Mostly toasty,,,,

Buffalos OEM pinion gear.   The Ring looks OK, ‘cepting a ding here or there, BUT

you MUST replace them as a unit.

Rock Auto has this pair for shy of Two Bills, but thats just ring and pinion.  Still need pinion bearings (GONE, found 7 in bottom of case,,, should be 18 counting cage holes) and should replace the carrier bearing and axle bearings since, hey, you’re there,,,   Make the whole danged unit whisper quiet (LOL,,, I SUCK at setting those damned crush sleeves,,, I always get some noise) 

See, this is what happens when I can’t go kayaking,,, my bills get bigger,,,  (I jest, this was coming one way or another) This is starting to become a high priority item since the diff I swapped into Buff is starting to sing under loads,,,   Fluid level looks good and I can’t see any play in the pinion bearing (wiggle driveshaft, no forward or back movement.)(at least, I believe it to be the Diff.  Could be that rebuilt trans too.  Only sings between 40 and 50, then quiet again.  I had a front pump do that in my old RV.  Sing like a blown turbo feed manifold under load, but let off and whisper quiet.)

I guess when the bank gets back to me with an affirmative on the credit extension (should, fingers crossed), I get to stress test that card, no?  Need reliable transportation, period.   Especially when you live somewhere that is 10 or more miles from anything.   Yeah, I could walk it, but talk about cost prohibative,,, Time is (sorta) money: taking 3 hours to make a trek for something simple, COSTS.   We’ve become spoiled with our cars/trucks, I can say that; but to cut them out of a life entirely isn’t feasible in this ‘world’.   Unless one were to go full primative, or join the Amish,,,    I don’t think I would be a good addition to the Amish way of life,,,, ROFL.

sigh,,, is what it is,,,

keep on livin’

((Updated, Post note: Looking through the items in question, I found a Posi Master Kit for $1300,,,,   NOW! as if this truck were worth the extra,,, She has 300K on the ODO,,,  That’s the original engine, second transmission, technically the second rear end, and I have no clue what’s gonna give next (yes ya do,,, that block is wore the F! out,,,) (shush you!!! don’t jinx me!)   The question becomes: How worth it is she?   I  have many factors that make me want to remain loyal to her, namely, I don’t trust the newer vehicles and all the disconnection from the driver they have.   Been doing some work on the trucks at the J.O.B. and there are ZERO mechanical connections between the cockpit and the engine bay,,, its all computer controlled, even the throttle is computer driven. 

Um, no,,,, I like autonomy and more importantly, SIMPLICITY.    A throttle cable between right foot and engine makes sense to me,,, Geegaws and the rest,,, Yeah, I understand them, but I understand them enough to say ‘don’t trust it much’.))

That was different

Made it to the lake,,, As I was pulling into one of my favorite put-ins,  a Park Ranger pulled in behind me.   No lights, just pulled up along side as I parked.  

No Kayaking today,,,

Small craft advisory on the lake due to high winds.  

Well, no way would I have known this since only one lake around here (and not the one I was at) uses VHF, and most craft don’t even have one onboard.   (I don’t have one, though its on my list of things to acquire if I do any long runs, river or coastal.)

We chatted for a few, and while there, maybe half hour, I heard ZERO BOATS on the water.    Took a walk to the shore just to look see (its gonna be obvious if I disrespect the po-po,,  Hard to hide a 17′ kayak)

No Boats in any direction,   water level up 3′ from the last time I was here (last Week)! and the waves are rolling and breaking off shore.   ROUGH!!!   

I would really have liked to get out in it, but that wind was definitely a deal killer.  The waves would have been a challenge, the winds would have kicked my ass.   It would have pushed me around big time and with power being Dio-type 1, mod 0-high milage unit,,,,  yeah,,, not a solo thing, even with the fact that I had a ranger hanging nearby to bust my ass for failure to follow a lawful order or any number of other charges.    The rough water tempted me, the wind decided me fully against, even it there hadn’t been a warning.     

