Christmas Approaches

I had intended to get a Christmas Tree today. 

I generally try to get one for free, just because it is the thrill of the chase. Also, because I am often broke.

I have always liked a messy tree. It should be full of battered Shiny Brite ornaments from countless Christmases that have gone on before.

I thought my daughter was coming home today and perhaps we would decorate the tree. However, there seemed to be some sort of mix up of plans and people. It happens. Best laid plans of Mice and Men. Or so says Robert Burns....

On Turning Her Up in Her Nest with the Plough, November 1785.

Wee, sleekit, cow'rin, tim'rous beastie,
O' what a panic's in thy breastie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty,
                        Wi' bickering brattle!
I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee,
                        Wi' murdering pattle.

   I'm truly sorry man's dominion
Has broken Nature's social union,
An' justifies that ill opinion,
                        Which maks thee startle
At me, thy poor, earth-born companion
                        An' fellow mortal!

   I doubt na' whyles, but thou may thieve;
What then? poor beastie, thou maun live!
A daimen icker in a thrave
                        'S a sma' request:
I'll get a blessin wi' the lave,
                        And never miss't!

   Thy wee bit housie, too, in ruin!
It's silly wa's the win's are strewin!
An' naething, now, to big a new ane,
                        O' foggage green!
An' bleak December's win's ensuin,
                        Baith snell and keen!

   Thou saw the fields laid bare an' waste,
An' weary winter comin fast,
An' cozie here, beneath the blast,
                        Thou thought to dwell,
Till crash! the cruel coulter past
                        Out thro' thy cell.

   That wee bit heap o' leaves an' stibble,
Has cost thee monie a weary nibble!
Now thou's turned out, for a' thy trouble,
                        But house or hald,
To thole the winter's sleety dribble,
                        An' cranreuch cauld.

   But Mousie, thou art no thy lane,
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men,
                        Gang aft a-gley,
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
                        For promis'd joy.

   Still thou are blest, compared wi' me!
The present only toucheth thee:
But Och! I backward cast my e'e,
                        On prospects drear!
An' forward, tho' I canna see,
                        I guess an' fear!

I encountered an old friend from college. If you consider random internet clicking on friends of friends an encounter. I was surprised to strike up a conversation. Especially since I tend to fail to censor or proofread text messaging. It is interesting to talk to people who had the same upbringing and see how it has shaped their life. There are things programed into you that are always there. You think you are just a bit weird until you run into someone who gets it. Kind of funny...

I used to love Christmas. Now, I find it stressing. There are two reasons for this. 

Christmas and Fall are events that represent the end of the year for me. Fall is the wakeup call. The second good rain and Summer is gone and the fall rush is on. But, Christmas is the end. I have two weeks to sleep and then I got to get my arse in gear and fix the equipment I put off because I was planting or I was cold or I was too lazy to work on after getting home from my other job.

Christmas used to be about family and food and working on a Christmas program for Church and what am I going to get my daughter, and can I talk my wife into letting me put up all the old Shiny Brite ornaments I acquired over the years, and playing scratchy Christmas albums on the HiFi.

This is the year my brother goes to his wife's homeland for Christmas so it wold be the year we would get Dad. So that means falling asleep watching old Star Trek episodes and going to see Uncle Harold and Aunt Elsie on Christmas day. Perhaps looking up Uncle Ted, and having pie.

And my wife and I and daughter putting together brown paper bags full of candy, unshelled peanuts, and an Orange for the Christmas program at the Rest Home where we had church services. 

It doesn't happen like that anymore.

In other news. Wife and I went out for dinner Friday. Walked around the downtown and looked through the windows of expensive wine bars and antique shops. It was cold. Today it is snowing and I am waiting for my call to go to work and spread ice melt.

Downtown McMinnville on a Friday night. No more movies in the theatre as something broke, furnace maybe. We are on our way to get ice cream.

Daughter just texted me to see if I wanted to get Sushi Monday which I should do. I have an hour lunch but can probably stretch it at bit.

Hope all my gentle readers are ignoring politics and the stress of the 21st Century and are looking forward to Christmas.

I leave you with a random video that comes to mind whenever I say twentieth century...

And my favorite bad Christmas Song...

Budd E. Shepherd Returns

 

My White 2-155 like the Parson's Shay, will one just turn to dust...

I am slightly optimistic that will now be able to comment on my own and other people's blogs with my blogger identity. In the next half hour I will know if I can actually post this blog update...

I switched to Chrome. I decided why not have google track every movement of Budd E. Shepherd? It was one my goal to gain lots of followers who wanted to read my complaints about farming and astute observations on life? Perhaps, some NSA spook, bored to tears from reading home improvement blogs about freaking Chicken Tractors, will find the Lazy Farmer and get a chuckle.

This has been a busy year. I ended up doing quite a bit of farming in the evenings after my other job. I am not sure why I am so tired this year. Perhaps I am wearing out, much like the tractor in the above photo. It wasn't that long ago that I bought it. But then again, so much has happened in the last decade it is hard to believe.

To read more about the Parson's Shay, but not about my White 2-155 click below...

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/45280/45280-h/45280-h.htm

Before 2007 I had a different blog. I deleted it for various reasons. I wish I would have saved a backup. I suspect it had all the details of my No-till beginnings and also my 2-155 tractor purchase. The first Daily Strumpet/ Lazy Farmer blog shows my second grain drill. My first drill I pulled with the MMG1355.

To read about my early no-till, click below...

http://thedailystrumpet.blogspot.com/2009/02/latest-no-till-effort.html

Things I do when it rains

I am setting in my easy chair. My wife raided the scrap barrels and set up a booth at a local flea market. She actually got money out of old springs and broken sprockets that were IN THE SCRAP barrel. It never ceases to amaze me what middle aged women will spend money on.

I am not complaining...

In other news, I am making pellets. I am not sure why. I rarely end up selling the pellets. However, they do take up less space than bags of screenings.

The bags were 1200lbs each. One looked like wild rice but I think it was just broken grass straw. It was full of little black seeds, barley, wheat/triticale, and smells suspiciously of Dog Fennel. The other bag was barley screenings, tops, straw, and hulls. It reeked of mouse piss.

Running the screenings though the pellet mill did not make a real good pellet but it got rid of the mouse piss smell and the fennel smell. The pellets crumbled pretty badly. I think I needed some sort of oil seed or molasses added. However, I combined two bags into one. It took about four hours so I suspect I lost money.

