An exercise in ...

frustration!

I used the maintenance trickle charger to keep the 4 wheeler battery happy just as I was told to do by the guys at the place where I bought the expensive battery this spring.

However. When starting the 4 wheeler...it would not NOT start. Bingo. Hmm. I opened up the gas tank as I knew it was low.
Imagine my surprise to find it nearly dry as a bone. My friend had used it during deer hunting season. I think he parked it and didn't think to tell me? I knew it was low ...but dang.
So I went and got gas and gave it a good drink.

Still NO go.

So I left it alone while I worked in the shed with Rich's tool mess and started to sort them. Did you know he had 14 13/16 inch open wrench thingies? Yep, I counted them. I have plastic coffee cans that I am separating the tools into. I can then move the saw horses with the pile of hay chaff and other gross things away and make a place to put tools that is not in the way and is not filthy with bird droppings.
I went back and tried to start it again. Nope, same thing over and over.

Finally I kicked the heck out of it and swore at it. I put it in neutral, released the brake and considered pushing it into the yard and taking the battery out of it until spring. I also considered shooting it. However I sort of like the 4 wheeler and the tiny cart for yard work.

I stomped into the house and tossed my gloves and boots. Rich looked up and I said I was done...done..done...done. I wasn't going to pretend to be the maintenance gal anymore...., I didn't know what the hell I was doing and I was going to sell everything that was machinery on the farm except for the lawn mowers.

Well color me surprised. Rich said he'd get dressed and go start it.

I told him to wait a day. I looked up the manual on Google Docs where I stored it and read about cold starting. I'd probably flooded it.
I even tried to find out more about hard to start 4 wheelers. Apparently the older ones don't like to start in the cold weather. Newer ones have heaters in them. Seriously though, last year I never used the thing, just figured it wouldn't start because of the cold. This year I thought I'd run it in the winter. Maybe I was wrong about that and should just shove it into a corner and leave it until spring arrived.

But I was serious about getting rid of things I don't like to run, like the skid steer. It is a beautiful piece of machinery but in truth, it is not earning its keep anymore. If the only thing I am keeping it for is to clean up after someone else plows, is it worth keeping? I don't know. I suppose after a blizzard I'd wish I had it ... if it was gone. Maybe Rich can show me how to put the plow on and how IT works. I just need to get him outside so he can show me. That is the issue. I need hands on guidance.


Today I'm going to air up the tire in the truck and park it on the level. That way if the tire loses air again, I can jack it up and take the tire to be fixed. Another pain.

I'll use the warm weather today to get the skid steer out and warm up the engine and its parts and maybe pick up some wood that is laying up in the pasture. It needs to do some work and I need to get more comfortable with it.


Give me animals to take care of. I understand them. Machinery is not my forte.

[Last note...maybe I am so hopless and helpless after all. I read the troubleshooting manual this morning and it sounds like the sparkplug should be replaced if it won't start again where the heck is that? So it could be that if I can't start it, I will push it into a corner of the shed and wait until spring to work on it with my neighbor. I'll take the battery out and store it in the basement and do the maintenance charge on it once a month.]

Oh happy Day!

Yesterday while heading to CrossFit, I saw the Truck sitting outside the DeLap shop full of snow.
At least THAT headache was at the shop and not sitting in my driveway.

I think I am a worry wort...wart? I obsess when things are not going right. I like to have things tidy and in order. The truck upset that apple cart. As did the skid steer when it didn't start.

See? Machines and I don't like each other. But I am learning important things like how to maintain batteries over winter. How to keep the skid steer happy and working. How to keep the 4 wheeler properly running.
With the snowfall and sudden deep freeze, I worried about everything I cannot control.

I tried to get Rich to give me an answer as to whether or not he'd go back to Pulmonary Therapy. He keeps hmmming and hawing and issuing complaints that feel awful similar to a child not wanting to go to school. Meanwhile I have to monitor the new meds that were changed.
And I wonder if his reluctance to go is apathy or is he really having something else going on?


I decided missing CrossFit was not doing me any good so I went. I needed that. I needed to work out. I'd missed it for days while arranging for the truck to be towed and finding a shop I felt I could trust to do the work without ripping me off.

I set a trail cam up on our corner. I've done this before to monitor the traffic and watch animals that like to play on the road in front of our mailboxes. I set it up too for another reason. I'll get into that at another time.
I like trail cams and ordered a new one. My old one is over 5 yrs old and only takes black and white shots now. But still works well.

I like to 'see' what goes on around the farm when I am not looking!

So as the sun went down last night, I did chores. My stomach had given me a large revolt during the afternoon and I was sick as a 'dog'. I think it was my body's way of reacting to being a worry wort and then finally getting a release of that emotion by working out.
I'd slept most of the afternoon.

When I came in from chores, Rich announced that DeLap's had called and the truck was ready.
The little coiled line that went to the rear left brake had split, so it was replaced as well as the one on the right side. They'd checked out the brakes and they were all fine. Everything was good, and I should notice a huge difference now that it had brakes.
Hmmm.
The cost? $187

I'd gone to the one little shop in town where I could speak face to face with the owner. In the past I'd dealt with his father who I didn't care for, but this guy was kind and respectful and told me that no questions regarding a vehicle were stupid and not to feel bad if I didn't understand the workings of a vehicle.

The Truck Saga is over for now and it looks like I'm back in the business of being able to haul feed and...take stuff to the dump or scrap yard!
Doing the happy dance all the way to town this morning.