Sounds like the Blue Dog Democrats are a myth, they caved into the Democratic Hierarchy. Now it is up to the Senate.
That sounds a bit better. It was said today that the negotiations are going nowhere, that if anything it will be late fall before something can be finalized. Of course, Washington is all talk. Who knows what will happen.
I heard today that Obama's personal physician came out against the bill. He maintains nobody knows what's going on. That sounds bad, means to many hidden issues that are being railroaded through. The visiting thing every five years smacks. Others have said, it is just a rationing program, that means it will be worse than Canada, Great Britain, Sweden, Germany, yada yada yada.
Things do not look good. I hope Kennedy stays alive until this thing comes to ahead. He has not been in the Senate for months - one more vote not in place. Of course, the Dems can count on Al Franken - a comedian for Christ's sake - a blithering idiot.
Oh well, time goes on.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
John J. Audubon Bridge
The St. Francisville side of the bridge is now sporting a very tall pole crane. Looks like that sucker is about 200 feet up. Imagine climbing up that every day and sitting in the cab. Up above the flowing Mississippi River, no guy wires and a precarious counter weight to balance things off. Not me.
The reports say the bridge is now better than 75% complete. But to look at it you could not imagine it is that far along. I guess it is all the concrete and pilings located below water line and the approaches to the bridge that are driving that completion estimate. Does not look like much right now, does it?
The little bridges out to the footings are called trestles, like a railroad bridge. They have supported all the activity so far and will be removed at completion of the bridge. They provide access to the footings which are set into the river only about a 150 or 200 feet out. The footings or caissons don't really have pilings, they drill holes down and filled them with reinforced concrete, it is about the same as driving pilings. Once in place there is no moving them and then they are capped with concrete.
The bridge structure will begin to rise now. I suspect almost continous concrete pouring until the top is reached. You can see reinforce steel in the construction yard. There will be a ton of activity now. The hard part is done, now the pretty part gets completed.
Oh yes, the web spot is www.flation.oxblue.com/jjab/. It is the location of a web camera that takes a picture every couple of hours. The web page has a calendar and you can go back in time to see the changes.
Maybe this time next year we can drive over to St. Francisville for dinner.
The reports say the bridge is now better than 75% complete. But to look at it you could not imagine it is that far along. I guess it is all the concrete and pilings located below water line and the approaches to the bridge that are driving that completion estimate. Does not look like much right now, does it?
The little bridges out to the footings are called trestles, like a railroad bridge. They have supported all the activity so far and will be removed at completion of the bridge. They provide access to the footings which are set into the river only about a 150 or 200 feet out. The footings or caissons don't really have pilings, they drill holes down and filled them with reinforced concrete, it is about the same as driving pilings. Once in place there is no moving them and then they are capped with concrete.
The bridge structure will begin to rise now. I suspect almost continous concrete pouring until the top is reached. You can see reinforce steel in the construction yard. There will be a ton of activity now. The hard part is done, now the pretty part gets completed.
Oh yes, the web spot is www.flation.oxblue.com/jjab/. It is the location of a web camera that takes a picture every couple of hours. The web page has a calendar and you can go back in time to see the changes.
Maybe this time next year we can drive over to St. Francisville for dinner.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Yea Blue Dog Democrats
There seems to be some back bone in places in the Democratic Party after all. The Blue Dogs have essentially shut down the Obama Medical Reform Bill. No one is against reform except maybe the trial lawyers.
But the reform is more than reform, it is creation of socialized medicine, that's bad. There is a modicum of reform and ton of change to mandated medical programs. Canada, Great Britain and Germany are classic cases of government mandated medical programs. And now medical coverage is rationed in those countries. Documented long waits for appointments and even longer for treatment. How is it up to a government to determine what and where you get treatment? Did you know on average a cancer patient lives 5 or more years longer in the US than Canada. This is folly.
