You're where?

Just a quick post while the better half is getting around.  We are getting ready to leave the Radisson in Madison ... say that quickly 3 times.  See it at http://www.radisson.com/madisonwi   We came to Wisconsin to pick up some parts for a truck.  I bought a "wet kit" (Power Take Off, hydraulic pump, tank, hoses, and connections) for the Kenworth for the price of just the PTO. So we brought some stuff up for Jim and made one trip out of it.

We had a bit of time between picking up the stuff and Jim being free so we wandered Wisconsin a little.  Drove past a restaurant I wanted to try but was wrong time of day.  It was a Thai/Italian place.  Interesting combination.

Sue bought a couple sweaters at a resale shop in Waterford.  We stopped and walked around Cambridge a bit and ate dinner at a bakery there.  Then on through Whitewater and Fort Atkinson.

We got to Madison mid afternoon and found a hotel with an indoor pool

OK, so maybe that wasn't a priority.

Anyway, we are getting ready to head south.  Maybe we'll thaw by the time we get home.

Yes, it's 4:30 in the morning ...

I know, 4:30 is time to get up.  Dan Gard got up at 4:30 every day and he probably lived a lot longer than I will.  Normally I'd be asleep but I keep listening to everyone in the west half of the county getting paged out to a structure fire and can't rest. So what has been going on?

There is a farmer from Springfield coming to look at the 8630 Monday.  I need to plug it in on the way to Mom's so it will start.

Speaking of Mom's, anybody want to do some plumbing?  I was unclogging a drain ... got it free .. but now I have to replace  one of the baskets in the sink.  I guess if you are going to start doing plumbing the first thing Monday is when to start.  Give you all week to run after the one part you forgot each trip.

I spent some time in the church nursery Sunday.  I watched the boys while their folks listened to the sermon.  David impressed Grandpa.  He took a Fisher Price Ferris wheel (well, it started life as one.  A few important pieces have been removed by hard working kids) sat it on the table and proceeded to drive.  As you can tell by the photo, he's going to be a race car driver. 

 

He did something else that impressed Grandpa (OK, so it isn't difficult)  There was this Fisher Price phone (red and white thing in the next photo) the handset was missing on.  He sat it on the table, then went back and found the handset and plugged the cord together.  I know, it sounds simple.  But to me it shows a lot of development.

You'll notice there are not any good photos of Adam.  He wasn't standing still long enough for my phone camera to focus.  Here is one from home last week.  Same problem.  He's just too fast for the camera.

I need to list this lathe on ebay or AgTalk Classified's or something.  We don't use it, don't really know how.  It was Dad's toy.  I'm sure as soon as we sell it we'll need it, but right now we need the floor space worse.

But that may have to wait until later this week.  Current plans may be to go to S Wisconsin and pick up some truck parts I bought online from a farmer.  Right now we are waiting on confirmation of delivery times and directions.  Anyway, it's now 5, nobody has been paged out for half an hour, so I'm going to try and rest until it's time to get up

Happy New Year!

It's a new year, new beginnings, and it's COLD! Oh well,I guess it's that time of year.  Started the year out meeting Ron, Pat, and Vera at Chilton's Restaurant for breakfast.  It doesn't get better than that!  I tried doing paperwork today but just couldn't get in the mood  Maybe tomorrow.  So I did some more handyman stuff around the house.

Yesterday I finally wired the light in the new closet, put up shelves (Hey! It was still the same year.) Today I put up a new shelf and towel rack in the new bathroom.  Next project?  I finally have permission to solidly bolt the washing machine to the floor. Ever since we built the new bath/laundry room the washer has taken to walking around.  Not all the time, but enough to be a problem.  I have leveled and checked and adjusted and come to the conclusion the problem is the floor itself.  It gives just enough to be a problem.  I've been saying the only solution is bolt it to the floor so it can't move.  Management has finally agreed.

