Rainy Friday 04/16/2021

            It is raining, we need the rain, but why couldn’t it have waited until I got the limbs hauled off. Depending on how much rain we get, they could cancel the chipping of the limbs tomorrow.

            As long as it rains, I will be home bound. As you may know, I am a, “Very sweet senior person”, and being such, if I were to go out in the rain, I would melt like a sugar cube in the rain.

            I guess the rain has a couple good points. One, we are in a light drought situation and any rain is good, two, the Ford’s ole Chevy is getting washed without an effort from me. How do I get the inside cleaned?

           

            Life here at the Fords homestead is better, now that my favorite spouse has her email working again. I even had a nice supper last evening. Oh, wait a minute. We went out for supper last evening to the Cracker company, and yes, the supper was good.

 

            Well, since I can’t go anywhere due to the rain, maybe I will just work on my scale drawings of my idea for another wood project. One plan has me using scrap 4x4s as corner posts, but that plan reduces the inside dimension by 4 inches. The 4 inches of additional space is likely going to be needed. 2x4s will likely be used. That means I will need to find money for these purchases.

            As some readers know, I do not like to see people wearing the pants with holes in them. I saw a new one the other day. This female person had the jeans with holes in the legs, but the holes were on the back side. In my opinion, it looked dumb. Did she have her pants on backwards? 

 

            It is coffee time, so I will allow you to go get a cup.

 

Nothing to do, nowhere to go, that comes from getting old!

 

Senior retired person with nowhere to go and nothing to do, Don the Ford

None of your business 04/15/2021

            I know what you are thinking, what has the Ford been doing? As the title line states, it is none of your business!

            Since you are my favorite reader, I will inform you of some of my recent activities.

            When I jumped out of bed this morning, I went into the Fords ole rest room and rested. Maybe that is getting too detailed, lets move a head an hour.

            I went and purchased a couple Burritos, one for me and one for my favorite wife. They were good!

            Then I decided to see if I could get my first wife’s email working. She hasn’t had email for more that a week, and yes it has been a little interesting here at the Homestead during that time.

            I called Patrick for advice late yesterday evening, I wanted to know if I were to remove the accounts from her tablet and reinstall, would that help. Patrick said that might work and he suggested I get a secure key from the vender.

            I could not understand how to get the secure key so I removed the email accounts from the tablet. I tried to reinstall and it would not accept.  I gave up!

            Today I decided to try and get the secure key. I went to the web site and I could not make it work. I went through the process of looking and reading but nothing. I took a moment and thought, maybe I need some help. I then asked for help from above. Yep, a short little prayer never hurts, and for me often helps.

            I started again and this time I was asked to enter a security code and it would not allow me to enter anything. Below that it was asking for a nick name. I thought, does it want the nick name first, if so, why is the area for the nick name below the area for the security code? I gave it a nick name and the site gave me a security code.

            The rest is history. Donna, and yes, I used her real name, now has email on her tablet. I need to address the phone a little later today. 

            Ask and you shall receive! Request help with anything, little things like help with emails, and big things like miracles! You have been given the ability to do many things, have faith and all things are possible. Ask and you shall receive!

 

You got a sermon, and it isn’t Sunday!

 

Senior retired person who is in better standing with his favorite wife, Don the Ford

Outstanding Scrapper 04/14/2021

            As the title line indicates, I am an outstanding scrapper! What does that mean, allow me to provide you, the reading public, an explanation. As one would think, outstanding means, “Top of one’s profession, one of the best at some feat”! In my case, outstanding means, I was told to stand outside of the homestead until all the saw dust was removed from my ole body.

            I have photos, one before, one of the rack, and one now.

            My spouse of many years is not yet done with the move, items on the floor in front of the rack are to be given away. 

                                               

            I do have a plan for a second rack, but it would require an ole senior person to work, and spend funds that retired people on fixed incomes often do not have. 

            I have another photo of a flower that popped up near the Ford’s ole shed, enjoy!

                                               

            Some say the flowers grow at the Ford Homestead due to the amount of BS!

May your day be filled with my thoughts!

 

Senior person who would like to be nice but has a tendency to be, Don the Ford

Birds 04/13/2021

            Before I get started with this wonderful article, allow me to say, if you are sending my spouse of many years' emails, her emails are not working. She cannot send or receive emails. This has been going on for more than a week. Sorry!

            The other day I was in the back 40 when I heard something bump into my pickup. It wasn't loud but it did get my attention. Looking in the direction of the Ford's ole Chevy I saw a grackle (aka black bird) go under my truck while a hawk was flying above my truck. The hawk was basically flying still (that means flapping his or her wings but not moving).

            Suddenly the grackle flew out from under the Ford's ole truck and headed around the front of our house and the hawk was right behind him. I do not know the outcome of that chase, possibly the grackle is still alive.

 

            On a more cheerful note, I worked on another scrap wood project yesterday. Luckily, I had a couple 2x8s in the scrap wood pile. By the way, the scrap wood pile is reduced to almost nothing left.

            In the recent past the end board (two boards fastened together to make one end board) for the Ford's ole trailer had been damaged. Now I had not used the trailer since the damage occurred so I was not in a hurry to repair said board. I hope to use the trailer this weekend so, I decided to make a new end board. Photos to follow.

 

                                                          

            In the above photo we can see the tool used to shorten the boards. As you may see, it is a Do it Best saw, very expensive as it has a plastic handle. It did cut good and all the time I used it I would remember what dad told me, "Let the tool do the work".