And those people who most need medical care are those like me already under a government mandated system call Medicare. The premium is deducted from our Social Security pensions and given to the government. In my case, our secondary insurance that pays the 20% deductible is military TRICARE programs. The military retiree and his immediate family, in this case my wife, are granted medical care for life. So when we get a medicare bill, it is automatically forwarded to the military provider.
So the old people are all under a universal system already. The only thing that makes it work is the fact that others are not under the program - like the people under 65 years of age. And the fact we can go off this coverage for individual coverage if we want to. This competitive action keeps medicare honest. Remove it and the benefits of competition disappear and then we are all in the soup with limited and restricted coverage.
No, no, no. Do not support OBama on this issue. You will be screwed if you do!
But the reform is more than reform, it is creation of socialized medicine, that's bad. There is a modicum of reform and ton of change to mandated medical programs. Canada, Great Britain and Germany are classic cases of government mandated medical programs. And now medical coverage is rationed in those countries. Documented long waits for appointments and even longer for treatment. How is it up to a government to determine what and where you get treatment? Did you know on average a cancer patient lives 5 or more years longer in the US than Canada. This is folly.
And those people who most need medical care are those like me already under a government mandated system call Medicare. The premium is deducted from our Social Security pensions and given to the government. In my case, our secondary insurance that pays the 20% deductible is military TRICARE programs. The military retiree and his immediate family, in this case my wife, are granted medical care for life. So when we get a medicare bill, it is automatically forwarded to the military provider.
So the old people are all under a universal system already. The only thing that makes it work is the fact that others are not under the program - like the people under 65 years of age. And the fact we can go off this coverage for individual coverage if we want to. This competitive action keeps medicare honest. Remove it and the benefits of competition disappear and then we are all in the soup with limited and restricted coverage.
No, no, no. Do not support OBama on this issue. You will be screwed if you do!
Friday, July 24, 2009
You Think . . .
You think Obama is going to use one of our greatest assets - coal. He is on record that he intends to put all coal fired electrical plants out of business. My good friend, Jodie Cotten, Manager of the Pointe Coupee REA told me a little story. Obama who says we need an energy policy is dumping our greatest defense against big oil. How dumb do you get?
Not shortly after Obama was sworn into office, the government is suing the present owners of the Big Cajun #2 coal fire power plant for green house gas emissions. The Louisiana REA's built that plant with federal loans (don't you know that the Federal Government approved all of its design), but got involved with the bankruptcy of the River Bend Nuclear plant across the river from New Roads. As a condition, the REAs sold the plants to its present owner. A plant approved and built with Federal funds. Makes you wonder, doesn't it?
Jodie told me that they were about to return about $7,000,000.00 to the Federal Government as a result of all the settlements. Now, they are not going to return the money. They are going to using it for lawyers to fight the Government lawsuits promoted by Obama's team against the plant. I wonder if the Federals knew that there was such a fund and just how much it can buy in legal support. I would imagine that amount of money will buy a lot of defense.
So its gonna be a big fight over the plant at New Roads. I hope the Feds get stuffed.
Not shortly after Obama was sworn into office, the government is suing the present owners of the Big Cajun #2 coal fire power plant for green house gas emissions. The Louisiana REA's built that plant with federal loans (don't you know that the Federal Government approved all of its design), but got involved with the bankruptcy of the River Bend Nuclear plant across the river from New Roads. As a condition, the REAs sold the plants to its present owner. A plant approved and built with Federal funds. Makes you wonder, doesn't it?
Jodie told me that they were about to return about $7,000,000.00 to the Federal Government as a result of all the settlements. Now, they are not going to return the money. They are going to using it for lawyers to fight the Government lawsuits promoted by Obama's team against the plant. I wonder if the Federals knew that there was such a fund and just how much it can buy in legal support. I would imagine that amount of money will buy a lot of defense.
So its gonna be a big fight over the plant at New Roads. I hope the Feds get stuffed.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Tired of It . . .
