Oct 20th - Sunday

Not a lot happening here today. Kathy is still trying to get over her cough. She didn't even go to church today. Now I think maybe I'm getting it. No coughing, just a stuffed up head.

The weather is still beautiful. I've been cutting a little wood, nothing major. I still haven't fired up my log splitter. I've been splitting some wood by hand, need the exercise.

I replaced the fuel line and the fuel filter on the splitter. I also removed the battery and have it in the shed charging. I still need to buy some oil so that I can change the oil.

Dean takes his car to a VW place in Columbia tomorrow morning. Hopefully they can find the problem and get it fixed. It has been fun having him around for a few days (maybe not that fun for him since I'm sure he would like to get home)

We had pizza for supper tonight. After supper an angel apparently slipped into the bathroom and experimented.

It probably was a good thing that the TP was near the end of the roll. I think when it hit the end of the roll the end she was pulling on broke off, so she went on to other things that were more interesting. In the photo she had just been telling me she wanted in the refrigerator. I had said no so she was on her way somewhere else.

She is such a joy to have around.

I hope you all had a good day. May God bless you and yours.

Oct 15th - Got Some Rain Last Night

It rained on and off during most of the night. We got a little over four tenths of an inch. It came slow enough so that none of it ran off. We still need a lot more.

Kathy has been singing with a "senior" choir at one of the large Baptist churches in Jefferson City. They mostly go to nursing homes. Yesterday they came to our church in Centertown. There are a LOT of them. The also have a quite a few members who play a variety of instruments. I was able to watch part of their performance and they are good. I had to leave early for a Doctor's appointment to follow up on getting some type of hearing aids.

My Doctor's appointment was part of my decision making to determine if I want to get either a Bi-Cross system or possibly a BAHA system. With the Bi-Cross system you wear a transmitter in your bad ear and a receiver/hearing aid in your good ear. The transmitter picks up sound on your bad side and transmits it, via Bluetooth, to the receiver/hearing aid in your good ear. It is supposed to dramatically improve your ability to hear in crowded places like restaurants.

The BAHA system is a "bone anchored hearing aid". They screw a stud into your skull, behind your bad ear. You clip a small receiver on the stud and it converts sound to a vibration that your skull transmits to your good ear. It is a remarkable system! The Doctor had me wear one of the receivers while I was in her office. She used an elastic band to hold it against the side of my head. Almost our entire appointment was conducted while I kept my good ear plugged so that I could only "hear" the "sound" transmitted through my skull. I could hear her with no problems. With this system I would still wear a conventional hearing aid in my "good" ear, since it isn't all that great.

Insurance won't cover any of the cost of hearing aids but will supposedly cover most of the cost ($10,000) of having the stud installed. (Isn't the cost ridiculous. As I understand it they only use a local anesthetic and don't even admit you to a hospital. The little stud looks like a stud/snap on a western shirt.) I'm still investigating.

Lydia came up this morning, after Andy left for work, so that Kelsey could get some extra sleep. We had a good morning and then took a nice nap. We went in and both of us laid down on our bed until she went to sleep. A little angel.

While she was taking a nap I split some wood by hand, I needed the exercise. In the afternoon my helper came out. We took a bucket full of wood from out back and stacked it by the wood boiler. Then we drove the tractor up to the road and got the trash can, newspaper and mail. After that we did some swinging and then had a nice afternoon nap, well one of us did.

The weather was cool today. I don't think it got much above 60. It is supposed to get down into the 40's tonight.

I hope all of you had as good a day as I did. May God bless you and yours.

Oct 14th - Back Home Again

We left Friday morning and headed east. Over 1,300 miles in 3 days and we arrived back home yesterday evening. Lydia went along with us. She is a really good traveler.

We stayed overnight with Doug & Anthony on Friday and Saturday. Saturday we drove to Ohio, had lunch with family members at Ed & Cindy's and then attended Mallory's (Nancy's granddaughter) wedding and reception.

Doing some exploring at Aunt Cindy's. Now where did that pesky cat get to?

Found it with Aunt Cindy's help.

Stretching legs and doing a little mountain climbing after having lunch on our way back home.

I managed to pull a really stupid stunt early last week. I was going to cut some more wood but when I started my chain saw it only ran a few seconds and then quit. I thought I flooded it and after pulling the spark plug and drying it out I still couldn't start the saw, even though the plug did have spark. Finally after a couple of more days of occasionally trying to start it I took it over to the local hardware start (where I bought my magnum weed eater). The called me about an hour later and told me that the saw doesn't run well with chain oil in the gas tank and gas in the chain oiler. How embarrassing! I really like the guys at the hardware store, and there prices are very reasonable. I had them sharpen two chains when the saw was there and they installed new spark plug. Total cost was $44.

The weather here has been great, but dry. It is now harvest time and I suspect farmers would rather not have any rain for the next month, but we sure could use some. It isn't nearly as dry as it was last year, so that is a blessing.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. May God bless you and yours.

