Week of Jan. 11 to Jan. 17

Monday, January 11, 2010

            It is in the teens this morning with a few scattered clouds as the sun is coming over the mountain. The sun doesn’t shine on the shed until 11:30, so that’s when I plan to go out and tackle the temporary repairs and get the right side wheel on.

            I worked on the Argo all day and just finished at 4:30 PM. I used 2x4s to make heavier temporary rub blocks and positioned them under the drive chains to take up the slack. I put the repaired wheel on the right side and managed to refasten the snow track. They never go on the same way twice, and just when I think I have found an easy way to do it, something else goes wrong. This time, after letting the air out of the front and rear tire so the track could be pulled together, the rear tire got pinched between the two ends of the track and I had to start over again.

            I put Slime in all of the tires, aired them up and took it for a test drive. The improved rub blocks seem to work okay, but I wouldn’t trust them for more than one trip down and back, which I’ll make tomorrow.

            I played with Zack one last time and then fed him and the cats. I am having my daily V-8 drink with apple cider vinegar and watching the fire come to life. It was a good day to work outside and if I had more days like yesterday and today, I’d get more done outside. The high temperature for today was 48 degrees but there was a slight breeze later in the day. I had been working in my T-shirt but as the sun ducked behind some clouds, I had to put my sweatshirt back on. All in all, it was comfortable for working outside.



Tuesday, January 12, 2010

            The morning started out mild with a clear sky and the sun cresting Greenhorn Mountain at 11:30. I spent the morning as usual and then got ready to head to town.

            Zack and I left at noon; heading for Marysville, hoping the temporary fixes on the drive chains hold.

            It is now tomorrow and I am just getting back to writing about the trip to town. We made it to Marysville without any issues and the temporary rub blocks held and worked as well as expected. A check of the UPS tracking site showed that my parts had been delivered at 6:37 last night. UPS policy is that if you pay for next day delivery, they promise to deliver the item no later than 7 PM the next day, but because you must pay extra for Saturday deliveries and my order went out Friday afternoon, the parts wouldn’t arrive until Monday. Under these circumstances, I won’t pay extra again as the parts probably would have arrived on Tuesday anyway.

            Zack and I headed to town in the Jeep, needing to run a couple of errands and pick up the house batteries. I also had an appointment, via telephone, with Social Security to sign up for Medicare, Part B. I collected my mail, stopped at Ace Hardware for a couple of items and then waited outside of the storage and transfer office for the Social Security phone appointment.

            The call came through at the exact time and I answered all of the questions so the person could electronically file my application. Why I couldn’t have done the same thing online, I don’t know, but in about 10 minutes, we were finished.

            I proceeded to the office and signed for the batteries and when the forklift operator brought them out to the Jeep, I was surprised to see that they were on a smaller pallet than my previous delivery of the same sized four batteries. The entire pallet fit in the back of the Jeep and after a quick stop at Costco to purchase their least expensive digital point and shoot camera, we headed for Marysville. My expensive new SLR camera has become totally unreliable and I have to send it in for repairs under warranty, so I wanted a simple camera to use until it is returned.

            Upon arriving back at the Argo, I had to determine how I would transfer the heavy batteries (158 lbs. each), and how many, into the Argo. My friend Guy had just returned from town and came to help me and we managed, with much effort, to slide the batteries, one by one, from the back of the Jeep into the back of the Argo. By placing a couple of 2x6 boards across the rear seats, we were able to get all four of them in. I wasn’t positive that the Argo would pull that much weight, plus Zack and myself up to the Divide, but wanted to try so I wouldn’t have to make an additional trip back to Marysville.

Batteries in the back of the Argo. You can see the fourth one on the floor under the ones on the boards.

            I loaded the remainder of items and the repair parts for the Argo and we took off for home. While the going was slow due to the weight, the Argo pulled us up to the crest of the Divide without a problem. My temporary rub blocks both broke on the way, but enough stayed in position to prevent damage to the chain from rubbing on the frame.

            The trip down the other side to the cabin was easier and we arrived home at dark. I unloaded the small items and left the batteries for unloading another time. Zack got in one last playtime before I fed the crew, built a fire and sat down to read my mail and relax before a shower and dinner.



