Tuesday, January 29, 2019
Cattle feeding last week
I had posted this a week ago. But Blogger's email send function wasn't working. It appears to be working now so I am re-posting this post.
Things are pretty quiet around here. The Winter is coming along nicely. Some snow. Below average amount so far - which is good. Slightly above average temperatures so far - which is great!
To make my hay last I am back to feeding the cattle with a pickup load of hay twice a day like I did last Winter. Earlier I had been putting out a large hay bale but found the cattle would devour the bale in 1 2/3 day. They loved the second cutting alfalfa and couldn't stop eating it. Once I fed them with pickup loads I was back to taking three days to go through a hay bale and the cattle were no worse for it.
Now that I have used up all the second cutting alfalfa bales I put out a large bale for the cattle last week. Partly to see how fast the cattle ate a hay bale from either Wyatt's or Donna's field, and partly because we were going to have snow and colder temperatures for a couple days. It took the cattle 2.75 days to eat that bale. Still, I decided to go back to twice a day feeding for now.
One thing I noticed over the past week was that in the morning feeding some of the cattle would be in the south pasture. Usually the bull and three other cows. Every time a different mix of cattle but usually a combination of the same suspects of the half of the herd who can be naughty at times. I have the gate to the south pasture closed so these cattle walk the river around the fence. The river is low but they still get wet. Today when Maria returned via the river I seen the bottom of her belly was wet.
I would open the gate after I put out all the hay. You'd think having to watch and wait would discourage the cattle from going to the south pasture where there is just snow and nothing to eat.
Today when I came out to feed the hay Maria immediately headed to the river to make her way back as she didn't want to wait. The bull saw Maria head for the river and ambled towards the river. Sugar and cow 40 hung along the fence. I hadn't completely cleaned the pickup when I decided to open the middle gate for Sugar and 40 to come get hay. 40 immediately came to the gate and walked through. Sugar came to the gate but came along the fence side of the open gate and not the opening. The bull noticed us and walked back. So I let them be as Sugar would come around the gate and come through and the bull would then come. But no. Sugar ran past the opening and to the bull. Once the bull came to the dead tree he stopped and the next I knew I heard the fence wires. The fence is only three strands of barb wire and not tight. The bull squeezed through the wires near the tree without breaking any wires. Ya kidding me?!!!
Sugar tried to follow the bull but she couldn't quite figure out the technique and by then I also yelled. I had to go over and herd Sugar to the open gate. She made it hard as she wanted to go everywhere but that direction. I eventually got her to the opening and she walked through. I am not pleased the bull figured out how to squeeze through the fence. Once he learns something, he doesn't forget. I don't have plans to rebuild that fence until next year (2020). But if the bull starts making this a regular thing I will have to change my fence plans (once again!)
The hay should be right up to the feeder sides all the way around. But some of the cattle (the bull, Maria, and cow 80 especially) push against the feeder. The feeder - though heavy - slides along the icy ground when pushed hard. While the sliding can be good as they can eat all the hay in the center, if the three pushers are on one side of the feeder they push the feeder with all the hay in it, before you know it the hay can be reached only from one side.
The feeder can only accommodate twelve cattle at one time. Since there is not all-you-can-eat hay bale in the feeder, I also make a half dozen small hay piles nearby. That way the smaller cattle - Mama and the three heifers - get a chance to eat hay. Of course, with the 'grass is greener elsewhere' mentality often 8 or 9 of the cattle end up going from hay pile to hay pile and eat the hay there. Over time I have been putting more hay outside the feeder so the bullies don't hog it all.
After our run-in a few weeks ago, Mama is careful when coming to a hay pile I just set down and we have not had any run-ins since then. One time my foot caught on a hard cow pie in the snow. This acted like a lever and I slammed to the ground. Hard. My right hand and arm came between my body and the hard ground. I must have bruised my chest as I could tell exactly where I fell on my hand and arm. I hurt for over a week. It hurt worse than when Mama and I collided that time.
Things are pretty quiet around here. The Winter is coming along nicely. Some snow. Below average amount so far - which is good. Slightly above average temperatures so far - which is great!
