Ducks 4 in '24

[ducks4you]

Finished dehydrating. Last was the jalepanoes that a friend gave me. I put a plastic garbage bag on top of my tablecloth and moved them with salad tongs to a pint jar with a glass lid. Jar is in front of 3 1/2 quarts of tomatoes, and more will be canned before the tomatoes play out.

 

[digitS']

Pleasant scene. Stainless steel –

"galvanized" . Silly, I'm feeling silly this morning – must be the blueberry bagels.

digitS'

 

[ducks4you]

 

[ducks4you]

@baymule have a couple leaning posts and gate problems . I might get the tractor out and pull the post straighter lto make them easier to open and close, and add a couple cross bars. I have a bunch of blocks and T posts holding them up but I still have to lift the gates up because the ground isn’t level and a lopsided post adds to the problem.

I just finished pulling out 24 6’x8” treated posts from the old coral and removing the 3 metal AG gates attached to the posts . I got one of the chains out and attached to the tractor front bucket to pull out a T post that was set in the ground too deep. I tried for 2 days to pull that post up and it’s stubborn. If it doesn’t rain tomarrow I’ll try again. So frustrating.

We were hoping NOT to crack the post. NOTE to self next Spring:
Dig the other side of the post deeper, like 2 1/2 ft deep and 18 inches wide.
We were lucky that didn't happen to an 8 ft tall, 8 inch diameter and 3 ft in the ground wooden fencepost didn't crack in 2.
The compact tractor had NO trouble moving it, but we crept slowly anyway.
After years of camping I have learned that you dig around metal fenceposts, then pound them N-S, E-W until they pull out so as not to bend them. Just FYI.

 

[Shades-of-Oregon]

We were hoping NOT to crack the post. NOTE to self next Spring:
Dig the other side of the post deeper, like 2 1/2 ft deep and 18 inches wide.
We were lucky that didn't happen to an 8 ft tall, 8 inch diameter and 3 ft in the ground wooden fencepost didn't crack in 2.
The compact tractor had NO trouble moving it, but we crept slowly anyway.
After years of camping I have learned that you dig around metal fenceposts, then pound them N-S, E-W until they pull out so as not to bend them. Just FYI.

The ground is hard pack clay soil around the one stubborn T post. Couldn’t dig around the T. So I took the tree feeder has 3’ metal post attached to the hose and poking down thru the clay added water around the post enough to loosen then digging around the post. Then took the chain attached to the tractor bucket and pulled that T post out. One T post was the most stubborn so was I.
Hauled off all the huge wood posts to be recycled.

 

[ducks4you]

I had to write in to tell you that I am still in the world. I had my knee surgery early afternoon on Halloween, success!
All of my hospital caregivers have said, "you Had to start with the hardest surgery first!"
I have everything I need on the first floor and I am experiencing the wonders of oxycodene.
Family has been Wonderful!! With ripening tomatoes on the kitchen table eldest DD stepped in to can them. She will probably need to start a new batch tomorrow.
Youngest DD has taken over feeding horses, DH has taken over feeding Eva and the cats, Eldest DD has bought groceries and packaged up leftovers, so I won't go hungry.
My appetite has been WAY down, I have been drinking water like it's going out of style and I am using a walker to walk bc I am being EXTREMELY careful so as to not take ANY falls on my knee. Today I am going to drink down a pot of black coffee. Should be helpful, since my last cup was one week ago.
Eldest DD made me a big batch of vinegar slaw which I have been eating, along with canned peaches and a few ripening tomatoes, to make sure to eat a LOT of natural fiber. Yes, Virginia, I Still have more ripening tomatoes.
In a normal year this would be a good Fall for canning them. I am now at about 73 quarts total.
I got my 3 blueberries planted before surgery. Then came 4 days of heavy rain. I was sad that I didn't get Any of my garlic planted, but DH has volunteered to plant them this Saturday!!!
MY.HERO!!!
My plan is to tell him where a piece of rebar is along the fenceline and tell him to use that for planting holes, drop the cloves in and call it a day. I tilled this area over a week ago. It took about 10 pulls but the tiller started. After tilling I drove it back to the Carraige house, so it isn't blocking the 2007 Doolie Cummins anymore.
IF he can plant the local porcelein garlic north of the fenceline (Saturday), and then rake up and plant the red garlic that I bought on the other side of the fence (Sunday), and keep leftovers to use in cooking and make pickled garlic.
REALLY HAPPY that we have a LR tv and a bedroom tv on the wall!

 

[ducks4you]

I was SO lucky to find an inexpensive pump to remove old gasoline., $13, Harbor Freight.
DH had purchased a really good one ($99) a few years back, But we use that one for diesel, and I don't want to mix them and mess up the tractor tank.
BTW, we now OWN the tractor, last payment in October.
After I heal up I will need to contact the teenager who repairs small engines. I have promised him that he can have the 2 oldest push mowers, gasoline is now 2yo, and needs to be removed. SIL's husband told me that they both need new carboraters and could be repaired and sold.
THEN, I have 2 other push mowers that need repair and I would pay him to fix and keep them. I have hardly used my newest push mower but it is a dandy. I would like to attack the worst weeds with the cheaper mowers in 2025.

 

[Shades-of-Oregon]

I was SO lucky to find an inexpensive pump to remove old gasoline., $13, Harbor Freight.
DH had purchased a really good one ($99) a few years back, But we use that one for diesel, and I don't want to mix them and mess up the tractor tank.
BTW, we now OWN the tractor, last payment in October.
After I heal up I will need to contact the teenager who repairs small engines. I have promised him that he can have the 2 oldest push mowers, gasoline is now 2yo, and needs to be removed. SIL's husband told me that they both need new carboraters and could be repaired and sold.
THEN, I have 2 other push mowers that need repair and I would pay him to fix and keep them. I have hardly used my newest push mower but it is a dandy. I would like to attack the worst weeds with the cheaper mowers in 2025.

Congrats on your paid in full owner of your tractor. I am mad at John Deere they have a monopoly on tractor repairs. If you have someone else work on them that is not John Deere accredited repairman then you loose the warranty on them. And I have a whole other story about just how they are dishonest in my area took my tires of and replaced with bald tires, dirties the gas and charged more that I paid for it to pick up/deliver plus repairs.
I have a compact utility tractor and a rider tractor. No bargains there .

I hate the whole gas vs diesel when it comes to prices. Just filled 3- 50 gal tanks with gasoline about $400 for delivery.
Today oil delivery for the oil furnace - $1000 . Prices are rediculous. I know oil in the 90’s it was a few cents per gal…I’m gettin old.

 

[ducks4you]

Didn't know that any tractor uses regular gasoline. I was thrilled to be able to purchase my "God mower," riding mower, cheapest one that Kubota sold, Now worth $6K, gasoline. IF I could have afforded a subcompact, diesel, I would have done so bc I could use it in cold weather. But, it would have cost about $15K, and I didn't have that kind of pocket change.
ALL of those dealers want to waive your warranty if anybody else works on them. The seller of my compact tractor considers me chump change bc they sell/repair million dollar farm equipment.
I have a friend who thinks he knows how to repair my bucket latch. He has rebuilt tractors and researched and discovered that I am not the ONLY Kubota owner with my problem.
Of Course I will let him repair mine.

 

[Shades-of-Oregon]

@ducks4you

Sending healing vibes your way.