I did learn about hydraulics so perhaps it was useful.

I found a flow divider so I could run two hydraulic motors off the one remote on my White 2-60.  I didn't quite understand that flow divider on a hydraulic pump with 12 gallon a minute actually splits into two outlets which then have six gallons a minute. That is not a lot of flow for the hydraulic motors.

The auger was supposed to feed the mill and the conveyer cools the outgoing pellets but the auger didn't have enough power to turn when full of material. So I swapped the conveyer which worked. Then I used the auger to cool the pellets. It tends to break up the pellets badly. I need another conveyer I suppose. Or more power for the auger.

I updated something and now I can't comment on blogs

I am a little frustrated with Blogger. I have no idea what I did but I can't comment as Budd E. Shepherd on anyone's blog. I get a message with browser is configured wrong. 

Google suggested I change my email id due to a problem with mail.com. Now my email is buddeshepherd52@gmail.com.  Which also doesn't seem to work.

Oh well...

I can still be reached at buddeshepherd@mail.com but not at buddeshepherd@mindless.net

Perhaps it will fix itself with the next update.

Wet hay!!!

When no-till actually works it is a beautiful thing! Barley into annual ryegrass.

The Sun comes out and I am of course not ready. Perhaps I will go fishing!

The rain has stopped and the sun is shining. My weather app says the rain will return in ten days. It is May 22. Should we cut hay? The retired fellow who comes out and helps in between garage sales and drinks a lot of coffee says the ground is too wet.

It I were home on the farm full time I would cut. I would set the mower narrow and mow 20 acres. I would not touch the hay for two days. On third day I would run the Tedder on it and spread it wide. Ted it again the fourth day. Hopefully rake and bale on the fifth day. Maybe... It always changes.

It is all academic as I have not adjusted the baler knives. The mower tractor is on the feed grinder and still has the duals on it. Plus, I didn't check the hydraulic pressures to see why the hydraulic system is so noisy, and I didn't fix the door latch.  I was also going to change the new disc mower PTO to 1000 rpm so there would be more of a choice of tractors to use.

Instead of doing actual useful work this winter I made feed, built a trailer that sort of works, took my White 2-60 apart and busted the exhaust manifold off, ordered parts which won't be here for a week, and otherwise did nothing useful.

This what the inside of a CAV injector pump looks like. I replaced the o-rings on the throttle and fuel shut off shafts. I only had to take it apart four times!

Will you look at that! All back together again. I even used my special SK wire twisting tool to affix the safety wire!

Thursday I was dispatched to find more Perennial Ryegrass seed. I replanted the Baseball field and was doing quite well till I returned from lunch and picked the wrong mark to start. Since we are planting at 5lbs per thousand square feet which is like 250lbs per acre. Half an acre or so overlap does go through the seed. I was able to talk baseball with a sales rep and score 500lbs of hard to find seed. Then I ended up with 800lbs. The college crummy is not as heavy duty as one might have expected!

The seed company is right next to the International Dealer so I stopped in to look at Great Plains drill. I really want to try out this drill on our 11 acre practice field. I actually have been contemplating buying a small no-till drill and planting pasture, government conservation projects, and cover crop between Filbert rows. I am not sure I really want to deal with planting for those sort of people after working for a college for years. Not sure I have the patience.

One of the nephews got a swather out and cut five acres. This is good as it will put the pressure on to work on the stacker and the baler.

When it looks like an early spring we work like crazy and get everything ready to go. When it is a late and rainy spring we always seem to be behind.

Saturday I no-till planted barley into the dead spots in the clover field. I found a little clover to put with it. I planted the barley at something like 200lbs per acre and the clover at 5 lbs. This will be good for the hay as the barley and clover need rain to sprout as I did not roll the field after planting. So I figure the potential for a planting failure will offset the potential for a hay failure.

I could find a roller and pack the whopping five acres of barley or I could take the dog fishing. 

What would the Lazy Farmer do?

Goal setting, idyllic living, happiness, insomnia, fishing, what to do with a Coors Can

Today is a beautiful day. I had intended to go fishing after attending  Church today. However, I skipped church and last night I checked out the river and it is running pretty high. I haven't had a lot of luck fishing for Bass when the water is high and murky. However, goal setting is important. It got me through the week. Perhaps I can take up the backup plan of going for a motorcycle ride.

I should check the river today as it will be going down and clearing up. 

I drove my gator to the river and the river was high

I was able to brutally murder an empty can of Coors Banquet. After six years at LU I do see I am shooting a bit high and to the left. I always saw my self as aiming a bit low and to the right, but times do change. Who knows, perhaps I will become a leftist. My dad was past 90 before he started voting for Democrats... I probably should just let that one go. I mean, he would actually laugh at the joke... But...

High and to the left

I have not been sleeping. I wake up at 3 a.m. and worry about life. I hate these transition stages. Six years ago I never dreamed I would be in the same job at the college. Or essentially making less money than when I started. I suppose telling Jose the security guard to go fuck himself two years ago pretty much queered any change for my advancement. Also, using terms like "queered" probably also helped kibosh things. Spiked my own Petard, so to speak. Probably also why I am going blind. My doctor says this will not happen for 40 years. I asked what was causing my macular degeneration and she said I should eat more leafy green vegetables and stop smoking. I noted that I did not smoke and I had a huge salad every Friday. Then I thought I probably should not continue in the direction I was going. 

What I do at work. A straight edge on the Softball Field.

She suggested I just squint more and not worry about people making fun of me for squinting when I read. Squinting pushes my eyes back into focus for some reason. She tried to tell me why but I was thinking about self abuse jokes and missed most of the information. As my mental age is really only 14.

Yesterday I went to look at a tractor. A friend of my wife lost her father unexpectedly. Her friend's mom is selling everything. Even things that they actually need on the farm. The friend was really close to her dad. Her dad told her certain things would be her's. He didn't write it down. No one believes her. 

The only John Deere that is not valued at four times what it actually worth

I would actually buy this tractor if I had $20,000 cash. The hydraulic front wheel assist really hurts the value but it is super clean and would make a great mower tractor. Or a great feed mixing tractor. I have always been anti John Deere but after working for liberals for six years I feel like kind of whore anyhow.

