NEW COILS IN PLACE AND NEW MOUNT FOR CONDENSERS BELOW

The cb450 gets more attention. If you find yourself alone with your old motorbike- you should work on it. I tinkered all day with the coil mount and how to mount the condensers. I spent a good bit of time fabricating brackets to move the condensers 90 degrees only to find there wasn't room for such. I ended up making a new place to mount condensers below the coils. The wiring in that area is figured out also. The horn and blinker relay are in place now.

The sauerkraut is doing fine and I eat some of the fermented cabbage everyday.

coil mounts made from aluminum angle pieces

This morning I made whole wheat blueberry pancakes for Petra and I, being it's her birthday week. She's now seven. Later, after doing my ride on the Forest Park trail, I started in on the CB450 again. I worked on fabricating the mounts for the new ignition coils. I'm using coils designed for an XS650 and they require modifying the original mount. I used a piece of aluminum drawer track harvested from my old kitchen cabinets to make the mounts.

cutting aluminum channel into aluminum angle

mint in clay pipe

 Yesterday I  dehydrated some tomatoes for use this winter. I'm getting more than I can use now. I also transplanted 1/2 my potted mint into an old salt glazed clay sewer pipe and extended the grape trellis by the shed with bamboo so it can grow taller now.

tomatoes for dehydrating

 Also today, I racked the hard cider into a clean jar to get it away from all the gunk settled in the bottom. I'll let it continue to work a while if it wants to but it's activity has really slowed down. I've been eating the sauerkraut also but have not refrigerated it as I will let it ferment some more too.

hard cider in a clean jug

spindle/hub/rotor, with old ball joints, removed

The truck is due for inspection and an alignment so today I took it in and they failed it for a bad ball joint(right, upper). Oh well. They wanted $300 to do the repair but I had nothing better to do. It cost me $20 in parts and $20 to have the new ball joint pressed onto my spindle after I removed spindle/rotor/hub and the old ball joint. The tool the auto parts store loaned me was missing a piece and wouldn't press the new joint in. It's done, ready for re-inspection and alignment, and I consider it a productive day.

pumpkins looking nice after a rain

A much nicer day for naturally conditioned air. Indoors it only got to about 85. Some rain showed itself and helped cool things off . Before the rain,While cutting the rear "lawn", I noticed some new growth/leaves on the ends of the almost dead pumpkin vines. I'm glad I left the pumpkins in place as maybe they still are growing a bit. They have turned a nice orange color.

This morning it was obvious the sauerkraut was fermenting so I moved the jars down to the basement. When it's been 92 up here it's been 77 down there. I think I read 65-75 is good. I do want to look into contrapting some air lock system for future if the basement is my only space cool enough. There's a lot of opinions out there whether or not to air lock- but no good science that I've found. Later I went ahead and picked the melon -I'll give it a few days before I cut it open. This evening I started making a hanging lampshade for the ceiling light in the closet nook area. I started with a lid from a plastic protein powder container.

future sauerkraut

It's a little more bearable indoors so today I made myself finish the bathroom sink mosaic work after  I killed some time putting together a few jars of sauerkraut. I cut up one cabbage and it easily fit into 2 wide mouth quart mason  jars. I am using some smaller jars to put some pressure on the cabbage. It's been getting to 92 in the house lately so I am giving the jars a little cooler air by setting them in an open cooler with a chunk of ice on one end. We'll see if fermentation starts.

Today's 92 (indoors) felt better than yesterdays for some reason. It helped that yesterday I sliced up a pineapple into 1/2" strips and froze the pieces. I keep going to the freezer to pull out either frozen pineapple, bananas or blueberries.

wait and see...

fan w/jug of ice in front- it must help some

Petra and the cantaloupe

Another hot and sticky day. A quarter hour ago(5:15 pm or so) it was 102 and the "feels like" temp(what they are calling the heat index) was 123. In Asheville NC 67.7...both temps. That's like 45 feels like degrees warmer...HOTTER in The Lou than A-ville. And in Paonia CO-  80.1 with a 79 "feels Like". This heat is to break by mid week otherwise I'd surely get an a/c- if there's any left for sale. This morning, after a bit in the garden, I pitted and cut into small pieces(chopped) a bag of homegrown plums gifted me. I put 2 cups each in bags to freeze for later use in quick breads. Later I rotated the truck tires to get ready for an alignment and an inspection. There's a melon in the garden that looks big enough to pick but I'm trying to let it vine ripen- will the squirrels leave it alone?

home grown plums to freeze

front tires to rear

yes, I write myself notes on the walls

New light near the stove

It's been too hot and humid here in Middlewest lately. Not much is going on- except doubts about the idea I may get by without conditioning some of my air. I managed to get myself to patch the hole in the kitchen wall found when I removed the last old wall cabinet. There was an old electric box there so I installed a light fixture and it's quite a nice addition to my kitchen lighting options. I also started some hard cider the other day and thought the yeast (it's been getting to 90 in the house) may like cooler temps so I moved it to the basement and it's bubbling nicely this morning. Maybe I'll set up a chair...no, a cot down there and watch it.

Hard cider bubbling in the basement---fermentation

I got around to making a trellis for the grape vine at the rear by the driveway/alley. I used some bamboo and stretched some wire across for it to climb and spread out on. The pumpkin vine: it's about all dead now- from that fungus/mold on the leaves. The pumpkins are plenty big though and are turning orange so all's good.

