Good Morning All. Clear here and 28°, going up to 54° later on. Mixed weather for the next ten days with tomorrow being the worst with mixed rain and snow, and a temperature of 40°± until Wednesday after sunrise. If there is any snow, it won't accumulate or stick since the temperature is supposed to remain above freezing. Of course, tomorrow is the last doctor appointment for a couple of months.
My neighbor up the road, Bubba, came down yesterday and picked up my tiller to overhaul and tune up. It had been giving me some minor issues in the last couple of years, and this year it was cranking but not starting. He has his home-based small engine repair business going on at the house and I know that he will appreciate the extra income from me. Plus, small gasoline engines have never been friendly with me. Tell me what's wrong and I can fix it. But diagnosing the problem has always been hard for me.
Meanwhile I cut the last branch up that I pruned last winter and had left on the ground in the back 40. Yield was 12-3" x 18" logs and a bunch of smaller kindling. I have already started on next years supply.
Out in the train shed yesterday, I mainly opened up and tuned up the three ATSF cabooses that I bought at the train show Saturday. They all went through my standard pre-layout routine; weigh and add if needed, ream out the trucks with the truck tuner, check coupler height, etc. In the case of all three of these, I had to disassemble the body/frame to replace the McHenry couplers (now called EZ Mates that are standard on all Athearn RTR) with Kadee #148's. Added all cars to the inventory database/spreadsheet including the maintenance.
While they initially look the same, there are differences in the blanked-out window pattern and car body markings.
They all roll a little bit better now, although I have never really had a problem with truck flash in Athearn models.
Now, where the hell did I put those Dust Monkeys that I add to all cabooses???
Joe - My toolbox is used less and less often as I advance in years. Cars have gotten too complex and I am limited to oil changes, brake pad replacement, wiper blades, some filters and spark plugs. I still have all of the tools for electrical and plumbing work around the house (mine only), but I rarely need to repair anything any more. Installing the tankless water heater a couple of years ago was hopefully my last biggie. But I am prepared. Since I no longer go on the roof, in the attic, or under the house, some tools are now obsolete for me. Wife forbid all when I turned 70!
But other than the tap & drill set that was given to me, I never purchased a tool that I didn't use often.
David - I have taken Doxycycline before without any of the published side effects. I think that as
Alan posted, it's a CYA situation.
Everybody have a great day.
