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
So Far From Heaven 