To make my hay last I am back to feeding the cattle with a pickup load of hay twice a day like I did last Winter. Earlier I had been putting out a large hay bale but found the cattle would devour the bale in 1 2/3 day. They loved the second cutting alfalfa and couldn't stop eating it. Once I fed them with pickup loads I was back to taking three days to go through a hay bale and the cattle were no worse for it.
Now that I have used up all the second cutting alfalfa bales I put out a large bale for the cattle last week. Partly to see how fast the cattle ate a hay bale from either Wyatt's or Donna's field, and partly because we were going to have snow and colder temperatures for a couple days. It took the cattle 2.75 days to eat that bale. Still, I decided to go back to twice a day feeding for now.
One thing I noticed over the past week was that in the morning feeding some of the cattle would be in the south pasture. Usually the bull and three other cows. Every time a different mix of cattle but usually a combination of the same suspects of the half of the herd who can be naughty at times. I have the gate to the south pasture closed so these cattle walk the river around the fence. The river is low but they still get wet. Today when Maria returned via the river I seen the bottom of her belly was wet.
I would open the gate after I put out all the hay. You'd think having to watch and wait would discourage the cattle from going to the south pasture where there is just snow and nothing to eat.
Today when I came out to feed the hay Maria immediately headed to the river to make her way back as she didn't want to wait. The bull saw Maria head for the river and ambled towards the river. Sugar and cow 40 hung along the fence. I hadn't completely cleaned the pickup when I decided to open the middle gate for Sugar and 40 to come get hay. 40 immediately came to the gate and walked through. Sugar came to the gate but came along the fence side of the open gate and not the opening. The bull noticed us and walked back. So I let them be as Sugar would come around the gate and come through and the bull would then come. But no. Sugar ran past the opening and to the bull. Once the bull came to the dead tree he stopped and the next I knew I heard the fence wires. The fence is only three strands of barb wire and not tight. The bull squeezed through the wires near the tree without breaking any wires. Ya kidding me?!!!
Sugar tried to follow the bull but she couldn't quite figure out the technique and by then I also yelled. I had to go over and herd Sugar to the open gate. She made it hard as she wanted to go everywhere but that direction. I eventually got her to the opening and she walked through. I am not pleased the bull figured out how to squeeze through the fence. Once he learns something, he doesn't forget. I don't have plans to rebuild that fence until next year (2020). But if the bull starts making this a regular thing I will have to change my fence plans (once again!)
The hay should be right up to the feeder sides all the way around. But some of the cattle (the bull, Maria, and cow 80 especially) push against the feeder. The feeder - though heavy - slides along the icy ground when pushed hard. While the sliding can be good as they can eat all the hay in the center, if the three pushers are on one side of the feeder they push the feeder with all the hay in it, before you know it the hay can be reached only from one side.
 |
| See how they like to eat the hay to the ground. |
The feeder can only accommodate twelve cattle at one time. Since there is not all-you-can-eat hay bale in the feeder, I also make a half dozen small hay piles nearby. That way the smaller cattle - Mama and the three heifers - get a chance to eat hay. Of course, with the 'grass is greener elsewhere' mentality often 8 or 9 of the cattle end up going from hay pile to hay pile and eat the hay there. Over time I have been putting more hay outside the feeder so the bullies don't hog it all.
After our run-in a few weeks ago, Mama is careful when coming to a hay pile I just set down and we have not had any run-ins since then. One time my foot caught on a hard cow pie in the snow. This acted like a lever and I slammed to the ground. Hard. My right hand and arm came between my body and the hard ground. I must have bruised my chest as I could tell exactly where I fell on my hand and arm. I hurt for over a week. It hurt worse than when Mama and I collided that time.
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
Cattle feeding
Things are pretty quiet around here. The Winter is coming along nicely. Some snow. Below average amount so far - which is good. Slightly above average temperatures so far - which is great!
To make my hay last I am back to feeding the cattle with a pickup load of hay twice a day like I did last Winter. Earlier I had been putting out a large hay bale but found the cattle would devour the bale in 1 2/3 day. They loved the second cutting alfalfa and couldn't stop eating it. Once I fed them with pickup loads I was back to taking three days to go through a hay bale and the cattle were no worse for it.