Wednesday, January 13, 2010

            The day is clear and as the sun began warming things up, the snow on the roof began melting and dripping onto the deck. By noon, it was 45 degrees outside and calm.

            I had my morning coffee and routine, then changed into my work clothes and went out to figure exactly what I need to do to fit four more batteries into my system.

            The day didn’t go as I had planned, as it was one of those days when nothing seems to go right. I had laid awake the night before, imagining how I could arrange all eight batteries to fit in the existing battery box. I believed that by placing them on their ends all eight would fit, but it didn’t work out. Being AGM type batteries, they don’t have any water in them and can be positioned in any direction, so I figured that if all of them were on their ends, they would fit, but without removing two layers of insulation board, they were too tall for the enclosure.

            I ended up building a two-foot extension platform in front of the battery box and will temporarily put a cover of some type on it, until I can build a more permanent enclosure this summer. This means that they will be exposed to the elements, but these batteries can survive to forty below zero, so I don’t think it will affect them too much.

            I ran out of daylight before I could connect them to the current set, but will do that tomorrow. One last play period with Zack and then I fed all the critters, built a fire, had my V-8, showered and then ate some dinner before calling it a night.



Thursday, January 14, 2010

            So far, this New Year hasn’t been too kind to me. With the Argo problems and dealing with the batteries, I find myself facing difficulties I’d rather not have in my life. Although NWS was only predicting a 20% chance of snow today, the wind is blowing at a steady 7.4 with gusts to 20 mph and errant snowflakes passing by horizontally. This isn’t the type of weather I enjoy being outside in, so I may wait to see if the prediction of mostly sunny skies tomorrow is true.

            The weather didn’t improve, and in fact got worse with more snow and wind, staying right at freezing, so I worked on projects inside all afternoon. With clear calm skies tomorrow, and temperatures expected to be in the low 40s, I’ll finish connecting the new batteries and maybe have time to start working on the Argo.

            Although Zack is still considered a young dog, being 4 ½ years old in human years, he seems to be suffering from either arthritis or acute muscle fatigue. Playing in the deep snow, he over uses muscles he may not use on a daily basis, and this is causing him to be stiff in the evenings and into the next day. This morning he can barely walk to go outside for his usual morning call. I have checked his nails and feet, massaged his muscles and while he doesn’t complain, I know he must be in pain and sore, so I made him stay inside and take it easy today. Not playing at least once or twice is more painful to him than suffering through his stiffness, but I think he needs to rest and heal rather than play.

            The remainder of the day and evening went pretty much as usual and I hope the weather will cooperate tomorrow. Eew, I just checked Weather Underground and while it is for the Marysville area, a thousand feet lower than me, they are predicting partly cloudy and warmer, but they are also predicting winds of 15 to 25 mph and gusts to 50 mph. Not the type of weather I am hoping for.



Friday, January 15, 2010

            The sky is clear and it is 32 degrees this morning with winds around 5 mph. The wind died down last night and didn’t start again until around 10:30 this morning.

            Because the house batteries are on the east side of the cabin and the wind is coming from the southwest, I can work on connecting the new batteries with some protection from the weather.

            At 32 degrees and windy, the wind chill factor stayed around 28 degrees, which was bearable, except when I needed to remove my gloves to handle the nuts and bolts attaching the cables. I shut the inverter off, disconnected every cable, and removed all of them. Because I now have eight 12-volt batteries, I can connect them differently than I previously had, so I started from scratch.

            I had some difficulty getting four of cables connected as they were about a quarter of an inch to short. I had to bend one end and make sure the batteries were as close together as possible. I finally got all of the cables in place and tightened, then I tested to make sure they were producing 24-volts as a group, which they were, before I reconnected the cables to the inverter. I connected my wind generator and then temporarily covered the batteries to give them some protection from the weather.

This is the new set up with all eight batteries connected and functioning.

            All of this took longer than one would expect, but that’s pretty much par for the course around here. It was 4 PM by the time I finished and was satisfied with my results. I played with Zack and then fed him and the cats, started a fire and heated up some of my seafood chowder for dinner.



Saturday, January 16, 2010

            It is overcast and due to the warmer temperature of 35 degrees and rising, it looks like it might rain. NWS is still predicting 20% chance of snow for today and tonight, so we shall see.

