This update is dedicated to a very special friend of mine, I shall call Bright Eyes.๐บ๐ป.....sorry so long since I posted.
WHERE TO START?๐
First, around three months ago I guess. Marvin, our truck, had been giving us some fits. All concerning the fact her engine kept overheating and we were losing coolant. After a stint of dealing with it, she finally let me know what was going on.
She had a head gasket that was going out, and it finally went rendering her undrivable. She, being my girl, obviously had to be taken care of and I got to it right away. I got her pulled into the operating room, and surgeon Johndoer began her head surgery. As I was about to begin, she seemed quite concerned, and I asked her what was wrong?. She responded by saying, "Johdoer, you are a homesteading stonemason, not a surgeon." I responded with it's okay I've played one on TV before. But reassured her that she would simply go to sleep after I disconnected her battery and when she woke up everything would be fine and she would be feeling good again. ๐๐คฃ๐๐คฃ Kind of funny, but not really because I actually had that conversation with her. Because I felt like she probably was pretty concerned.
*Intake manifold and valve covers removed.
*The heads removed, and down to the issue. The piston that is shiny is the problem cylinder. The super hot coolant getting in there, steam cleaned it.๐
Anyway, I put the new gasket set in her and reassembled everything. I fired her up and after clearing her throat, she ran like a dream.
MAKING MEDICINES
In preparation for if things should turn bad, I have been busy making tinctures to help with everything from pain, to anxiety to sleeplessness and others. Things like this I believe, will be extremely useful. Possibly as much so as food and shelter. For these things will be able to be bartered or used.
*This tincture falls under the "and others" category.๐๐
*A picture made from Indian Pipe(Ghost Plant) that is amazing as a painkiller and as a sleep aid. Possibly the most valuable tinctures that I have.
COMMUNITY BIRD DRESSING CLASS๐๐
Some, I would imagine, maybe thinking that we are dressing birds up and costumes or something. That is not the case. ๐๐คฃ Instead, I mean dressing as in killing removing the feathers and the guts and preparing the birds for storage to eat.
A dear friend that lives nearby had a bunch of birds(chickens, ducks, and turkeys) that needed slaughtered, so I made that trip and with a couple of others who had never experienced it we had a good day of fellowship and teaching.
*Neck cut and left to drain for a few before processing.
*Explaining the process as we go through it to some neighbors, who had never done it.
All in all it was a good day, and a great deal of fun! We did not get them all taken care of that day, but we finished the rest of them at a later time.
THE DOG FORT GETS ITS STAIRS
I also recently completed the dog house fort. About the only thing that was left to do, was to build the stairs so the dogs could get to the roof to keep a lookout. I even had enough extra lumber laying around to complete it, and did not have to buy any material. ๐ช๐ช
*I built it, but the dogs don't actually seem to use it. ๐คฃ๐ Onree will run up and down it but not Simba.
SPEAKING OF SIMBA
He is growing and becoming a big boy. In two weeks he will be 11 months old and he currently weighs almost 120 pounds(54.4 kg)!๐คฏ He has reached full sexual maturity, and fully embraced his protector/guardian role over the homestead, and all of us that live there. He tolerates absolutely no nonsense from non-pack members. But loves all our family and friends.๐ฅฐ
*Simba, Onree, and my niece during their last visit... she's about 5 feet(1.6 meters) tall. Simba's a big boy now!!!
*Simba "snuggling"(smothering๐) daddy on a lazy Sunday afternoon. So glad he's on my side as I'd hate to be in this position if I was deemed a threat by him.๐๐
...ON THE SUBJECT OF OUR ANIMAL FRIENDS
We recently received a new one out at the homestead. He is a beautiful black kitty cat called Kunka Kitty. He was a feral cat that had been running around the woods at a friend's house. He knew I was needing a good mouser cat so he caught him in a live trap.
I brought him out to our place and let him loose in the house so he couldn't just run off. It took a while of him hiding under the bed before he opened up to us. But, soon enough he grew to accept us and the love (and food) we offered.
Good to hear from you again. Sounds like you've been really busy.
Thank you! I hope all is great for you and your loved ones in the new year! And a special thank you for all your doing for all us in the hive community!๐ค๐ค๐ค
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