Log Splitting

After lunch today, Terry and I went out to fire up the log splitter and do some work on the log pile. half of the wood I had stacked there needed to be split.

I pulled the tarp off the splitter and moved it to a place that would give me room to work. Then I poured some gasoline into the tank and watched as it started to drip from the fuel line--in large amounts. I immediately sent Terry to get me a pair of pliers and my socket wrench set so  I could:

1. disconnect the line,
2. drain the gas from the tank,
3. pull the entire line (after removing the air filter), and 
4. go get a replacement.

Luckily the Auto Zone store had the right size hose and I was able to get the new line in place in a little over an hour counting the time to drive down and back.

Once the new line was in place, I refilled the gas tank and gave the starter cord a pull. And then a second pull...and the Briggs & Stratton engine kicked over as though I had had it running just last week and not like it was sitting idly since Spring 2013.

Terry and I then went to work on the logs. She would feed me logs and I would feed the splitter. She would then stack the split logs--a job she did quite well after I gave her a few pointers.

We worked together for about two hours before she begged off because:

1. her back was hurting,
2. her feet were hurting, and 
3. she had housework to do. 

I continued to work for another forty-five minutes or so before calling it quits.

There's still more to be split but I can do that tomorrow morning in about two hours. When it's all done we'll be ready for winter.

Good thing too, the forecast is for snow Wednesday evening and the amounts being bandied about are anywhere from a dusting to more than three inches.

Speaking of the weather. Last week it was 6 degrees when we woke up on Monday morning. Today it was 54 degrees after the warm front moved through and dumped some pretty good rain on us Sunday night. It's been a real roller coaster of a month so far.