Just lovely all round, in spite of a small issue with the recent repairs to the van. Seems that one of the hoses wasn't quite up to spec and developed a small leak already, so we had to make an extra trip to Harrison after everything else was said and done, other than a bit of outdoor fun, and get a new hose and clamps for it, so Quentin can replace it tomorrow. He did get started tearing the van apart this afternoon after we got back from that trip, so he has less to do tomorrow.
But the day was generally pretty good. Traffic was light today, and the people in Wally World were not as grumpy and silly as usual, which meant Quentin didn't get as irritated. He doesn't like going and stocking up on stuff, because he really doesn't like crowds and traffic, but he will tolerate it. We just happened to get up and moving earlier than usual today so we beat the crowds. We had to hit up O'Reilly's this first trip to replace all the antifreeze we'd already used up when he replaced the van's radiator, as we both like to carry a jug with us just in case. I still have some small pinhole leak somewhere that Bars Leak doens't quite seem to keep fixed, so I have to top off my overflow tank in the car about once a month. It's not bad, so we just keep topping off the antifreeze and otherwise ignoring it ... no sense investing a small fortune we haven't got into the cooling system when we don't know what exactly is wrong. Once we know, we can fix it. Until then, maintainance works best, and since little Victor (my Aveo) is a 2006 model, and is thus 8 years old, he's bound to have a few minor middle-aged issues. Heck, we were talking today how if I was still back home in Michigan with him, he'd be about dead, with rust and all due to all the road salt from the winters. Here, he's still in prime shape and mostly still all original parts (crossing fingers that he holds out like that for a while longer).
We also hit up the store where Quentin got his Carhartt boots and I'm getting my hiking shoes. $130.12 for my shoes, but they will be sturdy and waterproof for work at the plant and around here. Well worth the price, and comfortable to boot. Can't wait to get them and take photos to show you. It will be a couple more weeks though, because I still have two more payments to go.
Laundry got done, water run got done to refill water jugs, and we texted Eric to see if he had a cordless drill Quentin could borrow overnight as Quentin's requires running extension cords out to the easement and that's a LOT of cordage! With the ground damp, it's not a bright idea. Eric did, so Quentin went up to get it and that was when the one hose sprung a leak. Quentin needs to borrow it to use on the van, because when he and Randy fixed it the other day, the bottom of the fan shroud somehow got a crack in it and the best, cheapest solution is to drill a couple of holes near the bottom on either side of the crack and zip tie it to something down there to hold it still. Every time Quentin gooses the gas pedal, it makes the shroud rattle against the fan blades, lol. Not good, but an easy jimmy-rig repair.
The other reason Quentin went up to Eric's is my car and Eric's little Honda. A couple of years ago, my rear rims got dented up pretty badly (the mountain road is rough, but it is smooth sailing compared to where we lived then, lol). We found a couple of 13" Honda rims that fit the back of the car, but the car is supposed to run 14" rims. It makes it feel a little off to run those smaller rims. Eric's Honda runs 13" rims and he has a set of 14" rims for a Chevy that he sometimes uses when he needs a spare tire, but they don't fit his Honda any better really than the 13" Honda rims fit my Chevy. They have the same lug hole pattern and all, and will work, but they aren't the best solution. So we are doing an even trade once Eric puts a couple of decent used tires on the Chevy rims, which will leave me with four good rims and three! full-sized spares. I carry a full-sized tire with me for a spare anyhow, I'm not fond of driving on a donut spare which is hard on the car anyhow. So this will be good for us both and we will both make out like bandits!
Once we got home from the second trip to Harrison for that hose, Quentin started tearing into the van so he has less to do tomorrow, and I did some household chores. Put away laundry and dishes and cleaned the cat box and pulled together the trash. Then the trash went out to the burn barrel and got lit off, which made for a bit of warmth to huddle next to while we were outside having fun. Quentin got as far as he could on the van today before he got to where he needed to stop, otherwise he wouldn't have had light long enough to finish the job, and he's of the type that once he starts he hates to stop for ANY reason. So he reached a stopping point and we looked at each other and said "Chainsaws."
Yeah, while the trash finished burning down, we went and got our saws out and started cutting wood. Ahhh, that was so much fun. The battery on my little one doesn't hold a charge well anymore, it's been through so much, but I got in a good hour with it on small stuff and Quentin worked on some of the bigger trees. I have a lot of small stuff I need to go through and get what good I can off them for the woodpile and the rest can go into the burn pit as junk brush. We don't have a rocket stove so we don't need it, and the wood ash can do so many other things for us - lye for soap and mixed into the compost heap, so junk brush just needs to burn.
Side note: I do need to expend a few dollars and get one of those extendable gripper things to get small trash off the ground and sorted into burnable, recyclable metal/glass and just plain bury it in a hole. There's so much of it around here and I do not relish the idea of either walking around bent over to get it all or crawling around on hands and knees. I'm a bit old to find that fun anymore. So it's a $20 investment to save time and my back.
Then after cutting wood for about an hour, it started to sprinkle, so we headed indoors to finish the trash (just had to put bags into the small cans - we use the plastic grocery sacks, it puts them to good use and means I don't have to wash out small trashcans every week or so! - instant labor-saving device, lol) and wash up and get supper going. Quentin dealt with getting our wash water hot so we could clean up while I started in getting supper together. I wasn't filthy like he was because he'd been working on the truck, but I still had a lot of sawdust stuck to me that wouldn't come off and some general dirt. Dinner tonight is homemade brownies (baked in the microwave) and sweet and sour chicken over rice, plus broccoli and carrots for a veggie (bought those at the farmer's market last year and stuck them in the freezer, boy do they taste good!).
So now dinner is ready and calling my name. I'll list books when I get back from eating all the yummy food!
KINDLE FREEBIES OF INTEREST
Leg Warmers Knitting Pattern
5 Ingredients One Pot Meals: Easy Slow Cooker Recipes for Busy Women
Easy Crochet Bow Tie Patterns (Three Patterns in One eBook!)
How to make Yogurt & Recipes: Greek & Natural
How to Grow Potatoes: Planting and Harvesting Organic Food From Your Patio, Rooftop, Balcony, or Backyard Garden (Booklet)
How To Produce 15-25 Pounds Of Tomatoes PER PLANT
Eat What You Grow: Easy Recipes for Backyard Homestead
Slow Cooker Wanderlust: 101 Adventurous and Delicious Slow Cooker Recipes from Around the World
Peanut Butter Recipes: The Collection of America's Favorite Recipes
Paleo Cookies: Gluten-Free, Grain-Free Treats for Any Occasion
Paleo Desserts: Paleo Dessert Recipes: Paleo Muffins, Paleo Cupcakes, Paleo Smoothies & Paleo Pudding
Beyond Organic... Growing for Maximum Nutrition
Healing Herbs for the Ornamental Garden (Herbal Medicine from Your Garden or Windowsill)
Garden Pests and Problems 2nd Edition (The Constant Gardener)
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