Geez Louise, Obama needs to give it a break. The more he whines about health care the more ground he loses. Sounds like the Blue Dog Democrats are beginning to have an effect. There's no free lunch and the President keeps insisting the new Health Reform will be free. Even his own party's Congressional Budget Office says there are no savings and it will cost another trillion dollars to implement.
He is trying to craft his bill by raising fears of deeper recession. Well that may true, a deeper recession may occur because his great bill to stop the recession was such a big give away that it is having no effect on employment rates sat all. He says he inherited the problem, maybe so, but he sure and hell is making it worse.
Taxes are coming every where. Cap and Trade is nothing but a big tax. Yes, it is on industry but you and I end paying it in high prices for everything. Corporations will pass the cost on to you and me. Cap and Trade will increase your utility bill by 10 to 20%. Yes, your bills will go up. In effect he is indeed proposing a tax on everybody to satisfy this hoky bill. Coal is one of the US's great assets, and he is bound and determined to kill it as an energy source.
Passing bills without reading them, what kind of representation is that? Dropping a 300 page amendment just eight hours before the House of Representatives is to vote on it, that's ridiculous. That is not representation, that is a bunch of lemmings in action.
So what do we get? We are getting a lot BS, same themes, same failed ideas. This is not a man of change, this is man bent of moving the US of A toward liberalism - indeed even potential communism. When you hear about railroaded bills it smacks of Eastern European governments of fiat.
I am sorry for the rant but those who voted for him now will inherit him for what he really is. More government, more taxes, more government regulations. Do we want Canadian, British or German health care?
I think not. But the whine goes on, again today, another whine in Shaker Heights (Dayton to all the rest of us).
He is trying to craft his bill by raising fears of deeper recession. Well that may true, a deeper recession may occur because his great bill to stop the recession was such a big give away that it is having no effect on employment rates sat all. He says he inherited the problem, maybe so, but he sure and hell is making it worse.
Taxes are coming every where. Cap and Trade is nothing but a big tax. Yes, it is on industry but you and I end paying it in high prices for everything. Corporations will pass the cost on to you and me. Cap and Trade will increase your utility bill by 10 to 20%. Yes, your bills will go up. In effect he is indeed proposing a tax on everybody to satisfy this hoky bill. Coal is one of the US's great assets, and he is bound and determined to kill it as an energy source.
Passing bills without reading them, what kind of representation is that? Dropping a 300 page amendment just eight hours before the House of Representatives is to vote on it, that's ridiculous. That is not representation, that is a bunch of lemmings in action.
So what do we get? We are getting a lot BS, same themes, same failed ideas. This is not a man of change, this is man bent of moving the US of A toward liberalism - indeed even potential communism. When you hear about railroaded bills it smacks of Eastern European governments of fiat.
I am sorry for the rant but those who voted for him now will inherit him for what he really is. More government, more taxes, more government regulations. Do we want Canadian, British or German health care?
I think not. But the whine goes on, again today, another whine in Shaker Heights (Dayton to all the rest of us).
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Walking Again . . .
Yes, I have begun walking again. We have had a cool snap and it is great time to start doing it again. I had kind of fallen off the log regardig walking but need the exercise. So back on it again. I think the cool period is over with though, calling for higher daytime temperatures right now.
As the day time temperature rises I will walk earlier in the AM. I used to walk in the dark early in the morning. Ran afoul of a rattle snake once, I did not see it but got close enough in the dark to get a warning rattle. Made me run 50 yards very quickly. That was back in Arizona when I walked on the weekends (I was working in those days).
Now days I stay close to the streets. That way I avoid the snakes and other critters that prowl early in the AM. Saw skunk once and made a bee line away from it too. Did not want to upset his turf at all.
Keep on keeping on.
