Archives for July 2022

Hey Sweetie!
Woke up early and raring to go today, spoiled only by another brief encounter with my troublesome camper, who was walking away early this morning and leaving her tent and stuff behind! When I asked her where she was going, she said she was leaving and would be back tomorrow afternoon! I explained that she needed to take her stuff with her, that her just leaving didn’t constitute a break in occupying a campsite when her tent and all of her stuff was still there! What is wrong with people? Anyway, it was brief, thankfully, didn’t need to start my day with that! Anyway, I finished my chores and breakfast and was out on the trail just after 8:00, glad there was a breeze because it was pretty hot and humid already. My plan today was to do the entire green trail except the furthest posts in the south, and I managed to get it done! Would have been done by 1:00, but of course, no day goes by without at least on challenge or two. Today’s first challenge was losing a cotter pin in the bolt that holds the post hole digger to the frame, it came off and it took me a few minutes to get it back on again, then it came loose again, but I managed to find something in my little toolbox under the seat to hold it in place. Then later I lost a shovel and spent 20 minutes looking for it until I finally found it, having bypassed it twice previously! Despite how well I’ve gotten to know this property, I still got turned around, even put a couple of posts in the wrong place that I had to pull and fix. Pretty sure I got them all right now! Still have another 25 or so to put in, not sure I’ll be able to get to them now that the rainy season has started and it’s turning back into a swamp here. Got back to camp around 2:00, ordered copies of my public speaking book to be shipped to Vegas for my trip next week, then settled down for the rest of the day. Ready for shower and bed now! Good night, babe! Love you!

Hiya Babe!
Had a good night sleep, which is always welcome after a busy work day, but woke up refreshed and ready to get some more work done. I finished installing another seven posts, plus I moved an old one to where it would be more useful. I’m absolutely loving having that auger on the tractor, that baby just makes a hole like nobody’s business! It’s a lot longer than the hand one we were using yesterday, so the posts are in a lot deeper, which is my preference, plus it’s so much easier with the weight of the thing being able to really get onto it. I had all that done in no time, and that included coming back to camp and picking up a couple more posts. Then I parked the trailer and loaded up the truck with all of the posts that need to be put out on the green trail and staged them along the way, so tomorrow, all I have to do is run out there with the tractor and plop them in. I’m actually quite pleased with how well I’m adjusting to the weather here, despite the temps and the humidity, I’m really not bothered too much by the heat. Of course, I’m trying to be finished before it gets too later, and I was done with everything by a bit after 1:00, and of course, my truck is air conditioned, so that doesn’t even count. I settled down in the afternoon, did some laundry, but then in the evening, I saw some rain coming in, so I got the little mower out and did my tiny yard outside my trailer. The mowers came yesterday so the rest of the place looks great, needed to tidy my yard to match. Got into a brief argument with a camper, who I generously let come in a day early, but was expecting to leave a day early to stay within her eight day limit, but she didn’t see it that way. In fact, she was trying to tell me she could stay 30 days, but I informed her that’s not the way it worked. Why can’t people just follow the rules? It’s the worst part of the job, people taking advantage of your generosity, then giving you crap about it later. Grrr! Really was hoping this campground would be empty during the summer, but it hasn’t turned out that way. Anyway, had a quiet evening otherwise, ready for shower and bed. Love you, darlin’! Good night!

Hey Darlin’!
I love a productive day! Despite getting a late start (it was after 10:00 by the time the four of us, Ray Williams, Petra Grimm and John K got on the trail), we managed to install 31 posts, almost all of the posts in the western half of the property. The only ones we missed are two by the road and one down the teal trail, which I can do just fine with my tractor, probably tomorrow. Fabulous effort by all! We made a big dent, now I’m going to have to do what I can over the next few days and weeks to finish it, though I suspect there are sections in the southeastern part of the property that are too deep under water. Unfortunately, we missed our window of opportunity during the dry season, but if we need to wait until the fall, that’s what will have to happen! When we came back for lunch and for more gas for the auger (it leaked, and Ray hadn’t brought his fuel tank with him), the mowers had arrived, thankfully. They did a good job mowing everything, I asked them to do all the campsites, which they missed last time, and one paddock that they missed but that had ragweed in it, so I wanted to slow down that seeding process a bit. I had thought I was going to have to bushhog camp tomorrow, but now that they’ve come, I can do posts tomorrow instead. So glad to be making progress! But a long way from finished. Once I get the posts out, I still have to prepare the cross pieces and screw them into each post as well, which will be a long job if I had to do it on my tractor. Hoping Ray will be available with his side by side, that baby really cruises, so we could get it done in a day, I’m sure! What took the time today was the augering and post placement, and he was exhausted because of the physical requirements, but simply chauffeuring me around wouldn’t be any strain on him, and he’s already said how he enjoys driving around, so I think I might be able to persuade him when the time comes. Anyway, a good job today, looking forward to my shower and a good night sleep! Good night, sweetie! Love you!