5 pumpkins in all

I had some help show up to place the granite on the mount I built the other day. It's going to be the coffee station I think.

granite slab as counter

shelves outside bathroom; old kitchen nook

I built some shelves into the old kitchen nook. It's now the closet or clothing nook. I intend on adding a clothes rod above. I have started a support for a piece of granite that will become a sort of breakfast bar counter across from the stove.

counter support under construction

We've had some rain lately and mushrooms are popping in the yard. The beets I just planted the other day are pushing up already too.

Japanese Umbrella mushrooms- I think

Yesterday I finally registered the ATV. It had a title issue and also what self-unemployed person wants to pay more taxes. So, I had considered not doing it. Then I discovered some little known DMV special treatment of used atv's under $3000(nice woman at DMV thanked her for teaching her something new) and that the title with scratched out names was acceptable too. So I now have a three year sticker on it and a title on it's way- and I paid no taxes. Later I cleaned and painted the tools in the Sportsman's tool kit.

I picked an arm load of tomatoes and snapped a picture of the tobacco plants. Someone had started them from seed and when they were gifted to me they were only 1/4" tall. I was told it was some native plant but until it blooms I won't be sure what it is.

The washing machine is installed, hooked up and working great...and oh so quiet. I had to buy a set of 6' hoses- a nice red and blue set. It's really nice to be able to wash when the idea hits. I have lots of blankets and some small rugs to catch up with.

Yesterday, after finally getting a much needed hair cut, I cleaned up the one raised bed, dug in some compost and planted some fall beets and chard and found some onions I had missed. Today I worked some on making up a quit claim deed for a property- so a trip to the copy place and practice writing small. This evening I sold the old line trimmer via CL and the guy was nice enough to help me get the washing machine from the yard to the basement. So, soon I hope to have the convenience of laundry done at home- that's real progress.

the Old Town Guide 119

A day spent on the water. Petra was so glad to be out of the yard and in the water all day- trying to catch fish. It was the upper Meramec, slow and wide. Red Dog will now sleep for 2 days.

Petra loves to look for fish and try and pounce on them

zucchini and chard stems saute- then throw in greens

I broke up and discarded a 4' kitchen base cabinet and counter this morning. With the new pantry shelves and such I can enjoy more room in the kitchen. I also moved my mini fridge into the new fridge recess and made even more room in the kitchen. I am in no rush to buy a real fridge yet, but maybe one day. I enjoy low electricity use and rarely need more fridge space. My July electricity use was only 201 kilowatt hours($31.10 + some taxes)- and this house is all electric.

chard bed keeps me in fresh greens

The chard is still producing fine and I have some about every evening. I put some olive oil in a pan and put in the stems to cook first. Tonight I also added zucchini. After that cooks covered for a while I then throw in the cut up greens that basically steam cook in a few minutes. It turns out very good and Petra even likes a share.

the old right, front ball joint removed

I ordered a new ball joint and a tie rod end for the used 2001 Polaris Sportsman 400 American made 4x4 ATV I picked up a while back- and within 48 hours the parts were leaning against my door. Today I installed these new suspension parts after hitting the laundromat and the bank. It started raining before my clothes on the line outside were dry- so I hung them in the kitchen. Not a big leap from "normal" when one already has a motorcycle in the room.

laundry day

finally, a drain trench along north side of house

A rain day today. It was nice to slow things down. I went out in the a.m. downpour to quickly make a trench along the property line where the neighbors gutter DUMPS! all it's water into my yard near the foundation. It was fine time in the rain- like a child I enjoyed it...then rested the whole of the day. Wait, I did exert myself to snap a picture of a wild canary(american goldfinch)- they are visiting my sunflowers.

front, side yard garden

My little house just got bigger! The pantry is painted and lined with new shelves- and still more to come, when I scrounge some more boards. After some shelf construction I went to get the bicycle out and do a ride- and the front was flat. I patched the tube and the air now stays inside. T pumpkin plant seems to have something slowly sucking the life out of it. It's sort of moldy or something on the leaves and they are wilting. The pumpkins have done great so far and several are a good size,  hopefully they'll turn yellow even if the plant dies prematurally. Also, the yarrow bloomed again but this time it's "red"- right next to a white flower head- is it really 2 different varieties in one clump? Maybe a picture tomorrow.

wheel removed for greasing

Yesterday was a day off from indoor wall work. I changed the oil in the Sportsman 400, greased all the suspension fittings(like a dozen or more) and replaced the rear brake reservoir hose and clamps and other miscellaneous maintenance and repairs.

Today I finally got around to unhitching the trailer from the CO trip and moving it into the rear yard area. I also slid the washing machine off the truck and strapped it on the 2 wheel hand cart- ready to roll and bump down into the basement when I get some help.

the fridge recess about ready

The pantry/fridge recess project moved along- the walls were sanded and primed. I put some finish paint on the fridge recess and cut and installed a sort of valance piece across the top that will eventually get painted the wall color I think. The pantry will get the shelf supports installed before finish painting. I look forward to getting the extra storage space usable in this small house.

I froze 1/2 the pulped zucchini for another day

I had to do something with some of the zucchini I've hording so I pulled out the blender and reduced 2 large ones to pulp and juice. I wasn't sure what to do next so I put half in a pan and started adding whatever i had on hand. In went a boiled sweet potato and 4 russet potatoes and organic black beans and chives and several of my onions. Next some salt, pepper and swiss chard from the garden. Wat else...some vinegar and a spoon of maple syrup and a little spaghetti sauce. It turned out to be a great soup.