Someday, somehow, I am going to get skooled on rough water off-shore kayaking.   Gonna have to wait until I can spend a week or more in South Carolina and arrange classes with SCK or one of the other ‘vendors’ there.

ain’t ded yet: I’ll get it eventually.

No Faerie lights for Dio

I did go to look,,,,

Was about 10:30ish or so,,,,    Last light was 9:01 last eve, full  dark by  9:45 usual,,, the only thing I saw last night was the night sky seemed much brighter than usual, washing out many of the lesser magnitude stars,

But no Auroras for me,,,,    Guess I’m situated a few degrees lower than they were visible.   OR my timing was off and I gave up before the peak of the solar storm, OR something,,, but no I see ’em,,,,   (and I do know they were visible in parts of KY, just not sure how far down as the poster of the pics did not list a location.)

It was most definitely not due to moonlight.   Luna is on a waxing crescent stage, early on, as new moon was just two days ago.

Oh well.

I ain’t ded yet, so the chance of getting to see them at some point is still there.   And maybe one day, I will take that dream trip and go kayaking in the great white north somewhere and paddle under them, (and immediately get Squitched by a calving glacier or something,,,LOL  ‘he died while kayaking, watching auroras and seeing the glaciers,,,, he died happy,,,’)   

Anywhooos,,, its a bucket list thing, low priority sort,,, there are other things on that list that I would like to see, much more intently.  Things that don’t come and go by the whims of SOL and chance of Terra being in the right location. 

more laters

Za weekenz beginz

Another long day today, plus an hour carried over from yesterday, GREAT START for the upcoming week.

Tomorrow, SOLACE on water,,,   Planned, activation in 9 hours,,,,  Gonna get an early start at it on the big lake with boats and make a full day of it.

Mood is still mostly intact from last weekend: had a couple of instances where it was nearly shattered, but kept my cool for the most part.   A small vent was needed, but monkey on my dash kept me in line (I have a small monkey, one of the three ‘see, speak, hear’, on my dash and when the road rage hits, he is right there telling me to shut my yap.)

Tonight though, I am tempted to climb the hill behind my house and look to the north.  Supposedly, a couple of CME’s are hitting atmo tonight and there is STRONG chance of Auroros’ in our night sky.   I have longed to see them forever.   The one time I was in Alaska, I didn’t see any, but I wasn’t there for very long (a lay over, no more)   Maybe tonight is my chance,,,,  

About those CME’s,,,  I did have some serious glitches with this phone earlier today.   Sudden bursts of messages getting through, and periods of No-Comms because of what I do not know: odd ones where the phone just would not connect to anything.    Could be from the CME’s, could just be the area I inhabit and its backwoods nature of being 5 years behind the technology curve.   Part of which is due to McTurtle denying funds to his own state to bring us into the 21st century,,,, I guess he knew if he allowed that, his ass would be buried with a quickness.    Now that the Stain is retiring,,, GOOD RIDDENCE; to him and his Chinese Spy wifey,,,,   Not soon enough IMO but better late than never,,,,

Gonna take off up the hill now, its getting late enough,,,, Chatach’all tomorrows when I get back.

Keep on livin’

A long tURsdaY,,,

Started of wearing the “Fabricator” hat, made a guillotine latch for Son of Bossmans Carport that we are enclosing with tin.   I was doing that while the others were busy passing time in one way or another as we waited out the rain.   So far this week, the weather-liars are being pretty danged accurate, sometimes to the minute,,,   Scary,,,,  Today was another one of those ‘In the Black’ moments for them.   9 oclock, and the skies started clearing, winds out of the south to blow off the westerly muck we have been under. 