            After my usual morning routine, I changed and went to work on the Argo. Without going into a lot of detail, I can say that this is no easy job. Just to remove one of the chains and give me access to install the new tension block takes a couple of hours. The manual says to jack up the Argo so the wheels can be rotated, but in order to rotate the wheels, I would have to remove the snow track, yet again. I tried to avoid that, was lucky enough to find that the retaining clip holding the rear chain together was accessible, so I removed the chain and installed one of the new tension devices and a new rub block.

            Attempting to put the chain back together is another story. After numerous attempts to gain the necessary slack that would allow me to pull and fasten the chain together, the day grew short (along with my temper) and began getting much colder, with snow starting to fall. I decided to give up for today and hope for better weather tomorrow to finish it.

            Playtime with Zack in the snow and then I fed him and the cats, stirred the fire and sat down to warm up before taking my shower and eating dinner.



Sunday, January 17, 2010

            The morning is looking much better as the sky is clear and the sun is coming up over the mountain. With the low of 11 degrees at 4:30 this morning, it has warmed to 40 degrees by 11 AM.

            I had my coffee and a bite to eat and then went to work on the Argo.

            Back online at 6 PM, after having worked on the Argo all afternoon. The weather cooperated and I worked in my T-shirt until a few clouds blocked it around 4 PM. I have played with Zack and fed him and the cats and they are now napping in front of the fire.

            Work on the Argo isn’t finished and didn’t go as well as I had hoped. After jacking up the right side, I managed to reattach the rear chain and then remove the front chain and replace the tensioner and block, but I discovered the frame member that supports the tensioner had a broken weld on the inside, causing the tensioner to drop down at an angle. This is probably why both tensioners broke in the first place.

            No matter how I tried, I couldn’t raise it enough to get something under it. After working on it for some time, I finally realized that I might be able to get a logging wedge driven under it. This tensioner is directly under the driver’s seat and gas tank; so doing a proper repair at this time is not possible. This summer, I’ll haul the Argo to a shop in the back of the truck, and get the brace welded. For now, I hope this will work and last through this winter.

            I didn’t finish today as the spring clip that locks the chain pieces together broke. I took one off one of my old chains and worked for almost half an hour trying to get it to lock before I discovered that the front chains have a different size link by about 1/16th of an inch. I was running out of daylight and it was getting colder, so I put things away for today and came in.

            After stoking the fire, I used my Dremel tool to grind the spring clip and allow it to fit and it should hold, at least until I can get a new replacement clip. I might just be able to get the Argo in running order so I can keep my chiropractor

Week of Oct. 19 to Oct. 25, 2009

Monday, October 19, 2009
The weather is still unsettled and it is raining this morning. By 11 AM, the rain turned to sleet and then snow. It was still above freezing so very little stuck until later in the afternoon when it had built up so much that it covered everything in a new white coat.
I spent the day inside doing this and that, working on the computer, watching television, enjoying a nice fire to keep cozy. I rigged Zack’s toys over the log beam in the sunroom and played keep away with him until he gave up. This satisfied his need for exercise and I repeated the game later in the afternoon. He was happy to nap in front of the wood stove and enjoy the warmth of the fire.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009
It is overcast and cold this morning, with the low being 31 at 8 O’clock this morning. The forecast keeps changing so I don’t pay much attention to it and just go by what is happening outside the window.
After my usual morning, I changed into my work clothes and worked in the generator shed until 5:30, and then played with Zack before coming in to fix him and Zoey their dinner. I built a nice fire, showered, and then fixed my dinner, settling in front of the fire and television until bedtime.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009
It got down to 28 at 9 AM this morning, and is staying cold outside. I built a nice fire to take the chill off the sunroom and then went about my usual morning routine.
I received a disturbing email from three different sources, all about the Copenhagen Treaty, and spent time downloading and reading the treaty text. If you haven’t already been made aware of this world changing treaty, please read about it. It could be a big step towards One World Government and the New World Order. This Oblamea, not a typo because we can blame him for all of this, is going to ruin our country within the first year in office.
In the afternoon, I worked on putting a tarp up on the woodpile next to the cabin and I restacked the wood for optimum space, cleaned the entire area, burning the debris in the outside freestanding fireplace. I also cut more firewood and stacked it with the firewood on the deck.
More play time with Zack and then I put away the tools and we came in. I fed him and Zoey, built a fire, made a cup of tea and rested before my shower and dinner.