Now that I have used up all the second cutting alfalfa bales I put out a large bale for the cattle last week. Partly to see how fast the cattle ate a hay bale from either Wyatt's or Donna's field, and partly because we were going to have snow and colder temperatures for a couple days. It took the cattle 2.75 days to eat that bale. Still, I decided to go back to twice a day feeding for now.
One thing I noticed over the past week was that in the morning feeding some of the cattle would be in the south pasture. Usually the bull and three other cows. Every time a different mix of cattle but usually a combination of the same suspects of the half of the herd who can be naughty at times. I have the gate to the south pasture closed so these cattle walk the river around the fence. The river is low but they still get wet. Today when Maria returned via the river I seen the bottom of her belly was wet.
I would open the gate after I put out all the hay. You'd think having to watch and wait would discourage the cattle from going to the south pasture where there is just snow and nothing to eat.
Today when I came out to feed the hay Maria immediately headed to the river to make her way back as she didn't want to wait. The bull saw Maria head for the river and ambled towards the river. Sugar and cow 40 hung along the fence. I hadn't completely cleaned the pickup when I decided to open the middle gate for Sugar and 40 to come get hay. 40 immediately came to the gate and walked through. Sugar came to the gate but came along the fence side of the open gate and not the opening. The bull noticed us and walked back. So I let them be as Sugar would come around the gate and come through and the bull would then come. But no. Sugar ran past the opening and to the bull. Once the bull came to the dead tree he stopped and the next I knew I heard the fence wires. The fence is only three strands of barb wire and not tight. The bull squeezed through the wires near the tree without breaking any wires. Ya kidding me?!!!
Sugar tried to follow the bull but she couldn't quite figure out the technique and by then I also yelled. I had to go over and herd Sugar to the open gate. She made it hard as she wanted to go everywhere but that direction. I eventually got her to the opening and she walked through. I am not pleased the bull figured out how to squeeze through the fence. Once he learns something, he doesn't forget. I don't have plans to rebuild that fence until next year (2020). But if the bull starts making this a regular thing I will have to change my fence plans (once again!)
The hay should be right up to the feeder sides all the way around. But some of the cattle (the bull, Maria, and cow 80 especially) push against the feeder. The feeder - though heavy - slides along the icy ground when pushed hard. While the sliding can be good as they can eat all the hay in the center, if the three pushers are on one side of the feeder they push the feeder with all the hay in it, before you know it the hay can be reached only from one side.
The feeder can only accommodate twelve cattle at one time. Since there is not all-you-can-eat hay bale in the feeder, I also make a half dozen small hay piles nearby. That way the smaller cattle - Mama and the three heifers - get a chance to eat hay. Of course, with the 'grass is greener elsewhere' mentality often 8 or 9 of the cattle end up going from hay pile to hay pile and eat the hay there. Over time I have been putting more hay outside the feeder so the bullies don't hog it all.
After our run-in a few weeks ago, Mama is careful when coming to a hay pile I just set down and we have not had any run-ins since then. One time my foot caught on a hard cow pie in the snow. This acted like a lever and I slammed to the ground. Hard. My right hand and arm came between my body and the hard ground. I must have bruised my chest as I could tell exactly where I fell on my hand and arm. I hurt for over a week. It hurt worse than when Mama and I collided that time.
To make my hay last I am back to feeding the cattle with a pickup load of hay twice a day like I did last Winter. Earlier I had been putting out a large hay bale but found the cattle would devour the bale in 1 2/3 day. They loved the second cutting alfalfa and couldn't stop eating it. Once I fed them with pickup loads I was back to taking three days to go through a hay bale and the cattle were no worse for it.
Now that I have used up all the second cutting alfalfa bales I put out a large bale for the cattle last week. Partly to see how fast the cattle ate a hay bale from either Wyatt's or Donna's field, and partly because we were going to have snow and colder temperatures for a couple days. It took the cattle 2.75 days to eat that bale. Still, I decided to go back to twice a day feeding for now.
