Friday Nite Check In

 

The Potato Garden is looking good.  We got a nice little shower earlier in the week and the sunshine has been working it's magic since then.  

Charlie Horse thought it was about time to hill those puppies up a little..., and so did I...,  😀

So..., I got busy on Wednesday and moved a little dirt.  It looks like a lot of hill dirt left..., but at this point the base of the hill get expanded since that dirt rolls down hill..., making for a lot more dirt to raise the hills even a little.

The potato plants aren't the only thing looking good in The Garden..., and the flowering plants don't hold a candle to the weeds that are popping up.  The damn daisies are sprouting up..., but not flowering yet..., but I will be picking wheelbarrows full of flowers soon if I don't get more of those green sprouts pulled along with the yellow buttercup looking things that are trying to take control.  I spend a lot of time on my hands and knees pulling those and other assorted weeds.  Charlie Horse tries to help me..., but Logan thinks Charlie has other ideas and thinks he needs to protect me from Charlie's advances.  

I missed a day pulling weeds on Tuesday to make a Costco/Walmart run to Port Angeles.  I was out of dog food..., and since I don't have big dogs that require a ton of feed in the half ton Tacoma on a regular basis anymore..., I can't comment on the inflationary impact of that on the budget.  Back in those days the inflation gauge consisted of dog food and beer prices.  These days it is beer and rib steak.  Walmart still has my beer price at $20 a case..., and I was patting myself on that back after seeing that the Forks price had increased to $27 a case a couple of weeks ago.  I see on my weekly run today that my my savings were a bit over rated..., as the price was back down to $23 a case.  But I felt a little better when I saw that even though the price of Half and Half had jumped up about four bits a half gallon at Costco..., it was still about $2.50 cheaper than Forks.  I was surprised that several of the name brand gas stations in PA had breeched the $6 a gallon price..., and even Costco was $5.65..., about the average in Forks.  And those Rib Steaks are both $18.99 a pound today..., though last week they were on sale in Forks for $14.99.  Oh..., and don't go to Costco on Tuesday..., that must be Old Folks Day..., I was appalled  at first..., until I realized that I fit right in  😀

Speaking of inflation..., I nearly went postal right in the Post Office today..., when I opened the Direct TV bill.  I had a couple of reasons for opening it there..., I pretty much have to pay a couple of bills the day I get them at the Post Office and take my checkbook and stamps..., because I only go once a week.  If I miss a bill by a week and then take it home and wait another week to get the bills mailed off..., it will pretty likely be late and incur a late fee.  The other reason was I always get an email notification from Direct TV..., trying to induce me to start using an automatic payment plan..., and this email said the bill was going to be $206 dollars !!!  It is usually "just" $140.  I had racked my brain for most of this week to try to remember how the hell I had watched that may pay per views..., or if I had accidentally subscribed to some "extra" service to increase my bill that much.  Well..., the reason I would have gone postal if I had been carrying a gun..., was..., that was just how much my bill was going to be from now on..., because my two year promise of the low rate had expired and this was the new rate !!!  I haven't read the fine print of the contract..., but I am thinking that I can't just cancel now without incurring some sort of penalty for doing so...,  😢

I guess I should have posted this one from James McMurtry for the Friday Nite Music Video last week..., a little closer to the Memorial Day Weekend..., though back in the day it used to be observed on May 30th.  I really like this one from the point of view of a young kid...,

Friday Nite Check In

 This is a picture of the dismantled washing machine about four years ago.  I was able to repair and use it until this week..., when it developed a water leak that my limited mechanical ability was unable to stop.  I did spend most of a day trying to clean it up..., and that was almost enough to swear off hairy pets.  I have saved you the horror..., yeah the horror...,  of viewing pictures of that mess.  I put it back together..., but the clean up didn't solve the water leak.  I loaded it up in the Tundra for deposit at the dump today on my weekly trip to town..., along with a propane tank to fill and a tire off the Tacoma that had a slow air leak that needed professional mechanical skills as well.  