PS. I hope the government stays "shut down" until We the People get a federal budget passed by both Houses Congress and signed by the President. The President and Congress have MISERABLY FAILED  to provide us with a budget for years. Probably they afraid that we might have a better understanding of how badly we are being screwed by the massive increases in federal spending. Sequestration did NOT cut overall federal spending, it only cut the growth of overall federal spending. If per capita spending was the same as it was when Clinton was spending we would have a budget surplus this year.

Oct 8th - Another Beautiful Day

Today was another awesome fall day.

Lydia and I had a hard day <grin>. First thing in the morning we went varoom varoom (drove the car up to the road, got the newspaper and hooked the empty trash can on the car to bring it back to the house. (It is pretty cool the way the trash can hooks to a hitch ball so that it can be towed up to the road and back.)

After that I did a great job of flooding the chain saw and couldn't get it started, even after pulling the plug, drying it off and reinstalling it. Hopefully it will start in the morning.

We got the tractor (more of Lydia's varoom varoom) and hooked up the log splitter so that I could tow it out back. I've had in in front of the shed to do some work on it. I'm waiting for some Permatex material that is supposed to be good for making an exhaust flange gasket. I still need to pick up some gas line hose and replace a section of it.

I'm sure we did some other things in the morning, just can't remember what.
Below we are coming back to the house after our hard mornings work.

After lunch we vacuumed the motor home. I got on the roof and swept off the slides before pulling them in. I also water in the house batteries. Kathy and Lydia drove the motor home (Lydia was strapped into the passenger seat) and I directed, so that we could back it away from the shed. We put it out back and dumped the tanks (almost all gray water) through a 100' hose I have running out into the woods. We also ran the generator to "exercise" it.

I needed the motor home moved so that I can cut down a dead tree next to the shed. The tree might fall where the motor home was parked, or it might fall partially on the shed. (It is not all that large a tree) I have a big rope (safe working load 1,200#) tied in the tree, up about 12' off the ground. I'm going to put a come-along on it and attach the other end to another tree, in hopes of getting it to fall where I want it to.

Kathy had a dental appointment in California in the morning. She learned that she has an infected tooth. Mid-afternoon she went to Jefferson City to get a prescription filled for an antibiotic. While she went to Jeff Lydia and I had snacks out on the deck. It took a little persuading but she sat on my lap until she went to sleep for an afternoon nap.

Tonights low is supposed to be 47 and then it warms up a little. The good news is that for the next 10 days there is only one day with a high forecast in the 80's, while there are four with forecast highs in the 60's. I like the cooler weather.

I hope you all had as good a day as I did. I am so blessed! May God bless you and yours.

Oct 7th - Cool

It got down into the high 40's last night and is supposed to do the same tonight. The weather yesterday and today was absolutely beautiful.

The church voted unanimously to have our interim Pastor become our full time Pastor, a move Kathy & I are happy about. He and his wife will be a great asset.

I split a little wood by hand this morning. I am getting a little better at it. I sure had lost most of whatever skills I had.

After lunch Lydia and I took a lawn mower ride around the property. We got to watch a turtle high tail it away from the noise of the mower. Turtles can move surprisingly fast when they want to. After that we fed the fish. It was early but today she was going to stay at David and Elaines.

Kathy had choir practice, in Jefferson City, this morning. In the afternoon she had a physical therapy session.

This afternoon I sprayer for bugs and took a long nap. I was good at taking a nap, but I will continue practicing.

Lydia loves watching Wheel of Fortune.

I hope you all had a wonderful day. May God bless you and yours.

Oct 3rd - Happy Birthday Mom

Today is my Mom's birthday, Happy Birthday Mom.

Warm but a nice day here today. High in the mid-80's. Tomorrow's high is supposed to be in the high 80's and then its supposed to cool down dramatically Friday night and Saturday. Hallelujah!

Lydia loves to get into the motorhome. Every time she walks by it she wants to go in.

If I don't let her in she will sit on the "porch" for awhile.

 She isn't afraid to walk anywhere. This is her headed up to the shed and the tractor, mostly the tractor.

 What an angel. Kelsey worked a double shift last night (I think from 3 PM yesterday until around 6 AM this morning). We had Lydia after Andy left for work. Kathy had a checkup appointment with her rheumatologist and then a physical therapy session this morning. All was well with her checkup. I watched Lydia. This is her napping while on my lap. She slept for about an hour and a half.

 I spent an hour pulling out some more "extra" electrical wires in the shed. Lydia is up there more and I'm trying to make sure there are no "live" wires that she could get ahold of.

This afternoon I split a little wood, by hand. I haven't bothered to fire up the log splitter yet this fall. I did this while Lydia was taking her afternoon nap.  Tomorrow, when she is up and around, I will have her "help" me and we will use the tractor to move this into the shed.

