to spend the money but I decided that it would make life allot easier and cheaper to have this to run around on checking things out and going to town for groceries and such.  Last year I only had the RV for transportation and when i needed to go to town I had to load up everything up just to go to town for a day.  It was a major pain in the butt and it was in no way cheap on gas.

I also got myself into trouble twice by exploring some back roads, one time for sure I wasn't too sure if I was going to be a permanent fixture out there or not.  This way, I can do some scouting for places to park for 2 weeks at a time and I can take a gold pan along and do some sample panning to possible find a really good spot for prospecting as well.  I am sure that there will be days that I will want to just goof off and just go see where a road will lead too.  So I guess I get to have my cake and eat it too :O) one of the rare times that I get to do that lol 

transmission work

This is my transmission out of the rv, yes it was in many many pieces.  A couple of times lol  But all is well now for it is in and working great.  Thanks ever so much Clayton :O)  couldn't and wouldn't of did it without you. 

there are tiny steel balls, springs galore, allot of bands and clutches that have to go just so so...  little pistons that really are not mans friends.  Things that have to be aligned just right or its NOT going back together..  And then there is a screen that has to go in one way and only one way or your    ummm well, Screwed  lol    oh yea, learning curves are to be highly expected :O)  like removing the trans pump lol   Sorry clayt  :O)  But I did just stand there and tell you that you had better turn the bolt on the other side to even it up lol   We know better next time .

many many pieces and this doesn't show hardly any of them actually.

and this is what you don't want to see inside a automatic turbo 400 transmission.   Makes up pucker up pretty tight :O)

All in all, it went pretty good for never being inside a turbo 400 tranny before,  learned allot of stuff in the last few days  :O)  Going to pack the wheel bearings on the trailer tomorrow and then things will mostly be ready to head back to Colorado for the summer.

  time for leaving is getting close and I am getting pretty excited about going :O)

old house and a thunderstorm

I was driving around on the back roads one day and came upon this old house, don't know what it is about these old rock houses but I sure like them.

Went inside and this was in a room upstairs, It looked like they just walked out the door and never looked back with all of the furniture and stuff that is still in the old house.

This old piano was down stairs and it still worked lol  not very well but it still made noise lol  needs to be tuned pretty badly.

this storm blew up just east of my place the whole afternoon and into the evening, was a pretty rough storm for some over that way. 

The lightning was pretty awesome on this side of it, storms like these never cease to amaze me.

I used to be  a storm chaser/spotter and it was always a adrenaline rush to be able to see these storms up close and personal. Never wanted to see anyone hurt but loved to see the big storms.  About drove into a tornado one dark night so no more night chasing for me.   I wouldn't mind chasing again but with the price of gas today.....     I don't think so lol  not with my old Chevy pu that gets 12 miles per gallon!!!   

update with pics lol

This is a old hog feeder that i got from a neighbor, cut the bottom off it and its ready here in the pic for a hole to bury it in for the pressure tank and pipes.

This was the first time I run the water well after having it drilled, the water run cloudy for maybe 10 minutes then cleared right up and ran cold and clear.  The stone that the water is running into I found at a old house site a while back.  going to make a bird water er out of it. Going to look pretty cool I think, will post a pic of it when done.

This is Dale and his trencher. Might be a old trencher but it sure is allot better than a dang shovel lol   actually, its a really nice older machine. wish it was mine.  Got my eye on another one, not as big or as new lol 

This is the after everything was tested and put in the ground then covered up. you can see the well casing and the hog feeder buried almost to the top.  Need to redo the hing on the back of it so it will open alittle bigger but it works as is also.  Going to get  some sheet insulation, 3 inch thick stuff and cut it to the shape of it. Just to have that little bit extra in case the winters get really cold around here. Nothing worse than froze water lines and trying to fix them in bitter cold weather lol

ahhhhh   :O)   water on demand any time I so wish lol   gotta love running water!!!!   Going to be making a solar shower pretty soon, I am sure the neighbors will wonder just what kinda weirdo has moved into their midst ...  :O)    some posts, a few sheets of barn tin, a barrel to fill with water and a spigot to hang a shower head from (coffee can with holes punches in it)   lol  I made one back in the day at my aunt carols place. They didn't have running water in the house so you either took a sponge bath or went to the pond and went swimming.  I made the same kinda set up when I was 12 for them.  It was a pretty sweet deal actually.  we all used it for  along time. 

This is just a rock I found along side a county road, the road grader pealed it up while redoing the road side ditch. I am surprised he didn't try to put it on the road and use it for road gravel lol   You would have to see our gravel roads around here to understand completely :O)    Thought it was pretty cool and I have a idea on what to do with it. Even if I don't do what I'm thinking about its still cool yard art.

Waiting for the rains to quit again and dry up so I can get the trench footing dug and filled with concrete.  shouldn't take long to do that, then I start forming up for the concrete floor.  Will be taking more pics when that all takes place.  Shouldn't be long now before I start framing the house.  I hope it wont be long anyway :O) 

 

march

Hi all.  not alot going on around here, been making some preps for the water lines and such but just about time I can trench it will rain and then I am in the waiting game again for it to dry up..   Dont really want to play in the mud but I might just have too.  Found a old steel hog feeder bin down the road and talked to the guy that owns it and now its mine and going to be my "well house" .  
  The weather the last few days has been hot and humid.  too early for that crap...  really hopn to get the water and sewer pipes put in and the footings trenched soon.  Got to get started on the house!!   The other day I decided to clean out and organize the storage trailer so I could know where everything was and what I still had and what I didn't have anymore.  What a job that turned into lol looked like I was having a huge yard sale.   Got it about 60 %  kinda straightened out.  kinda.  but at least I can get to my tools and stuff now.  I can even get my cutting torch in and out :O)    got in out yesterday and used it to cut the base of the hog feeder off.     I did find out that there is a leak in the roof though :O(   going into town today to borrow a ladder from AJ. and get some sealant to fix it.
  On other things, going to take a weekend off in April and go on  a river float trip with the family,  should be a good time. Really looking forward to just getting away and doing some primitive camping.  so far it looks like   clayton, penny, sis angel and her husband johny, matt, donavaon, jace (sp),  and me.   should be alot of fun.  :O)  hope the weather holds out and is nice for us.
  Going to have to mow the yard soon,  wont take take long.  Tractor, brush hog and about 10 minutes lol   might have to weed it alittle so that will be about another 10 min.    Going to cut some corner posts for the lagoon.  need to get that done soon.  and to fix the fence alittle better across the property, that way I can close the gate when I leave for colo.    anyway, just wanted to say hi to all you readers and friends.  hope everyone is doing great,   be safe  :O)   
   

hello

I hope that eveyone had a nice valintines day,  I hung out with my nephew and his wife for the day and most of the evening.   Thanks for the good time :O)    We had a late breakfast at Ihop then went to walmart, shot over to papa murphys to get a pizza for  later.   while at walmart I splurged and bought another game to play on their xbox.  :O)   yes, I am a gamer  lol  I have been playing since game one, pong, spaced invaders, donkeykong, nitendo, sega ect ect,  these new play stations and xboxs really have some great graphics and realisim.    not really that good at them but I enjoy it and the time I get to spend with family :O) 
                                   be safe all  :O)