One thing I noticed over the past week was that in the morning feeding some of the cattle would be in the south pasture. Usually the bull and three other cows. Every time a different mix of cattle but usually a combination of the same suspects of the half of the herd who can be naughty at times. I have the gate to the south pasture closed so these cattle walk the river around the fence. The river is low but they still get wet. Today when Maria returned via the river I seen the bottom of her belly was wet.
I would open the gate after I put out all the hay. You'd think having to watch and wait would discourage the cattle from going to the south pasture where there is just snow and nothing to eat.
Today when I came out to feed the hay Maria immediately headed to the river to make her way back as she didn't want to wait. The bull saw Maria head for the river and ambled towards the river. Sugar and cow 40 hung along the fence. I hadn't completely cleaned the pickup when I decided to open the middle gate for Sugar and 40 to come get hay. 40 immediately came to the gate and walked through. Sugar came to the gate but came along the fence side of the open gate and not the opening. The bull noticed us and walked back. So I let them be as Sugar would come around the gate and come through and the bull would then come. But no. Sugar ran past the opening and to the bull. Once the bull came to the dead tree he stopped and the next I knew I heard the fence wires. The fence is only three strands of barb wire and not tight. The bull squeezed through the wires near the tree without breaking any wires. Ya kidding me?!!!
Sugar tried to follow the bull but she couldn't quite figure out the technique and by then I also yelled. I had to go over and herd Sugar to the open gate. She made it hard as she wanted to go everywhere but that direction. I eventually got her to the opening and she walked through. I am not pleased the bull figured out how to squeeze through the fence. Once he learns something, he doesn't forget. I don't have plans to rebuild that fence until next year (2020). But if the bull starts making this a regular thing I will have to change my fence plans (once again!)
The hay should be right up to the feeder sides all the way around. But some of the cattle (the bull, Maria, and cow 80 especially) push against the feeder. The feeder - though heavy - slides along the icy ground when pushed hard. While the sliding can be good as they can eat all the hay in the center, if the three pushers are on one side of the feeder they push the feeder with all the hay in it, before you know it the hay can be reached only from one side.
|
| See how they like to eat the hay to the ground. |
The feeder can only accommodate twelve cattle at one time. Since there is not all-you-can-eat hay bale in the feeder, I also make a half dozen small hay piles nearby. That way the smaller cattle - Mama and the three heifers - get a chance to eat hay. Of course, with the 'grass is greener elsewhere' mentality often 8 or 9 of the cattle end up going from hay pile to hay pile and eat the hay there. Over time I have been putting more hay outside the feeder so the bullies don't hog it all.
After our run-in a few weeks ago, Mama is careful when coming to a hay pile I just set down and we have not had any run-ins since then. One time my foot caught on a hard cow pie in the snow. This acted like a lever and I slammed to the ground. Hard. My right hand and arm came between my body and the hard ground. I must have bruised my chest as I could tell exactly where I fell on my hand and arm. I hurt for over a week. It hurt worse than when Mama and I collided that time.
Tuesday, January 08, 2019
Mud room sink fix
It should have been only a two hour fix. But between my skills and this old house, the fix took five days. I should have expected this. My uncles Curt and Larry understand as years ago they helped me with most of my bathroom remodel and that remodel metastasized into a monster.
Recently the faucet in the mud room sink started to drip. The faucet is very old and one I didn't like. I didn't like its shape; I didn't like the shape of its handles; the handles were hard to turn; replacing the faucet's washer looked to be a pain; etc. Years ago I had picked up a new faucet. It wasn't used in the bathroom remodel as the faucet's trim color was gold and Tammy (correctly) wanted burnished silver finishes on the bathroom faucets.
Gold colored faucet in the mud room... fine. The room needs a remodel and is drab/ugly so the faucet color wouldn't be the worst.
The two hour job expanded when I realized I would have to take the cabinet holding the sink completely out. This was not a pleasant task as there is not a lot of room in the mud room to move large objects around. I could move the cabinet just enough to squeeze by the wash machine to get behind the cabinet.