I am kind of running out of blogging steam currently. The stream of consciousness is running dry. I have been listening to "Ulysses" at work. I gave up the last detective action adventure book when the author started killing everyone by sticking large objects up their butts. Really.... Don't read books by authors who just use one name. 

I am sitting in my easy chair and listening to Dire Straits, "Brothers in Arms," on the stereo. My wife is in the hot tub and the dog is laying in the sun,

It should be an idyllic life. 

Leaving home and growing up...

My daughter turned 21 this week.

I put together a tool kit for her. It is a mixture of old and new. I gave her my trusty crescent wrench. I found 3/8 drive Craftsman sockets in Metric and nonCommunist up to 21mm and 3/4", I included a hammer and a square and a rubber mallet. She needs the rubber mallet if she goes into psychology.

I found her a 1/4" drive SK socket set only for $60 delivered. It has deep well sockets also and has a neat little box. I have already explained the difference between a ball peen and claw hammer and so I included both. Plus a square and small level. 

I included a couple automotive stickers at the suggestion of the retired gentleman that helps at the farm. (Actually he provided a couple stickers.) I engraved her name on everything. 

She seemed happy.

I really miss my daughter from the pre Young Writers Convention at Sweet Briar college days. But such is life.

The toolkit

The daughter before I made the mistake of working at a college so she could receive a free indoctrination.

A ramble about current events that makes little sense

I have been watching the Ukraine situation play out. 

I think it is interesting to watch the political sides try to adapt the events to their narrative. 

The Ukrainian government is obviously a corrupt gang that is playing Nato against Russia to make money. Ukraine became a player in world events. Most recently the Biden's made money off them, they were players in the Trump vs the Left events, the fake Russian probe, and so on.

But the West didn't really care when Putin invaded. Brandon egged the Russians on for months. Nato really wanted to just surrender when the Russian tanks rolled across the border.

Did the people of Ukraine who were willing to tell the Russians to Fuck off  even though the (Ukrainians) were as good as dead just change the whole story?

I personally am rooting for the man on the street with the AK and a bottle of gasoline. But yet I don't really know if that is just a propaganda myth.

I will say the conflict has been a major victory for embattled western governments who were facing major resistance on insane COVID rules and a general move towards a weird leftist new world reset. Now that major news sources can focus on propaganda productions from Ukraine the trucker protest can disappear from the news cycle.

I grew up during the Cold War. I went to college with Boat People. We had a college professor who was in the Hungarian Revolution. I read "1984," in context. I watched Max Headroom, Repoman, Blade Runner, Brazil. I listened to nihilistic punk music, outlaw country, (and George Jones) 

And then, it was over! The Wall went down, we had the internet where you could find anything and talk to anybody, we had low inflation and low national debt, and I suppose we knew it should end.

I was going to note that what I find amazing about the 21st century is how well it was predicted and I suppose also, what was missed in the predictions. (I never expected "1984," to be a textbook for the NWO, it was supposed to be cautionary.)

However, I think the most amazing thing is how philosophical movements define society and how we do not realize we are living our philosophic movement.  We cannot believe anything we read in the News so we believe what we want. 

I don't know if Ukraine is a stunt gone right or wrong. I choose to believe the individuals who love their country took control and upset the plan of those who know better than the rest of us.

That the individual citizens are making the difference in the same way each of us must resist every day.

Whatever, I am losing my chain of thought. Need more coffee, or do I need less coffee?

Randomness again

You all may laugh at me. 

I seem to be slipping into a bit of a funk. I have discussed life milestones with other people but never really thought it would apply to me.

This photo has to be from the 1990's, This is my/my brother's dog whose name was Sigmond. He appears to still have both eyes. (He lost one in a fight with a Nutria) However, the other dog (Fritz) doesn't seem to be around but it is in a batch of negatives I stole from the Newport News Times so that would mean year out of college. I have no idea. It was a hall of a long time ago and I thought I would actually accomplish something in life.

This is Muddy Valley's farm but it was taken when he was living in an Orange Grove in Florida. The weird hippie dude that did the sculpture now is an assistant art professor at the University I work at. He doesn't seem to remember me but that is ok. If I smoked as much dope as he has smoked I wouldn't remember me either.

I am sitting in my easy chair listening to Jimmy Buffet in honor of my friend Mel. It is the turntable that Muddy Valley gave me which came from his father. The old Kenwood Amp came from Discus Records in McMinnville which was where I used to hang out in High School. The DCM TimeFrame speakers came from MuddyValley. So I suppose I am paying a certain homage to people in my life.

I am listening to "Ulysses," through Audible and am pretty amazed by the descriptions and dialogue and the random plot fits my general life confusion. But, I don't see how it matches up with the Iliad so I suppose I am just an uncluttered lout of a lawnmower boy.

Have a nice evening...

One more thing... This whole issue in the Ukraine. It is amazing to have a war over territory in the year 2022. What the hell is wrong with this world. Secondly, never ever trust the USA! We will encourage you to throw off the chains of oppression and then screw you hard. It is just our way...

My other best friend has passed away.

I say "other" because I of course want the person I am talking to thinking that they are my first best friend. (I read the book "How to Win Friends and Influence People." )

I have been listening to his favorite artist, Jimmy Buffet. He also liked the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Don't have any of those albums.

My friend bought the first Sony Diskman. It was made of metal. I think it may still be hooked to his stereo. Although, I think he modernized a lot when he got remarried twelve years or so ago.

He was the Vocational Mechanics Instructor in a three school magnet program that produced a lot of good mechanics and in the process, taught kids how to think. His program had a higher rate of college graduation than any other program in the district.

I really would like to talk to him today. My college, which I am still incredibly angry with, is asking for input on the strategic plan. My friend would be very helpful. He was an incredible proposal and grant writer.

I have this idea but can't quite think clearly enough to put it together. Plus I am a groundskeeper and get no respect. I need to buy a PhD somewhere. I tried eBay but the one you get there are not the best. I think a degree from Whatsamatta U would be suspect. My PhD in environmental science, focusing on the possible extinction of the Tube-Topped Bar Duck and the elusive Red-Headed Double-Brested Bed Thrasher could raise alarms.

But I digress,

I was talking to the Environmental Sciences professor yesterday. Environmental Sciences major attracts a lot of students interested in what we used to call ecology. The problem with these classes is that there is no practical application of information.

