Hi readers. Thanks for coming by for a read this morning.
The project outdoors seems simple enough. Clearing the intrusive cedars from under the oaks.
Establishing a gentle downhill grade across slopes.
Creating a series of rock and brush berms to intercept the runoff and direct it across the slope to slow the concentration times during heavy rainfall runoff.
I followed the grades with a carpenter-level and board, mainly, keeping it to about a quarter-bubble.
Filling the deep ruts in the road with brush to rob the water of the siltation load.
Even the tools are uncomplicated. But of course, a person has to find a wheel barrow tire that isn’t flat.
I eventually found this solid rubber one – bought the wheel barrow from a garage sale for the solid rubber tire.
I was a long while getting to it.
But a solid rubber wheel barrow tire beats a dozen Chinese flat ones.
The arms on the loppers you see in the green wheel barrow don’t provide a lot of mechanical advantage and require a lot of stoop labor. Naturally, I was elated when I found this one in a thrift store with telescoping arms. $8 US bucks. Cheap at twice the price.
When I got home I broke the first arm off in about 20 minutes. After I cut off the break and put it back together I broke the other one off 20 minutes later.
Chinese steel rears its ugly head.
This was obviously going to require some modifications. A sleeve to go over that weak point, something to fill in the space between the sleeve and the joint/handle. Nothing to it.
I was going to melt down some old shower shoes to pour into the space, but Gale suggested silicone caulk.
But my tube of caulk was dried out, so I decided on Gorilla Glue instead.
Here’s how long it took to discover the next weak point in the design.
The culprit.
Who but the Chinese could produce a bolt a man could spang break in half?
Well, Mister Commie, you might think this is over, but it ain’t. I’ve got another dance or two left in me.
Old Jules