After I put the new sink faucet in place, and before I put the cabinet back, I noticed the floor's hole around the drainpipe was larger than the drainpipe. This is how the mice get into the house from the crawlspace. As you can see below I think I fixed that problem. I stuffed more insulation around the pipe and cut a section of screen door screen and placed it on the floor. Then I nailed to the floor a section of wire from an old unused live animal trap. If that doesn't stop the mice at least it will make it difficult for them to get through.
I put the cabinet back. I reconnected the drainpipe, the hot water link, then the cold water line. When I got to the cold water line I was two inches short. What?!!! Where did it go?! I checked the line in the crawl space but it seemed to be fixed and would not move. I looked in the tool shed at stuff dad had for plumbing. I found a short flexible steel water line. It would fit the faucet connection but not the union. I found a four inch piece of copper pipe whose male and females ends would work with the union and then found a valve that would connect to the flexible hose. It was getting late and I decided stop and call it a night after I put the valve on. I needed the valve on as even though I had put new shutoff valves in the hot and cold water lines that went to the mud room, the cold water valve only stopped 99.8% of the water. I would have a slow drip - even if I also closed the main shutoff valve to the house.
But as my luck would have it.. even with the extra shutoff valve just added, a very slow drip was where the shutoff valve connected to the pipe. I put rags down and called it a night. Obviously I was not meant to finish this project this day.
Day number 2. I went into the crawl space and turned all the water valves off, unconnected everything, took out the cabinet drawers again and took out the cabinet. I took off the cold water pipe extension and installed the steel flexible pipe to the faucet. I then got sidetracked with my wash machine. For some months now the cold water flow into the machine had slowed down considerably. So much that it took a long time to fill the machine for the rinse cycle. With the cabinet out it was much easier to get to the back of the wash machine.
I checked the hot and cold hoses and their screen. I found some rust/gunk in the cold water screen but not as much as I expected. I cleaned it anyway. The next time I wash clothes I will see if this makes a difference. Otherwise the water inlet valve's solenoid unit is bad. This wouldn't be surprising as dad bought this Kenmore wash machine new in the mid 1970s.
I put the cabinet back and reconnected everything. It was getting late again. The new valve was still dripping slowly. I quit for the night with plans to get a new valve the next day.
Day number 3. I woke up in the morning with the realization of why the cold water pipe was two inches short. In the crawl space I had confused the cold and hot water pipes. The hot water pipe was fixed, but the cold water pipe would move. I got my two inches back. This meant I could use the union and could get rid of the extension, valve and steel flexible pipe.
Which meant... I had to turned the valves off in the crawl space, disconnect everything, take the cabinet drawers out, and then take the cabinet back out. I put the original pipe back on the faucet and connected the pipes using the unions.
I put the cabinet back, reconnected everything and turned the water on.
The faucet handles didn't want to turn.
I hadn't tested the handles before installing the faucet, but the faucet is new and the handles should work. I suspected I had tightened the faucet to the sink too hard and this was why the handles wouldn't turn. Instead of using the plastic nuts to hold the faucet to the sink I had used the old faucet's steel nuts. To keep the faucet from moving I had tightened the nuts tight.
It was getting late and I had to feed the cattle. And I didn't want to disconnect everything and move the cabinet again so I called it a day.
Day number 4. I disconnected everything, took out the drawers and moved the cabinet - yet again!
Yup. I had tightened the nuts too tight. The new faucet's shell is tin. The old faucet was all steel. The pressure caused the handles - mostly the right handle - to be pulled into the shell. I spent some time to remove the indent. This is much easier said than done. When I tightened the nuts again I tried to not over tighten them. If I tightened the nuts so the faucet couldn't be moved on the sink it would indent the shell. So I had to redo everything. In the end the faucet won't move unless a lot of force is put on it. I think I can live with that.
Now that I can run water I next discovered the old metal drain was shot. On the J trap, the connection to the pipe going down - wasn't. By that I mean there were no threads. I don't know if there never were threads or they rusted away over the years. That part of the J trap was puttied together. Of course my disconnection broke the old putty apart. I was not about to putty/patch it back together.