                                                           

            In the above photo you may see the old end board leaning against the trailer, it is black. The new board is brown and laying on the trailer. It fit into the slots at the back of the trailer as expected. You are right, I am a good scrapper!

            I have a couple other projects in mind, one minor and one major, they will cost me money. ☹

 

            When my favorite spouse gets all the items in the garage gone through, properly placed, and or disposed of, I will get a photo of the new rack shelf.

 

Don't get shot, get a shot!

Senior retired person on a fixed income with costly ideas, Don the Ford

Another idea 04/12/2021

            It is not unusual for me, yes, I had another idea. There is a problem with my new idea and that is, I don't have the scrap wood to do this project. If I can find enough aluminum cans over the next two years, I will work on the new idea! 😊

            I have a photo of a portion of the present project. My spouse of more than half a century has been sorting and placing items on the new Rack / shelf area.

                                               

            If you are observant, you may have seen my assistant sleeping while I was working. Guard dog no, pot hound yes.

            My favorite wife and I along with our favorite grand kids, went on an outing taking a couple photos of the blue bonnets. I think I have a photo, and if so, I will post it below.

                                               

            What a good-looking group. We also went to lunch together and enjoyed some good food and nice conversation, Tres stayed at home.

            I need to get away from this "Puter", as I have a couple projects for the day.

Activity makes the day go faster!

Activity makes an ole person tired!

Senior retired person who may have a fast day, Don the Ford

Day of rest... 04/11/2021

            Yes, today is Sunday, a day of rest for many. I don't know our complete plan for resting this fine day, but my spouse of 52 years wants to get some photos of the grand kids near the blue bonnet flowers. The grand kids may not be into this but Granny is!

            The grass in the front yard is very tall and it needs to be mowed today. I was able to mow the back 40 yesterday, after working more than 6 hours on a scrap wood project. The back 40 is mowed using the riding mower so I was off my ole feet for a while riding around and around.

            Being retired person on a fixed income, I don't have a shop to work in, so I use the back 40 as my shop. The back 40 use to be ok for working when the big tree had leaves and provided shade, which it isn't doing now! 😐 I do have a photo of the shop.

                                                           

            This scrap project began earlier in the week, and yesterday cost me money. Scrap wood projects are more fun when you don't need to go to the bank and get a loan. I needed about 6 more screws (I had to by a box) and I needed some additional wood (I bought 8 boards) and now I owe the bank $30.00!

            If you want to be a good Christian person and help the poor, we will accept cash donations to help with the repayment at the bank.

            Well, I hope this day of rest makes my poor ole body feel better after all that grueling work this week. The project is complete and in place, but not yet loaded with all that good stuff.

            Mowing the front yard is considered as resting, right?

 

May your day be warm and sunny, may your coffee be the right temperature, may your nap be the right length, and may your spouse be extra thoughtful!

 

Senior hard working retired person who will rest while mowing, Don the Ford

It rained 04/09/2021

            We had a storm last evening, and it started just after we got home from the cracker food place. The rain started in a lite fashion and grew to a very heavy downpour. Yes, there was hail in this event, it was small possibly dime size. We received almost an inch of rain in about 45 minutes.

            I had considered getting the lawn mowed today and I was considering turning the sprinkler system off so the grass would be dry enough to mow early in the day. The rain took care of that. I might get to mow the front yard later today, if the next storm system doesn’t happen. Yep, they are predicting the possibility of another stormy afternoon. Mowing the back yard is out, there is water standing in it from the storm. I had planned on watering the black berry gardens yesterday, but the rain kept me from that.

            Our neighbor fertilized her yard yesterday. They then ran the sprinkler system to help get the fertilizer into the ground. Then the rain came and again helped get the fertilizer into the ground. This morning their sprinklers are running again, I guess they may have forgot to turn them off, or they really want the fertilizer deep into the ground.

            I did some wood butchering yesterday. I am attempting to make a rack providing some shelves for the garage. I did the initial listening to my first wife as to her; I mean our needs for the shelves. I measured the area in which a rack would set, and that was where I made an error.

            I then drew up some plans to scale, and recorded my bill of materials. I wanted to use the scrap wood if possible. I then got the chop saw out and did a bunch of adjustments in order to make the first cuts. I basically put in most of the day measuring and cutting the scrap wood.

            After butchering the wood, I brought it to the garage and temporarily place some of the parts together, so my spouse of 52 years could get an idea of what it should look like. She looked at it and said it is too big for the area.

            I then secured a tape measure and check the amount of room for the rack. My first measurement was incorrect. It was off by 6 inches.

            After the tears subsided, that means reduced for that one reader, I began to get out some of the needed tools to correct this error. It wasn’t too bad, I only had to remove the 6 inches from 6 boards. I then stopped for the day.

            Tired, almost unable to walk or talk, I drug myself into the homestead, where I was reminded that we were going out for the evening repast. I sprang into action washing some, not all the dirt and dust off me, and putting on some clean clothes.

                                                THE END

Where to start work today, who knows!

Senior person who is over worked and sometimes enjoys it, Don the Ford

Photos 04/08/2021

            I have a few photos; each photo is said to be worth a thousand words. Let us reduce the expectations, and in this setting say, each photo is worth a few words.

     

                                          

        

              Moon this morning, ditch weeds cut, squirrel stealing bird food.

            I have things to do, I can't sit here and enter data all morning, and I need coffee!

If you water the lawn, you will need to mow! ☹

 

Senior person who works too hard for too little reward, Don the Ford