As the day time temperature rises I will walk earlier in the AM. I used to walk in the dark early in the morning. Ran afoul of a rattle snake once, I did not see it but got close enough in the dark to get a warning rattle. Made me run 50 yards very quickly. That was back in Arizona when I walked on the weekends (I was working in those days).
Now days I stay close to the streets. That way I avoid the snakes and other critters that prowl early in the AM. Saw skunk once and made a bee line away from it too. Did not want to upset his turf at all.
Keep on keeping on.
Monday, July 20, 2009
The Real Reason
My contribution to the food rally, the multilegged chicken. Well multilegged and winged chicken. Popular with a few of us. Well, I liked them.
Joan and Jim burgers. Joan made them up and Jim cooked them. Yummy is a favorite term used by Jim to describe food and these were certainly yummy.
The real reason for going to New Roads on the 4th of July weekend. Look closely for underneath the bottles of water are fresh boiled crabs. The crabs are seasoned correctly and are super. They selpt in the salty areas near Destraham close to the alligators. Fresh caught and fresh boiled up and transported to the camp on False River. Wait there is more . . .
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Some Pictures
De Ducks among the Cypress along the lake.
Mark and Mom admiring the son.
More photos to come.
Getting Good At It
Yes, I am getting good at it - testing for blood sugar and setting sprinkler heads. Blood sugar testing is just a routine that is to be done a specific times of the day, when I get up, at 2 PM and 8PM. Setting sprinkler heads requires I read the instructions but I am close to having that memorized.
Blood sugar is installing the test strip into the meter and poking one's finger to get a blood drop. I have learned the blood drop has to be of a certain size or the meter does not get enough blood to do its job. But once you get the test strip loaded up with blood it is only 5 seconds to the answer. Not so with sprinklers.
I am not writing about pop up spray heads, they are simple, subject to grit and snails (small ones that go for the water and get stuck in place). The water pressure is not sufficient to push the snal off. That results in a distorted spray pattern. So you go around and check pop ups for dirt and snails.
The sprinklers I am writing about are the pop gear driven sprinkler heads. They use water pressure to pop up and turn a small turbine. The turbine drives the gear train that rotates the heads around in an arc. They can be set to spray an arc of say 40 degrees up to 360 degrees. And they come with a special tool to set them. Not hard to do, take one's palm and rotate the head counter clock wise (that's to the left for digital people) until it stops - this clears the gear pattern. Then using the palm of one's hand rotate them back to the right (that is clockwise for old generation). Then you insert the tool into the specific hole and turn right or left depending on whether you want to increase the arc or reduce it. Then test to make sure you got the pattern right; it is an inexact process.
I find the very fine sand from our well destroys the turbines or binds up the gear train. The result is the same, the sprinkler pops up but does not rotate. We started with Hunter PGP sprinklers (at $20 a unit) and have worked our way down to Orbit (the high end of Orbit looks and operates exactly like the Hunter and costs $10and the low end costs $5 a unit). I use the high end Orbit, and just reinstall them in the old outer container, that way no hole digging to do.
Tried to soak the old heads in Vinegar and CLR but no joy, the turbine is worn out. They are nice and clean but worthless, not even heavy enough for a paper weight.
Blood sugar is installing the test strip into the meter and poking one's finger to get a blood drop. I have learned the blood drop has to be of a certain size or the meter does not get enough blood to do its job. But once you get the test strip loaded up with blood it is only 5 seconds to the answer. Not so with sprinklers.
I am not writing about pop up spray heads, they are simple, subject to grit and snails (small ones that go for the water and get stuck in place). The water pressure is not sufficient to push the snal off. That results in a distorted spray pattern. So you go around and check pop ups for dirt and snails.
