Coffee 11-5-16

Come in, the coffee is fresh & hot. At 26 degrees outside we need it hot. Brrrr. Tis a chilly one. Blueberry pancakes with real syrup? OK! Maybe a sausage link if you need extra calories. If you are planning a lazy day, skip the sausage.

Linda just left. Another trip to PA. She's got to go vote. She took a bunch of potatoes with her to give to friends & neighbors. We finally harvested them this week. As long as they don't rot we should have enough for the year. What a great success the garden was. Next year we'll know what to grow more of...and less of....and do something different with the carrots so they don't look like hand grenades. I've been looking for a PTO roto tiller for my little John Deer tractor & finally found one. It's very close to new & was half price. It works well! I'll get a pic of it when the sun comes up.

If these temps keep up, or should I say keep down, it won't be long before the Axeman gets fired up. I wonder what this winter will bring? Another like last year? We can only hope.

Hope you all have a smooth weekend!

The coffee is indeed excellent this morning Freddy. Sitting here at about 35 degrees outside (and falling), and contemplating breakfast. Thinking of eggs scrambled with salsa and hot sauce. Mmmm. (BTW, my wife thinks I'm nuts for eating this combination)

I can't believe that your AA is not fired and humming along already!

Good morning everyone....Still haven't fired up here either Freddy....although we hit 70 this week and today is supposed to be low 60's...much warmer than your temps so no need for the stoker yet.

Tonight is the haunted trail party so today will be busy with setting up props, lights and creepy things. We are expecting about 75 people...25 'parent/actors' for the trail and about 50 kids.

A bacon / bagel sandwich and coffee for me, I'm headed to the garage to finish wiring a couple switches.

Have a great day!

Good morning all, thanks for the coffee Freddy, hot & black is good for me it's in the low 40s here & may make it to 50, I'll take it. Haven't fired up the stoker & may not until I find out what my plans are for Christmas as we may have to go back to McKeesport for a bit. I have a ton ready & my supplier is only a few miles away & has plenty. Always seems to be something going on that I have no "peaceful" control of. Looks like I'll get a grass cut in but hoping for a good wind to get the leaves off & dispersed a bit, today should be a garage day to make room for vehicles. Hope all stay warm, dry & productive, be a good morning for the dog & I to walk to the lake again, yesterday a Blue Heron scared the crap out of us, they are normally gone by now & normally take flight before you get close.

Morning all. Outstanding b-fast choice as always Freddy--thank you. Been froggy/drizzly all week, a lil sunshine wouldn't hurt my feelings in the least. Not much goin on here. Enjoy the week-end people.

Fresh toast, eggs, hash and all the fixings...boys are happy and feeling the same...love to all...

Good Morning All, A quick bowl of Cheerios and I am now headed out the door for my second attempt to get to Lehigh for a trailer load. Coal bin empty so I can't lite off if I wanted to. My first attempt [last Saturday] ended when I was only 10 miles out and big chimes and a flashing red icon read CHECK GAUGES. Volt meter said no voltage . I had visions of me with a full load up in the "region" and the whole thing shutting down. I spent the rest of the morning and part of the afternoon at the auto electric repair place. Naturally it was making voltage by the time I got there. He said according to the analyzers it is definitely not the alternator, and it could be the engine management computer, it could be a connection someplace, it could be in the main fuse panel where the voltages from the batterys blend out and level off. The only thing he did know was how to make out the big bill. Now the volt meter takes about 2 miles before it reads full voltage. My mind is swimming with possibilities so the grand conclusion is to use this old Dodge like a rented mule today and if it wheezes out at least they will have something to look for as the cause. I love coal in direct proportion to how much I hate electronics. Wish me luck. Here we go. Mike

Mike, sometimes taking the connections apart and hitting them with a little emery cloth goes a long way. Also check the engine/frame/body grounds. I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out that the alternator/voltage regulator is on its way out, but start with the free fixes. Good luck on your coal mission. Bring your toolbox.

Not much news from this corner of NY. Still no frost on the ground, 6 eggs per day from the chickens, and about 15 lbs per day going through the EFM for hot water and bathroom heat. I started the EFM last weekend to keep the basement warm and dry. It burns about 15-20 lbs per day to produce all of our hot water, and keep the bathrooms cozy. I am still running the heat pump to keep the main floor warm - in this weather it seems to be very cost effective.

Good Morning All,
What a beautyfull Fall this has been.
Most all leaves have dropped here and what still remains is spectacular just the same.

Starting my next Solar Project...this one is a Thermal Hot Water System. Replacing the 41 gallon Indirect with a 110 gallon indirect with 2 - heat exchanger coils...one for boiler and one for solar.

Enoy your week end and remember to set your clocks back, too.

And hug thoses Loved Ones.

Greetings,Salutations,and,a sprinkling of fines to You All !

It has literally been a windmill of events,actions and fast Living over Our way ! This has been how the Fall seems to fly for me. I can't complain,and it's great to be able to grab a corner table here in order to see You All !! I'm on the thievery of pager duty,so I'll be closing the Bay down next week. Once that occurs,my ancient fanny just might be planted in a Coffeehouse seat alot earlier on Saturdays ! Miss Julie and I are wishing The Best to All of You as We zero in on Thanksgiving !!

Good morning, scrapple and home fries this morning. This is our last camping trip this year. French Creek state park. I bought a bag of bit coal to see if I could burn in the fire pit. I have an extra fireplace grate, started with wood, then coal. I'll try to remember to take a picture this evening. Couldn't get it to work with anthracite last time I tried. Dennis

Nice breakfast Freddy, thanks for the real syrup. It's chilly up here by the mountain but inside all are comfy with the basement stove enjoying it's first fire of the season. I plan on insulating my basement with rigid, foil faced poly-whateveryoucallit insulation next week. It should cut my coal usage considerably and increase my convection circuit.

Mornin everyone, great breakfast Freddy. Still frosty here, gray car and red truck are white at present.
Coal is burnin here.

Take care and be safe all

Good morning all, just sliding by to grab a second cup of coffee. My past week has built into a crazy active crescendo but one small project I now have is going over a Saey Hanover II I picked up last week to replace my little Waterford stove. At least now I will have a hopper and shaker grate to work with. I want to check all the cement and gaskets in it and give it a pretty dress before I put it into service. We shall see. It was the high 30's here this AM but of course the house was a pleasant 75*. Carpe Diem.

Looks like lot's of activity going on....dat's good! There will be soon enough days to be lazy.

Here's a pic or two of the new to me tiller. It's four feet wide. Perfect for the 18 HP tractor. Also a pic of the garden fresh tilled.....with one extra row. Deer tracks from a couple playful does yesterday. We are thinking of tilling up separate place for squash this next year. It crawled out of it's rows this year.