Then spent the majority of the day being stoopervisor/lead/grunt, installing a privacy fence behind a funeral home.    Has anyone else noted that most all funeral directors look like someone poured them into thier suits?   Never good fits; more like that $100 special from JCPenny, and chosen one size too big in case they put on weight.   Apologies, just a passing observation,,,

And towards the late middle of day, Son of and Bossman showed up, showed off Son’s new high-fallutin’ Ram Dually his daddy bought him. (Is a Matchbox collectable thing,,, not the real deal,   he was making a lot of fun over that.) and asked me to make a run to a powered gate we installed a ways back, a little late diag needed,,, So my day went over-time.     All good, gate issue was a dying battery in the keypad,,, swap out with new, triple check function, text Son of with details, and on with MY part of the day.

Due to the late nature of my day,  I did a no-no: bought a heart-attack in a sack for dinner.   Christ,,,  I can eat cheaper and BETTER by going for Chinese buffets.    Fact is, I hate eating past 5, 6 pm latest.   If I do eat past that time, I am up ALL DAMNED NIGHT, and not because of any issues; just that I ate late and the bod is confuzzed,,,,   Like having a pot of coffee after 5 will wire me to the gills and by the time I finally collapse, its time to get up and do it again.   (If I state I am drinking coffee late in the day, I am writing, you can lay money on it.)  I may not have the metabolism I had when I was thirty, but the metabolism I do have is NOT that of 55yo.  Its a large part of why my kayaky-krew (and myself) make jokes about my skinny butt and narrow boats. (of which I have a strong preference for, which also means I have to search in OldSkool boats for ‘new’ toys.)  

It’s been a looonnnnnggggg day, but a fruitful one.   Bank run is out of the way, and I will be paying the billage over the weekend, All ahead of schedule.   Can’t complain about that.  Not going to hurt either,,, was a good week even if not the full 40: close enough that comfort is built into the scale.   My only desire right now is for the end of month to hurry up: the first group get-together at the lake is the last week of the month, of which I will be able to make the last 2 1/2 days of.    Need that face to face with friends.

y’all take care

keep on livin’

Monsoons in Applachistan

Whooo-boy, talk about a wet wet day.   This system has been blowing in from the west ALL DAY and its down pour followed by downpour.   

And amazingly, I got a full day in,,,  Shop time

And thats MY problem right now.   Wet weather, along with a cold day in the shop on that concrete floor,,, If I have had an injury, its reminding me of its existence today.   Achy joints, sore muscles, hips complaining to high heaven for release,,,,   Its the cold concrete that gets the hips achin’,,,  I have never found boot inserts that counter that effect.

And these thunder boomer showers are slotted to last all night.    Grizz is not a happy camper about this,,,

Poor fellers’ just gonna havta get over it, eh?

Mood is still in good standing, despite the aches n pains,    They remind me I am still upright and breathin’   There is something to be said for that.   I know younger in worse shape than I, so I can’t feel to hateful about it.  Not gettin’ any younger, and I did live fast and hard for many years.   Lots of good memories from it,,,,

“I see their faces, I feel the traces they left on my soul,

and those are the memories, that make me a wealthy soul,,,”

(one of the last great balladeers IMHO,,,)

sigh,,,

Its gettin’ late, and the drumming of the rain is taking a toll on my energy levels: gonna sleep like a babe tonight,,,,

tomorrow is the pay day, looking good so far; prayin’ tomorrow is not a washout.  Won’t kill me if it is, but would like that added cushion, so to speak.   I don’t like running close to the bone, carry over from my touring days when I carried mad cash from per diem pay (that I never got to use because we never stopped in one place long enough to buy a beer,,,,  besides which, we had beer on the bus,,,,)  but these days, I ain’t alone in that ‘runnin’ close to the bone’, am I?

And I will leave that right there without any need to expand on it,,,,

Keep on livin’

Tuesday, I think, mehbe

Seriously, don’t really care, except in how my hours are looking,,,  Burnout called in ‘sick’ this AM, the other brainded did as well.  Left it up to the three Old Guys to get shit done; and we did,,,  Made head way into getting two jobs started, sank dozens of posts for them and the crews will go back later to stretch the wire.  I have more gates to make, which was what I was supposed to be doing today, except the Emp Deficit meant I was needed in their stead.  Just another hat I wear: Take up the slack for the slackers hat.

