Use your Resources

Hm- where to start.

Another day to wrench on a few things. After chores, I headed up to the shed and we all got ready to head to the field. I packed a few extra things for our lovely mechanic work and cleaned out some stuff from yesterday. Then, we were good to go.

I took off for the field with the flatbed pickup full of junk. We had a tire for the farming tractor and a whole bunch of parts on it. When I got there Ross was already greasing up. I helped him fill up his hy tran fluid and by that time Merle was there with his pickup so I could get a grease gun. He was on the phone, so I grabbed one out of the back and set it alongside the pickup...do you see where this is going? Hint: downhill. I left the case there on the ground and started greasing up. I heard him start the pickup and looked over. First, he pulled forward- no problem. then, we backs up at an angle and while squeeling at him to stop...he runs over the case. So...I'm an idot (moral of story)- there is a reason you set them on the tailgate. But, it wans't all that bad. Just ruined a tube of grease and put a few dents in the case. The extra battery wasnt' ruined and the case we still useable- although it is Ross's and I can imagine what he will say someday down the road when he goes to use it! O well, not that huge of a deal, just a crappy way to start the day.

We got going and almost finished the field we were on when Roger pulled up. We decided to start the day putting the front end back together on the 5250. One piece at a time...the worst part was that we were out in the field and it kept getting hotter and hotter. The parts were so ridiculously hot to the touch that we had to use rags and dump them in water quite a few times. Ouch! One of the first things we tried to do was pull out the old seals. Of course, they wouldn't come out with the gear puller so we had to use the cutting torch- in a hayfield, that is dry. We were mildly concerned so we dug out some grass and had a fire extinguisher, water, and a spade right there. Roger fired up his torch and was able to get them out with no fires- just some sparks flying around. We didn't get too far by the time Adrienne and Rylee showed up with lunch. Burgers...yum. About 30 times better than my sandwich would have tasted! So we ate and I played with the little fart and chatted- then back out into the lovely heat. (Apparently it got up to like 97 or so today). After lots of adjustments and twisting and such. We got the left side put back together and got the tire on. By that time, Merle decided to go bale. Dean had shown up from working on the road grater so he had him rake and left Roger and I there to do the other side. We got just a little ways in and realized that we never put this small gear and snap ring in on the other side (they were under a rag and we were just trying to get it done)- meaning that we had to take the tire off and tear off a seal again. Ugh. But, we kept plugging away at our side. We couldn't get the tie rod off to replace and didn't have the rigth special tool to do it, so we finally gave up on that task and left it for another day. But, we were able to get the right side put back together with some effort and then went back to our mess up. We took things apart and put the dumb thing in and then got it back together.

All in all we had to be pretty creative again. We couldn't get one shaft in and figured out that there was a pice of metal from the slip disk way down in the middle of the axle. So, Roger used his handy dandy electrical take again adn taped a magnet to a bar and we were able to get it out. That disk will have to be replaced probably before winter- but we definitly weren't gunna do that today! We also had to put our seals and glue and such in the cooler with the pop to make them contract and go in easier. Resourcefulness is key people.

So, we got the darn thing put back together and then worked on the air conditioners in all of them and looked at a few other miniscule things. O- I almost forgot. Somewhere throughout the course of the day when the gates were open the neighbors cattle got out. So..Merle went and chased them back in....we just can't seem to win! But, by the time we were done there it was five and I had to be at fire training by 7, so I took off for home to do chores and Merle and Roger headed towards Hisle to put the water pump in the other tractor.

Before I took the pickup I asked if he got all that he needed and he said he thoguht so- so I just took off. Later we all realized that I took the filter and all the antifreeze...how convieninet. Guess, well fill it up tomorrow or just sometime before it gets run! I headed home and did chores. The last thing I did was go round up the calves. I could only find 11, so I searched and searched and searched and had no luck. I don't know if they got out or weren't ever there this morning or what, but I had to get going so I called Merle and he and Dean were going to look later. ...Those little terds! I'm guessing they were all on the other side of the fence hiding from me somewhere.

I ran home and showered and headed to town to finish the class that we started last Tuesday on Fire Investigation. This time, they sent different people. This dude's version of teaching was reading the slides. What was supposed to take a recommended hour and a half too less than a half hour. Then, they basically gave us the answers to the test- how effective. I was definitly one of those deals that we run on rez time...they didn't really seem to be too concerned about anything. lol- that's always a great quality for a firefighter. But, anyway, regarless, I'm not certified at some really basic level to be prepared to investigate fires as a first responder. OOOO AAHHH.

Then, I came home and started in on some paperwork for school- not fun.
Now, I"m headed to bed.

"There is nothing more dangerous than a resourceful idiot!" -Scott Adams
I don't think we're that bad but it's funny anyway!
And PS- the harvesters came today- they might start in 3-4 days with the wheat.