The Uni has a watershed program with a creek through the edge of campus but then they sold about half of it because they were broke. The latest brilliant idea is to have a Camus festival with the local tribe. This is stymied by a large tree that has fallen across the path. (literarily and not figuratively) There is some reason grounds is not cutting the tree up and has to do with bureaucratic interpretation of something.

But, I digress...again...

I know a lot of farmers. I have been involved with lots of conservation farming conversations. I have sequestered tons of Carbon in my lifetime. I have a no-till planting business.

I even have a friend who is supposedly starting a Regenerative Agriculture experimental farm across the river from me.

Regenerative Agriculture is the new buzzword and there is money being thrown at it by the woke.

Secondly, the Uni is fixated on Wine. Wine is old news. It is a "Boomer" thing. What is happening locally is craft spirits and beer. Lots of energy and interest and a lot of it is being done by farmers.

I want to put this all togather.

I would like to figure out how to write a proposal that would get me a better paying job at the Uni first of all and also bring students out to interact with farmers and others who are actually doing the groundbreaking work. There are some super smart farmers that I know of. I know this extremely colorful guy who makes beer, has bees, grows pot, composts with black soldier flies, and makes this stuff work. Plus he is entertaining!

The other aspect of this program would be to attract local students. There are a lot of local alumni who are farmers. I was in Future Farmers' Of America. I think one of the keys to the program would be to reach out to those students. They are highly motivated kids.

This program would be designed to add on to other programs. There is no Farm Business Management course at my University but the new Wine Studies center will also integrate business classes. If this was headed by someone with vision and enthusiasm it could work. 

Of course with that last statement I talked myself out of a job...

Have a happy day!

It is fiveoclocksomewhere

 

I listen to records and provide many links to a song you will not care about

The retired fellow who helps at the farm lives for yard sales. He specializes in SK and old Craftsman tools but after seeing my record player rebuilding misadventure he has expanded to vintage county western albums.

Last week he brought me two Linda Ronstadt albums and a George Jones duet album which I forget. George Jones was the best sounding but Linda Ronstadt has her charms.

This is not my favorite Linda Ronstadt album, I prefer this album. But I seem to have misplaced it! Linda is much more perky and there is the whole pig motif.

I had never actually listened to "Prisoner in Disguise," before. It has a great cover of the Jimmy Cliff classic, "Many Rivers to Cross." Although, my favorite version is Desmond Dekker on Stiff Records from 1980.  This is a live version of the song from 1970.

My least favorite version is the heavily produced Harry Nilsson version. For some reason it gets high reviews, probably because it was produced by John Lennon.

Willie Nelson also sings it which just seemed odd. (Roll up a spliff and Click Here.) Willie's smooth vocals just  don't work for me but I like it better than the Nilsson version which was a minor hit. 

My former helper is camping at the river with his four year old daughter. She wanted to drive a forklift. So I obliged. She was quite thrilled. She is in fourth grade and is interested in everything.

I took my fishing pole down but instead of fishing, the grand daughter and I drove the Gator around. Actually she drove.  I manned the emergency brake in case she got too close to the river. She had a lot of fun. 

I miss my daughter.

I am getting ready to start planting. I am a bit surprised no one has called. I put a trailer hitch on the Gator so I can pull my large air compressor. I think I may be overloading the Gator.

Making adjustments

I am taking today off of work. 

I am going to the coast to sit with my friend so his wife can take care of some appointments. We have had a week with no rain and so I am completely behind at both jobs.

I have been spraying at my Uni job. I have a really awesome sprayer. I want to build one of my own. Of course the reason I think the sprayer is awesome is because I seriously modified it. The next person to use it will curse me. Actually, the person hired to replace me will probably not use it. It will somehow be too complicated to use It will get moved out back to the surplus pile and they will do something else. Hire the sports turf management people to spray or something.

The sprayer is pretty simple actually. I put my own sprayer monitor on it so I know gal/acre or gal/1000 soft. However, if you look up the nozzle size and pressure in the Tee-jet book the book tells you the speed and according to my acre meter the area is coming out perfectly, if I drive correctly. 

As soon as there is a day of sun, the baseball team is on the field. They are quite dedicated in their practice. The coach is a very enthusiastic person. Always thanks me for any extra effort.

We always have the same problem with the field. I don't mow from when the rains start in earnest to the nice weather at the end of January. There is aways an understory of dead Annual Bluegrass because Annual Bluegrass grows vigorously and seeds prolifically but it has a short lifespan. The dead Bluegrass is yellow and in close to the ground. When I mow the field the first time I expose this dead annual Bluegrass and someone always says I am taking to much grass height off at once. Then we dump lots of fertilizer on the field and it rains for three months and I have to start all over again with mowing.

This year the turf consultant looked at the field the last week in January. It was a little yellow looking. I used a slow release fertilizer late in the year and it didn't release the N because of the cold weather. The turf guy suggested 5lbs/1000 soft of Ammonium Sulfate. 20 percent N with a little sulfer. There was also Redthread coming with goes away with extra N.  

I usually try to get a jump on the outside opinions by applying iron early to improve the color. I don't like to add Nitrogen now as it makes the grass suddenly grow and it is hard to keep it mowed when it is raining.

To compensate for the extra N I am using growth regulator. I am using two types, one slows the growth and the other prevents seed heads. It is really a little too cold for it to work so I am a little nervous. However, if it works I will have the best looking field I have ever had! 

My next plan is to stake the borders of the warning track and get perfect edging on the sidelines. I have a great helper this year and think I make my last year a good year!

This brings us to job motivation. The COVID booster mandate hit the moral pretty hard for us working class. I have also heard quite a bit of irritation filtering in from those on the other side of campus in the administration buildings as well as irritation amongst the few working class type students.

There is a low level cynicism that effects all who have been here for more than five years. I don't think it is good policy to remind people they can quit or be fired at any time. At the same time I understand the administration not really worrying about us being disgruntled. It really makes no difference in the big scheme of things. 

I have made a new attitude adjustment. In the past I felt that people wanted to hear my observations in order to improve relations at the Uni. I presented a complaint and I presented a solution. All it did was get me slight disapproval. I just need to get things done to make myself feel good. A balance between minimal effort and a level of order that I can accept and feel moderately good about. It has greatly improved my sense of well being.