Looking around, reading the world wide web and the doings of those in high places, the furhter poking of a bear that should have been left well enough alone, the further stoopidity of those that should know better, but whose actions scream they have no clue,,,

And I just can’t care,,,

Well, not true, I DO Care, the problem being, if I get anxious over it, I start to lose focus of the things I DO have control over, and my vision gets limited to fewer options.   Getting antsy over things so far out of my control does no one, especially me, any good.   I have two people (which includes myself.) directly under my perview, and I have to keep the table clear for when things do go sideways.

And I am getting quite certain they are going to go sideways THIS YEAR.  

You can smell the desperation…and not just in the politicos,,,  The feeling of fear out and about is Palpable,, People don’t know who/what to trust anymore.  I see more sidelong glances in public as people are really starting to get paranoid.

I am seeing more and more open carry on the daily , not that that is a bad thing in my book, but its showing the level of uncertainty out here.   Its a good thing because no one is raising a ruckus over it, its bad because this is an area where (until recent years) people trusted thier neighbors and leaving a door unlocked while gone was not uncommon.   That trust is showing fractures, gaping ones.  I can only imagine that in other places, that is trust is gone completely (looking at CinSin-nasty, coff coff)  Certainly was on life support (and failing) when I left there in 2010.  That was one of the factors I had in making my choice to move here. 

I wanna say that presenting a positive vibe in public will help alleviate things.    It does, it really does.   I can’t say how many people have smiled at me the last 48 hours because of my ‘vibe’.   BUT, there is a TON of negative that needs to be counter-acted on, and it takes more than just one dude feeling good about himself.   Said dude could even be targeted by some Negative filled other for reasons,,,    “How dare you be happy when the world is full of shit!” sort of reason.  (happened, don’t wanna talk about it.)

I feel like the disease is reaching terminal status, and what comes next is anyone’s guess.   Something is dying, painfully, but something else is being born.   Probably in the usual way: covered in blood and muck and screaming bloody murder.    I want to focus on that birthing.   We can’t save the old world, thats dead/dying/gone.   BUT we can help the newborn not be warped and traumatized by the dying old one.     There are enough good aspects of the old world that are worth saving, but we need to make sure they are protected solidly from manipulation; the cancer of our old world.   We need to protect the newborn from those in secret places that have destroyed the old.  Thats not going to be easy: rather like chasing ghosts.

enough for tonight.   I am hoping the brainded and burnout return to work tomorrow, but won’t be holding my breath.    Trusts get broken, they need to be re-earned, and the interest rate on that is ludicrously high.

And I don’t wanna destroy my good vibe anymore than it already has been.   Not destroyed mind you, but feeling a bit battered on.   I’m still smiling though.

Keep on livin’

Muhnday float

without water,,, well, not under me, had a bit from the sky,,,

Even had one of the guys ask me if I was stoned because I was so laid back about everything.  Naw,,, nothing that can be bought and sold had me on this ‘high’,,,

just good vibes and it carried over from the weekend.  Still is,,,   Reading stuff on the webs and it doesn’t phase me,,, How can I control those things, and how are they affecting me, right here, right now,,, They aren’t, not really.  Well, maybe that inflation thing but all those three letter agencies and political N-dimensional chess being played in the European theater,,,  Fuggem,,,  Vlad wants to tactically nuke some French Foriegn Legionaires, who really shouldn’t be in the Ukraine anyways, except some small balled pretty boy married to a Trans-horse faced-question mark wants to show the French still have a backbone,,,

whatever,,,,  Wouldn’t have any say in the matter if he did, nor if our Shaministration decided to relaliate and the lid comes off that box world-wide.   No say at all other than my words here and it’s not like I am some Sought after Guru of political enlightenment,,,