I am happy to report that the folks at the dump were happy to see me and take the old washer off my hands and out of my Tundra for a mere $10..., and I was happy to find out that the price of propane has not jumped up in price like that liquid gas has.  The leaky tire problem could have cost me a pretty penny ..., if I had opted for a new fancy tire pressure sensor mounted in the tire..., but I chose to live with the low tire pressure idiot light on the dashboard and had the man install an old two dollar rubber airer upper unit in the tire.  I will have to consult my mechanical nephew..., A.J. Spence..., over in Idaho to find out if there is a way to disable the damn low tire pressure idiot light.  I mean I am 74 years old and have been driving since I was 14 and this is the first time I have had deal with low tire pressure idiot lights..., so I think I just may be able to live without them for the rest of my life with a minimum of trouble.

As for that wash machine replacement..., I think I can live without a new fangled computer operated unit that costs more than the washer/dryer combination when we purchased them nearly 30 years ago.  Luckily for me, my step son Jess had a unit that was the same model as my old one that seems to be in great shape..., and he just wanted to get rid of it..., and even delivered it and helped me install it.

I wish I had as good of luck with my weed eater.  That gravel driveway eats up line pretty fast..., and that necessitated hitting that bump thingy pretty often to feed more line.  Well..., the gravel ate up the plunger mechanism.  I can still feed more line by hand..., but that is a bit of a hassle.  The company only offers the full unit for sale..., at $18.95..., they informed me via email..., and do not offer the parts I needed.  I started to fill out the order form and it said "We don't ship to PO Box addresses"..., so I assumed that it would be shipped Fed Ex or UPS..., so I entered our physical address.  I have had problems in the past with this type of address confusion because we don't have mail delivered to our physical address..., we get it at the Post Office.  I thought well of the company for noting the distinction.  That thought didn't last long..., as the shipping cost and method was generated as "shipping by USPS and costing $19.99".  I exited the order form and replied to the email asking WTF..., in more appropriated language that that..., how they could ship via USPS and not ship to a PO Box?  And stated that the $19.99 shipping charge was totally out of line.  I didn't state it in the email..., but I get 20 pound bags of cat food from Amazon via the post office and I am sure that Jeff Bezos is not paying over $19.99 for every bag he ships to me..., and that trimmer head is way, way, less weight.  I am not expecting any reply from "the company".

That's about it for this week..., except for your Friday Nite Music Video from Corb Lund...,

One, two, three, four

The consumer, they call us
We're the people that buy
While everyone else is out to sell
Some kind of merchandise
We run to the boss and tell him
We need a bit more gold
Some tax deductions later
We still wind up in a hole

Oh yes, we are the people

Running in the race
Buying up the bargains
In the old marketplace
Another sale on something
Let's buy it while it's hot
And we'll save a lot of money
Spending money we don't got
We'll save a lot of money
Spending money we don't got

The consumer, they call us
We always get a fair shake
We buy a fridge that doesn't freeze
And a stove that doesn't bake
We can't buy nothing lasting
'Less we get that raise in pay
They'd only charge us more
For the things that cost us less today
The consumer, they call us
We're fussy of what we eat
We look at the price of T-bone steak
And buy hamburg meat
And all them fancy packages
We take down from the shelf
They're always full of good fresh air
When they ain't full of nothing else

Oh yes, we are the people
Running in the race
Buying up the bargains
In the old marketplace
Another sale on something
Let's buy it while it's hot
And we'll save a lot of money
Spending money we don't got
We'll save a lot of money
Spending money we don't got

The consumer, they call us

When the man comes in the door
To give us a deal on a vacuum
When we buy a rug for the floor
And how do we pay the finance
When the monthly bills arrive?
They just send down the bailiff
To repossess the car we drive
The consumer's what they call us
We're always deep in debt
From buying drawers in discount stores
To fixing the TV set
We go to the bank for the money
And sign for another loan
Pray the Lord doesn't see us stop
At the tavern halfway home

Oh yes, we are the people
Running in the race
Buying up the bargains
In the old marketplace
Another sale on something
Let's buy it while it's hot
And we'll save a lot of money
Spending money we don't got
We'll save a lot of money
Spending money we don't got
And we'll save a lot of money
Spending money we don't got

Friday Nite Check In

 We got a nice dose of rain on Thursday..., and I think the potato plants will be showing even more appreciation for it in the days to come..., and I will be hilling them up a little after it drys out a bit.  It has been a good couple of weeks now that we have been warm and dry..., the rest of The Ranch will be just a greatfull as The Garden for these May showers.  The forecast for Thursday only called for "less than a tenth inch" of rain..., but we got four tenths..., and another eight tenths on Friday.  I was a bit concerned that a couple of the roof rattling cloud bursts might have pounded those tiny plants into the ground..., but they were standing tall when I checked in the late afternoon.  The forecast for tomorrow is for "slight chance of showers".  That shouldn't hurt anything..., considering what happened a few years back.