The sprinklers I am writing about are the pop gear driven sprinkler heads. They use water pressure to pop up and turn a small turbine. The turbine drives the gear train that rotates the heads around in an arc. They can be set to spray an arc of say 40 degrees up to 360 degrees. And they come with a special tool to set them. Not hard to do, take one's palm and rotate the head counter clock wise (that's to the left for digital people) until it stops - this clears the gear pattern. Then using the palm of one's hand rotate them back to the right (that is clockwise for old generation). Then you insert the tool into the specific hole and turn right or left depending on whether you want to increase the arc or reduce it. Then test to make sure you got the pattern right; it is an inexact process.
I find the very fine sand from our well destroys the turbines or binds up the gear train. The result is the same, the sprinkler pops up but does not rotate. We started with Hunter PGP sprinklers (at $20 a unit) and have worked our way down to Orbit (the high end of Orbit looks and operates exactly like the Hunter and costs $10and the low end costs $5 a unit). I use the high end Orbit, and just reinstall them in the old outer container, that way no hole digging to do.
Tried to soak the old heads in Vinegar and CLR but no joy, the turbine is worn out. They are nice and clean but worthless, not even heavy enough for a paper weight.
Friday, July 17, 2009
And The Average Is Dropping . . .
The blood sugar level is dropping - slowly. Don't know if it is the drugs or the diet but it is declining, ever so slowly. I have the testing down now and have set up my spreadsheet to record the readings.
I am taking a new drug, Metformin. It is a generic drug, cost less and I am not sure it is having an effect yet. I suppose it must build up in my system, just don't know how long it takes. But the over all readings are declining.
What is interesting, is that the AM test is the highest. Both the after lunch and after dinner readings are always lower. Everything I have read, it is supposed to be just the opposite. Hummm, just don't know.
Mean time I keep on testing. . .
I am taking a new drug, Metformin. It is a generic drug, cost less and I am not sure it is having an effect yet. I suppose it must build up in my system, just don't know how long it takes. But the over all readings are declining.
What is interesting, is that the AM test is the highest. Both the after lunch and after dinner readings are always lower. Everything I have read, it is supposed to be just the opposite. Hummm, just don't know.
Mean time I keep on testing. . .
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Getting Used To It
I am getting used to the Contour meter. I have found that there is some variation between test strips. The ones that came with the meter, about 10 of them, are a bit more sensitive than the ones I got from the pharmacy. Takes a bigger blood drop to get it to work. While I get them on prescription, I can just buy extras if I need them, they are not really a drug but are part and parcle of Diabetes today. So they are commonly available at any pharmacy.
Basically, the amount of blood is a bit more for the new strips. So one has to judge how big the blood drop is before loading up the test strip (and sometimes squeeze up the puncture site to increase the size of the blood drop). This AM I went through three strips to get it to work properly. A little bit of a learning curve.
I am getting better at this. The meter records the final reading and puts it into memory, and does an average for you. Unfortunately, we tested Judie and her blood sugar is normal, while mine is off the scale. But her reading is now averaged in on the meter. Fortunately, I started a spread sheet, put in the readings and do the average on my calculator (Yeah, I know, I just have to get the spreadsheet set up to do the math. But since it is simple, I can do it on the side with my trusty calculator.).
The blood sugar is falling. But strangely rises during the night. Well, we will let the Doctor figure that out. I am sure there is an explanation (and a treatment). I counted up and I am not taking AM and PM a sum total of 21 pills, some of which are vitamins but I take a boat load of them. Pretty soon I gonna have have a pill caddy to carry around all those meds.
And life goes on . . .
Basically, the amount of blood is a bit more for the new strips. So one has to judge how big the blood drop is before loading up the test strip (and sometimes squeeze up the puncture site to increase the size of the blood drop). This AM I went through three strips to get it to work properly. A little bit of a learning curve.
I am getting better at this. The meter records the final reading and puts it into memory, and does an average for you. Unfortunately, we tested Judie and her blood sugar is normal, while mine is off the scale. But her reading is now averaged in on the meter. Fortunately, I started a spread sheet, put in the readings and do the average on my calculator (Yeah, I know, I just have to get the spreadsheet set up to do the math. But since it is simple, I can do it on the side with my trusty calculator.).
