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These Mallard ducklings hatched yesterday. See how many you can count.

Rylee and I worked on a bird house last night based on the plans @Ed Kennell shared with me. We used Stormy to hang it high in a tree on the edge of the field and in sight of my tree stand. Shortly after, the field tried to eat me! If you have have time to watch these videos filmed and narrated by Rylee with the guided assistance from Jada, you’ll get a chuckle of the predicament we got into!

Any tricksters or trickees on here today? I didn't do it today, but my favorite was to tape down the handle on the sink sprayer for Mrs K. Her favorite was to insert a piece of cardboard in my sandwich. She always did this when I was still working and she packed my lunch. Guess I'm a slow learner as I fell for it for over 50 years. Did have a nice walk with my buddy Groovy. Yep, that's sweet corn planted under the plastic last week. The horses were put out to pasture this week. Refilled some suet feeders.

Had to make a drive over 6 hours each way to pick up but the offering price was a bit too low to pass up. This is only part of the load, have to return to pick up the rest. VID_20200401_135152344.mp4

48 years ago today, I married my wonderful wife. Yes, I've heard all the jokes like when are you going to tell her "April Fool", or the classic, if things go south, just tell her it was a joke. Well it hasn't always been bliss, but more good then bad. And with the current state of the world, I wouldn't want to be on this ride with anyone else. However, with that said, I think my favorite was to replace the sugar in the sugar jar with salt and watch my father put 3 teaspoons in his coffee. I'm lucky I made it past age 6.

And embarrassing trying to remove it after biting into it ….in a lunch room with 15 coworkers.

We get to traveling around again we may have to talk that over. Of course... I'd never get to use it.... I bought a grader blade thinking I'd get to use it. Then I made the "mistake" of telling Trina to try it out. Now it's "hers".

A little clearance for the valve spring keepers and we have a new tool!

One of the things that we're going to be doing this year is adding a fence that surrounds the backyard and the workshop shed. It will make it so we have the ability to just open the back door and let the dog out without having to hitch her to the cable. Meeha/Mirror has an EXTREMELY high prey drive (and other issues) and can't be loose. The fence will give her the freedom to run around and act a little bit like a dog for a few minutes. Trina or I will be able to run around with her and not have concerns about the limitations of the cable and the area that she can move. In the pictures below you can see that Trina took a couple pieces of hemlock and stood them up as posts. She dug into the ground with a hand post hole digger about 15" or so. She took the electric chainsaw and shaved and notched the posts so as to drive them into the ground using the SIXTEEN POUND sledge hammer. Imagine a little her swinging that big hammer..... First time she had ever attempted to make a split rail fence. I'd say she done all right.... The plan is to keep going each direction and come back and meet the house building. They'll be at least a couple of gates that we can get tractors or us through. The whole thing will be surrounded by wire fencing probably 4 ft tall. This picture shows part of the backyard area that we've been clearing and the position of where she started to build the fence. The shed is to the left and the house is diagonally behind me on the right. Notching for the rails

I know it's not Saturday or Sunday, hope it's ok for a few more pics. Hope everyone and their loved ones are safe at home. Peace to all.

Today i practiced social distancing in the driveway. I dug up the toplayer of gravel with the FEL sorry didnt take a pic. Then hooked up the york rake behind the 856 and leveled it off.

Once put motor oil in the little hotel shampoo bottles at the hotel. It was a coworker that time not the wife. He was mia for a long while (obviously trying to wash it out) and then finally showed up with his hair still flat as a pancake! Dam that was funny! He looked like Alfalfa without the spike. We were all going out to hit the town too, up in Niagra Falls.

Played one on my wife's bgf who is pretty gullible anyway. Texted her that Cindy has Coronas... stay away. After I had her all worked up I says it's even worse.... only one left... APRILS FOOL! I really wasn't lying. Cruel I know but I've done worse to this gal... I was gonna start a thread about having to sell all my tractors but you are way to sharp! Sides didn't wanna give myself bad karma about selling...

This morning my wife went into her sewing room and in a rather calm voice said "Oh look, a bear!" Knowing that if there were a bear out there she would be two octaves higher and a lot louder, I walked in and looked down the sidewalk and screamed " he's a big one; biggest bear I ever saw". With that she jumped out of her chair to see it. Her April Fools attempt became mine.

I think I know of two men, who are going to find cardboard in their sandwiches next year. You should know better than to GIVE them ideas.

Here is a blast from the past that got several of us five years ago. @nylyon had us going for a while.

Ain't scared, about 10 years ago we were having a difference of opinion debate, she debated her opinion and I debated mine and then we went about what we were doing. If you've been married for less than 30 years you probably call that an argument, after that it's just a difference of opinion discussion, no winner no losers, no harm no foul. Anyway as she started turned back to what she was doing I said I should of married you sister, with out even looking up she said I second that. #43yearsstrong.

As a side note, Mrs. P is working from home for the next two weeks. Last night, I figured I’d stay in and watch some stories with her... or whatever. We have a couple series on Netflix that we only watch together. She says after the girls go to bed... “you’re not going to play in the shop?” I respond “I figured you’d like me inside for a change.” She says, “I see enough of you during the day now. Go play.” I felt like @squonk dancing on the spot!

Got the fuel lines and filter replaced. Cleaned carb,Made up new battery cables and started cable, changed oil, 15/40 will run for short time, will replace with 30w. Started right up, purrs like a kitten. Shifted in all the gears, hi/low range, ran on jackstands. Will run a couple kerosene flushes and couple gear lube flushes. Still no internet so pics will follow.

