Coffee 7-2-11

Looks like this is 4th of July coffee. Happy 4th! <setting off a string of firecrackers> Hey, I see Maine just changed it's law & we are going to be able to buy fireworks here! Awww, gee, after all these years this new governor has decided we should be treated like adults. It will take effect in 90 days. A bit late for this year.
I have solar power! My plan is to have four spare panels that I will put on top of my windmill tower, but I won't get to that project until next year so I put those four on the garage for now. Yesterday I actually sent some extra power out to the grid! Only one KHW, but, some is some!
OK... eggs & sausage are cooking. We're headed north today to replace a water pump at north camp. Maybe spend the night?

Hope you all have a fine weekend!

Unbelievable! The entire forum is too busy with other things to comment?! Freddie posting at 06:18?! That is practically noon to him!
If the traffic yesterday and last night is any indication, hoards of vacationers are headed to Maine, NH and VT!
Some of us poor soles will have to pick up the slack I guess. 51 degrees, brilliant sun, gas is 3.51, diesel is 3.82,
home heating oil is 3.44, coal is .......who cares what it costs......
It will always be a great value, and comfort is priceless!

Enjoy safe travel to where ever you are going, and remember what this holiday really represents........despite what Washington is always trying to take away.

Happy 4th everyone! I'm off to a friends house, to rip some lumber on his sawmill. 36ft cants for his new house, and some siding for me. Gotta get done by noon, its gonna be a scorcher down here.
Folgers for me, and maybe a donut.

Congrats on the solar panels Freddy, you might send some more power off while your up at the camp. Just a quick cup of black coffee for me & I`m off to an auction to see if there is anything that I don`t need that is cheap enough that I`ll buy anyway. Gonna be a schorcher here also, good for the solar panels.

Hey freddie, what did the solar panel setup run ya? PM me if you like. Looking at cutting costs as much as possible so i can focus putting my money on some remodeling. I have all day sun at my location so maybe worthwhile if cost is right.

Morning all,

Happy 4th of July! Not much going on today but we'll be celebrating tomorrow with fireworks of our own and then heading in to the big show on Monday. Actually we've only gone all the way to the National Mall one time about 20 years ago; that was enough. Now we drive to the Pentagon parking lot and tune our radio to the talk channel so we can hear the accompanying music. From there we can see just about everything but not have the hassle of dealing with everyone else. It's fun, everyone will bring lawn chairs, picnics and footballs and we'll have party with who is ever there. The best part is we'll be on the expressway home before the first Metro Train leaves the city.

We are doing one new to us interesting thing Monday, meeting the folks who will be our in laws come JAN. What can I say except it will be interesting. Other then that there is nothing planned. Beyond watering there is nothing to do in the yard - good thing, too, as we are going to get the heat many of you are having now. For some reason my tomatoes are growing like gangbusters - not bragging or complaining, just stating a fact. I had to extend the tomato cages to help support the weight. I should have vine ripe tomatoes in a week to 10 days. I wish I knew what I did so I could make sure I do it again.

I hope that everyone has a great 4th while remembering what's it all about, be safe. Lisa

Eggs & sausage, my favorite! The coffee is outstanding this morning, but I will admit that the wife and I spent two days trying to assemble and operate our new coffee pot. This thing has its own grinder, heats the water to 200 degrees F, and has about 10 different settings for grind size, brew strength, etc. I did a few test runs with plain water to flush it out, set everything on "medium" and let it rip this morning. The coffee is excellent, and very hot...so I guess it was a successful "launch".

Fred, if you are going to Cincinnatus you should keep an eye out for a garage with a 12 ton coal bin attached. Another forum member is working on an EFM install and last I heard they had constructed a monster coal bin out of bridge decking and concrete.

Speaking of coal bins, I hate to say it...but it is time to start thinking of next year's supply. Suppliers don't want everyone to call the second week of October, so if you have the means it is a good time to shop around for some coal.

Good morning all:

I know this is a late addition, however, I have been busy this a.m. The wife and I were going to go down to my parents for the day so I could continue on the install of their new coal furnace. I have a thread in the stoker section titled (looking for info) where I keep adding updates to the progress. That has changed, I am going to work in the shop all day today so I can try to catch up on some work. Never seems to be enough time for that. Freddie, I'll take a cup of java and a glass of soda as well. Good thing I have the soda already in hand. The Jotul 507 is still idling nicely today. The stove is just warm to the touch and the house is comfortable. Late this afternoon/early evening I will get out the Ferguson 35 so I can remove the chains. I need to use the tractor on a project a neighbor has going. It will be fun, anytime I get the chance to use the Fergie is always a good time.

