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Posted on 05/01/2025 6:15:12 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
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Beau was out hunting the other night (raccoon) and he has various colored lenses on his headlamp to see better in the dark. He said on one setting he could SEE the particulates in the air - and this is deep in the woods!
Yeah, it’s not good. I’ve been a little wheezy, but no problems other than that. Big rain on Tuesday will wash some of it away...I hope!
I have been indoors so much in the last month that my cough and asthma have entirely cleared up. Can’t call it a miracle because I know about all the cr@p in the air out there even in the country plus we are on a dirt road.
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I was able to get the mower running by using electrician's tape on the cracked end, but as soon as she warmed up, the tape failed.
Issue would be if it fits over a fitting on the engine end and inside a hole on the air cleaner end.
Both ends fit OVER their corresponding fittings, but, that one on the engine end gets pretty hot: That's why I figured the NBR line most everyone sells would be dubious.
Small engine shop likely has the genuine article in stock.
There are no sizable shops (of ANY kind) near us, but there is a small one I can try, tomorrow. The big one nearer us closed down ~3 years ago. :-(
Thanks!
Yeah, my better “head flashlight” showed up the smoke just on its “white” light, last night. It’s been causing me a little extra cough, while I’ve been out working on our vehicles a lot. Ugh.
try gorilla tape great stickiness
That (Gorilla Tape) IS good stuff, but, the problem is the heat softening the adhesive. Even Gorilla tape’s adhesive gets gooey when hot... :-(
Good electrical tape’s adhesive is actually better than average about heat, but, not good enough here...
I’ve cleaned the piece of old hose and esp. the crack as best I could using acetone, to remove any gasoline or oily residue. Then I worked a small bit of Vulkem Max adhesive into but not quite through the crack and overtopped it (the crack) a bit. That glue joint seems “fairly strong”, so next is to slip the cracked end onto the fitting. If that doesn’t split, I’ll add a hose clamp. (There was no clamp, originally.) It’s a really tight spot, so I may have to get my wife or daughter to get their much smaller fingers in there to position the clamp! Then, I’ll give it a whirl (use the mower) and see if the repair holds up, while I hunt down better hose or the right fitting. Complete specs on the Vulkem Max are hard to find: I “think” it’ll be good to ~185 deg. F, but, I’m not sure about that...
BTW, I’m betting a good part of the reason the original failed is not just age, but, the old hose material not being completely “ok” with ethanol or ethanol fumes.
Ugh. One more dry day. Then NWS is predicting 6 days with moderate to high chances of rain for us. My poor garden...
I may try digging up a few plants and putting them in pots: Most of my plants in pots are doing well. (The roots aren’t drowning!)
The wood for raised beds would be pretty expensive. But, long term, I wonder about raising and contouring the entire garden area(s). I do have so-so quality topsoil in qty.* sufficient IF I want to kill a couple nice sycamore trees growing their. And, I could slowly mix in gravel and river sand, with some of same as underlayment. Hmmm...
*SOME of that soil is from my old “worm bed”. It probably has some juglone in it, but if such soil is at least a foot down, maybe that won’t matter so much, esp. if away from the hickory trees, the juglone levels should be diminished by microbial action (which I can perhaps spur along a bit?)
“there”, not “”their”. Sheesh.
It’s too early for me, I guess... ;-)
Brought up a couple more big container pots from the barn. Have tree on the south facing patio now and will add two more. Down in the big garden I am just going to have tomatoes cukes and zucchini and those chinese long beans that are so good. My sabelka seeds (tomato) will have to keep til next year.
I ended up with only ONE ‘Sabelka’ because...Chipmunks! But, I’ll be testing it out for us to see if it’s as good as the saved seeds you sent me.
I also saved seed from growing them out last season, so we should be fine in the future either way. :)
We got a full inch of much-needed rain yesterday and no tornadoes or damaging winds. Yay! Today back to the 70’s and sunny later today. Heading to Monroe with Beau so he can get some trophies made for an upcoming Water Race and then we’re foraging for CHEESE since it is National Cheese Day!
Enjoy some smoked provolone for me! It’s still early for seed starting especially sabelka and sabre. Those plants last longer than other varieties.
Enjoy some smoked provolone for me! It’s still early for seed starting especially sabelka and sabre. Those plants last longer than other varieties.
I had a liver sausage sandwich on dark rye. And bought some of their Blue Cheese to go. :)
The Sabres were the last tomatoes I harvested last year. They just kept coming and coming and coming! Terrific tomato. I’m glad you shared some seed with me. :)
Blue cheese. Thats right up there on my olives and kale list.
LOL! I also like Blue Cheese stuffed olives! ;)
After my kidney stone attack last spring, I have cut back a bit on the kale and spinach...but not the Blue Cheese. ;)
“Yeah, my better ‘head flashlight’ showed up the smoke just on its ‘white’ light, last night.”
Beau and I were all over three HILLY counties today, running errands. From some of the hilltop roads - these were all 2-lane County Roads - we don’t have many actual, ‘highways,’ where we live - you can NORMALLY see to the edge of the Earth...or at least to The Mighty Mississippi River!
After a smoke-less but rainy day yesterday, the smoke was back pestering us again, today. It’s not unbearable, but it sure ruins a perfectly good drive in the country!
good one
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