Now I can set out to design and build the next tool, a valve guide remover / installer. Though this block is far from bad, I don’t mind exploring my options as far as tool building goes. I am considering a bolt on press, utilizing the head bolt pattern and maybe the intake horn. Anything to make this a mobile tool will work.

Rylee’s a clown. Not sure where she gets that from. She wanted to take a video of us hanging the bird house!

The family resemblance is quite remarkable. What is the sister's name, she is a qutie! Need to introduce here to some of my boys.

Got the tray lip framed out and then introduced “Hank” to his sister. They’ve never met before.

Yup. You're right. I had forgotten that little gem.

Oh yer a cruel one too 'Fish.... That was just 'fore I joined Richard and I thought oh God I found the mecca of and now it no longer is! Hope yer happy @nylyon you didn't sell and I am a now hardcore addict spending my not hard earned beer money on stuff like this!

Eric, I hate to admit my age but I remember using the metal oil can spout.Many an oil change and top off with one.Of course the PB Blaster and anything with synthetic on it is fairly new.

Thanks Ed. Yes, it was a one time trick. After he spit it out, he had to laugh, but reminded me that food shouldn't be wasted. I never did it again...to him.

The field is starting to get a little low on dirt... but I found it! My mission is to see see if I can fill the FEL in one bay!

Finally got the chance to start reassembling Big Red. Here are a couple of pics as of just a little while ago. Gonna quit for the day now. The metal has a pretty good texture to it from its life outdoors. I thought about filling in the pits, but feel like that would be trying to make the tractor something it isn’t-better to let it be just honest!

I drained the gas and took gas lines loose and took air hose and blowed them out.also took bowl off of carburetor and cleaned it out. started purring like a kitten, motor sounds good and all the gears work good.thanks for your help

@elcamino/wheelhorse is way more catchy than ElCamino/pickuptruck...

Yeah, a more believable excuse would've been, "After leaving the Church bingo game, I was taking the proceeds to donate them to Tunnels to Towers Foundation but on the way a message was received to pick up food from the pantry to be delivered to the senior center. So after picking up the boxes of food there were 2 abandoned puppies out in the road which I picked up as well. Then on my way to feed the hungry seniors, one of the puppies got under my feet which caused the accident. The seniors were hungry so therefore I couldn't wait around and delivered those boxes right away, then took the puppies to a vet hospital and paid to have them checked out. They're OK and in need of a home so I adopted both of them. I was just now leaving to make that donation but since you're here now, you might as well just take this big cash donation yourself". wink wink.

There is a special feeling one has when using tools or items one made. Independence and self reliance. Its not always about the money or effort used. Someone asked me once "why do you bother making those things when you can get them faster and cheaper ?". I simply replied " because I can".

My ugly...

I've often described commercial diesels as high-performance engines specced by accountants!

We’re working on shingles now out of the shop’s pop can bin! this sucker is heavy!

Here's a few more pictures.

Got the bracing made for the seats earlier...the angle iron brackets on top of the axle will serve as mounting points for the fender braces as well

I decided today to remove the instrument cluster from my 1984 El Camino . I took pictures of each step for your view pleasure . I am not sure they are in order since I am still trying to figure Windows 10 . The goal of the removal was to find the item number of the printed circuit , so a new one could be ordered . Don't laugh to hard Skunky @squonk and @DougC . It a long 2 hour battle with metric and standard screws. Has anyone used a plastic welding do hickey from HF ? Yes there are breaks and cracks in the 36 year plastic.

Absolutely not The cardboard in the sandwich is a good one! If my wife ate sandwiches I'd pull that one on her tomorrow! Did the sink sprayer thing for years or adjusting the shower head to get her when the knob is pulled. Baby powder in the hair dryer was another favorite which worked every time. Check this out. Sent to friends twice over the years https://shipyourenemiesglitter.com/item/The-Glitter-Bomb-54

Spent some time making up the reinforcement pieces for the front axle pin. Here's some pics. Clamped a piece of scrap 3/8" plate to a frame for sizing. @wallfish I put a band saw to use again. Drilled the holes and ground all the edges The cutting oil I use when drilling. This is a can my grandfather had about 3 weeks longer than dirt ago. Bonus dog pic!!!!

Congrats to you both Bob. I kinda lost track, but we must be close to 60. I am assuming the salt in Dad's coffee was a one time trick.

I'll be all right. I love stand-up comedy and funny movies and joking around with people but I've never been super entertained with most practical jokes. Trina is the same way so she would not be super likely to pull something like this with me because we both know payback would be..... You know..... Tough.

I botched my own joke... pickuptruck/wheelhorse.

Today my wife asked if the old push mower still worked she wanted to cut the monkey grass back. I've been doing it with the Z turn the last couple of years, but like most things I don't do it to her standards . So I dug it out from the back of the shop checked the oil , still has a little gas in the tank at least 2 years old but it's non ethanol with some PRI-G gas treatment looked okay. Pumped the primer bulb 7 or 8 times pulled the cord, third pull , filled the tank with new gas and off she went. #nonethanol!! Side note the monkey grass doesn't look any different to me than when I do it, but she says it is, but after 43 years I just smile, I knew I shoulda married her sister. Stay safe.

Kevin, Great job repurposing the C clamp. Definitely more robust than the one I bought. Here are some ideas for the rest of your builds.

Now who allots your shop time!?!? May have to have a talk with her and get extended shop time and wel'' all come over and help.. Your welder will have Coronas on it then guaranteeeeeeddd !

More than 4.

I practised social distancing as well as having gloves on. Was about 6 feet back from the road working on the yard when the neighbor drove by and waved to him with a gloved hand. Can't be too careful these days.