The wife and I have no plans for this holiday weekend except for my working in the shop. Sometime between taking the chains off of the Fergie and darkness my wife and I will head out for a ten mile run today. Tomorrow will be an early morning run and will be our long run day, probably fourteen to fifteen miles. I always day dream about coal, stoves, and parents furnace install when we are on our long runs and lets not forget snow. I am off to the shop. I hope everyone has a good safe holiday weekend.

The snowman.

Happy 4th to all!

Not much to report, other than I had the chance to shoot up my old printer. I feel a little better now.

Busy as hell around here. Trying to get a bunch of engines running before I make my trek down to SC. I'll be delivering my El Camino to someone who will restore it & store it until the owner gets back from the sandbox. Just put some motor mounts in it for him yesterday, along with a new distributor setup & a header gasket. If it were anyone else I'd have charged through the roof for this, but since he's defending my freedom I figure I can go the extra mile for him. In this case, an extra 900 miles.

Gotta go put the cams back in this RM-Z250 now, so enjoy my home-made fireworks! (well, more of a bomb than fireworks ...)

(Beware of my potty mouth - F-bombs & S-bombs are flying! Want to keep the family atmosphere of Freddy's House, after all. ) http://nepacrossroads.com/download/file.php?id=27782

Freddy: NICE panels! I am envious!
Smitty: you been making grease pies again? Wow, does your wife know you wear the wedding ring while working? I always take mine off while working, I believe the piece of gold is symbolic, the real wedding band is still on my finger weather or not that gold band is there.

Heres a little video of the work I was doing today. Lots of fun, but WOW was it hot.

Nice sawmill! Now that's American ingenuity at it's finest right there! What a setup!

That ring is 14K white gold, so it's pretty tough. I never take it off. The only time it's come off my finger since we got married in '04 is by accident. I almost lost it in a storm drain the day after the wedding while working in some hellhole neighborhood in Worcester. I took my glove off to do something & I hear " PING ..... PING .. ping..ping!" as I watch my brand new ring head for a drain grate! Luckily I had enough sense to pull the brake before I dove out of the truck head first & stopped it about one foot away! Talk about heart attack city! It's come off a few other times, mostly while showering or washing my hands, but never comes off intentionally. Just the way I am with that, I guess.

I had a coffee to go yesterday, too busy to get talked fast. With Freddy and everyone else installing solar panels I fear the day is fast approaching that we will have a sunlight crisis. When you absorb sunlight to make electricity it leaves less sunlight available for plants and this could cause food shortages within ten years.

Lowfog01; it does appear like it will be a good year for tomatoes up here also. Check these guys out for tomato cages.http://tomatocage.com/ They make some real nice, large heavy duty cages. Not cheap though.

The snowman tired me out talking of ten mile runs and longer. You did motivate me to take a fifty mile drive last night with a stop at DD for a coolatta at the half way point.

SMITTY; remember to take the wedding ring off when you go to a bar and when with your girlfriend.

Today’s agenda is to pour more cement and maybe mow between the rain showers. I mixed and poured half my cement yesterday and hope to do the other half today. I have to pour slabs under all my gates to keep the dogs from digging out. The bunnies tease the dogs and a motivated Eskie can dig his way out in a few minutes. The rest of the fence is protected with a strategically place wire hooked to a shocker; with the gateways cemented I hope the yard is dog proof. We shall see.

Blueberries and raspberries are ripening. We had fresh blueberry pie yesterday and a red raspberry pie should get made today along with some raspberry jam. The wet spring was perfect for giving good size to the berries without having to irrigate.

Everyone have a nice 4th.

Good morning everyone. It is sunny and clear here in Lacrosse, Wi. I will just mosey over to the breakfast bar here at the Days Inn and get what I like. Who wants a cup of coffee? I'll pour an extra cup.

I will get home in time to take my oldest along with my money to Bloomsburg University on the 4th of July!! Then 2 days off for R and R Freddy, be careful with those fireworks. In Pennsylvania they sell everything, but only to people who live out of state!! Oh yeah, they card everybody that comes in!!!

Start your shopping early, Christmas is in only 6 months!!!