Back at the Aerie

This is post #4000 since I started putting my thoughts/interest/comments here on the Interwebs....
[Interesting. This now says this post is #4001 but moments ago it said the previous post was #3999.]

******

Back at the Aerie after driving south this morning.

After walking around the Bolt Hole I found there was little need to any mowing. Mark had gotten the entire yard and not just the area visible from the road. I was also pleasantly surprised to find Mark at his cabin on Sunday. (He drove in while I was off at Lowes getting plumbing supplies and I didn't notice because it was already getting dark when I returned.)

So instead of walking about with the lawn mower for a couple of hours, we did some talking and then turned our attention to starting the brush hog. It hadn't been run all last year so it was no surprise that it didn't turn over immediately. We drained the gas, took the air filter off, sprayed a little starter fluid in the gaping maw thus exposed and, while it did kick to life very briefly, it didn't stay caught. It was even more frustrating when it wouldn't stay running after half an hour.So we let it sit.

We then took a look at the travel trailer. We attached the battery (so there would be lights inside) and put the propane tanks in place. There will be some cleaning up to do inside as there were some mice inside. I would have checked the tire pressure, but the damn gauge was not in the truck so that will have to wait until Terry and I go up on Sunday.

Mark went back to his place to escape from the black flies and I went inside to get some lunch and follow the Mets' game. (That didn't work out so well when the Marlins got 6 runs in the bottom of the 9th--including a walk-off grand slam.)

Game over, I went back out to give the brush hog another try. It started and ran. And I let it run for 15 minutes before trying to do any...well...hogging. I did a couple of hundred yards before taking the beast back to the garage.

The rest of the evening was spent sweeping and vacuuming.

This morning's wake-up call came at 5 AM when the birds started singing. Now that I've learned more and more bird calls, it gets tougher to ignore them. You start composing a list of species as you try to go back to sleep. And it gets worse when you hear one you're not sure of.

Anyway...With such an early start, I was able to be on the road by 8 AM. The ride was uneventful and it was only the last 30 miles that I started to get a little spritzing rain. I got back to the Aerie around noon. I fed the kittehs and got my stuff out of the truck. Moments later, Terry pulled up having returned from New Jersey. She ran into a lot more rain along I-80 west of Bloomsburg and northward on Route 15.

******

Rain will continue through the evening before slowing down tomorrow before noon. Terry's little Aveo has to go into the shop to get the timing belt replaced. The manual says it needs to be done at 60K miles and if it breaks, the engine will seize up. The Aveo has 80K on the odometer. Who reads the manual beyond how many miles for between oil changes or how to reset the clock?

It will take about four hours for the mechanic to change the belt out. And it will cost about $100 an hour.

While that's being done, we'll get some breakfast and go look at some plants for the vegetable garden. I'll need to get plants and/or seeds into the ground in the next day or two. Once they're in the ground, we'll have to home that Gaia will take care of the watering while we are gone.