Thursday, October 22, 2009
It was clear, sunny, and still cold this morning but by 10:30 the rain clouds began to appear and it became dark and threatening. NWS is predicting a 70% chance of snow for tomorrow night and then again on Sunday evening. I don’t think this storm will amount to much and will probably be mixed with a lot of rain, as the temperatures haven’t been that cold during the day.
I need more hamburger and vegetables for Zack’s dinners, so we headed into town in the afternoon.
One of my stops was at Costco, and directly across the road is the Humane Society. I had inquired about kittens in the spring, and while they had some, none were ready for adoption. They require all animals to have a check up, shots, and to be fixed before they can be adopted.
I stopped in and they did have several kittens that were ready for adoption so I looked at the ones available. They have a “cat room” where all the cats and kittens are allowed to roam freely, share toys, beds, food and play with each other. When I first went in, one little Orange tiger kitten came to me and was rubbing against my leg. I picked him up and he purred so loud people in the next room could hear him. After I put him down to investigate other possibilities, he continued to follow me and rub against me while purring loudly.
After I had looked at all of the kittens, I inquired about the tabby and was told that he had been brought in by a person that found him on their door step. A car must have hit him because his hindquarters were paralyzed and he was dragging himself around. He was taken to the outside vet that cares for the Society’s animals, examined and treated. They kept him until he was able to walk and treated him for brain trauma and an eye infection. His right eye is cockeyed and weeps constantly. Once he was well enough to be considered for adoption, he was sent back to the Society and put up for adoption.
Upon being returned, he instantly caught a cold, which is the Feline Viral Respiratory disease. It is highly contagious and often affects all of the cats in the facility. They treat it with antibiotics but the kitten didn’t do well on the first type, so they tried another and he got better.
I made a decision that this was the kitten for us; Zoey, Zack and myself, so told them I wanted him. Due to his medical history and only being with them a short while, they insisted that I take him home on a two-week trial basis. If he didn’t do well or get along with my other pets, I could bring him back. If he did well, I could fill out the adoption papers and keep him.
I was assured that he was completely healthy and had been checked by their in-house vet, so there shouldn’t be a problem. They gave me a hard sided cat carrier to use, telling me to bring it back in two weeks if I was going to keep him.
While he was at the vets, which was almost a month, they had given him the name Herbie. Of course I was under no obligation to keep that name and due to the fact that he didn’t respond to it at all, I thought I’d come up with a different name for him. Some names just don’t fit the personality and I wanted to see what he reacted to when I got him home.
We ran the rest of the errands needed and then got home around 5 PM. After bringing the kitten in, setting up a new litter box, water and food, I let him explore the cabin. I unloading all the stuff from the truck, played with Zack and then fed him, Herbie, and Zoey. Zoey was NOT happy to see the kitten and hissed at him, staying her distance. She pretty much stayed upstairs, where her litter box and dry food is, while the kitten stayed downstairs. He ate heartily and then climbed into my lap and napped. After building a fire and showering, I fixed myself some dinner, snuggled with the kitten in front of the fire, and watched some television until bedtime.

Friday, October 23, 2009
It is cold this morning, with the low being 24 degrees shortly after midnight, and staying in the low 20s until sunrise. It is overcast and dark outside, with the feeling of a storm coming in.
I read my emails and got bad news. My Air Force buddy, the one I visited in Wisconsin this past September, died early this morning. His wife, Rita, asked for information about his time in the service and I put together all the information I knew and sent it to her. The funeral will be held on Tuesday, and due to time and distance, I told her I wouldn’t be coming, but would like to remember him as he was during our visit. She responded that she understood. His obituary and the funeral service information is posted at http://www.roseberrys.com/httpdocs/Obits/2009/October/Smith.htm
I had planned on driving up to Great Falls to pick up my generator as the shop owner, Greg, had emailed me yesterday that it was finished, tested, and ready to go. Because of the bad news, I didn’t leave as early as I had planned, but Zack and I did leave at 2:30. We drove the truck up, loaded the generator into the back and then stopped to visit with Joe and Michele at their store. We didn’t get home until it was almost dark and I parked the truck in the garage, as I haven’t finished the improvements to the shed for the generator yet. I will make the necessary changes and rewire the shed before attempting to reinstall the generator.
I played with Zack and fed everyone before showering and relaxing with some heated up leftovers. The kitten seems lethargic and isn’t looking too good. He is sneezing more than yesterday or this morning, so I need to keep a close eye on him.