Hey!  We've been watching a good movie. I checked "Moonlight and Mistletoe out of the library. Very Good.  And my battery is going.

Later Y'all

Great weather for bookwork

Christmas is over, son's on the way home, snow on the ground, good day to do bookwork. Stopped at the www.Honeville.com world headquarters this morning and discussed ebay and Amazon. Started a couple brush piles on fire, then took Sue to Chilton's for lunch. 

It's times like these I wish Dad had insulated the shop.  We've talked about it, even looked into the spray on foam kind I'd REALLY like to have. I think the estimate as $12,000.  I'm pretty sure it was more than Dad gave for the shed.  We've discussed going to Ken Nichols (http://insulationfactoryseconds.com/) and buying foam board but have never calculated the cost.

I guesss the bookwork won't get done if I don't start

"Get up!  It's Christmas"

There are times you miss having little kids around.  But not if you like sleeping in on Christmas morning.  Here are a few phone-camera photos I took at Mom's the other night when we gathered to see Kyle.

The first is one of my favorite subjects.  They were fascinated with "Grandma Reeeta's" (you have to get enough e's in her name) nativity set under the tree.

 Reminds me of someone telling of a problem they had at their church Christmas program.  Seems someone took baby Jesus into protective custody.

Yes, it is a lousy photo. It's about as good as she lets me get it.

20 days and counting

Has it really been almost 3 weeks since I entered anything?  Time flies, having fun or not.  I did spend a bit of money today.  Rather than post the same thing twice, see the farm page at www.bumpusfarms.us

So what else had been going on?  I went to an auction Saturday in West Union.  It was Alice Utterback's estate.  It was like any other auction, some stuff went too cheap, some went too high. And don't bid unless you are willing to take it home.
Just to remind me of that fact, I have a $20 pool table in the crib.

I hope to get through the week with no funeral home visits.  It's been a trying month for the community.  I was waiting on the salesman to get back today I was dealing with on the tractor.  He had been to a funeral for a 20 year old young lady.  When her folks left for work one morning she was still in bed.  When they got home they found she was still there.  No apparent reason, she just didn't wake up. That would be rough.

The new preacher has been at church for 3 weeks.  I have even heard one of his sermons!  Between leading Junior church in December and special programs and special family dinners on Sunday evening I think I've only heard one of his sermons.

Speaking of church, I think we have had a major failure.  The closer for the back door is messed up and may need replaced.  That is significant because the opener had a characteristic squeak every time it opened. Coop commented one time to never let it be fixed because it alerted you to someone coming in the building during the week.  Right now they'll know from the WHAM it makes closing.

Anyway, Merry Christmas.  Be careful out there.

I know, I know ....

I know, I know ... the old guy is supposed to keep his blog up to date and post interesting and artistic photographs and spell everything correctly and be grammatically correct.  I guess if you are not happy I can refund your admission price.

So, what's been happening?  Harvest is done.  Fall tillage probably is.  Irrigators are ready for winter ... 'cept for that one underground line I need to pump out. I guess that's job security. 

Need to start shop work.  Black truck blew the heater core during harvest.  We just bypassed it and kept running. Need to change oil in the 9270, 8630, maybe one of the Magnums, the 560, probably need to change the loader too.  Forklift still doesn't like me.  It's either going to run to my satisfaction or find a new home.

I keep toying with the idea of insulating the shop so we can heat it.  Dad never saw any advantage to that, but then again up until the last couple years he never got cold.  Maybe I should do some measuring and figuring.

New preacher got moved in this week.  Well, all the stuff is in the house anyway.  I doubt it is all set up yet.  But then again I think we still have boxes that haven't been unpacked since we moved 10 years ago.

Sue's working on addressing Christmas cards.  I could set up a database and print them so much easier but she likes to practice her calligraphy.

OK, gotta get going. It's 1st Wednesday and we eat at 6;00 at church.   I did put a couple photos on the farm site www.BumpusFarms.us .  Later Y'all.