Still breathing

Not much going on lately. The rain has stopped and I'm a bit surprised on how dry everything is getting already. Of course there is still the small lake in the backyard that won't evaporate for another month.
I washed the winter crud off of the Magnum and took her up the hill to Hensley Lake today. Almost missed the wildflowers. The Lake is pretty full already with the majority of the snowpack yet to melt, so it looks like a good water year.
Don't really have much else to talk about this time around. Let's just all hope for a better year.

Spring

We have Blossoms!
The Almonds are blooming and the Bees have been busy. Cold Evenings followed by warm sunny days and the world out west has taken notice.
The Ice Plants have started to bud and I can hardly wait until they have flowers. I have two different varieties and the pink blooms before the yellow. So hopefully in a few days I'll get to see some color on the ground.
The rain has subsided for the last few days, but the ground is still very soggy. I pulled the Magnum out onto the lawn to make room for the Toyota's oil change in the shop. Getting out was the easy part. I made the mistake of parking it on a small hill in the backyard and the tires didn't do so well climbing back up.
It will be some time before it dries out enough to make my backyard car access available.

We lost another cat the other night to stray dogs. Shadow was the last of what I call the cursed litter. His only sister and a brother died when they were young. His other brother was killed by a Motorcycle about 6 months ago. He tried to make it to the trees but was unable. I heard the commotion and knew what it was, but had little time. He passed away in the house under a blanket with me by his side.
The local SPCA got a earful on their answering machine when they arrived to work the next morning. Even the Sheriff who responded told me they were worthless. There is just too many stray dogs running around the neighborhood. It's just not safe anymore.
I'm tired of Government telling me they have no funds, yet their Service Employee Unions have enough cash to spend on expensive ads every election year.
It's time to eliminate the Fox we've charged we watching the Hen house.

Swap Meet

So it's the Sunday after the massive Turlock Auto swap Meet.
I'm guessing it's about 1/2mile by 1/4 mile of nothing but Auto related stuff. There are also many cars for sale.
The day started off way too early. I get a call from my Father In law around 4:30am and he tells me he's got a Dead Battery about 15 minutes from my home. I get over there and it's the alternator, but he has enough juice to get to my house after a jump.
On the way back to my place I pick up the friend that is going with us. We hit the house and make the transition to my truck.
We make our usual Denny's stop about 30 minutes up the road and the Mexican Food I had the day before is not sitting very well. This is real stuff mind you. I barely could communicate with the restaurant staff, but after Breakfast I'm feeling much better. The Pepto helps.
We arrive in Turlock which is 45 minutes from home and the traffic this year is not bad. We find our parking space in no time and make the journey inside the fairgrounds. That starts the day off in the good direction.
Almost immediately my father is falling behind while wrestling with his fanny pack. I ask what's the problem and his hearing aid batteries are dead....I tell him I'm going to buy a 12V Battery just to carry him through the day...lol
Anyway that's the last problem we have and the rest of the day goes great.
I'm always amazed at the amount and diversity of items people somehow decide to keep around their home. I'd have to say about 50% is just junk, but they sell it. Apparently others need the same things lying around their home.
I would need a push counter just to keep track of all the aluminum manifolds on sale alone. Carbs of all sizes and shapes. If you need it it's there. I saw at least three older Hemis and more than a few Pre War projects.
My Buddy wanted a set of Knockoffs for his rims and the internet prices were (from what he said) about $300 for a set. Three quarters through the day and searching many piles we came across a wheel and tire salesman. He has a full set with adapters for $40.
My father looked all day for a 92 Dodge Factory Truck manual. On our second trip through, I spot one in a junk pile for $15. The Bookmobile wanted $120+ juts a few minutes earlier and they would have to order it.
I leave with only a few items.
I found a door seal kit for the 68 Chevy. Marked $55, she let's me have it for $40.
A few 1/24th scale cars and some cheap tools and I'm set for the day.
They had all the exterior chrome I needed, but I get their card and will order the full set later when I'm ready. What is unusual is that I find no good SBC Valve Covers. Just the cheap Chinese ones.
All in all it was a fun trip and we'll end up doing it again next year. Maybe sooner.
They try to hold this event every 3 months with the January crowd being the largest. Maybe my Brother In law will make the next one us. His 64 Vette isn't doing much good sitting around the shop.

My Day in the Sun.

I've had a few. Not as many as the bad ones, but as the story goes Any Day you wake up breathing, is a good one.

