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.

Friday Nite Check In

 Well..., the weather forecast for at least the next week is for dry and sunny weather..., so I planted a couple rows of spuds on Thursday.  About all I can do for a while is watch and wait for some green vegetation to show up.  Glad I did it yesterday when it was cool and overcast..., I would have been working up a real sweat in the sunshine and 70 degree day today. 

I am often asked why I only plant potatoes.  I have never been a big vegetable fan anyway and The Garden was started as a hedge against a great financial collapse that was predicted by many to befall us in the 2008 era..., and some say we are headed in that direction again with a 39 trillion dollar national debt.  So..., while I enjoy a corn on the cob every once in a while..., it doesn't provide anywhere near the nutritional value of the lowly spud.  Just Google it up...,

nutritional value of potatoes

Potatoes are nutrient-dense tubers, providing 110 calories, 26g of carbohydrates, 3g of protein, 2g of fiber, and 620mg of potassium (15% DV) in a 5.3 oz skin-on serving. They are an excellent source of Vitamin C (30%–45% DV) and contain Vitamin B6, iron, and antioxidants. Naturally fat-free, cholesterol-free, and low in sodium, they are highly nutritious when baked or boiled. 

Key Nutritional Components (Medium Skin-on Potato):

• Carbohydrates: Primarily starch, providing quick energy.
• Potassium: Contains more potassium than a banana.
• Vitamin C: Acts as an antioxidant, supporting immune health.
Fiber: Found mostly in the skin, aids digestion.
Antioxidants: Contains compounds like flavonoids, carotenoids, and phenolic acids. 

Health Considerations & Tips:

• Cooking Methods: Baking, boiling, or steaming preserves nutrition. Deep frying (chips, crisps) significantly increases fat and calorie content.
• Glycemic Index (GI): Potatoes generally have a high GI, but cooling them after cooking increases resistant starch, which lowers the GI and improves digestive health.
• Nutrient Retention: Cooking with skin on retains maximum vitamin C and B6.

They're rich in vitamin C, which is an antioxidant. Potatoes were a life-saving food source in early times because the vitamin C prevented scurvy. Another major nutrient in potatoes is potassium, an electrolyte which aids in the workings of our heart, muscles, and nervous system.

Secondly, as potatoes have a high carbohydrate content, they can help increase serotonin levels in the brain, a neurotransmitter linked to well-being and happiness. Eating tubers can therefore help improve our mood and encourage a feeling of happiness.

Potatoes are often highlighted as a top contender for survival food. They are rich in carbohydrates, provide some protein, and are a good source of vitamin C and potassium. 

• Nutritional Profile: Potatoes contain a variety of amino acids, and while they are not a complete protein source, they can sustain an individual for several weeks, if not months, when prepared in sufficient quantities.
• Historical Context: During the Irish Potato Famine, many people relied heavily on potatoes for sustenance, underscoring their viability as a survival food.
• Variety: Potatoes can be consumed in numerous forms—baked, boiled, or mashed—making them a versatile choice.

However, while potatoes can keep you alive for a while, they lack certain nutrients, particularly fats and some essential vitamins, so relying on them long-term would lead to deficiencies.

I should mention that they store and keep well with a minimum of work or trouble.  While most of your other vegetables require canning or dehydrating..., I clean up the taters, make sure they are well dried and put them in brown paper grocery bags and store them in my Saddle Bar(n).  They generally keep from one harvest to the next.  Yeah..., if you are only going to grow one crop..., potatoes are hard to beat..., but as noted above..., they do lack a protein and fat and other essential vitamins.  Bring on the Rib Steaks 😀

I don't know how many times I heard my dear ole Dad say, "You can live on just meat..., if you take a bite of fat with every bite of lean."  I was never sure where he heard that..., until recently I found this...,

https://x.com/SamaHoole/status/2042224730028044458/photo/1

In February 1928 a Canadian Arctic explorer called Vilhjalmur Stefansson walked into Bellevue Hospital in New York City and announced, to a committee of distinguished physicians who had been waiting for him, that he and his colleague Karsten Anderson were going to live on nothing but meat for the next year, under their direct medical supervision, and they could measure whatever they liked.

The committee was thrilled. They were going to watch a man kill himself in the name of science.