This is a picture from 5/12/22..., when the spuds were just starting to show themselves.  At that time I was figuring on a "crop failure"..., 

..., but luckily they pulled out of it and on 9/21/22 I was harvesting potatoes !!!

Here's a batch of seed potatoes from that crop.  It was far from the best crops we have had over the years..., but considering the expectations I had after "the flood"..., I can't complain.

All that rain did put my Back Porch roofing project to the test..., and I am happy to report that me and the kitties now have a dry porch and no more drip pans to stumble over.  

Before the rain showers this week I managed to spruce things up a little..., some weed eating..., pulled the ferns and grass and sticker bushes out from around the decorative rocks around the Little Pond..., and cleaned a couple of water troughs...., and yeah..., the patch on my bathtub in the Northwest 40 has been holding water.

The grocery run today put a little smile on my face..., the $5.90 gas station was down to $5.76..., the Rib Steaks were down to $14.99 a pound..., and the $27 case of beer was back down to $23..., I would like to hope the trend will continue..., but realistically I think that would just be wishful thinking..., WTI crude oil was up to $105 last time I checked today.  So..., to repeat myself..., I can't complain.

Which brings us to the Friday Nite Music Video..., a song that I have used a couple times already..., with a differnt video of Cody Jinks and "I Can't Complain".

Friday Nite Check In - Happy Birthday in Heaven Julie

 Hey Babe..., wishing you a Happy Birthday up there in Heaven..., hope they have a good WiFi connection to view a couple of videos of Charlie Horse and some pictures of The Ranch this year.

I still haven't mastered..., or even come close to mastering the movie function on the Digital Camera..., and you can't hardly see the "view finder" thing unless the light is just right.

I guess Charlie is saying, "That's enough..., if you didn't get it on the camera..., it's your fault."

The Potato Garden is looking good.  I may have to string the hoses out to do a little watering..., we have had a very unusual dry spell for this time of year..., and the forecast is for it to continue in this manner for the foreseeable future.

The Japanese Empress tree..., that was a gift from some friends and one of the first things we planted when The Ranch was still just The Property..., has some beautiful purple flowers and the Monkey Tail Tree is still growing.

The Rhody at the Pet Cemetery is almost in full bloom.

These two of our four apple trees are looking the best.

The trees are showing really good growth sprouts again this year.

I even got the grass weed eatted out of The Driveway.

I guess everything can't be all rosey..., Little Bindy isn't doing so well.  I wrote about her little "journey" back on the 7/4/25 FNCI and how she was a mile or two down the blacktop road.  I think she had gone looking for you..., and it did happen again but I caught her before she got that far.  Her little legs aren't working very well now and I guess she has realized that she is going to have to earn her wings to track you down now..., and I am afraid that it won't be long.  So keep your eyes peeled for her to show up soon and join you and Khoel, Jenny, Bear, Cinnamon, Matty, Smokey, Little Big Ed and Hawchie for a big reunion.

Me and Logan and Che are doing great and plan to be around here on The Ranch for a while yet..., so here's your Friday Nite Music Video..., and once again..., Happy Birthday.

Lyrics

Good times come and then they go
The rain will fall the wind will blow
Through it all you gotta know
I'll do what I can do
To protect you right or wrong
Heal the hurt 'til the hurt is gone
I'll be right where I belong
I'll be here for you

I'll be here
When the sky turns gray
The sun goes blind
And the moon won't stay
I'll be the light to guide your way
Onto some place new
I'll be here
When the crowd is gone
The last note fades on the very last song
I'll be the road to take you home
I'll be here for you

When your star falls from the sky
And your wings don't want to fly
Just remember I'm standing by
To help to see you through
'Cause better days
Will come again
Clouds will break,
Your heart will mend
I'll be where I've always been
I'll be here for you

