Yet Another Roosty Restoration Episode

I am getting a little behind at posting the restoration videos. In real time the resto is done, or at least done well enough to make a showing in yesterday's wedding photos. I'll try to get the rest of the video editing done and on youtube soon.  I know inquiring minds need to know how it went.

Swathing, starting cars and stuck in the mud

Almost all that in one day. The car starting was actually yesterday. Today was just more swathing canola and wasting an hour maybe getting stuck , walking home for the tractor and then pulling the swather out. That five inch rain on the weekend put some water in the low spots and it can't be seen through the green growth until I'm in it. Sure glad my favourite mechanic got the AC working in the swather yesterday. I'd have likely died in there today in the heat and humidity. Especially after the adventure of getting out of the mud. The canola is not great, lots of disease (sclerotinia)? Plus some drowned out patches that are weeds.

In other news, the 39 Ford runs!! It took a pull with the tractor and a little shining up the ignition points (remember those?). The borrowed six volt battery is pretty weak and several valves are sticking in the engine. The old flathead V8 misses a little but at least it was able to be driven back into the shed under it's own power. Carefully with no brakes.

Roosty6 Restorations

No, I am not trying for a spot on the history channel's latest monster garage or rods-n-wheels type shows. Although the finished video might just look like that is my intention. It started out a few days ago as just a quick clean up of the old 39 Deluxe for a prop in an upcoming family photo shoot. I thought the multi color paint patches I had applied over the years looked a little shabby so why not spray a little tremclad black paint on the front fenders. Of course that meant I would need to sand the surfaces to do even a half decent paint job. I got a little carried away and ended up sanding the whole car as I kept finding little rust spots. Naturally the front wheels needed to come off so I could do a proper job of the fender edges and wheel wells. Gee , those wheels are a little rusty and dirty looking, maybe sandblast them and spray a little paint on them too. Is that a missing clip on the chrome trim? Time to check out the 38 parts car for a replacement. You can probably guess that this ended up with a complete paint job from bumper to bumper.
The actual painting does not take long, it is the preparation, the sanding, masking etc. that takes the time. Can it really be 43 years since I last painted this car?? I'd say I got pretty good mileage out of that quart of hardware store black enamel. I won't be around to do the next paint job in another 43 years.
Stay tuned for the video.

Not Quite Fateful Eighth

Well last week's post about the fateful eighth almost came true for some. We missed the worst of it here but south country got some major wind and hail damage. The power was off all night over a large area, including me. About the worst effect here was that the 3 tenths of rain made the gravel roads muddy enough that I didn't want to take my "antique"  IH truck to the museum show and park beside the rest of the real antiques. I drove the "all weather ' Blazer to get there and it was a good sunny afternoon of looking at the classics.

The next two days I was able to get a second application on the chem fallow. Long overdue but still the ground ranged from wet to mud to water as I dragged the sprayer through the field. Dust was non existent. The sloughs have definitely expanded a bit from the last time I was out there in early June. Seems I am getting to be a smaller farmer every year lately. Some places I can barely get through between sloughs with my small and out dated 60 foot sprayer. Not sure how I would deal with it pulling 90 feet but try finding a new 60 foot sprayer!

Hot and humid "jungle weather" the last  few days are pushing the late crop along to maturity. Might be time to get the swather ready to roll. First thing to check, is the AC working?
In other news it was a wild ride for the lazy farmer recently when a mechanical/hydraulic failure almost caused disaster.

The Fateful Eighth

That phrase comes to mind today. My dad made reference to it  most years on August 8th. Apparently he got it from Grandma Goff. A severe hail storm passed through the area on that date and did major crop damage in one of their early homesteading years. So the date lived on in their memories, although not for a happy time.
Today carries good potential for a replay of that storm. Already hot in the early morning hours. High humidity, all the ingredients for some severe weather later today.
Here is an old photo of Grandma taken in the war years of the 1940s. Likely a fall picture judging by the lack of leaves on the trees and that huge pumpkin. Wish I still had that double barreled shotgun leaning against the rocking chair.

Trail Riding With Roosty6

Nice day for a trail ride/crop tour yesterday. 13 of us on various forms of atv and off road vehicles, although we did mostly road driving. Still plenty of places where water is over the road for those that like to play in the mud. Sometimes the short cut is not the best way to go. At one point I had to pour water out of my shoes after encountering a deep spot in the road. Apparently the beavers decided that road needed a ditch cut across it.

We crossed the rail trestle of the abandoned rail line and some of the more adventurous ventured right down the steep banks to see the creek flowing through the crumbling concrete tunnel. On foot of course. It is far to steep to drive, almost too steep to climb on foot but we made it. Maybe not as fast as I did 47 years ago.

Saskatoons In The Hundred Acre Woods

I said I was not going to bother with picking them this year as the mosquitos are terrible and the Saskatoons appeared few and far between. They looked pretty good from the seat of the tractor while I was raking hay on the hundred acre woods so I did spend part of a hot afternoon picking . The heat tends to keep the mosquitos out of the picture, at least until you get into the shade. Soon as the temp drops a bit below 80 though it is pretty bad. That ancient can of "Off" repellent did not seem to improve with age but I think it did help a bit.
Flax is finally looking blue but this is late blooming compared to other years. We are going to need another month of frost free nights for this crop to survive.

Finally all planets and stars have aligned and I am moving some of last year's crop to market. 3 semis of canola out today. Thanks goodness for a grain vac. Shoveling grain out of a  bin at 80 degrees is probably one of the hardest jobs on a farm. Or at least it used to be.