Saturday, October 24, 2009
It wasn’t as cold last night as the previous nights, but the temperature isn’t warming up. It is staying in the high 30s to low 40s, with an overcast and wind.
The kitten is looking like he is at Death’s Door, not eating or moving and a heavy discharge from both nostrils with labored breathing. I read every vet book I have for cats and knowing that he had a case of Feline Viral Respiratory disease I read everything about it. It is common for cats to have a relapse and I had no doubt that the kitten was suffering from that. I did an online search for information about FVR and looked for home remedies that might ease his suffering. About the only thing that the research and books recommended was the Children’s Afrin nose drops. I didn’t have any type of nose drops but knew he needed something to ease his labored breathing.
I decided to take him to town to see my vet, as waiting would mean letting him suffer or taking him to an emergency vet on Sunday. We drove to town and I called my vet, only to find out they closed at noon. I called the Humane Society and spoke to the same woman that I talked with when I took the kitten. She told me to bring him in and the in-house vet could look at him and give me the necessary antibiotics. I could either leave him with them to treat, or take him back home if I felt comfortable treating him myself. I didn’t bother telling her I worked as a vet’s assistant while in college, or that I have tons of vet books and a fairly full first aid kit for my pets, but told her I would keep him.
We drove to town and their vet, a young woman, took his temperature and handed me a bottle of antibiotics, telling me to give him a quarter of a pill twice a day (she didn’t even bother to give him one right then) and half a baby aspirin. I questioned her on the aspirin as everything I have ever read says that aspirin is deadly to cats. She assured me that it was fine and did wonders for the sick cats there. I doubted her and won’t be giving him any, after all, aspirin is usually to help bring a fever down, which he had a slight temperature, and to ease aches and pains. Knowing that a slight fever wasn’t going to harm him but the alternative of killing him with aspirin wasn’t an option.
We left, heading for home, arriving at dusk. I made a fire, gave the kitten a quarter of the antibiotic and made him comfortable. I then played with Zack and fed him and Zoey. Zoey has already been exposed to the FVR, so keeping them separated at this point seemed useless. Zoey has been staying mostly upstairs, but has been playing with the catnip-laced toy that the kitten had played with. They have their own litter box, water and food, so all I can do is hope for the best.
The first day I brought the kitten home, Zoey was really pissed at me and stayed upstairs. She would sit on the steps towards the top and hiss every time she saw this stranger, but as time went on, she got closer and investigated him.
I showered and then had some dinner, sitting down with the kitten in my lap, wiping his nose and weeping eye with a wet cotton ball to clean the snot and fluids away, preventing them from forming a crust. I put a very small dab of Vicks on his nose and I think it helped his breathing somewhat. I had stopped at the store and looked for the children’s Afrin, but they evidently don’t make it any more. The druggist recommended that I use a saline solution, putting one drop in each nostril, so I did. There wasn’t anything else I could do, so when it came time for bed, I built up the fire and made sure he was comfortable, letting him sleep in the new bed I bought for him.

Sunday, October 25, 2009
The sky is dark and cold with a heavy overcast. Snow and rain is predicted for today, and the wind is picking up. NWS predicts 60% chance of snow and rain this afternoon, with it dropping to 30% through the week, until Thursday, when it goes to 40%.
I was happy to see that the kitten seemed to be rebounding and was eating, drinking and being more active. I gave him his morning pill and fed him some wet food.
I spent the day reading and researching items on the internet. It held off raining, or snowing, until late in the afternoon and then rained a little bit. Aside from playing with Zack and giving Zoey and the kitten attention, I did little else.
It is now late and I had a shower and some dinner, and then watched television until bedtime.