I hope you all had a good day. May God bless you and yours.

Oct 1st - How Time Flies

WOW, already the first of October. Leaves are falling here (mostly because of the dry weather) and the temperatures are getting down to where it is actually comfortable to be outside. I don't think it hit 80 yesterday. Highs for the next 4 days are supposed to be in the low 80's and then they drop to the high 60's for the next 5 days. Finally some wood cutting weather.

Kathy had these photos on her phone.

This one is for my brother who wondered if there was a time when Lydia was not smiling. There aren't many. Kathy took this one when Lydia was mad because I went outside without her. Even had real tears.

This is from the week when Doug came out, and brought my Mom. All the siding lying on the ground had been taken off the house when Doug, Andy & Kelsey did the kitchen remodeling last year. We were finally getting it back on. Lydia is going to see what my Mom is doing at the back of the yard.

 

Always the helper. She is helping Kelsey spread mulch around some new shrubs.

A long time ago Kathy had asked me to remove a shrub from along the flagstone walk. A few days ago Lydia noticed the red berries on the shrub as we walked by it. We didn't think she should eat them so I figured maybe it was time to get rid of the shrub. I started walking out to get the tractor and Lydia was right behind me all the way. She isn't happy if the tractor moves without her on it <grin>. We got the tractor, hooked a chain around the shrub, pulled it out and drug it over to one of the brush burn piles. She was on the tractor every time it moved. This is her helping me fill in the hole from the shrub.

 

 I keep the fish food pellets in a large (it holds 50# of pellets) plastic bin. I use a dry roasted peanut jar to dip out the amount I feed the fish. Kelsey & Andy said that when Lydia saw a jar of peanuts that Andy had brought home with him, she kept pointing at it and saying "Fish". Below she is helping me feed them. She is good at getting her hand into the jar to get pellets, but not so good at the throwing. I don't know if you can see it but their dog if at my feet, eating the pellets Lydia "threw". 



We had another couple from church over for supper one night last week, the fourth couple so far. We are slowly making headway getting to know the folks. Last Sunday there was a potluck/pitch-in dinner after church. It was another good opportunity to get to know folks better. Friday and Saturday is a "campout" at one of the folks farms. We plan on going over for Clarence's "cowboy stew" Friday evening but don't plan on spending the night. We, or at least I, may go back Saturday morning for breakfast. I'm interested to see how he cooks bacon and eggs over a campfire. Clarence, Romona and Ryan (their son) have 4 horses and regularly take the horses and go trail riding. The way Clarence described it their "horse trailer", which can haul 4 horses, has some pretty nice accommodations in the front of it. I think he told me that the overall length of their truck and the 5th wheel trailer is 53'.

Yesterday was my annual eye appointment, eyes were fine. Since I had my hearing test a couple of months ago I've done some research on the Bi-Cross hearing aids the Doctor told me about. Since both Doctors (eye & ear) are in the same complex I went by and made a mid-Oct appointment to follow up on getting more information. The Bi-Cross system is for people who are deaf in one ear. You wear what looks like a hearing aid in both ears. The one in the bad ear is actually a wireless transmitter. The one in the "good" ear is both a receiver and a hearing aid. Only a few people get back any "directionality" (the ability to tell the direction a sound comes from) but the system is supposed to dramatically improve your ability to hear in places like restaurants (or in the car when your good ear is against the window and your wife is trying to help  you drive <GRIN>).

I mowed the lawn yesterday. Some of the area out back didn't need mowing so it only took me a couple of hours. We don't have that much lawn but with all the small patches there just aren't many places you ever go straight. I am always mowing along, or around, something.

Sunday Kathy & I moved a BIG, heavy desk (particle board construction) out of the downstairs bedroom that I was using as an office (I didn't use it much) and a BIG old TV that was down there. (Both were left here, with our OK, when we bought the house) I put them on the patio out back to temporarily get them out of the way. Today I need to get them moved out to the shed to reduce the "redneck" atmosphere. The TV needs to go to a recycle place. The desk will probably get scrapped.

Tomorrow the DishTV guy comes to add a receiver in the lower level, for Kelsey & Andy's TV.

One of these days I need to quit procrastinating and get to work on my log splitter. I haven't tried to start it since Steve brought it back, but I think it would run. I want to put a different gas tank on it, rather than the current cob job plastic tank that has been on it, and do some other odds and ends work on it (improve the way the choke cable works, fix the loose exhaust, etc.). One of the seals on the hydraulic pump is leaking a little worse that it was last year. Right now I don't think it is worth the effort to take the pump off to have it fixed. I'll find out how bad it leaks when I start using it. Last spring Carl, they guy we bought the house, and the splitter, from, brought me over a couple of 5 gallon buckets partially full of hydraulic fluid. It was left over from what he used in the splitter and in his skid steer; so I have several "free" gallons of it.

I hope you all have a great day. May God bless you and yours.