July 5-6, 2013

Sally was in Tulsa meditating, so another boys trip. Still no rain, and after a very cool week it was beginning to heat back up -- 90 Friday and mid 90s Saturday.

New Used Mower

I bought this Craftsman 19hp 42" mower the previous Saturday from a fellow in Wesley who was supposedly selling it for a friend that did not have internet access. I should not be so trusting, but I was desperate since the Murray had begun falling apart (disintegrated bearing on the blade shaft). He loaded it for me using ramps he had, and then it set in the back of my truck all week. I knew something was wrong as soon as I got home because I could smell gas, and could tell some had dripped out from the back of the mower.

The first challenge at the farm was unloading it. I tried the hill behind the house, but the tailgate was still way off the ground. Then I drove over to the creek by the swing and parked the rear wheels in the low spot. This was good enough once I placed some large rocks and limbs just past the tailgate. I then started up the mower just to be sure it still ran. I shut it off and then let it roll out, but it hung up on my rocks and limbs, so I figured I would just start it up again and back it on off. But it wouldn't start. I pulled the air filter and could get it to run by spraying carburetor cleaner in, so I knew it wasn't getting gas. Finally I realized I needed to check the gas tank, and sure enough it was dry. I filled it up with gas, got it started, and drove it off the truck.

I was anxious to get everything cut, so I did around the house and then headed down the hill to do around the pond, the barn, and spring. When I started over to do the upper section past the spring (where the swing is and where I unloaded the mower) it died. It was already out of gas. It has much more power than the Murray due to its twin cylinders and 4.5 more horses, but it sure sucks the gas. I got the rest mowed and parked it in the garage. I must say that I prefer the Murray foot pedal for forward and backward versus the stick this one has with neutral, reverse, and two forward speed notches. (They are both hydrostatic transmissions.)

Saturday I could smell gas as soon as I went outside. I rolled it out and put some newspaper under it to try and determine where it was leaking. I couldn't get to where the fuel line connected to the tank, the most likely spot for the leak, so I had to pull the tank out. I then dried everything off, added a little more gas, and waited and watched. It is leaking from the bottom of the plastic tank. Makes no sense, but it will need a new tank.

There are two other issues I know I will have to address. The starter sometime hesitates and is slow to catch. The other is more seriuos, a great deal of play in the steering. I don't know why I did not notice it when test driving on their level yard, but on the rough terrain we have it is a real problem. Apparently this is a common issue with many mowers built with this design, as I could find lots of others complaining about the same problem on the internet. I hope it will last through the season and then I can tear it apart and replace the worn component over the winter.

Garden

Of course it was bone dry, so I watered Friday and Saturday. Sally had bought a patio tomato for the house, but the squirrels were beating us to the tomatoes. So she sent it out with me to be planted in the garden. We'll see how it fares there. I picked green beans, kale, and chard again -- not quite as much as the week before. The squash is really taking off and does not seem to mind the dry conditions. I weeded, so it is in pretty good shape.

Nectarines

I was glad I had picked a bunch the week before, because the tree had been cleaned out and there were pits littering the ground underneath.

Blue Bird House Robbed

The house out front that had its first Blue Bird nest of the year and had 3 eggs the week before was robbed. You can tell because the nest is messed up and of course the eggs are gone. This was in-spite of the coon guard that is on the pole. I am really wondering what got to it and how it managed that.

Thistle

I noticed one, then another while mowing. Then I took the truck and drove up into the back pasture where I found a few. But then when returning I spied many that had already gone to seed up hill from the confluence of the creeks. I dug and bagged them them all, taking two bags.

Walnuts

I cracked the last of my walnuts, being somewhat surprised that they were still good. (They have been dry in the rabbit hutch, but we have had some warm weather.) I bagged them unpicked and am storing them in the freezer until I get around to picking them. Sally made some awesome banana bread this week with black walnuts.

Knapweed

I have really grown to hate this stuff and it makes me sick to see it blooming everywhere -- next comes its seeds to propagate even more of the vile stuff. With a little time on my hands I pulled all of it along the bluff above the spring and creek, and more on the hill above the road to the spring.