The Daily Yardman Thread

[Roger B]

Trying to catch up!!

Holy crap you guys! I am knee-deep in alligators, trying to put in a nail-down, solid-bamboo floor in the spare bedroom and yesterday I worked trying to finish it up from lobstering time (0545 - 0700) until dark and I didn't have enough wind left in my sails to even bother to light off the computer.. This job is whipping my arse via my knees (which aren't worth two-cents) but all I have left to do today is inside one-end of the closet and the "shutter-plank". (Last board on the inside wall.)

Anyway, we're not going out lobstering this morning until 0645, (slack tide at high tide), so I had enough time to open this thing up and read all the posts.. I've still got to go read Tom's travelogue.

OK Boo, you've almost shamed me into it, but if you told Becky that I squandered $10 on a 'bet', I wouldn't need a knee replacement because she cut me "off" at the knees! What are the rules going to be? And I'd at least want the right to cast a new number out there, closer to the closing date..

Doc, I'm glad it wasn't us that have been troubling you, tell the dude to piss-off and block him.. Nice tractor job for your son, by the way.. If you go back far enough on this thing, you'll see that I had a CASE 442 at one time, but I ended up selling it as a basket case.. I am NOT - anywhere near - as accomplished at mechanics as you obviously are. That's why it's nice to have you (and the rest of the guys) - aboard.. (My father would agree with you - motors ARE either electric or hydraulic! They are not engines or vice-versa.)

I sure hope the fog scales this morning! I can't even see across to the mainland today and that's only a couple hundred yards here at the narrows. The GPS on the neighbors boat takes several minutes to align itself (it's old!) and we're usually down to the can buoy at the North end of the island (assuming we can find it when it's foggy) before the damn thing knows where it is!

Any of you guys knife nuts?? I watch "Deadliest Catch" sometimes, (just to remind myself of how easy we have it lobstering) and it occurred to me that if I got tangled in the pot-warp (rope) and hauled overboard, that I probably wouldn't be able to reach my clip knife that I keep on the waistband of my dungarees, when I'm wearing Grundens. So I've ordered a CRKT blunt-tip, Bear Claw as a safety knife that I'll attach to the shoulder strap on my Grunden overalls. https://www.crkt.com/bear-claw-e-r.html

I don't know if I'm getting paranoid in my old age, or actually being sensible.. Anyway, I like knives, so that's cool...

Keep on keeping on boys, I gotta go fishin' and then finish that damn floor... (Then I've got to mill-out all the mop boards and install them, - then re-cut and re-hang the doors, - then - - - Geez, I'm never going to finish this project!!

Roger

 

[Boobala]

Re: MTD Yardman Transaxle Rebuild

has been a long night

Everything OK over there Doc, ?? How's the wifeys Mother ..?? I hope all is OK with her situation.

 

[willys55]

Re: MTD Yardman Transaxle Rebuild

Everything OK over there Doc, ?? How's the wifeys Mother ..?? I hope all is OK with her situation.

we are on death watch since Sunday night, had no sleep....just sitting up with her and letting her know everything will be OK......it is hard watching her take each breath, seems like a minute goes by between them.....she no longer responds to us when we talk to her, she has not moved in three day and the hospice nurse said that last night would be her last, well we are still sitting here with her and it is sad watching my wife go through this...it has taken alot of her energy away, and may be sometime before we have any normality in our lives

 

[Boobala]

Re: MTD Yardman Transaxle Rebuild

Just read something that reminded me of an OLD mower shop in S.Fl. I used to patronize, REALLY GREAT mature fella owned it ,had 2 workers besides himself, Early mornings the lawn-services would come in to pick-up their re-sharp'nd blades ,parts,oil,etc. and hang around briefly to drink coffee and B/S. Early evenings they would come in to drop stuff off and suck down a couple cold ones !! He had a "junk-yard room" and if ya needed a used part, you could go back there and scrounge through the tons of stuff in there, engines, mowers, weed-whips, etc. etc. He never charged anything for the stuff unless it was a whole machine then I think he never charged more than $20 for a whole mower, "just couldn't get "greedy" and take it all , it was there for EVERYBODY ! ( he used that money to buy the coffee & beer ) Anyway, he had this big sign on the wall next to the price list /bulletin boards that I really loved , it read , " WE do EVERYTHING possible... the IMPOSSIBLE, takes a little longer ! and .. MIRACLES, .. are by APPOINTMENT ONLY !!! " I miss that place !! ..:thumbsup:

 

[Boobala]

