How'd it go today?

I’ve seen many box elders (negundo) with heavy leans over here. They really show off their lean when planted in the open areas- not that I’ve readily identified them in a forest situation but assume there’s some in there and they ain’t leanin.
 
Replaced a hose faucet and was getting on well with the customer. One of those jobs you feel like you are doing for a good friend. He’s a retired small engine mechanic. He had this Echo which I really liked. He let me use a vibratach as well. Looks like a pocket size fishtape with numbers on a dial. You pull the tape out and when it vibrates at its widest pattern, the rpm’s correspond to the dial. Works on electric motors too.
 

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Today was mostly a fail, except for a short hike. The wind I mentioned yesterday blew sawdust behind my safety glasses and I woke up with very irritated eyes. Thankfully it has cleared up, but I wasn't sure it was going to. Went to the mill to try and salvage one of the bands I hit metal with yesterday, but it won't cut straight. Went to try and get some driving work at the farm but they are a couple weeks out. At least my favorite trail is in the same town, so I got to hit that on the way home. At least the wood stove is holding up. With the warm weather, I can at least keep the house liveable.
 
Well, thats done. Set the zip line up the hill through the tree last night. Down to raking and wood hauling before noon. About 3 hours to line it to the drive. Hard to tell, but there is a ton of irrigation in those rocks. They are also engineered drainage to a culvert from the hill down to the drive. Buddy of mine not a mile away took the wood. I dropped it off for him. Used the HOBBS to tension the line. Lifted the bigger chunks up and they slid down the line.

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My days seem to be getting exponentially worse. Made little progress at the mill today. Actually, no progress, really, just frustration. Came home to start preparing an instant pot that I'd scrounged the fresh ingredients for only to find some nearly microscopic insect has bored into all the bags of lentils and beans and eaten the middle out of each bean. That's a first for me. :?
 
I've had those bugs. Dunno if they ate the middles out of beans, but I toss stuff that's had bug intrusion. Usually anyway. Sometimes I really want what was infested, and I spend the time to clean it. You don't know fun til you've tried separating miller moth larvae from white rice :^S
 
I've had those bugs. Dunno if they ate the middles out of beans, but I toss stuff that's had bug intrusion. Usually anyway. Sometimes I really want what was infested, and I spend the time to clean it. You don't know fun til you've tried separating miller moth larvae from white rice :^S
Are you sure they are miller moths?
 
Are you sure they are miller moths?
No, I'm not. I thought that and a pantry moth were the same, but an image search says that's incorrect. They were pantry moths. I hate those things. They get everywhere, and are hard to fully eradicate. I've had two infestations so far, and it's taken years each time to get rid of them all. That's without using chemicals or tearing the house apart to find all the larvae.
 
We use a pheromone baited sticky trap. Buy in bulk. Also check all if your food, and seal the good food in metal or plastic. It's not hard to eradicate them with this method.
 
Ya know, it really isn't that big a deal. All the bug pieces that get eaten every year and you never even know it. Change the molecules around, and it could be a bacon cheeseburger. Problem is, I know it, and I don't like maggot looking moth larvae :^D
 
Busted my arse on trees Saturday. Poked around the desert forest Sunday. Monday work then couple hour drive to daughter track meet. Hotel at midnight, phone kept ringing because power out at the shop, alarm company. Tues am employees call, someone hit a pole and sheared it off, no power all day. Got home, loaded up two trucks trailers forklift to go to mountains to haul off that frame for friends. Truck overheats half way. Go back and unload everything.

Try again next day after work, two trailer blowouts in a row on the grade. Unload forklift, winch up on other trailer, go home, unload. Last night finally made it there and home. Tonight go back up, pick up a shipping container, take it a couple hours north in the mountains to other friends, whack some dead oaks there tomorrow and home…Sunday prolly be dead.
 
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