Memorial Day

I'm feeling more nostalgic than usual as I rapidly appoach the big 60.I was remembering my high school buddies that went off to another war along time ago
Ray Kyzer
Tommy Drew
Mickey Donovan
Ronnie Stokes
Frankie Basong
May you all be resting in peace!!!

Equal time

Declan was sick yesterday or I would have had some pictures of the other half of the dynamic duo.

Cabin lights

When we went to that Airstream jamboree last Feb we didn't bring the Globetrotter because it was waiting for the new axle
We bought a bunch of stuff while in Sarasota. One of the things we bought were new cabin lights .They were for a newer A/S but I could not find the originals in descent condition and ours were falling of the wall .The new ones were considerably small than the old lights so I had my friend Charlie( of converter fame ) fabricate new plates from some stainless I had lying around . He has access to all the metal working tools that I dream of someday getting,but lets finish one project before I go off and start another .He did a beautiful job but I'll let you decide for your self

Fantastic

Today I finally felt well enough to do some work on the globetrotter .So after the big festivities this morning I installed one of the two roof vents that I bought in Florida this past winter .The most time consuming task was to get the aluminium clean enough before I dropped in the new fan .One of the P/O's had attempted to polish the coach and really didn't get to far.
I can say without hesitation that NOBODY climbed up and tried to polish the roof .There was 42 yrs of oxidation and crude up there .I still have another fantastic to put in and hopefully in the next couple of days I'll have a few extra hands to puting the new A/C/ heat pump. The last photo shows the original air conditioner .It still works but needs a charge of freon .Freon is next to impossible to get for the DIYer and it cost a small fortune when one is lucky enough to find some .
I won't pretend that the new air conditioner is GREEN but at least it will tread a little lighter when I get to use it

The big man takes a major step

My oldest grandson,Aidan graduated from preschool today .I hope those first grade teachers are up on their geography.Aidan can embarass Rand McNally!
Right Aunt Karey?

They have to eat too

A few weeks ago in Texas I was telling one of my brother's in laws that the little unseen bird pecking little holes around the trunk of his Bradford pear was a sapsucker and wouldn't do any damage to the tree
Low and behold I look out this morning and look what I find . This had been an ooze coming out of my candy apple red ,crab apple .I had tried reaming out the hole with a wire trying to get what every was eating my tree.I have no idea what kind of woodpecker helped with the bug control .I just hope he got what ever was eating my tree and the tree recovers completely

BROTHERS UNDER THE BRIDGE

BROTHERS UNDER THE BRIDGE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLTS0fkQJhg&feature=related

The boss's lyrics and one of the greatest guitar players of ours and any generation David Lindley .i hope this is all retreivable

A gloat

The "old tools guys" are always talking about a great tool find for next to nothing and calling it a gloat .I haven't been that lucky yet, but I thought I might do my own take on a gloat and show off my wife and I's work . Everything: planning, planting and maintainence has been done by us over the last 20 yrs .I can't imagine how many tons of compost have been move by us. April may be the cruelest month,thats why I 'll take May all year long. Enjoy this is only half of it

One Small Step for Mankind

Work continues on the Globetrotter albeit at a snails pace now .My friend Charlie finally finished installing the new state of the art converter .I regret I never took a picture of the old univolt. That was DOA in the globetrotter last Sept.
This beauty can sense when the 12 volt battery is low and goes on .The old univolt just ran and ran .
We replaced the old aluminium buss bar with a new one and broke both 12 volt and 110 in to 6 circuits each instead of the original 2 each .Its still a 30 amp service but now I have room to grow . I don't know what I'll add but if The is a need now I have a way.
After we take it on a few 3 amp trips we will decide if a second battery is needed

For the Record

There are few electric tools that I don't have some old some new. This what one does on a Sunday morning with a broken back .
I was stimulated by the Old Tools galoots so I started making replacement parts for some old planes .If you look at the last picture you may notice that the new wedge is in a plane without a handle .Oh well its supposed to rain tomorrow!

when it rains it pours

It all started on Monday .I went to mow the lawn and one of the blades was loose .I called my son ,Ian, to come over and help me lift op the lawn tractor on end to remove the blade .Upon his arrival things went great until he try to remove the nut for the blade .The shaft that holds the blade snapped .Luckily I had a replacement shaft left over from the last repair. While Ian was pressing in the new shaft I tried to retrieve the frozen nut.I ground down the shaft to give it some flat sides and placed it in my bench vise .I tightened down the bolt and went to get a wrench. Boooom! the vise just disintegrated. Well it just broke in half . No clue why .
I looked all week long for a replacement .I wanted to buy American but I found that the American vises start at $600 and go to well over $2000.I just couldn't justify that kind of cost so I went for my sentimental favorite and bought a new Craftsman 6in. vice .I hope it keeps Sears alive for a few more days .
I put it in today .I'd love to talk about its effortless ability to tighten down what ever one is working on ,but I cant .There is no difference between the old yard sale find and this craftsmen.
When I went to put the cardboard in the recycling there it was on the side of the box.This product was brought to you my Sears and Roebuck MADE in CHINA (actually it was in the fine print .At least I tried to help the balance of payments

Happy Birthday Pop

Today my wife and I took a short 100 mile trip to her fathers to celebrate his 89th birthday.This will be his first birthday without his wife of 67 years. Nan passed away in January
Pat and I thought we would take care of some legal business with him and then take him out to lunch
Instead he cooked up some fresh Ling that Gary ,his son, had caught off of Montauk last week .There was plenty of water for me and the family bottle of whiskey for Pat and he. He had his usual shot .I could never figure how to have just one .He knows.
We had a great lunch .
He's chomping at the bit to get out fishing .He was bitching about the new NYS regs for fluke and then went on to continue to complain that his boat was not ready yet .i fanned the flames a bit by telling him that Herbie was killing the blues at Jessups
We had a great afternoon and left with an armful of cod that he said he would never eat.
Happy 89th Pop!!

Hummingbirds III

 
I mentioned in a comment yesterday that I saw my first bird of the season at one of my feeders. Well today I have had a least 6 visits and that just by me walking past the window six times.Its a male in full plumage.When I see a female or a couple of these buggers at one time then I'll start thinking they are nesting near by.
I planted a bunch of annuals in the 1/2 wine barrels that I keep under the feeder this morning

Letting off steam

 
Today I had planned to take a few pictures and bring everything up to date.Instead I was on the phone all day trying to convince the medical plan that my back problems are not the result of an accident .I have an idea that if I said it was an accident they would try to pawn off the medical cost to someone else .
So to relax a little I went through my Picassa account and posted my dream car .
Now tomorrow I have to try and get in line for my unscheduled shot which the hospital canceled because the shot was initially denied