I checked the fuel pressure then removed the air intake duct and the restrictive cone in the tube just before the throttle body of the B2300. Later I researched how to read the computer codes using a jumper wire and a analog volt meter, but didn't get to reading them yet. In town I gathered another truck load of buckets full of mulch.

A great day weather wise here in MidMo. The one cold frame got starts of swiss chard put in, I had an itch to get something in the ground. I did general clean-up of garden and did a little digging to get 3 short rows ready for some beet seeds. I also moved some chives and fever few then started a row of garlic from starts popping from last years seed that dropped. I noticed what I think are 3 of the 4 elderberry plants I put in last summer, during the great drought of 2012, sending up new growth from roots that must have survived even though the tops died and dried. The little apricot tree is showing red tips of new growth pushing out on the branches. What else...I used my Re-Store find, the carpet seem glue, to fix/repair the mosquito netting fly curtain I use on my front door instead of a real screen door.

A trip to The Lou sidetracked any real route K projects. While away, I watched ducks and chickens break out of their shells in someone's kitchen. We dumpstered food three nights from Aldi's-retail is so bourgeosie. Lot's of fruit to put up...and bread, evil white bread (but wheat and raisin too) and meat to gift about. Oh, and more baklava than should be legal to possess. I sliced 4 or 5 pineapple to fill up a dehydrator. I held onto 4 loaves of raisin bread to freeze for emergency french toast rations.

I had left my plant starts in the house and somehow they survived-42 degrees inside when I got back. I had added open jars of water to the tote they were in and covered it with plastic wrap I found before placing a fluorescent desk lamp over it all. There was a snow storm while I was away(9") but it is pretty well melted now so I will put some seed out in the garden soon. Warm weather from here out, right?

This pic is 8 days from being 1 yr old-I don't think the red buds and crab apple will be blooming in 8 days.

Cold today-in the 30's. The hose faucet I turned on the other day to get water for trees was frozen. I caught it in time. I planted more trees today and am gifting the last 8 to the treeless in the Lou. I checked on google earth and sure enough, I was the only one for 100 miles hanging my laundry on the line today.

The first day of spring, I think. I got a truck load of buckets of "city mulch" to add to the front walk area. I put down some cardboard and spread the mulch then put a few more copper labels on a maple I missed and another wild plumb. The peonies are just beginning to push up out of the ground and the day lilies through the mulch around the septic tank. I soaked 4 cups of black beans today that are now in a pot cooking-I'll freeze most for later. I haven't seen deer or bluebirds since the weather turned cold again last week.

the lake behind the house is full again

Yesterday's firewood got stacked and dead-fall branches brought down with the 20+ inches of snow were picked up. Then I made some holes in the old household dump-put dirt in and then some red bud trees to begin the landfill reclamation project near the drainage ditch. It was an internet free day as something was amiss with the neighbors wifi crossing route K till this evening when, 10 minutes after his car pulled in, it came back on. Hey, it's free. I've hatched some swiss chard- as well, a couple of the heirloom small yellow tomatoes popped out also.

I know, you're thinking "when are you getting back to the cb450 engine". Soon I hope. Today, if the Mars rover turned around and zoomed in on me, it would have recorded the copper tree tags getting placed on posts near the trees - the two larger maple trees got tags wired on a branch. After some paper work related to taxes I would have been seen on my knees(to tread lightly on me back) cutting up a pile of logs into firewood. It's to get down to 26 tonight.

Yesterday I planted 4 persimmon trees and 8 wild plumb. They blend in so well with all the wild "weed trees" I figured I should label them-I made copper tags.

 A bit of time ago I found a 1959 copy of the Lord of the Flies (William Golding-1954) at the thrift store. It's Lesa Snyder's old copy and she liked Ted -"Lesa+Ted" is written three times in the book. Golding writes: "The theme is an attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature. The moral is that the shape of a society must depend on the ethical nature of the individual and not on any political system however apparently logical or respectable. The whole book is symbolic in nature except the rescue in the end  where adult life appears, dignified and capable, but in reality enmeshed in the same evil as the symbolic life of the children on the island. The officer, having interrupted a man-hunt, prepares to take the children off the island in a cruiser which will presently be hunting it's enemy in the same implacable way. And who will rescue the adult and his cruiser?" -p.189.

Mid 70's today. When was it I installed the 3rd bluebird nesting box...just the other day- well yesterday I saw this bluebird seem to chase another, what looked to be grayish, bird away from the entrance. Today I see that grayish bird at the entrance and maybe 30 seconds later the bluebird came climbing out of the box. I conclude the grayish bird is the female and the two are a couple, and they have promptly chosen my oak box as a place to raise a family. Later in the afternoon I saw the blue bluebird climbing out again.

Nine native short leaf pine trees were planted today, scattered around the back of the property.