Hi Sweetie,
Had another very productive day! Up at 6:30, first job was to organize the posts into sections. I’ve created routes through different segments of the property that I’m hoping to cover tomorrow, so I wanted to get all of the posts in order for each segment. I’ve been doing that on paper, this morning I did it in reality. The exercise revealed an inconsistency or two, which I remedied, plus I moved them all over from the very tall grass that’s been growing in the septic field to a place the mowers don’t do anyway, so it got them out of their way. They were due today, and a lot of my weed-pulling strategy counted on them arriving today, but they never showed! Not good! I can’t mow tomorrow, so now I’ll have to do it Sunday and hope that there aren’t any ragweed ready to pop seeds. I pulled a bunch when I fed the horses in the evening, but probably not enough. Anyway, after breakfast, I decided that to make the day tomorrow more efficient, it would be a good idea to get as many posts out there as I could, and place them where I wanted them as much as possible, so I loaded up all of the western sections on the truck and headed out. I dropped off posts strategically so they were in the right place, and a few that would need to go further into the trails with the proper equipment, which I’m hoping we’ll get tomorrow. At one point, which I couldn’t believe, I got stuck, right on the road. I was trying to turn around, and I kept my back drive wheels well on the gravel grade, but at one point, my front wheels went down a few inches into a ditch, and next thing I knew, my back tires started spinning. Dang it! I tried everything to get out, but it was a no go. I was completely blocking the road, so I had to call old James, and once again, he didn’t answer me back on my text or my voicemail, he just showed up within minutes! He put his winch on my back hitch and managed the pull me, mostly sideways, enough to get me free. He’s my knight in shining armor, and I’m fast becoming his biggest PITA! Well, that what becomes of trying to do this job without the right equipment, I supposed. Anyway, I finished staging the posts, took a quick break, then decided I just had to try out my now working post hole digger and 3-point hitch, so I loaded up a couple of posts for intersections near camp and headed out. I got the tractor in place, put on my PTO and bam! I dug a 4+ foot hole about ten seconds! Incredible! Everything worked perfectly! I dropped the post in, tamped down the sand, and it was done in no time! I managed to put in five posts in practically no time. Just as I was wrapping up it started to rain, and it felt wonderful! I felt like a kid again, playing in the dirt, in the rain, fantastic! Got back to camp before 2:00, took a shower, then relaxed for the rest of the day. Finished off the last season of Supernatural, I’m really going to miss the boys, Sam and Dean Winchester! They’ve kept me entertained for some weeks now. The later seasons were a little slow, but still, fifteen years is a long time to be on the air, and they kept it interesting for the most part. Anyway, started a British law limited series, now I’m ready for another shower (which I need because I had to pull weeds since the mower never showed up today, which means I’ll be bush hogging on Sunday), then off to bed, nice and early, since it will be an early start tomorrow. Good night, my beloved! Love you!