Stefansson had spent eleven years in the Arctic living among the Inuit. He had eaten what they ate, which was meat and fat from caribou and seal and fish, with effectively no plant matter, for the entire duration. He had not died. He had not got scurvy. He had, in fact, been rather well, and had come back to a country that did not believe him about any of it.

So he had offered himself as the experiment.

The committee included some of the most prominent nutrition researchers of the era. They were, by their own admission, expecting Stefansson to develop scurvy within weeks, kidney damage within months, and various nutritional collapses across the rest of the year.

Stefansson and Anderson spent the year eating beef, lamb, veal, pork, chicken, the occasional fish. They ate the fat with the lean, in roughly the proportion of an Arctic seal, which is to say very fat indeed. They ate organs. They ate marrow. They drank water and coffee. No vegetables, no fruit, no grain, no sugar.

At the end of the year both men were in better health than at the start.

No scurvy. No kidney damage. No vitamin deficiencies. Stefansson's blood pressure had dropped slightly. His cholesterol had dropped slightly. He had lost a small amount of weight and reported feeling better than he had in years. The committee published the results in the Journal of Biological Chemistry in 1930.

There was one short period early on when the supervising physicians, trying to be helpful, gave Stefansson lean meat without sufficient fat. He immediately developed the symptoms the Plains Indians had called rabbit starvation: nausea, weakness, the feeling of being unable to eat enough. He politely explained the problem. The committee, slightly chastened, increased the fat ratio. The symptoms vanished within forty-eight hours and never returned.

The experiment was the cleanest possible test of the hypothesis that humans require plant foods to survive, conducted under hospital supervision, by sceptics who expected the subject to fail.

The subject did not fail.

The subject thrived.

Almost nobody has heard of it.

It is not in the textbooks. It is not in the dietary guidelines. It is not mentioned by the nutritionists who confidently assert that a varied diet including all food groups is essential for human health, despite the existence of a hospital-supervised year-long experiment that demonstrated otherwise nearly a century ago.

When the data does not match the model, you have two options. Revise the model, or ignore the data and hope nobody looks too closely.

We chose option two.

The paper is sitting in the library.

Waiting for option one.

I guess "fat" has a bad connotation..., so people tend to think that lean meat is better for you than the fatty Rib Steaks..., and the only hamburger in the store these days is "Lean" or "Extra Lean".  But there is a reason that your body stores fat instead of eliminating it from your body like it does the other undesirables..., it is trying to do you a favor by storing stuff that your body actually needs..., the trouble is that your body stores all of it that you shove down the pie hole..., and there appears to be way too many pies going down there.  I haven't absolutely cut out all sugar..., ice cream is about my only weakness in that area (but very seldom)..., or if I don't want to play the prude when someone offers me something sweet to eat.  

The other thing I try to avoid is white flour.  I have read that a rat or mouse can live on sawdust and wallpaper..., but will die in short order if it tries to live on white flour.  I only buy 100% Whole Wheat bread..., the 100% being the key..., simple "wheat bread" is not 100% whole wheat.

100% whole wheat bread is considered healthy because it uses the entire wheat kernel—bran, germ, and endosperm—providing high fiber, protein, and essential nutrients (B vitamins, iron, magnesium) that refined white bread lacks. Its high fiber content aids digestion, promotes satiety, and helps regulate blood sugar levels, preventing spikes. 

Key Health Benefits of 100% Whole Wheat Bread:

• High Fiber Content: Unlike white flour, which removes the fiber-rich bran, whole wheat bread helps maintain regular digestion and provides a feeling of fullness, which aids in weight management.
• Stable Energy Levels:
   It has a lower glycemic index, causing a slower, more gradual increase in blood sugar compared to white bread, providing sustained energy and supporting insulin sensitivity.
Nutrient-Dense: It is a good source of vital nutrients, including B vitamins (folate, niacin, riboflavin), iron, zinc, and antioxidants that are removed during the refining process of white bread.
Heart Health: Regular consumption is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers, largely due to the fiber and nutrient content. 

How to Identify Real Whole Wheat Bread
It is important to check the label to ensure it is "100% whole wheat" or "100% whole grain" as the primary ingredient. Some breads labeled "wheat" or "multigrain" are actually refined white flour with minimal whole grains added. 

Well..., that's about it for your nutritional lesson for this FNCI..., I am not sure if Jimmy Buffett really tried a vegan diet..., and I am sure I never will..., 😀