I went to Home Depot and bought a new J trap. At home I then discovered the other side - the ring - was also bad. I had to put the pipe in a vise and used a pipe wrench to turn the ring - and it wasn't screwed onto anything. I tried to remove the ring from the pipe - which should be easy to do - but it wouldn't come off. The ring was coming off or I would break the pipe doing so. I broke the pipe and never got the ring off.
Day number 5. I went back to Home Depot in the morning after feeding the cattle. I returned the J trap and bought a S trap. Everything is plastic now-a-days but it works.
After 5 days I replaced my faucet. No wonder I don't do more home repairs!
Recently the faucet in the mud room sink started to drip. The faucet is very old and one I didn't like. I didn't like its shape; I didn't like the shape of its handles; the handles were hard to turn; replacing the faucet's washer looked to be a pain; etc. Years ago I had picked up a new faucet. It wasn't used in the bathroom remodel as the faucet's trim color was gold and Tammy (correctly) wanted burnished silver finishes on the bathroom faucets.
Gold colored faucet in the mud room... fine. The room needs a remodel and is drab/ugly so the faucet color wouldn't be the worst.
The two hour job expanded when I realized I would have to take the cabinet holding the sink completely out. This was not a pleasant task as there is not a lot of room in the mud room to move large objects around. I could move the cabinet just enough to squeeze by the wash machine to get behind the cabinet.
 |
| Daisy helped me initially. Once she checked everything out around the cabinet she let me do the rest of the work. |
The plumbing was done between 50 and 78 years ago. Back before flexible steel hoses were invented for water lines. My water lines were copper all the way to the faucet. Each line did have a union (thankfully) so I was able to disconnect them. But to disconnect the pipes connected to the sink I had to get in back of the cabinet. The hole cut in the cabinet was by whoever connected the pipes long ago.
The other two odd looking holes are to allow me to pull the cabinet away from the wall and the pipes that go into the floor. This is how the pipes come into the cabinet. The reason for the odd shaped holes and not simple round holes is that whoever connected the pipes long ago soldered the upright portions of the pipe inside the cabinet to the unions. I was not about to cut the pipes.
After I put the new sink faucet in place, and before I put the cabinet back, I noticed the floor's hole around the drainpipe was larger than the drainpipe. This is how the mice get into the house from the crawlspace. As you can see below I think I fixed that problem. I stuffed more insulation around the pipe and cut a section of screen door screen and placed it on the floor. Then I nailed to the floor a section of wire from an old unused live animal trap. If that doesn't stop the mice at least it will make it difficult for them to get through.
I put the cabinet back. I reconnected the drainpipe, the hot water link, then the cold water line. When I got to the cold water line I was two inches short. What?!!! Where did it go?! I checked the line in the crawl space but it seemed to be fixed and would not move. I looked in the tool shed at stuff dad had for plumbing. I found a short flexible steel water line. It would fit the faucet connection but not the union. I found a four inch piece of copper pipe whose male and females ends would work with the union and then found a valve that would connect to the flexible hose. It was getting late and I decided stop and call it a night after I put the valve on. I needed the valve on as even though I had put new shutoff valves in the hot and cold water lines that went to the mud room, the cold water valve only stopped 99.8% of the water. I would have a slow drip - even if I also closed the main shutoff valve to the house.
But as my luck would have it.. even with the extra shutoff valve just added, a very slow drip was where the shutoff valve connected to the pipe. I put rags down and called it a night. Obviously I was not meant to finish this project this day.
 |
| Two inch gap |
Day number 2. I went into the crawl space and turned all the water valves off, unconnected everything, took out the cabinet drawers again and took out the cabinet. I took off the cold water pipe extension and installed the steel flexible pipe to the faucet. I then got sidetracked with my wash machine. For some months now the cold water flow into the machine had slowed down considerably. So much that it took a long time to fill the machine for the rinse cycle. With the cabinet out it was much easier to get to the back of the wash machine.
I checked the hot and cold hoses and their screen. I found some rust/gunk in the cold water screen but not as much as I expected. I cleaned it anyway. The next time I wash clothes I will see if this makes a difference. Otherwise the water inlet valve's solenoid unit is bad. This wouldn't be surprising as dad bought this Kenmore wash machine new in the mid 1970s.