In other news... I see there is a whole new focus on side effects of the booster shots. The realization that there can be heart problems or questions about the hospitalizations of vaccinated vs non-vaccinated have made mainstream news. Plus, it appears the peak may be past.

One issue that jumped out to me was the Uni Covid team has doubled down on the mask wearing, now they are suggesting N95 masks. I had to laugh ironically. This is one of the reasons we don't trust the CDC. They lied to us from day one.

The cloth masks do NOT filter anything. The cloth masks just keep you from blowing larger droplets of spit vapor into the atmosphere in front of you. A proper fitting N95 mask filters what you inhale. The gubment didn't think there was enough N95's so they put out the cloth mask mandate. But lied about how it worked.

The COVID religion people at my Uni wear the mask like a fetish and will tolerate not dissent. However, I would bet mask compliance is maybe 50 percent anywhere but in classrooms or places where you will get caught. Probably like anywhere else. Not a lot of mask wearers outside of liberal enclaves and basically no difference in death or hospitalization rates.

It appears from my observations that the key is to figure out you have COVID right away and then don't ignore it. Get plenty of rest, take the zinc vitamin regime, plus C and B, and try to keep lungs clear by breathing and coughing, anti-inflammatory vitamins, get your Dr. to prescribe Ivomectin or what ever is currently working. Stay out of the hospital as they will probably kill you.

Take lots of CBD treatment. That is a whole other topic. I have been amazed at my CBD oil. Once I ignored the recommended dosages and started listening to my ex-pot head friends I found benefits. My back stopped hurting for the first time in 20 years. I am kind of amazed.

Have a nice day!

I think it is supposed to be like 60 degrees at the beach today!

The problem with the world is the petty dictatorship of bureaucrats which stifle the hopes and dreams of the independent man

I went to visit my friend at the beach Thursday. 

I took a vacation day. I also needed to repair my wife's pickup.

It has a squeak coming from the serpentine belt. The reason it is called a serpentine belt because it is of the devil.

First I tried realigning the alternator and a/c pump. The bolt holes going through the alternator and a/c pump are oversized so you can adjust them to line up the belt. It was quiet for like five seconds and then the squeak came back with a vengeance.

Next I took a 3/4' steel bar that was a foot or so long and put one end up against the idler bearings and the other to my ear, almost successfully avoiding the rotating fan. The bearings were not making noise.

Finally, I soaped each edge of the belt with a bar of soap to see if the belt was riding up on the shoulders of the pulleys. No change in noise. Then I soaped the bottom of the belt. Instant quiet.

So I took off for the coast.

The squeak came back. Now it was squeaking at all rpm and quite loudly. I stopped at a CarQuest along the way to get a new belt. They did not have one in stock.

 It took me an hour to get to Lincoln City. The belt was squeaking so much I started listening to the radio. That certainly harshed my mellow. I tried more hemp products but that just makes me jumpy.

It was another hour to Seal Rock were my friend lives so I waited to text my friend until I was at Newport which is half way.

They said there was an accident on Hwy 101, south of Newport, that was going to close the highway for two hours. I just pulled over and worked on my pickup.

I was digging around in the back of the truck and I found another belt. It was 1/4" too short. Story of my life...

I squeaked my way on down the highway.

My friend was not doing as well as the previous visit. His wife needed to go to town so she fixed us a Cuba Libre and took off. We were sitting and watching "Monk" on the TV and not talking. After half the Cuba Libre went down he perked right up and we were able to talk. He asked me if I had my passport ready because he wanted to get out of here and go back to Costa Rica. And stay....

This seems like an excellent plan.

Especially if we have hit on the magic formula to cure Parkinsons disease. The humble Cuba Libre, (limes must be properly muddled) seems to do the trick. I wonder if insurance will cover the cost of Rum. Although that lime I bought was pretty spendy. (actually I stole it from my wife)

I came back to COVID controversy. While I was assured by the head of the Facilities department and member of the University COVID response team that I would not be fired if I failed to turn in my proof of vaccination by 2 p.m. Monday, my fellow resistance friend was not. His supervisor told him he would be fired if he didn't get the booster.

He was pretty upset.

Then I found my job listed on the University Website. I used this to get the hispanic section of the grounds department quite riled up. They are prone to conspiracy theories anyway so they are on the case. After some consultation they were torn between me being promoted (cause I am an old white dude and that is what happens to old white farmer dudes) or my supervisor found out I have applied for other jobs. They then rushed to turn in their Wu-Flu cards. So I guess that was option number three.

I (of course) started a text message argument with the president of the Uni.

This did not go well. Over the course of two days I have come to believe that he is actually behind the do or die mandates. I could not get him to actually state that those who resist should be fired. He noted that our Uni was, "not a democracy," and if people didn't/wouldn't follow the policies they should find a new job.

He also said if I wanted to change things I should be on the COVID team so that implies policies can be changed. Perhaps it is a representative republic. 

I was going to suggest that I suspect it is more of a Tin Horn Dictatorship at this point, but that would be pretty offensive towards the President and not really true. Also, the term I was looking for was not "Tin Horn," it is "Tin Pot," which is the offensive part. "Tin Horn," refers to the idea of pretending to be much more important than you really are. This is how I tend to view local small colleges and the "intellectual" class the goes with them. I kind of feel that the board of trustees and the leadership group of my Uni would fall into this category.

I am disappointed because a positive solution to the problem is so simple. The people who don't want to get the booster were very loyal employees. The loyal opposition, which otherwise does not seem to exist at my Uni. At this point the people who are not boosted are very serious in their opposition and many don't have other good options for employment. I don't think you should push people too far.

Taking this into consideration, you announce the goal is 100 percent vaccination. You give an out to those not boosted by requiring N95 masks and harass them by making them test frequently. Then you declare 100 percent compliance. 

But this has become a religion to crazy COVID people. If you are not vaccinated you are infecting the world and you must comply. Mostly, you must comply. The irony is that no one in regular life wears the mask and many people I know don't have booster. But, we are not all dead. We are not all dying. Meanwhile people who got the booster seem to be dropping like flies from heart ailments.