I’m at peace, and I sure don’t wanna let that go,,,,

Been noting a lot of people thinking that somehow, someway, someone, is going to pull the plug on the country.  Either EMP or cyber attack, or something,,,   Started seeing it after Tucker made comment on such, and now its going viral.     My take,,, not going to happen.   The PTB of our country would lose any semblance of power they hold and that is their biggest fear; as shown by their desperation/insanity with the upcoming Selection cycle.  They won’t be the ones to do it.  (UNLESS, its a last ditch effort to stop the upcoming election cycle,,, Don’t hold your breath on that one, they have the system rigged enough, even if its obvious to Ray Charles on Pluto.)) China or Russia COULD, but to what end,,, we are pretty much defeating ourselves, and Sun-Tzu (which the Chinese follow diligently) says, do not waste your energy defeating a defeated opponent.   The only real players that would gain anything by our total collapse into medieval times (which grid down nationwide would do) would be Iran, because we would no longer be propping up Israel with weapons and money, but then again, they would no longer be getting freebies from us either,,, (pallets of hush money for example.)   Sorry, don’t see that happening.  

————————————————————-

We are most definitely in May weather zones now.   Broil under a heat lamp all day, then chill out to thunderboomers at night.  Doesn’t bother me so much, but is going to make getting the grass war back in motion a bit problematic.    That grass is going ape-shit with all the water and sunlight its getting.  And the grass is too wet by the time I am available to murder it,, Shit would glog the mower down hard and fast and she isn’t exactly up to par these days, as is.

‘s’all good,,,   I’ll get to it, and not overly concerned if it looks like a hay feild in the mean time.   Can keep the area around the house trimmed down using the line trimmer, so that’s what I have been doing.  

Did a quick search around at river levels; even with all the rain we are getting, the rivers are still sitting quite low.   All this water is getting sucked up by plants/trees and turned into green and O2,,,  You can smell it every where out my way.    It smells wonderful, and is part of why I am holding my peaceful demeanor so well this week.   I want to keep that rolling a bit longer,,, my body needs the decompression.  

Did a thing today: asked the bank for a raise in my credit limit.   No need for it, but the hell with it, ask anyways.    Worst they can do is say no.   Won’t say what my credit score is,  but that score was part of my reason for asking,,, would rather a better interest rate, but I know the bank, I am already at their lowest rate.  As for applying for a different card: Phbbblllltttttttt!!!!!!!!!!!!   Have you seen the ursurous rates some of those cards are getting?   29.89%APR?!?!?!?   Ho-shit Batman!!!   Thats highway robbery writ large!!!

Anywhooos,,,,, Mama is in my face again, tapping my beard sayin’ “Loves on me dada!!!!”  

more later,

keep on livin’

Blissful weekend

Two days in a row.   not the same lake so this day didn’t hit as strongly as last did. Not the same boat: took Lyssa out on her post-operative cruise.   She is sound again. 

BUT

It still worked to wind me down and get my soul unwound,

and get rained on.  Again.  LOL

Thunder growlers wandering around now, and home resisting the heavy eyelids I get when the Negative Ions are top heavy, as they are right now.

yeah,,, paddled out a couple miles to a spot I have eyeballed a time or two, about two miles of water under the keel to get there.  Pulled to shore, and set-up a little camp,,, Nothing krazzee, just my PFD as a seat pad, camp stove to make some coffee, and CHILL OUT.   No pics,,, wasn’t anything exciting or new to me out there, and y’all have seen multiple pictures of that church.   Only big difference between the two lakes (besides size) is NO MOTOBOATS,,,   This lake gets chop from wind and thats IT, rest of the time is glass flat waters.  

