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Friday, September 26, 2025

Friday Nite Check In

Well..., our guests have departed..., and it is looking like they took the nice sunny summer weather with them..., though they did leave a couple of nice ones behind..., so they could make a clean and lengthy getaway 😀  But The Weather Channel shows nothing but rain for the next ten days..., not quite the Monsoons just yet..., but certainly not sunny summer weather.

Charley Horse was the only one happy to see them gone..., he was shunted off to The Barnyard Pasture so the driveway gate could be left open.  I swear that Logan shed a tear or two when Baja barked goodbye.


 Dave and Jenelle were the best of guests..., they never interfered with my chores..., Dave is shooting the video as Jenelle is coming out of the motor home..., and I am coming out of The Barnyard with the wheel barrow after depositing the horse manure and leaves on the compost pile in The Garden..., and Charlie did insist on checking things out before returning to exile.  I also managed to climb the ladder and scrape all the apples that I could reach with the rake in hopes that I could deter Charlie from engaging in his penchant for over indulgence in apple gobbling when he can get to them before I can clean them up after a wind storm.

Trying to stay ahead of Charley Horse

I also managed to get the rest of Potatoes plucked..., and while there weren't any giant Fingerlings..., there were enough seed quality ones.  The good thing about them is all the eyes that they have to develop sprouts from each spud.  The Yukons tend to just sprout from one end..., so you need lots of seed potatoes from them.

About half this batch will be saved for seed potatoes.

Probably half this batch too.

So..., I guess we are about as ready as we can be for the end of summer..., and the wet weather might serve as a good excuse to stay inside and watch The Mariners in there first playoffs in some twenty years..., and The Seahawks are looking like they could be a contender this year as well..., and I better move on and not forget to offer up a Friday Nite Music Video..., like I did last week 😢  This one from James McMurtry off his new Black Dog and Wandering Boy album deals with getting old..., something I am quite familiar with..., here's "South Texas Lawman"...,



"South Texas Lawman"

South Texas lawman, he brings 'em back alive
He hunts quail from horseback and he cheats on both his wives
One in Rio Bravo, one in Raymondville
He's never been to Houston, and he doubts he ever will

South Texas lawman, old time in his ways
He wore the cinco peso, and it dogged him through his days
The hours were long and lonesome, the paperwork's a bitch
His years are empty bottles now, tossed off in the ditch

I used to be young
I used to understand
I used to be strong as any man
I used to be bold
Nobody bothered me
And I can't stand getting old, it don't fit me
It don't fit me

South Texas lawman, the work just ain't the same
Used to you could clock 'em good if they called you any names
Now he's up on charges for showin' 'em who's the boss
He reckons after Vietnam we must've all gone soft

I used to be young
I used to understand
I used to be strong as any man

South Texas lawman, sittin' on the beach
South of Port Aransas, alone and out of reach
Cellphone in the pickup, gun-belt in the sand
Lookin' past the breakers, half pint in his hand

Kayak through the breakers, to brave the silent sea
Cinderblock and a ski-rope coiled beneath his knees
Cellphone in the pickup, gun-belt in the sand
Naked in the moonlight, sidearm in his hand
Out past the second sand bar and on out towards the rigs
There's things out deep you seldom see
Some of them get mighty big

I used to be young
I used to understand
I used to be strong as any man
I used to be tough
Nobody bothered me
Now I've had about enough, this don't suit me
It don't suit me

I used to be bold
Nobody bothered me
And I can't stand getting old, it don't fit me
It don't fit me

Saturday, September 20, 2025

Friday Nite Check In (on Saturday Morning)..., again

Company stopped by.

 Yeah..., another missed deadline for this poor, unreliable correspondent..., but as usual I have plenty of excuses for my dereliction of duty.

My old friend..., and I do mean old..., The Skipper (aka Dave Watson) is just one year younger than me !  He brought the motor home with the little car in tow..., Jenelle and their two dogs Baja and Freida instead of the sail boat.  Just as well..., clear skies but not much wind for sailing while we were at First Beach in LaPush yesterday.

The Usual Suspects..., me and The Skipper with Baja, Frieda, and Logan.

Logan seeking some shade from the old, fat, bald headed bastard enjoying the sunshine.

All three dogs found a shady spot.




After our adventures on The Beach we tried to barbecue some Rib Steaks..., but had chosen some fake "briquettes"..., with oak firewood size and marble size that just didn't work out right..., so we finished the steaks off in the electric frying pan in the Park Model trailer.  And the adventures continue..., 😍

Not sure what the problem is with the non-loading video of The Beach..., maybe we can work on it later if the weather drives us indoors..., as the forecast suggests will happen later today.

** UPDATE**  OK..., I had to resort to loading to my YouTube channel..., here is the link...,


Friday, September 12, 2025

Friday Nite Check In

About 3/4 of the Yukons have been harvested.