I am pretty disappointed I was unable to convince my president to avoid do or die mandates and really disappointed that I am in serious disagreement with his leadership style. I did not want to believe certain things about him and so I made excuses. But it is not up to me to promote conflict resolution at LU. I am but a groundskeeper and all I have to do is look moderately busy for the next year and a half. I also need to look for other jobs so I have a backup. If I have raised the ire of middle management I will know as I will be slapped with a safety violation. That is how you get fired here. I have seen the pattern.

This is me mowing the baseball field in the cold. I am wondering why, as I have repeatedly been reminded over the course of at the last month that I can quit or be fired at any time. But, I do like the baseball coach and one of the players work for Grounds so I am actually working for their approval, not necessarily because I have a future at my job or because I will ever get a raise.

Edit: After talking with several people who have been involved in the COVID resistance the best course of action is to get fired and then pursue legal action. It doesn't matter if you have a slim chance of winning. The college doesn't want the publicity. The problem with this course of action is no one wants to hurt the entity that you have invested much of your life into. We work for each other and for the students. The administration blunders around and screws things up and we just do our jobs. Also, there are a number of students and potential students which oppose the strict mandate. The college needs another 100 students to break even. The President has been talking to Private Christian schools in an attempt to recruit students. It rather ironic that this absolute mandate is the sort of thing that has caused private schools to have record enrollments. Those students are not going to attend a college that forces vaccinations if there are any other options.

I just think this is such an incredibly stupid mountain out of a mole hill event that I can hardly believe it. If this college can't handle such a basic human relations type of event, how could I possibly recommend it to a potential student? Insanity... 

Mel-o-dramatic

There are lifelong friends. There are periods in your life when you are able to be really close to someone and then due to life and circumstance you don't see the person but you always expect to be close friends again.

Then you get a call from their wife that they are on hospice.

So I took the day off and drove to the coast to see my friend. He has Parkinsons' Disease. The crazy thing is that I should have taken the day off and gone to the coast a couple times a year for the past six years. But, there has always been something to do on my day off.

I made him a batch of CBD hemp and coconut oil which I fully expect to cure him. This was right at the beginning of the Chinese Curse. His wife brought him for a visit last year. I was going to visit him in June but there was a crisis. I have no idea what that crisis was.

I first met Mel when I worked for the Newport News Times. It was really my first real job out of college. He was the vocation mechanics instructor at Newport High School. He had put together a Pontiac Sunbird with a small block Chevy 350 and nitrus. I think it ran in the low 12's. It was driven only by students and had a lot of wins in the High School Drag Race series.

The drag race club, (a modern drag race club in High School is a completely different and rather embarrassing thing the doesn't involve cars or building personal self respect.) Was the nemesis of the News-Times due to the fact that no one knew anything about cars and pretty much looked down on "gear heads," like myself.

I made an evening appointment to interview Mel and was a bit nervous going to the appointment at his house. He met me at the door, shook my hand, invited me in to his kitchen and handed me a Henry's Private Reserve. He explained his good buddy had just blown himself work grinding on a asphalt tank in Montana and would I mind just having a beer with him and we could do the interview later.

We found a lot of things in common, mostly out of date things involving cars and personal attitudes, and became really good friends.

Since I have worked at the University I have not gone to see anyone. But before when I only farmed I did not work Sundays and my daughter would spend the weekend with him at the beach.  I feel bad about kind of ignoring him for the past few years. Somewhat of an inexcusable thing but you also can see it in the lack of attention to this blog.

We had a good visit Friday. He didn't say much as it is hard for him to talk. I did get him to laugh with a slightly but appropriate off color comment. Of course our wives slightly looked disapproving but that is kind of what made it funny so it was all good.

This is a guy who knew how to do anything and knew something about everything. Everything from literature to sewing the fabric on a Hudson seat. I have never stumped him on any subject. 

He also was a repository of Newport History. He knew how Chief Depoe got his name. He did open wheel car racing at the Newport Racetrack 40 years ago. Mel could tell you story of the local car dealer who rolled his car on 101 by the state park. He maintained a mining claim in Montana despite the determined efforts of the Forest Service shut him down. He went to the Barrett auction every year He sponsored students from Costa Rica and went back to visit them. (Took me a couple times.)

I think the only actually bad advice he ever gave me was that I should quit my job and got to Costa Rica with him and Carlos. But, he had so much faith that I was super smart and would instantly get another job that I don't think he could comprehend that I was a bit of a fraud. So, yes, Mel did have bad judgement.

I was talking to them about my job and the various amazing things my University has screwed up on and I realized I am seriously wasting my life working where I am not appreciated. His wife was pretty amazed at the non- negotiable vaccine mandate which probably isn't really legal. But then it did become apparent that she would be a lot more comfortable if I got the booster if I was going to spend much time visiting. So on our way home I stopped at the casino and got the jab. My arm hurts like hell today but otherwise I am fine. I am taking a lot of CBD so we shall see. I am not telling my university till the exact moment of the deadline. 

I am also looking for other jobs. This is something I hate. It feels like failure. I somehow felt I could make a difference. We shall see what happens but I am done. I may be there another year but I am just like the other old guys. No longer emotionally invested. Probably for the best.

The loss of Mel is a tough one. He was someone who was always there.

The thing is I do have a few really close friends. I wouldn't say a necessarily have a "best friend," because I don't always keep in touch with people I value, but I have a few people I feel pretty close to so I suppose best friend is a rotating title. Mel was certainly my best friend for a number of years and then life brought differing paths.

Anyway, I have my new Tom Petty album and my vintage stereo and I am going to Church tomorrow and next week I am taking off work so I can give his wife a break (if she will let me) and thus I got my booster so I guess that is a statement of my values. Please and thank you get me every time regardless of what I want to do.

Have a nice day!

(I sincerely hope none of my readers die for at least half a year. It takes me longer to recover than it once did.)

Edit: You know I can't just check out. Since my choices are limited, I suppose I will end up staying for the year and a half before my kid graduates. I will focus on the people I work with and my text messages with the president. Will have to avoid a couple subjects I suppose. I probably should quit just so my daughter has to drop out of Cognitive NeuroScience degree. Click here to see what the degree is like at a real college. Or rather a full on Indoctrination Center instead of an Indoctrination Center posing as a Christian College. Psychology is the study of blame and rationalization. Although, I have found that telling a psych major that is somewhat counter productive...

I rant about my job! So, basically the same old BS post...

I have been enjoying my job. This is a bad thing. It means that something is going to go wrong soon. 