The blood sugar is falling. But strangely rises during the night. Well, we will let the Doctor figure that out. I am sure there is an explanation (and a treatment). I counted up and I am not taking AM and PM a sum total of 21 pills, some of which are vitamins but I take a boat load of them. Pretty soon I gonna have have a pill caddy to carry around all those meds.
And life goes on . . .
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Poking Time
It is poking time for me now. Doctor's visit and lab test show an alarming rise in blood sugar. It means my disease, Diabetes, Type II has moved on to another step. So is is a new drug to force the system to accept insulin and a blood tester to check levels of blood sugar to see if the new drug is working.
So I get to poke my self three times a day, when I get up, after lunch and after dinner. I have started a spreadsheet to record the readings. Strange the readings are all over the place, does not make sense to me. The down trend is the objective and that will take some time I am told my physician.
As you may or may not know a Type II Diabetic does not have a pancreatic problem of producing Insulin (that would be Type I or Juvenile Diabetes); the Type II patient has a problem with the body rejecting Insulin. So the stuff I am taking is to make the liver accept Insulin and let the liver do its job. I will probably never have to take Insulin but will forever have a problem with accepting Insulin. And it will progress no matter what I do, the key is to slow the progression, right?
So for now, it is poke, measure, record and watch to see if the new drug to me, Metformin, does what it is supposed to do. And we will see if it gets the blood sugar under control (increases the acceptance of Insulin in my system). It took a few tries to get the process down and now it is sort of a routine.
The meter, a Bayer Contour, is kind of neat, insert test tape (which turns on the meter), poke finger or similar place, feed drop of blood on to the spot on the test tape, and the meter does its thing. In about five seconds, the reading is available.
The meter as you would expect, has a clock (day and date along with AM PM included) and one can get a feed out cable and software to move the data a week at a time in the computer. I presume, the Bayer software contains a spreadsheet of sorts for the data. Right now I do not feel like setting up a complicated system, I just use a simple spread sheet I have made (gotta keep up my Microsoft skills, right). It tells you when the battery is about to quit (was gonna say dying, but thought that may not be a good choice of words). I would expect a really niffty meter would also have a radio to listen to while doing the test routine. I don't think they have got that far yet.
So I get to poke my self three times a day, when I get up, after lunch and after dinner. I have started a spreadsheet to record the readings. Strange the readings are all over the place, does not make sense to me. The down trend is the objective and that will take some time I am told my physician.
As you may or may not know a Type II Diabetic does not have a pancreatic problem of producing Insulin (that would be Type I or Juvenile Diabetes); the Type II patient has a problem with the body rejecting Insulin. So the stuff I am taking is to make the liver accept Insulin and let the liver do its job. I will probably never have to take Insulin but will forever have a problem with accepting Insulin. And it will progress no matter what I do, the key is to slow the progression, right?
So for now, it is poke, measure, record and watch to see if the new drug to me, Metformin, does what it is supposed to do. And we will see if it gets the blood sugar under control (increases the acceptance of Insulin in my system). It took a few tries to get the process down and now it is sort of a routine.
The meter, a Bayer Contour, is kind of neat, insert test tape (which turns on the meter), poke finger or similar place, feed drop of blood on to the spot on the test tape, and the meter does its thing. In about five seconds, the reading is available.
The meter as you would expect, has a clock (day and date along with AM PM included) and one can get a feed out cable and software to move the data a week at a time in the computer. I presume, the Bayer software contains a spreadsheet of sorts for the data. Right now I do not feel like setting up a complicated system, I just use a simple spread sheet I have made (gotta keep up my Microsoft skills, right). It tells you when the battery is about to quit (was gonna say dying, but thought that may not be a good choice of words). I would expect a really niffty meter would also have a radio to listen to while doing the test routine. I don't think they have got that far yet.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Another Hot Day
Well above a 100 degrees here. We had a couple of power glitches yesterday, indicating we are near the max for the system. Kicked off the house alarm and couple clocks. Sometimes that is an indication of some person running into a power pole somewhere. We should not have any brown outs, Apache Peak is the local nuclear plant and right down the street is the local gas fired steam plant. It is just sitting there, not even on idle. I think there are even weeds growing in the yard.
