Yes the title is a definition that applies to me, “Always working”! Seldom do I get to take a break here at the Ford Homestead. On Tuesday of this week, I was required to fill in for the Grounds Manager, again! It seems as if every time there is any hard work for the Grounds Manager, he always has a reason to be gone.
All the flower beds here at the Homestead need to be cleaned out so we assigned him the work, he responded with, “I have to go out of town for a week”. Since the weather was extremely good on Tuesday I stepped in and began the work. Consider, I was on my hands and knees removing leaves and dead flowers plus weeds from the flower bed. This particular bed is about 30 feet long and about 3 foot deep. There are rose bushes, cacti and other bushes that I had to work around.
I was impelled several times even though I was working with gloves on. I was required to transplant four of the cacti. These cacti are very pretty but get real big, and having them in a flower bed close to the house is not good. I am going to try to move the large cactus too, and hope that I can get enough of the roots so it doesn’t die.
Can you understand how demeaning it is when one of your neighbors sees you doing the Grounds Managers work? The neighbor might ask why you are on your knees in the yard again. Can’t you afford to have someone do this dirty work? It must be terrible to be so poor! How embarrassing!
Well, the good thing about this situation, if there is a good thing, the flower bed was at the back side of the house so few, if anyone would, see me. Click to enlarge.
The next day, after working my old senior body to a point of near exhaustion, I decided that I should do less strenuous work, allowing my body to recover. I checked out the old tiller considering replacing the old motor. After reviewing specifications I found that I could not change the motors in a manner that would not directly affect our meager food budget. That idea went out the window.
I then decided to try and replace fuel lines on the string trimmer. If you haven’t attempted to do this you will not understand the challenges that one would face in taking the trimmer apart, finding and replacing the gas lines and then putting said unit back together, all in hopes it will run.
I went to brand X hardware store as it is closer to my homestead than the DIB store. One of their knowledgeable persons helped me find the vinyl tubing’s for the job. I purchased 12 inches of each. On my way out of the store I noticed that they had the gas lines in a prepackaged form. Why didn’t he show me this before he cut the other tubing?
I replaced the tubing’s, which was not an easy task, and I was skeptical that one of the vinyl tubes was going to seal properly, and not leak. I reassembled the gas take and carburetor, then, before putting the unit completely back together I added some gas. In a very short time there was a leak. I was correct, the one tube was too small in diameter.
The above photo is of the unit minus the tank with the old gas lines in place, click to enlarge.
Today I must go back to the X hardware store, (the name of the store is kind of like playing cards) and get the correct vinyl tube and again work my fingers to the bone trying to repair the trimer. It would be so nice if I weren’t on a fixed income, then I could purchase new equipment and not have to try and repair the old!
May your day be filled with new equipment!
Don Ford
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