I have applied for a couple jobs and gone through the interview process. I always get the job but there is always a catch. Basically not enough increase in pay to cover the extra travel time and to quit farming in my spare time. I have been at the job I have long enough that I can basically take off whenever I want. Although I tend not to take off when I have important jobs going on as it means I will be behind in some process at work and it will take me forever to catch back up.

So of course I got the email. Get your booster shot or get fired. Oh, there is an exemption form but only for medical or religious reasons. My reason is pretty damn simple and my reason is the reason my college has retention problems of students, staff, faculty, and administration.  "Do it or else..." is a tough term.

My pay compensation is below "living wage," according to my college supplied financial advisor. However, I have a daughter getting programmed with bullshite liberal "christian" theology at George Fox University, formerly one of the last "conservative" Christian colleges on the West Coast.  This means I am getting a huge "benefit," that I cannot replicate anywhere else but GFU.  

There is a grounds opening at Willamette University that is exactly my speciality but no free tuition at GFU. I am applying for it and trying to talk my daughter into transferring but she does not want to transfer. Also, I will get fired in the middle of spring semester and that will screw up her tuition remission,.

I realize most of my friends are adamantly opposed to the jab. I am not. I think the booster is rather pointless as the China Flu seems to have peaked. I also still feel like crap and suspect I had the virus that resulted from the biggest biosecurity screwup in history. I do not want to get the shot while I am still feeling like crap. I know more people who have been sick from the booster than who have been sick from Biden's disaster.

But, after six years of of one crisis after another at my University Job, and I may add, one crisis after another created by bungling administrators and trustees, I really resent the get vaccinated or get fired approach as I know in my heart of hearts this place is behind the curve on every single issue there is.

And there is another reason for my irritation at this demand. I worked for JRT Mechanical driving dump truck and it was like a vacation. I was valued, trusted, and treated with respect. They would have me work evenings, just gave me the keys to the dump truck and excavator and said go to it. They didn't think I would cheat them or destroy buildings or hurt myself if left alone. They appreciated my help and they knew I would do my best and I responded. (I wish it were not a three hour commute to work for them full time.)

Of course my Uni gets back what they put in also. Pretty much from everyone that works there. It is kind of sad, A business school that incorporates the worst of 1980's failed business management techniques in the 21st century.

But I do like the President. He buys me coffee and talks about guns and theology and music and is very enthusiastic. I just don't see his enthusiasm filtering past the Gang Of Four deans that are the barrier between him and the rest of us.

Comments on Making feed, feeling like crap, going broke, and the usual complaints

Yesterday I attempted to make feed. It did not work. I am having serious problems with logistics and cash flow. 

What I need to make feed efficiently is a concrete slab. I need three bins which hold 2-10 tons. (Oats, peas, barley plus maybe another small bin for flax or clover seed) I need a hopper with a conveyer that goes really slow to feed the pellet mill. 

I need a place to set it up and leave it.

But here is the problem. If the local farm store sell a full pig ration for 40 cents per lb., I can't charge more even though I am locally grown. It is just too expensive, plus I am not able to legally add the vitamins and mineral package as that is another level of licensing. Although, if I had a 20ft by 30ft, 18ft high eves, building with a cement floor I could probably be organized enough to get the license.

Second issue goes back to the first. Pelletizing the ground grain allows you to produce a non dusty product. You can use grain which is dirty or has small hard noxious weed seeds that don't break down in th hammer mill. Or I can more efficiently add alfalfa or grass hay.  However, the pellet mill capacity is a maximum of 900lbs per hour with the 6 mm die. This is for a soft mix of oats, peas, barley, and alfalfa (and a little molasses and/or used cooking oil). That rate drops instantly if you add grass hay or you can't get the moisture right.  So if my math is correct, at $75/hr for the Fiat White 2-60, my lowest cost per hour for pelletizing is 8 cents. 900lbs/hr and $75 is $.08. It gets worse. The small die is a maximum of 400lbs per hour but according to my experience it is more like 200lbs which boosts the price to 38 cents a pound! Even at 400lbs it gets expensive at 19 cents per lb.

So if raw grain is $150 per ton or $.08 per lb and I add $.05 for grinding and $.08 for pelletizing then my cost is $.08 + $.05 + $.08 then my basic cost per lb is $.21! So, if I am hitting the magical price point of $.28 per lb which is where the feed really starts to move when I am selling locally I am doing all this work for eight cents a pound???? Not even counting the price of equipment! So, I am making a profit of $160 per ton?

Why am I doin this???

I had to do sprayer training Thursday. I hope you all understand that my other job is a groundskeeper. Somehow my supervisor signed me up for sprayer training with Agri-Service dealership. It is a multistate AGCO dealer. I learned how to run a Rogator. Doesn't really translate to a ten foot sprayer powered by a Honda engine. 

One of the trainings was on a system that reduces drift and increases sprayer efficiency. There were numerous testimonials where BTO's swore the system worked but they didn't know how. The "system" is a stack of tubes which appear to be on the suction line which are full of rare earth magnets. This costs $30,000. I found a DYI which perhaps I will try. I do love me some powerful magnets!!!

It doesn't matter what you produce, it is marketing! I have hemp tonic which will prevent the Wu-Flu, I have local and sustainable feed, I have rare and valuable old stereo equipment, I have a charming and fun personality, BUT DO I HAVE MONEY????

Also, I am still sick. My student helper of a couple years ago came out with her husband to get a big plastic shuttle tank to store rain water. I didn't tell her this was probably illegal. She is from Vietnam and is used to dealing with Commie Bastards so I think she can adapt. We talked for a long time. I got really cold. I also spent the day covered in dust. Today I once again feel like crap. Can't breath and just general low energy. I have taken zinc and vitamin C and hemp tonic and Vitamin B-1 and I sleep 12 hours. Good Grief! I have also tried will power... Perhaps I need a booster shot of Will-Power and not some weird vaccine that will probably kill me though a blog clot.

Views from my week, cause I know you like pictures...

This is where I want to be..

Making Hemp Pellets

The Cure for Covid!

350 pounds per hour! I am getting rich!

However, when I try to grind grass and alfalfa I have to feed it super slow. If I cover the rollers it plugs up. Extremely frustrating!