Hi Babe,
Woke up a little later, got my chores and breakfast done just shortly before James and his boss Dan showed up, and spent two hours with them going around the campground looking at all the work that needs doing, and in particular, where to put the new “equestrian host” campsite! They’ve decided that this place is so busy during the season that one person really isn’t enough to handle both the equestrian and the non-equestrian campers, and that it would be useful for them to have someone who is actually a horse person to handle any issues that might arise. Now that since they’ve seen everything an equestrian camp host can do, they’re willing to foot the bill to have another full hookup built for such a person. Of course, that would be me for as long as I want the job, it would seem! I can think of worse places to be in the winter! Of course, I’ll still want to travel as long as I’m able, just not this year since I’m getting so close to getting this trail marking accomplished. After they left, I spent some time preparing for the work day this Saturday, making sure I had the right posts ready, organizing which sections to do first, etc. It started to rain pretty heavy, so it was a good way to spend a rainy afternoon. Finally settled down around 5:00, had dinner, watched a little TV as usual, now it’s close to shower and bedtime, so good night, my darlin’! Love you!

Hey Darlin’!
Another wonderfully productive day! After chores and breakfast, Lola and I took a drive to Jeff’s to pick up the post hole digger for the tractor. I had to wait for him (as usual), but once he got there, he and I and his tenant James serviced the whole thing, added thick oil, cleaned it all up, and got it ostensibly working. Loaded it up on my truck and got it back to camp. Rather than try to unload it and hook it up myself, I contact “old” James from the WMD, and asked him to bring me some diesel and some manpower to help me hook it up. He was there in five minutes! We got it unloaded, and had it almost completely hooked up when we hit a snag. The PTO shaft was seized up. I knew that it had a problem, just couldn’t remember exactly what it was, but with some PT blaster, a hammer and a crowbar, we managed to get it off the frame, then they took it over to the shop and got it loosened up, greased up and back over here in no time. We finished the installation, including changing the height of the frame because it wasn’t high enough, and now it’s working perfectly! Whoohoo! It’s in such perfect balance, and with the 3-point hitch going up and down so easily, I should be able to dig holes on my own with ease! I’m starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel on this job! So grateful for the help from the WMD guys, not to mention Jeff and James, couldn’t have done it without them! Wasn’t long before I finished my rounds and was settling down for the evening. I love days where I get good stuff done! So satisfying. Now I’m just about ready for shower and bed, so good night, sweetie! Love you!

Hi Sweetie
What a day! Had a pretty good night sleep, got my chores, breakfast and some computer work done, then started hunting down the tiny o-ring I suspected I needed to fix the 3-point hitch on the tractor. Unfortunately the marina in Indiantown didn’t have one, but a place in Stuart did, so I drove all the way there, with stops at Glenn’s house to pick up some juice I left over there yesterday, and Allapattah just to see their campsites, which I’ve been meaning to do, over 25 miles to the store, and sure enough, he had the part. Unfortunately, despite being the exact number that’s in the parts manual, it was WAY too big! He hunted around for another one, with no luck, then suggested the NAPA store, so I went down there, and the guy there searched through half a dozen boxes before he came up with a couple we thought might work. When I asked him what I owed him, he said, a smile (which is the usual expression on my face anyway), then said, no charge! See, most people ARE good! Stopped at a lawn mower store, too, just in case, since the same part is used on Cub Cadets, but they had nothing. Made a trip to Walmart to do some intermediate shopping, got back to camp around 3:30. Once I got everything put away, I went out and installed that little bugger, which took less than a minute, I started up the tractor and the 3-point hitch arms moved up and down, just like they’re supposed to, even when I moved the loader bucket up and down. Then I hooked up the bush hog, and even with the weight, it worked exactly like it’s supposed to, but never has. We should have done this YEARS ago! Who would have thought that for the lack of one tiny o-ring, that tractor would have been that crippled for so long and is now fully functional. Crazy! I think they must have missed that when they first serviced it in the U.S. after bringing them over from Japan. So tomorrow, I’m going to go pick up my post hole digger from Jeff’s to see if I can get that working the way it’s supposed to, and then I’ll be ready to REALLY get some trail work done! Whoo hoo! Not to mention how much easier it will be to do the mowing as well. What can I say, it doesn’t take much to make this girl happy! A good horse, a working tractor, a paintbrush, I’m in 7th heaven! Another bit of good news, the stalling problem on the truck has been resolved, I tightened the nylon bolt on the fuel filter the other day, and that seems to have done the trick! With all the stops in the heat today, not a single problem. So a good, productive day. Finally relaxed after my rounds today, a little TV, time for shower and bed. Good night, babe! Love you!