 Well..., the harvest has begun in earnest now..., but before I bore you with the Potato Pictures..., I need to update you on the electric heater repair that began last week.

The heating elements arrived Monday and I got one of them installed in the heater that I had already disassembled and removed the bad one.  It appeared to be functioning properly..., and I even had two screws left over..., so I put them in a jar with all the other left over parts from other repair projects I have worked on.  

So anyway, I was feeling pretty confident and packed the other heater out of the little trailer and disassembled it and found the bad element and replaced it with the new one.  Put everything back together..., but sad to say..., I didn't get to add anything to my left over part collection😢  I packed it back to the little trailer and plugged her in..., thinking that I would soon be demanding a multi-year contract extension with a substantial pay raise..., and of course a substantial signing bonus as well..., when that damn green light started blinking again😢

Back to the work bench me and the heater went..., and if I had removed the left side panel first..., I would have noticed that somehow the electrical connection had failed to be connected..., but I had removed the right side panel first..., for no good reason as it turned out.  

So now I have two good heaters and a good spare for emergency purposes..., and though the new contract and raise and bonus are probably out of the question..., I am hoping that I won't be placed on waivers or demoted to the practice squad😁

The beer can is there for perspective..., but it was put to use after the picture.

Some more seed potato size taters.

Some more nice ones.

They can't all be seed potato quality..., but there are a few there.

All available apace was put to use.

Not sure what kind of varmint got into this one !!!

All in all..., I would call it a really good harvest..., not many real small potato salad side..., but I am still working on that batch of Fingerling potato salad size from last week 😁

Well..., not sure if you noticed that I posted a Cody Jink song last week for your Friday Nite Music Video..., that I had already posted earlier..., I don't think I have posted this one..., couldn't find a lyric video..., the lyrics below.



Lyrics
Well the face that's starin' at me in the mirrorAin't a face that a young man can recallThe lines are getting deeperAnd my hairs are turnin' greyIt's a wonder I have any left at allThis winter it came on me like a wildfireBurnin' cold and creepin' into these ol' bonesWith harvest come and goneAnother year is winding downIt's best that I be getting myself goneJust a lonely man that set out long ago for somethin'That was home
Well I finally kicked the smokin' and the hard stuffI drank enough for three or four men's livesMore habits than an honest man should carryChoices good or bad they've been mineSo I've changed a lot of things that needed changingI started findin' peace with my new demonI got drunk in '99 and I just sobered up last yearGuess that I'm still learnin' how to feelJust a lonely man that set out long ago for somethin'Somethin' real
Well I ain't afraid of dyin'There's people dying every dayI'm afraid of where I've failed at any turn along the wayWell I hope tomorrow finds meWith a chance to try againWell I pray the weathers goodMy backs against the windJust a lonely man that sat out long ago for somethin'That never ends
Well I ain't afraid of dyin'There's people dyin' every dayI'm afraid of where I've failed at any turn along the wayWell I hope tomorrow finds meWith a chance to try againI pray the weathers goodMy backs against the windThat weathers often stormyAnd that rain'll sting your skinWe'll worry about tomorrowWhen tomorrow comes my friendTake caution through the curvesSteadfast through the frayGot some ground to cover and skies are clear today
Just a lonely man that set out long ago for somethin'Just a lonely man that set out long ago for somethin'Just a lonely man that set out long ago for somethin'
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Meredith Jinks

Friday, September 5, 2025

Friday Nite Check In

Well..., nothing exciting to report this week.  I am letting the potato skins toughen up before I start harvesting in earnest..., but I couldn't resist pulling a few Fingerlings to see how they were doing.  Not much in the way of seed quality spuds..., but lots of little ones..., enough to cobble up a good week..., or more..., worth of potato salad.

This is my third Home Comfort (Heat4Less) electric heater out in my Office/Library/Computer/Music room..., still going strong.

And I finally got around to attempting to repair one of my electric heaters..., I had been planning to do that..., for close to a year now.  It had started signaling that one or more of the four heating elements had quit on me with a blinking light.  At that time it was close to winter and I figured I better just order up a new one..., based on the fact that a new one (the third one) would get here as fast as the parts..., and another consideration being that my mechanical repair record hovers somewhere between disaster and catastrophe.  So when my second heater in the Park Model trailer started the blinking light thing this week I figured it was past time for me to attempt the repair on number one..., so I could see if I could try to improve on my repair record..., and maybe even repair number two while I was at it..., and the weather was still warm enough that I could order up a couple more if my repair record stays in tack.

Stay tuned..., the new heating elements are on the way...., wish me luck 😁

This is heater #1 that I am finally getting around to attempting to repair.  I think I found just one bad element..., the brown looking thingy.

You have to turn the heater upside down and take off both side panels to service the heating elements.  Luckily there is plenty of info on YouTube to help with the repair process..., and even a phone number to call for more help.

Well..., I guess it's time for your Friday Nite Music Video..., for The Others (like me)...,