In another week the flowering trees in town will all be doing their thing. The pear tree is certainly getting ready.
Spent part of the morning before the Monday morning water run cleaning out the woodstove*. I’m not quite confident enough in the end of winter as to put away the woodbox, but I can live in hope.
Speaking of which…
I filled all the empty propane bottles a while back, arranging for this particular one to be the next to suck dry because I wanted to take it to town for a new valve. It’s probably my oldest soldier, and valves aren’t forever. With these 30-pound bottles it just barely makes more economic sense to repair than to replace them. When those little 20-pound barbecue bottles wear out you take them to one of those bottle-swap places and take the hit on the overpriced and underfilled propane.
Somebody else decided to spruce up for Spring…
Just last post I showed a picture of the wind- and UV-damaged flag and banners at the laundromat where we fill our water bottles: Apparently the owner noticed too, and decided to – briefly, no doubt – take care of that. Good man.
Speaking of damage…
New year, new skeletal issue for the old man. I abruptly starting having really painful issues with my right knee – that’s the good one, that’s only been taken apart and put back together twice – and it isn’t getting better. I tried wrapping it and that actually helped with mobility, so I bought a knee brace online and it came today. And sunuvagun it actually helps, though it’s going to get hot when summer comes. Hope – without a whole lot of hope – that the joint improves. Neighbor D has had TWO joint replacements on the right side alone, telling me that in addition to being financially out of my league they don’t always go well.
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* Pro-tip: Don’t leave wood ash in your stove for long periods of time. The stovepipe will allow a certain amount of moisture in, and the combination of wood ash and even a little water is what rots out stove bottoms. Keep them empty during the warm season and they’ll last damn near forever.
Indeed joint replacements don’t always go well, but there is nothing to say that you suddenly need one. So at least get it checked out.
Joel, to help prevent moisture in your woodstove while not in use, I put kitty litter in the ash catcher, and a cheap aluminum tray filled with kitty litter in the fire box. You may want to try it.
The heater in my pumphouse went out. I swapped the bottle, but no luck. Just lifting the original bottle tells me it’s not empty (have a real empty 40 pounder for reference), and I can’t get the damned pilot to light up.
I’ve had problems with soot screwiing up pilot lights before, but Just In Case, I ordered a replacement pilot assembly. It’s usually $100 just to get the plumber out here, and I sure as hell don’t want to have to pay for two trips. Looks like I can swap the units and take a close look at the original. The assembly (OEM, even) and gasket run about 60, and it doesn’t look too painful to swap them out.
I’ve had trouble with crossover regulators, and the latest replacement didn’t want to behave, but I’m going to deal with that when it gets warmer. I have a BBQ regulator sitting on the working tank. That one’s only a couple months old, so it should be OK. I hope.
I have lots of scar tissue in my right knee where the surgeon put it back together, but so far I’m still on OEM parts in most of my body. Middle ear bones excluded. Sigh.