So I have been paying close attention to the irrigation system. The well is doing okay but sprinklers have many enemies, snails like to get into the full circle versions. Tiny snails and they grow and distort the spray pattern. Just gotta go in and ice pick them, crush the shells and fish them out. Then the spray patter returns to normal again. he filters clog up with dirt or small grit, need to be cleaned out every once in a while.
The full circle rotary sprinklers are susceptible to the fine sand found in the well water. The silica grinds down the gears in side and they stop rotating, just stay in one place and spray. Since you can not get into them, you do not know what going on - just replace the unit. At least I have got the price down, about half as much.
More hot tomorrow.
So I have been paying close attention to the irrigation system. The well is doing okay but sprinklers have many enemies, snails like to get into the full circle versions. Tiny snails and they grow and distort the spray pattern. Just gotta go in and ice pick them, crush the shells and fish them out. Then the spray patter returns to normal again. he filters clog up with dirt or small grit, need to be cleaned out every once in a while.
The full circle rotary sprinklers are susceptible to the fine sand found in the well water. The silica grinds down the gears in side and they stop rotating, just stay in one place and spray. Since you can not get into them, you do not know what going on - just replace the unit. At least I have got the price down, about half as much.
More hot tomorrow.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Irrigation Systems
It was time to tune up the system. Before we left for New Roads we had to get a sprinkler head because the old one was stuck in one location. It is the rotary kind where the water flow powers the gears that turn the sprinkler. In this case, the gears had given up the ghost (or the propeller system, whatever). You can hear the gears when rotating the top back and forth, it hits the stop and does all that stuff okay but does not rotate. Got to be innards not functioning correctly.
I tried soaking the head in white vinegar to remove the scale but I guess the fine sand in the water system wore it out. Anyway, the vinegar soak did not work.
Now I have winnered the sprinkler heads down from $20 to $10 a pop. I found the outer cases are identical, the tool for adjustment and the instructions are the same but different manufacturers and prices. So all I had to do was set up the sweep area and put it in the old cases already in the ground. So far so good, the replaced unit is working just fine and I have a spare.
But this led to investigating the other dry/brown areas. In most cases, the pop up sprinkler heads had small snails in the sprinkler head. They seek the water as tiny animals and stay in place and grow. This distorts the sprinkler pattern. I have a tool very much like an old ice pick. I crush the snails and fish them out with the tool. I also remove the heads and clean the filters. It is very surprising how much crap collects on the sprinkler filters. Pieces of tape, dirt of course and other small pieces of gravel (from the well ???).
Any rate, there were a couple of pop ups that were not popping up. Had to clean those up and swap a couple of them out.
Now I have to check some of them for their pattern. I need one that goes three quarters around. The only one I can find is an adjustable one and it refuses to remain adjusted correctly. I'll find, I just keep looking until I do.
Any the dry spot out front is now covered from three different sprinklers. Pretty soon it will turn green, just needs water.
Keep on trucking . . .
I tried soaking the head in white vinegar to remove the scale but I guess the fine sand in the water system wore it out. Anyway, the vinegar soak did not work.
Now I have winnered the sprinkler heads down from $20 to $10 a pop. I found the outer cases are identical, the tool for adjustment and the instructions are the same but different manufacturers and prices. So all I had to do was set up the sweep area and put it in the old cases already in the ground. So far so good, the replaced unit is working just fine and I have a spare.