BUT, that lack of boats made for PEACEFUL SILENCE out there, and I found my meditative state with almost zero effort.    DIdn’t realize it at the time, but I spent over two hours just sitting there, total ZEN out.   Butterflies were in force, and even had one that thought my coffee was interesting, though she never landed.   I swear, when there are that many, you can almost hear them singing.    Nothing intelligble mind you, they are the epitome of ‘FLutterheads’ afterall; more like the lalalalalallal songs little kids make up  because they don’t know the words,,,   That little ‘song’ had me mind wandering all sorts of paths from ‘such short lives, yet so much life while here’, to ‘look at that one crossing the lake,, In size comparison, she is flying 50 miles,,,,’  

Its the appreciation of what Mama-nature has created that always puts me back on track.   The areas I paddle to,,,   They were there before us, and will be there when we are gone.  The flutter of wings on a butterfly in this world are comparible to US in the great wide Universe,,, brief sparks, and so small,,,,   

yeah

Ready for the week now.

Keep on livin’

Scattered showers with 100% chance of BLISS

Started off on a rough foot. One of those “I know this is good for me, but dangit, just not feeling like it today,,,,”

BUT, like I keep trying to tell Burnout, “don’t quit, keep sloggin’ even when you feel defeated.” and so I pushed out, spent a minute getting a feel for the water, then turned east and paddled on.

And some Angel was thinking of me,,, Found this in the first 100yards.

Click to embiggen

Yeah,,, that feeling I had of “I dunwanna” vaporized and I had a shit-eating grin on me face.   I know it wasn’t directed at me in particular, just someone putting up something sweet to the world at large.  It sure hit home with me today,,,,

No power paddlin’ today, easy does it was the key.  only paddled about 4 miles in total, never exceeded 4.5 and I think that was from some following waves giving me a push: I sure wasn’t pushing,,,,

Average speed was low 3.xxish,,, with lots of sitting in place and checking things out.

Like this

I found that cool as shit and my pictures do it no justice.   The big rock on the right is surrounded by DEEP water, and the channel between,,,, I pushed my paddle in as far as it would go, and didn’t hit bottom.   Waves coming in formed a zig-zag pattern, almost herring bone like and fun to paddle through.

Lots of slow rolling swells today, LOTS of boat traffic and thier wakes, so there was some choppy chaos as well, but nothing BlueJean doesn’t laugh at (Hell, I think she would laugh at a tsunami wave,,,,)   New skirt made a world of difference in my drystate.  Everything from nipples down was bone dry (other than sweat that is)  Even after THIS,,,,

only lasted 10-15 minutes, but what was outside of that skirt was flat drenched.  Head and shoulders dripping water wet,

AND I WAS IN HEAVEN.  (honestly, the feeling was like that of a Baptism.)

After that little soaking, my relaxation levels were near the “find a shore, bust out hammock and take a nap” level,,,, I could have easily fallen fast asleep sitting right there in that kayak, I was so relaxed.

But I didn’t,,, enjoy it consciously, keep paddlin’ and smell the flowers.   And there were plenty of great smells to soak in .  Blackberries are blooming, some honey suckle are starting to bloom out, the wet pines along all the shores, clean water smells: BLISS!!!

Paddled for another hour after that little shower before taking a little break for hydraulic pressures.  Sitting there smelling, watching soaking it all in, when I heard the low rumbles in the distance.   The actual storm is so close, I can’t make out the thunderhead, but the clouds are that streaked grey/silver of high moisture climbing to the stratosphere.   

I’ll paddle in rain,

I don’t paddle in electrical storms, unless I get caught by surprise, and then only enough to get off the water.

Load my stupendously relaxed carcass back in the kayak and make for the put-in.   As I was putting BJ on the Buff, the temp started falling fast and the winds were picking up.   GOOD TIMING.

I only wish my descriptions of the day didn’t feel so inadequate,,,   Definitely a case of “Shoulda been there” and I do wish you could all join me ‘at church’,,,  More people need to do as similar as they can, and maybe things of this world could be different.