I'll be here
When the sky turns gray
The sun goes blind
And the moon won't stay
I'll be the light to guide your way
Onto some place new
I'll be here
When the crowd is gone
The last note fades on the very last song
I'll be the road to take you home
I'll be here for you

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Robert Earl Keen

Friday Nite Check In

 I have only been putting this project off for..., oh..., five or six years I guess.  The house fire was in late January 2020..., "luckily" only the roof got destroyed, though there was a lot of smoke, ash and water damage as well.  This Back Porch was partially enclosed with clear plastic sheeting on the walls and roof..., and the section of the roof close to the house suffered some melting.  So as a "temporary" fix I fashioned some feed sacks other plastic pieces to direct the rain water from the roof to the side of the house where it would not collect on the floor of The Porch.  Last week in the FNCI I mentioned that the weather forecast was for dry and warm weather for the next week..., and my three resident kitties..., and their friends thought maybe it would be a good time to initiate a more permanent "fix" so we wouldn't have to stumble over the various pots and pans that were strategically placed under the various drips.  

Above are the damaged pieces that I had to remove.  All those clear plastic pieces made for a nice green house effect that Julie made use of to grow tomatoes there for a couple years..., but I didn't need a green house, so I used mostly tin and just a few pieces of the clear plastic to let in a bit more light in the replacement roof.

Getting the roof replaced was bad enough..., but cleaning up kitty hair is a thankless effort..., as is cleaning off the accumulation of many years of pollen, moss and mildew build up.

That wasn't the only project that the damned nice weather called for.  I patched a hole in the bathtub..., no not in the house..., the one in the Northwest 40 pasture that I use as a water trough for Charlie Horse.  I thought it was just a little pencil size hole at first glance..., but a little probing enlarged it by a wide margin.  I have my fingers crossed that the patch will hold.  I fired up the lawn mower for the Little Puppy Yard out by The Saddle Bar(n)..., and touched it up with The Weed Eater..., then moved on to The Big Back Yard..., then on to The Gravel Driveway.  I got a good chunk of driveway done before I ran out of gas..., and The Weed Eater as getting low on gas too..., I think 😀

Somewhere in between all that I managed to get the regular chores done and even pulled some scotch broom and washed the Tacoma..., the Tundra is a future project..., and the damn weather forecast may make it the not too distant future.

Today was fairly easy..., mail and grocery run.  $5.90 a gallon at the first gas station in town..., the other two are a bit slower..., but not for long I suspect.  I have mentioned that I usually load up on Walmart beer to save $3.00 a case when I go to Port Angeles..., and if Wally hasn't raised his prices I will now be saving $7.00 a case over the Forks prices.  I did manage to nab a half price Rib Steak ($11..., use today or freeze).  I did have to pay full price for my other one. 

 

For your Friday Nite Music Video I have several reasons for picking this one by Josh Ritter.  He grew up in Moscow, ID and I have several of his CD's.  This one has some lyrics of Idaho rivers..., though we always called The Lolo a "creek" and not a river..., and I tend to think of the Priest and the Payette as lakes more than rivers..., but the Snake and the Salmon are famous to more people than just Idaho folks.  And the last reason for choosing this song is..., I once wrote some song lyrics of my own called, "One More Mountain to Climb..., One More River to Run" and posted it here on the blog.

..., One More River to Run

Here's the link to Josh Ritter and "One More River to Cross"  I don't think that it is included on any album yet.

Lyrics: The Chacos, the Brazos, the wide Rio Grande, One more river to cross, The Rogue running green through a cottonwood stand, One more river to cross, I’ve tried to be good for most of my life, And never do wrong when I knew what was right, So when I cross over my heart will be light One more river to cross. I was twelve when I first crossed the Cumberland Gap, One more river to cross, And except for in memory, I’ve never looked back, One more river to cross, The Snake and the Salmon, The Priest, the Payette, The Lolo, the Bravo, the San Bernadette, I’m tired but I still got one left in me yet, One more river to cross. My one true companion is carrying me, One more river to cross, And when I cross over, he’ll go roaming free, One more river to cross, Out where the paints and the ponies run wild, Through endless green valleys, ‘til one day he finds, A river and crossing it back to my side, One more river to cross.