greens under glass

It's been quite warm here lately-60,70,even 80. The grass is growing, greening. The peach trees have nice buds. I planted the one raised bed with spinach, shard, kale and onions about a week ago and it's all coming up. I've put the window sashes on to keep heat in over night- but I open on warm days so things don't over heat.

2 freshly grafted apple trees-waiting in wet newspaper

I did a workshop on tree grafting and managed to graft 2 apple trees while I was there. A honey crisp and a golden grimes. They need to sit in the closet for a week- we'll see f they are successful.

cb450 distributor, points

The cb450 has been getting more attention than getting things together for doing taxes. I have painted and installed the rear grab bars(2) and the left and right front foot rests/kick stand. The points are in and timed I think. The carbs and accelerator cable and air filters are all on now. I just got a replacement brake master cylinder delivered so I can now finish up the front brakes. I also received the new petcock, chain and exhaust seals. When it's warm and dry outside(chilly and rain today) I will work on the tank exterior prep and priming before installing the new shut-off and fuel lines.

CB450: it won't be right till the tank gets painted

Freshly painted parts are hanging about my kitchen.

daffodils coming up- 3 days ago

Spring is coming fast. The clocks sprung forward recently so the daylight runs later- add in the warm days(70's today) and the daffodils and crocus pushing up and winter is forgotten. I've hauled a 2nd load of shredded leaf mulch(22 buckets to the truck bed) and put it in the 2 raised beds and around the asparagus as well as various other plants.

I needed to get my open truck bed back for hauling so built a stand at the height it would easily slide off for storage.

1973 cb450 tank soaking w. vinegar inside

I've cleaned up all around the motorcycle project- put away parts and tools, to start fresh. As a project, I took on one of the 2 fuel tanks I have on hand. I rinsed it out with water and soap then added a few hand fulls of hex nuts with more warm soapy water and shook repeatedly holding the tank in many different positions so as to "sand blast" the rust and grime loose. Next I filled with apple cider vinegar(really no different than white vinegar but usually sold in a little higher acid strength). I let it go about 3 days in various positions and then drained. It's about unbelievable how clean it left the steel. Then I rinsed several times with water, then water with baking soda and a few more rinses of clean water. Next it was a quart of denatured alcohol shaken about to get up any remaining water (flash rusting is an issue to avoid). After the alcohol rinse I did a few rinses with 2 cycle gas mix (oil and gasoline) then searched for a light oil and chose a quart of transmission fluid I had. I poured that in and shook it all about so as to coat the metal with oil and prevent flash rusting till I put gasoline in it. I poured the used trany fluid into my container of chain saw lube oil.

hex nuts added

clean metal inside

I traded some work on a gas blower for a nice load of ash firewood

part of the load of ash I received

I thought I was done with posting here. It's been slow around here, winter, cold house and all that. I'd not taken a picture in ages- almost forgot how to upload them. Well, SnOw! has come on a weekend, how perfect- and I've nothing to do. Oh, but I allow myself to burn wood freely when it snows, so the house is warm as I attempt to will the asparagus to come up for air.

I'm so ready to get my hands in the soil. I went last week and gathered a truck bed full of buckets of nice, clean leaf mulch and some fresh wood chips. The leaf mulch is nicely ground and has been piled high and heating up. I put a 6 inch layer of the leaf mulch on one of the raised beds. I have a few buckets still in the covered truck and the sweet smell of hot leaf mulch is strong enough it wafts to my nose whenever I'm near the truck. With snow on the ground I can't do much more than dream of my wild edibles soon to show themselves: The lambs quarters, poke weed, red bud and violets come to mind.

lean in close and smell it

interior side of transom

I finally got around to exploring the porch side of the kitchen door jamb. I'd been thinking I'd like a door there for winter anyway. The jamb was disappeared below drywall and metal corner bead. I found a nice jamb with 1" trim. As well, the transom over the door had been covered over, and was waiting proud below the drywall. The porch ceiling is a little low but it doesn't effect the transom operation or it's function. I tried to get off layers of old paint from both sides of the original glass but it caused the glass to crack so I ended up replacing with new after stripping the paint using my propane torch and a scraper.

exterior/porch side

the exterior/porch side of transom

this cabinet is to be painted eventually.

 I finished the trim around the tops of the kitchen cabinets.

the swing waits

the garden sleeps under a blanket of snow