My dually is under there....somewhere.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time"............................... An often used phrase in a lot of my memories.

Times Change.....
Remember when people had diaries & got mad when someone read them? Now we put everything online and get mad when people don't.

Escapees Happy Hour 1

I got bored so I made a short video. First time using Open Shot editing software.

Dad's Hammer

This is a little story I wrote a few years back about my Dad. Just ran across it and decided to post it here. 

Dad's Hammer...

At one point in his colorful life, my father worked for the Nickel Plate Railroad. He was a tender, one of the guys who would prepare the trains in the mornings and throughout the day as trains came in & out.

I don't know exactly how he ended up leaving that job, but before he left he "acquired" a 2lb sledge hammer that had great sentimental value to him. Growing up as a boy who was always into his tool & such, I ran across that hammer a few times, I remember one time I was using it to break up the sidewalk at my neighbors house.....got in trouble for that....but got in more trouble for using Dad's Nickel Plate Railroad hammer. I knew I was not supposed to touch that hammer.

Many years passed & I had grown into a man. Dad had been diagnosed with Leukemia & he knew he was in the final chapter of his life.

He asked me to come over to his house one day unexpectedly one Saturday. Like all busy family men I had other things to do but I also knew that my time with him was running short.

When I arrived he was sitting in his chair with a box on his lap. He told me that he had some things he wanted me to have.

Inside that box was a silver pocket watch and a World War One army issue shaving kit that belonged to my Grandfather. Also in that box was Dad's hammer. You can still after almost 100 years make out the Nickel Plate Railroad logo stamped in the side.

It needs a new handle but I don't think I'll replace it. I don't use that hammer anyway.

I pic from kayak fishing 2 summers ago. Had enough winter. Ready for Spring.

What ever you do while camping, don't piss off Bigfoot.

A great video about living free. Well worth the time to watch.

Without Bounds

My House Kacey Musgraves

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1VUNkukdHM

I got the dually back and what a difference!! It's starting, running smoother, and has MUCH more power. I have not got the bill yet......but I think it will be worth it!

Those hard lessons.......

The new dually I bought seems to run fine, that is, as long as its warm out. I started noticing it starting harder as it began to cool off outside. Now that we have seen some temps in the 30's F it would not start.

I expected it needed glow plugs and probably a relay as those 7.3 litre diesels were kinda known for having issues. So I scheduled an appointment with my mechanic to change them out. He picked it up Thur eve and stopped by to see me at work yesterday. When he comes to see me, it's never good.

At some point in the past the area behind the turbo on the back of the engine has been on fire and several wires and various parts are burned or missing. Apparently, a squirrel or something built a nest back there and it caught on fire. The previous owner had to know this because the truck had been fixed just enough so it was impossible to tell it happened without removing several covers off the engine.  It can be fixed correctly, but when it's all said and done, it will cost about 8 times as much as the original fix.

Luckily, I paid far below actual value so I've got some room, just not expecting the expense. The good news is that once fixed it should start even in the coldest weather, run like a top, and see improved fuel mileage.

So all in all, I'm glad to find it now while I'm still working steady rather than after I get on the road.