Re: MTD Yardman Transaxle Rebuild

we are on death watch since Sunday night, had no sleep....just sitting up with her and letting her know everything will be OK......it is hard watching her take each breath, seems like a minute goes by between them.....she no longer responds to us when we talk to her, she has not moved in three day and the hospice nurse said that last night would be her last, well we are still sitting here with her and it is sad watching my wife go through this...it has taken alot of her energy away, and may be sometime before we have any normality in our lives

This is a tough time doc, My sympathies are with you and your family. My mother passed several years back, just after I got together with my present wife, Mom was 87 and suffered from a couple broken hips, tinnitis, dementia and middle stage Alzheimers. She was under Hospice care for about 3 weeks at my sisters home, when she finally expired. It was a hard time for me and I'm EXTREMELY fortunate that God gave me an angel of a woman to love and be loved at that time in my life. She was my support (still is) It was a comforting thought that Mom's suffering and troubles expired when she did. Linda and I got married a few years later (although I had known her for about 47 years prior.) YOU need to be the strong support for YOUR family, it sounds like you are already prepared for what's already the inevetable . May God Bless and be with ALL of you ! ...Boobala

 

[willys55]

Re: MTD Yardman Transaxle Rebuild

thank you

 

[Roger B]

Re: MTD Yardman Transaxle Rebuild

Doc,

Boo, pretty much said it all.. This is a part of life they don't tell you about when you're a kid. Becky and I have lost both our parents and it does cause a certain amount of introspection along with the expected grief..

Hang in there buddy, as my mother (who lived to be 98) used to say, "This too will pass" and in the end, so did she..

We will be thinking of you and your family..

Roger

 

[willys55]

Re: MTD Yardman Transaxle Rebuild

might not be here for a few days, mother in law passed away this morning, ...............................

 

[BlazNT]

Re: MTD Yardman Transaxle Rebuild

You take care of the wife and yourself. My condolences.

 

[Roger B]

In an effort to lift everyone's spirits..

Just read something that reminded me of an OLD mower shop in S.Fl. I used to patronize, REALLY GREAT mature fella owned it ,had 2 workers besides himself, Early mornings the lawn-services would come in to pick-up their re-sharp'nd blades ,parts,oil,etc. and hang around briefly to drink coffee and B/S. Early evenings they would come in to drop stuff off and suck down a couple cold ones !! He had a "junk-yard room" and if ya needed a used part, you could go back there and scrounge through the tons of stuff in there, engines, mowers, weed-whips, etc. etc. He never charged anything for the stuff unless it was a whole machine then I think he never charged more than $20 for a whole mower, "just couldn't get "greedy" and take it all , it was there for EVERYBODY ! ( he used that money to buy the coffee & beer ) Anyway, he had this big sign on the wall next to the price list /bulletin boards that I really loved , it read , " WE do EVERYTHING possible... the IMPOSSIBLE, takes a little longer ! and .. MIRACLES, .. are by APPOINTMENT ONLY !!! " I miss that place !! ..:thumbsup:

Boo,

This story you told about the old mower shop, reminded me of several old gun shops I used to hang around when I was younger. One was the "Brunswick Gun Shop" in Brunswick, ME. It was owned by Dave Purington who was an ex-submarine Captain out of Key West. Whenever I came into his shop as soon as he spotted me he'd ask, "Are you rigged for dive?", to which of course I'd reply, "Yes Sir!" Dave used to go and spend some part of each winter in Key West and leave the running of the shop to his guys. He passed away in 2005 (while in Key West) and the shop was closed. I miss him and I miss hanging around with those guys. There were a couple hundred years worth of gun knowledge available to you in that shop! The first 7mm-08 I ever bought was a custom made gun and it was short throated, in that the chamber wasn't bored deeply enough. I took it to Dave's shop and they dropped a "Go-No-Go" gauge into the chamber and then carefully reamed it to the correct dimensions, all for free.

Places like your mower shop and my gun shops are becoming few and far between. Now-a-days, everybody just stays home and orders stuff from eBay, Amazon and Walmart, which is great, but you lose contact with your fellow humans. I guess that is where humanity is heading. When you see young folks out on a date and they are sitting at a table, each staring at their own smart phone and having no interaction with each other, it makes you wonder.. Maybe the end effect will be a reduction in the population growth. That would be a good thing! To damn many people in the world already!!

Geez, I was trying to lift everyone's spirits here, but I don't think I chose the right subject.. help me out here will ya? Doc's bad news sort of threw a wet blanket on the thread.. We can be sorry, but the living must carry on...

Roger