This fine spring-like day I established the beginnings of a bald cypress grove, planting 6 trees in the s.e. corner. Later I pruned the peach trees. It's to be like 76 tomorrow. Soon the foraging gets good. One must refresh their interest by flipping through Euell gibbons-Stalking The Wild Asparagus. Around here it's dandelion (young leaves), chicory (young leaves), red bud tree (blossoms), day lily (unopened flower buds as well as day old flowers), winter cress (new leaves) and poke weed (young shoots/leaves) I'll be munching. I'm not sure my poke transplants made it last summer so I am on the hunt for a source. Young lambs quarters leaves are also most excellent, but amazingly I don't seem to have any here. Purslane is another plant I need to come up with.

a bundle of 40 trees

The 3rd bluebird nesting box was mounted today on the west side of the property(the other 2 on east) where I can view it from the kitchen window. I transplanted 6 small cedar trees near property line along rte K. near garage. Trees ordered through Missouri Conservationist arrived today, so I'll be trying to put a handful in each day between stints at 2012 tax/paperwork.

4" Eastern red cedar(juniperus virginiana)

Hit the road Jack. In honor of Jack Kerouac's birthday- I made flap jacks for dinner after calling Petra "Dean" all day. On an errand run I picked up groceries and deposited a check and filled 9 buckets with the free mulch at the yard waste drop off. I leveled a few cement block stepping stones and mulched around my new walk. No tax related paperwork today-but I thought about it. I did get some little pots started with tomato seeds as well as a few swiss chard and spinach.

for sure

A cold day in...Midmo. I couldn't really think of what to do today so I cleared the back room and set up a "table" and started organizing all the bits of paper from 2012 so I can prove to the Federal Government I don't have the cash to help pay for the killer drone program (again)...yet I might be able to help a little with that R/D on hemp diapers for wild geese and that study on how many politicians it takes to screw in a light bulb. Also, I made another bread using home canned apple sauce. I didn't use any sugar, but you may notice I smeared butter and honey on a slice fresh from the toaster oven.

Rain, rain go away...it finally let up after falling most of the day. The sump pump has been active-the new trench across the front wall seems to be keeping the basement dry. Sunshine broke through the clouds for a while in late afternoon, so I took the opportunity to take Petra to check out Gans creek - across from Rock Bridge State Park down the road a couple of miles. Three guys in kayaks went by while I was there.

The snow is about gone-except for in the shade of structures...and plow piles. In it's place is WET! Around me porch/steps/entrance is too much mud between clumps of grass - and no walk to the drive, as the old one of concrete stepping stones was removed last year and not replaced. Today I came up with a new route for a walk and a way over the semi-permanent drain trench. I moved wet soil/mud here/there to level and such for stepping stones then made a bit of wooden bridge from scavenged lumber for over the trench. A bale of straw helped with the mud, but oh it hurt to pay retail-$6.

The snow is disappearing a little more each day- maybe 1/3 of the ground exposed now. I picked up a decent load of limbs from the yard waste dump while running errands. It'll be cut up for next winters firewood. I filled up the gasoline tank in the truck-$3.449/gal...beats the $3.699 of a few weeks ago. A fresh pot of soup is waiting for venison to defrost, but I'm going to eat it for dinner anyway. As usual. the pot was full before I got everything I wanted in it. I could use a small stock pot with a thick bottom.

Another blue bird nesting box is ready for mounting as soon as I can drive a stake in the ground.

Petra picking out a new toy

The basement got my attention today. I chiseled and raked the joints in the block wall(front) having significant cracks-then pointed with fresh type N mortar. It was good to have one project to focus on. The snow is melting but still no real ground showing yet, except places that were cleared or shoveled.

shifter cover

I cleaned up and inspected the shifter cover for the cb450-I'm going with a cover from a cb500t because it was cleaner and has the gear #'s cast into it. The stator was installed in the cover and the cover installed on the motor with new stainless steel cap screws. What else...the wood ashes got taken out, some kindling split was out of 2x4 scraps(ran out of twigs/sticks-all under snow),  2 dead mice were buried-the rest is not memorable.

It's warming. The crusty snow is softening, easier to walk on, and I can see the corner of the cold frame. I made a bread using crab apple sauce from st. lou city trees. I'm calling it- birthday cake.

I confess, having well over a foot of snow on the ground for what's going on 2 weeks now is getting a little old. I can't believe I was building a cold frame a few weeks ago and buying seeds. The 444cc Honda engine stator got new wires soldered on today. I couldn't find pink, white and yellow wires in my stash so I used red, white and green.

I dared to cut the wires off the motor bike stator. All 3 had broken insulation but the actual wires were good. I'm hopping to be able to remove the original soldered connections at the stator and secure new wires and splice into the harness as well.

the bike waiting for it's motor back...and that pesky dog