So I had done my share of mistakes in flight training. I had done some things right. There was alot of middle ground.
One of my Best friends was my Flight Instructor (CFI). I had traded him some Electrical Work for Flight Training. I only needed to pay for the Aircraft Rental.
That was substantial during those days and actually still is.
I paid roughly $65 and hour for the aircraft. Usually it takes a student around 100 hours to complete training. One reason for the higher costs was that we used a Cessna 172 instead of the usual smaller 152 or Beechcraft Skipper. I'm at just below 6 feet and my instructor was taller and outweighed me by half. Not good in a small airplane in the middle of a California Summer. Add to the fact he previously owned the airplane and knew it's history. Which is pretty important in aviation.
It was a wonderful aircraft to fly in.
My CFI was a pretty sharp cookie and could spout out the mathematics of flying on the move, having the answer before I could even decipher the question.
He said I picked up everything fairly quick. All but the landings.
Now it's not that I was bad, but more about him being a perfectionist when it came to greasing the pavement.
I could always count myself to having everything perfect until the last flare upon touchdown and do something to make it unprofessional.
I had logged just enough dual time to go solo when my day came.
Just out of the blue I was noticing him being unusually quiet and during my landing attempt the wheels never made a sound, they just started rolling. Perfection beyond Perfection.
He quite alarmingly yelled "That was F*&% Nice!".
He said "Taxi to the building I want a drink of water".
Once we got close, he jumped out and said "Go, give me three takeoffs and three landings". In a sheepish reply, I asked "Three?"
"Yep. Go. Your ready".
I actually was. I noticed the airplane really picked up speed much quicker and flew more responsive without his extra weight. Other than the feeling that I really have to get all this right now, since my nearest help is 2000' below me, I only remember how well the airplane flew.
That is why to this day I knew I was ready. I don't have any recollection of being scared.
Once back on the ground and after my Triple Play. I stepped out and he tradionally cut out the back of my shirt.
He wrote the Day, Location, Airplane, and scribbled "Three?" on the back. He said he always wrote his student's reply about being tasked with their first solo.

Winter over yet?

Latey it's been fairly nice in the afternoons and the nights aren't as bad as they were a few weeks ago. I haven't seen ice in the morning since our last cold snap, but it's still cold in my opinion.
We're in the annual Central California Tule Fog days now. Lucky if we see the sun at any time during the day. Grey and Dark most of the time.
A month or so ago we got into the 20s at night now we're hanging around 35.
I wrapped the aviary in plastic just in time. I have an assortment of birds but I was only concerned about the two parakeets. They seem to be doing well, but I did lose one Zebra Finch. It may or may not have been from the cold since I wasn't sure of his age.
The Ringneck Pheasant I recently caught has been crowing every morning about 7am.
I'm pretty sure he isn't talking to me, but at least I get the news he's up and alive.

I had to repair 4-30' High Pressure Sodium Parking Lot light Poles this morning. I was surprised on how cold it really was out there. Even with work gloves my hands started to hurt. Nothing like a cold damp morning 30 feet in the air surrounded by nothing but a Metal Basket.....

It won't be long before the spring rains start, the flowers bloom, and the weather starts to warm. Then I'll be complaining about the High heat.

Leaving the Nest

Well the day arrived. My Oldest is moving out.
I'm glad for him and wish him the best of luck. I know some things are going to hit home to him real soon, but if he has enough of a drive, then he will succeed.
He works part time in Fast Food, so money is tight, but he is sharing expenses with 2 other guys and their looking for a fourth bill payer.
He knows he can't afford his car and insurance, so I'm stuck with both. Of course the car stays here for now.
I'm not being cruel, but he had a decision to make. Freedom comes with a price. He could have stayed here and had room, board and all he had to do is make his vehicle payments or his own place.
I must be a different person. I cherished my Car growing up. It was my life. I probably worked on it more than it needed, wax the paint right off it sort of thing.
I only left after a argument with my mother. Nothing serious just enough to make me understand it was time to spread the wings.
There's no conflict here at home with him and us either. He is a good kid. He just wants to try it all out I suppose.
I'm pretty sure he'll be back, but I can't tell him that.
Now to make the room a Home Office.....that isn't right is it?

I guess I need to write something down this month.
It's been busy that last week or so at work. That's much different than it has been for the last 2 years.
Of course it was due to a foreclosure of a property with the last owners destroying the building electrical system when they left.
Took me the last week and a half to get it all running again, but it did help that we were the original installers of the wiring when the building was new.
This was back about 10 years ago and I worked for a company then. It wasn't my job to run, but I was there enough to remember much of what went where.
Funny that I can't recall where I just set my car keys, but I can remember certain wires, conduits and panels on a building over a decade ago.
Being that the main system was 480volts the new owner thought it would be best to bring me in before anyone walked the property.
With the amount of open wires, it probably saved a life.

I have the El Camino at the house now. No money to start anything on it, but I do need to get down and buy a Battery this week and try to get some oil pumped up over the top end of the engine and see what the Valve Stem Seal status is.
Pretty straight forward car, but I know nothing about Chevys. Being a Mopar Guy this looks all Greek to me.
I also dislike the fact that GM painted their engine compartments black. Looks second rate to me. Mopars were body color top bottom and anywhere else they could get the spray gun. I like that. Looks uniform.
The vehicle holds a special place to me, so I need to learn everything I can about it. It will be in the family for along time to come.