There was some gelatinized goo in the bowl I dumped out.
The gas I drained out got dumped in the lawn tractor. I mowed the back. It handled it surprisingly well. It needs an alignment, but didn't struggle with the back being extra rough. Or extra deep; this is the first time this year that the back has been mowed. Since the deck goes very high I didn't have problems with rocks or crap either which is nice.
Since I didn't really post any last time, here are some pictures of the new lawn tractor.
The beefy motor.
After that I pulled out my weed whacker. It didn't want to run, but I got it fired up. It is back to doing its schtick where it only kinda sometimes runs without the choke on. Ugh. For now, it works, I don't plan on messing with it.
I went and did down by the road with it. The knotweed was beginning to block my ability to see oncoming traffic. I haven't been doing anything with this stuff, I have only been spraying the stuff in my yard.
Which I also did over the weekend. There were new growths, and some were tall since I didn't spray last weekend, but they are getting fewer with each spraying. This clump of knotweed is clearly suffering now.
After dinner, I decided to go out and play on my tractor. It has been underutilized this year (though with the current cost of diesel, my wallet doesn't mind). I got the tire marks from the numbnuts trucker smoothed back out.
I also got a little bit of dirt put over on the other side of the front where I had filled in the old dug well. That was still all rock so no grass was growing there. I was waiting until things were done settling to start putting dirt on it. It hasn't settled since early last year, so I think it is safe. Most of the pile of dirt in my front yard was marked for the back yard where most of the construction fill I had filled in over the drainage pipe had washed away, but this something quick and easy to do and only took a couple of buckets of dirt.
I was tempted to go buy an electric push mower (less things to go wrong with them) but instead went to go visit Barry Sunday morning. I don't have the tools to clean out the jetting assemblies on the carb, but he does (and the knowledge of how the carb works). Turns out we think I fixed it when I dumped the goo out of the bowl. I didn't realize that the fuel for the main jet gets sucked in from the bottom of the bowl. For something with no fuel filter that seems like a mistake at least to me. We still cleaned everything up and got it reassembled. The push mower lives again.
So I put it to work. Got the septic tank mowed down.
I did the banks with it is as well. My yard looks like a yard again.
Late Sunday I pulled the lawn tractor out and did the last bit below the leech field. This is where it drains to so it is always wet. The lawn tractor didn't seem to care. Apparently this tractor is pretty light too since it didn't leave ruts like the Cub used to.
I also finally got around to fixing my well. It has been spraying out the cap again.
I think I need to replace the screen on the daylight pipe. It seems to rust up quite often. I also don't think it needs to be this fine a mesh, just small enough to keep mice and the like out of it.
After that I decided to go do some work on the shed. I took a poke a the tree that fell on the shed. Turns out I can actually move it by hand.
I thought it had uprooted, but it definitely just broke.
It is caught at the top in another tree, otherwise I might have been able to just push it over.
I might want to get someone to come in and take some other trees out too, these have curled to the point where they are directly over the shed now.
Moving back on to the floor, I managed to squeeze my grinder in there to cut off the nails on the next few boards.
I got a few more braces installed. At this rate, I might be done next year...
It was starting to get darker at that point, so I decided to go and collect some rocks. I noticed while I was doing it that apparently the cover for my septic tank is visible. This is supposed to be buried 18". I knew that he didn't bury it that far, but 0" seems like not quite enough. I might have to build a retaining wall or something since it is already the highest point in that part of the yard, just dumping more dirt on it won't bury it enough; it would just wash off. For now though, I will have to remember not to hit it with the mower.
The septic tank is cleared of enough rocks though that I should be able to mow it with the rider now.
The pile of rocks I took out. Apparently there was a cinder block sitting there as well. It is pretty chewed up, I probably hit it with the weed whacker (I leave the metal brush blade on mine) a few times the last couple years.
I also had some interesting wildlife this weekend. I saw some deer in the back yard (I didn't get a picture of them though). I had a couple of colorful moths chilling.
I also had a couple of suicidal moths. They spent ten minutes trying to get into the bug zapper before they gave up.
I have apparently grown a few mushrooms. According to Pat (work's mushroom expert), they are a medicinal type you can make very bitter tea with.
The work they did on route 9 a couple years ago has apparently turned into a flower field, which makes that part of 9 really pretty to drive down. You have Otter brook on one side, and flowers on the other. I can't imagine that the state planted them on purpose, but they still look nice. There are yellow and red variants of the blue flowers too, I just didn't get a good picture since I was driving.
I really need to visit Fineline Homes about the house, the truck is scheduled to be built in two weeks, and I would like to get their finance guy's opinion on how I should distribute the money down between the house and truck. I should also probably get moving on the power upgrade too, since that is currently holding up me getting real internet at home. Nothing on the list is finished. I had to stop in Sunday and get a new wire wheel for the grinder so I should be able to hopefully finish the trailer this week so I can sell it.
Summer projects:
Prep truck for trade in- Determine house plans (modular vs mobile vs stick)
- Get my power service upgraded
- Shed floor
- Shed doors
- Concrete shed supports
- Anti-mouse the shed (seal it, maybe spray with pepper spray or something)
- Eliminate pile of crap in the back yard.
- Level the side yard.
- Investigate retaining wall construction.
- Install windows in the shed.
- Fix/sell the utility trailer.
- Driveway round 5
- Get building permit
- Determine the future method of travel. Build prototype?
- Come up with garage plans
- Clear walking trails on lot.
- Build a bridge over the creek
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