Existential Illnesses are the Worst kind

I think this is more than just a simple Chinese engineered virus that I don't have. I wonder if I have finally been abducted by aliens or I was abducted years ago and a programming switch has been pulled or maybe this is what getting old looks like. 

It hit me this morning. 

I went to bed at 8 p.m, last night. I thought about going to bed and sleep all day. Much of the day I spent working on my wife's Kia Soul. It is the newest vehicle I ever have partially owned. It has been a great experience. I avoid driving it. But one rainy and cold night I drove it and I backed into the Forklift. It is the very same Forklift that I left I the way that afternoon and said to myself. I have left the Forklift in the way. It was a really stupid thing to do. It probably precipitated my illness. Perhaps I am just dying of shame. 

The crash broke the plastic bumper cover and it cost my my remaining HiFi and random Sprayer Controller purchasing fund eBay allowance to buy a new cover. I got the cover partially off and discovered that I also munched the fiberglass 5 mph bumper and the new cover wouldn't fit. So I taped it back with Gorilla Tape and zip ties and I now I must spend another $150. 

I also spent most of yesterday talking to random people who were looking for my brother who is on some sort of vacation. I must remember to keep the shop door closed. Or not be so darned interesting and likable.

But, I digress...

I felt like crap this morning. Which is every boring in recent memory. I went back to bed because I could and I don't fear disapproval. (I thought)  My wife went to church. This caused me enough guilt ruin my nap and force me to get up and get Sunday dinner started. I found a couple steaks, they were frozen solid. This was predictable as I found them in the Freezer. Not to be put off by a mere technicality, I liberally coated them with salt and worcheschire sauce and stuck them in the Traeger with a load of hemp pellets to dry thaw them out. 

I retreated to my Barcalounger to recoup. I reviewed my options for the day. 

My lovely and gracious wife has finally objected to the over abundance of HiFi crap located around the living room and wants me to make room for a few plants by the window. I looked at the array of mid-century awesomeness and decided to put on a record. I was looking for Tom Petty, because that is just who I am, but then for some reason thought of hot girls from the 80's and inappropriate sexual relationships that were cool back then but would put you into jail today. That lead to Maria McKee and I took to the "L" section where I found Claudine Longer, "Lets spend the night together." Skipped right by Marianne Faithful, not in the "L" section.

I cued up the Red-O-Kut and the Scott 299 tube amp and sat down to read blogs. If she sings in French again I am going to faint.

I think I have finally cracked up....

Possibly I have time traveled to 1963?

And after a quick search wondering what happened to the singer corrupted by Tom Petty band member and U2, I discovered that of course the inevitable happened. She gained weight and she went 21st Century.  I guess that is one way to deal with getting old...

I think I will go build a mail box stand to replace the one that just fell over. This is one screwed up world...

Have a nice day...

Laziness Continues

I am honestly starting to worry about myself. 

Last night I went to bed at 8 p.m. after sleeping on the couch since 6:30 p.m. 

This morning I woke up at 9 a.m. It is a Saturday! My lovely and gracious wife has a job painting someone's living room. It appears by the warmth of the coffee and the state of the fire that she has only been gone an hour. She did not wake me. She cooked bacon, which did not wake me.

I am starting to actually worry that I have/had the China virus. Which is why I haven't just ignored being tired and went to work. Other than it is cold and damp outside and I hate cold and damp and I am lazy.

I suppose there is no point in getting a test Monday. Not really sure what the point is at this point. I am not coughing much, I have probably already infected my circle of influence. No point in taking the horse wormer when the horse has left the barn...

If my wife was home she would be marching into the bedroom with a cup of coffee and telling me to get my lazy bottom out of bed. She left me fixings for lunch so I suspect I have all day. I figure if I run a couple loads of laundry and do the dishes I and go out to work about 2 p.m. I can escape her disapproval.

Then my goal is bed by 8 p.m. Sleep just seems like a wonderful place to be right now. It is my goal...

Have a nice day!

Happy New Year

There have been New Year's such as this in the past. I have trouble dealing with stress. I have been feeling a bit under the weather. There are a lot of reasons for this. I took a test and I don't have the curse of Dr. F unless the test is wrong. I just feel like crap. 

I thought I was well New Years so my wife and I called a lady I used to work with and we went out to dinner. We didn't stay out super late. We were home by 10 p.m. I was hoping my daughter would come over when she got off work at 9:30 but she didn't. So I set off my own fireworks. Tradition is important.

Next day I felt like crap again.

The problem is that if I ever drop my self discipline I revert to my normal lazy self. Having a job was awesome for the first two years. Insurance and 11.25 % of my wages into retirement was nice. Things have gone downhill since then. When I get sick and have to lay down and can't read a book then I start thinking of the things I seem to be unable to change. I don't have a bad life, I just took some wrong turns and I can't seem to recover and I feel like I am running out of time. No matter what I try to do I never make a cent at it and I miss my daughter.

I am not really sick today. I am just depressed. It is pouring down rain. My head hurts. I have given myself until 3 p.m. to be depressed. Then I am giving myself the only pep talk that actually works. "one foot in front of the other buddy. Get up and get on it..."

Actually, 2 p.m.

I am working on my books. This is depressing of itself. I got a lot of potential, just got to get it done. I have a great mix for pigs. Peas, Triticale, oats, and alfalfa. I should sell like crazy since the local farm store is at .40 cents a pound for 16 percent hog grower.

In other news. I have been sort of obsessed with old audio. I sold a turntable. The guy I sold it to keeps sending me photos of it with various albums he loves. I think I sold it too cheap. 

I dug out one of my reel-to-reels. I have a couple boxes of reel-to-reels I have acquired over the years. Most of them are total crap. I always had this image of reel-to-reel guys as HiFi aficionados who crafted Dave Brubeck tapes so save their records. Actually reel-to-reel guys were cheap arsed old dudes who crammed as many hours of the worst easy listening music as possible onto one reel because they were too lazy to turn over the record.

I found the tapes I made years ago. I bought the reel to reel from the radio station at my college. I didn't have a cassette recorder. I listened to some pretty random stuff. Los Lobos, Ziggy Marley, The Tailgators, The Cars. It is kind of interesting.

I got a text from the President of the University I work at. He spent New Years in Dubai. He has a boundless supply of energy. Not sure if it is inspiring or annoying.

Have a great year!

Tailgators, "Brown Eyed Girl," Swamp Rock 1985