I put the cabinet back and reconnected everything. It was getting late again. The new valve was still dripping slowly. I quit for the night with plans to get a new valve the next day.
Day number 3. I woke up in the morning with the realization of why the cold water pipe was two inches short. In the crawl space I had confused the cold and hot water pipes. The hot water pipe was fixed, but the cold water pipe would move. I got my two inches back. This meant I could use the union and could get rid of the extension, valve and steel flexible pipe.
Which meant... I had to turned the valves off in the crawl space, disconnect everything, take the cabinet drawers out, and then take the cabinet back out. I put the original pipe back on the faucet and connected the pipes using the unions.
I put the cabinet back, reconnected everything and turned the water on.
The faucet handles didn't want to turn.
I hadn't tested the handles before installing the faucet, but the faucet is new and the handles should work. I suspected I had tightened the faucet to the sink too hard and this was why the handles wouldn't turn. Instead of using the plastic nuts to hold the faucet to the sink I had used the old faucet's steel nuts. To keep the faucet from moving I had tightened the nuts tight.
It was getting late and I had to feed the cattle. And I didn't want to disconnect everything and move the cabinet again so I called it a day.
Day number 4. I disconnected everything, took out the drawers and moved the cabinet - yet again!
Yup. I had tightened the nuts too tight. The new faucet's shell is tin. The old faucet was all steel. The pressure caused the handles - mostly the right handle - to be pulled into the shell. I spent some time to remove the indent. This is much easier said than done. When I tightened the nuts again I tried to not over tighten them. If I tightened the nuts so the faucet couldn't be moved on the sink it would indent the shell. So I had to redo everything. In the end the faucet won't move unless a lot of force is put on it. I think I can live with that.
 |
| Slight indent around the right handle. |
Now that I can run water I next discovered the old metal drain was shot. On the J trap, the connection to the pipe going down - wasn't. By that I mean there were no threads. I don't know if there never were threads or they rusted away over the years. That part of the J trap was puttied together. Of course my disconnection broke the old putty apart. I was not about to putty/patch it back together.
I went to Home Depot and bought a new J trap. At home I then discovered the other side - the ring - was also bad. I had to put the pipe in a vise and used a pipe wrench to turn the ring - and it wasn't screwed onto anything. I tried to remove the ring from the pipe - which should be easy to do - but it wouldn't come off. The ring was coming off or I would break the pipe doing so. I broke the pipe and never got the ring off.
Day number 5. I went back to Home Depot in the morning after feeding the cattle. I returned the J trap and bought a S trap. Everything is plastic now-a-days but it works.
After 5 days I replaced my faucet. No wonder I don't do more home repairs!
Wednesday, January 02, 2019
2018 bicycle mileage total
2018 was for the record book for me with bicycle miles. I rode 8,500 miles. This is well above the previous record of 7,100 miles set way back in 1996. And much above my average annual mileage of 3,379 miles.
I could have ridden more miles as my total at the six month mark was 4,700 miles. I usually ride more miles in the second half of the year but this year with my hay and cattle problems in July, and my push to get stuff done before Winter started, my mileage in the second half of the year fell off.
Numbers:
I could have ridden more miles as my total at the six month mark was 4,700 miles. I usually ride more miles in the second half of the year but this year with my hay and cattle problems in July, and my push to get stuff done before Winter started, my mileage in the second half of the year fell off.
Numbers:
- 8,500 annual miles,
- 708.3 miles each month,
- 163.5 miles each week,
- 23.3 miles each day.
I set record miles in three months:
- January - 550 miles,
- March - 1025 miles, and
- December - 620 miles.
I was surprised to set a record in December. My previous average in December was 146.6 miles. I only exceeded 300 miles in a December four times over the many years of riding. The previous record mileage of 582 miles (well above the next highest of 440 miles) was set back in 1988 when I was riding on a bicycle tour in Australia and Hawaii that December. I figured I would never exceed this 582 total unless I spent a December in a warm area again. But our past December was warmer than average and I made the most of it. If this is because of global warming... then bring it on. I can get used to this!
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