But this led to investigating the other dry/brown areas. In most cases, the pop up sprinkler heads had small snails in the sprinkler head. They seek the water as tiny animals and stay in place and grow. This distorts the sprinkler pattern. I have a tool very much like an old ice pick. I crush the snails and fish them out with the tool. I also remove the heads and clean the filters. It is very surprising how much crap collects on the sprinkler filters. Pieces of tape, dirt of course and other small pieces of gravel (from the well ???).
Any rate, there were a couple of pop ups that were not popping up. Had to clean those up and swap a couple of them out.
Now I have to check some of them for their pattern. I need one that goes three quarters around. The only one I can find is an adjustable one and it refuses to remain adjusted correctly. I'll find, I just keep looking until I do.
Any the dry spot out front is now covered from three different sprinklers. Pretty soon it will turn green, just needs water.
Keep on trucking . . .
Monday, July 6, 2009
Back From New Roads . . .
Yep, back from New Roads, nice 1,000 mile round trip.
We got to see Richard's house and all the stuff that he and Mark have done to fix it up. Places looks really nice. Big yard so there will be lots of stuff planted and nurtured to maturity and beauty. Taste in plants!
The camp was crowded with life, wonderful respite from Texas. There was a lot of swimming some sunburn and some cook out food. I did the multi-leg chicken. It had a few wings and about 15 legs. Don't know if it got all eaten up but I had my share.
Joan and Dale brought an ice chest of cooked blue crabs that they caught and cooked. Something about the alligators getting too close for comfort. Me wonders how far into the boonies from Destraham they went? Far enough, I guess.
Jake and Anne were there with Master Will. Will turns out to be a pretty good traveller. He is basically a pretty good baby. Apparently loves to be passed around to whomever will take him. We enjoyed them tremendously.
And we tried a couple of new restaurants, the first was "My Mama's" in New Roads. Then Anne and Jake wanted to go eat at Camilles in Ervinville but it was closed. So we turned about and headed back to Livonia and at "Not Your Mama's." I am here to tell you the food was good a both places, a little pricey but well worth it.
And the fire works were terrific. Paul did his usual job of getting them from his source in Morganza. Fireworks were banned by the Police Jury due to the drought. I here to testify that stupidity did not work, and the fireworks around False River went on to near midnight - a four hour show put on by us, the people, not a city, not a church group, not the Boy Scouts, not the Lions Club or Rotary Club. Those are certainly all deserving and good organizations. It was the "non-organization" that did the show.
Way to go New Roads!
We got to see Richard's house and all the stuff that he and Mark have done to fix it up. Places looks really nice. Big yard so there will be lots of stuff planted and nurtured to maturity and beauty. Taste in plants!
The camp was crowded with life, wonderful respite from Texas. There was a lot of swimming some sunburn and some cook out food. I did the multi-leg chicken. It had a few wings and about 15 legs. Don't know if it got all eaten up but I had my share.
Joan and Dale brought an ice chest of cooked blue crabs that they caught and cooked. Something about the alligators getting too close for comfort. Me wonders how far into the boonies from Destraham they went? Far enough, I guess.
Jake and Anne were there with Master Will. Will turns out to be a pretty good traveller. He is basically a pretty good baby. Apparently loves to be passed around to whomever will take him. We enjoyed them tremendously.
And we tried a couple of new restaurants, the first was "My Mama's" in New Roads. Then Anne and Jake wanted to go eat at Camilles in Ervinville but it was closed. So we turned about and headed back to Livonia and at "Not Your Mama's." I am here to tell you the food was good a both places, a little pricey but well worth it.
And the fire works were terrific. Paul did his usual job of getting them from his source in Morganza. Fireworks were banned by the Police Jury due to the drought. I here to testify that stupidity did not work, and the fireworks around False River went on to near midnight - a four hour show put on by us, the people, not a city, not a church group, not the Boy Scouts, not the Lions Club or Rotary Club. Those are certainly all deserving and good organizations. It was the "non-organization" that did the show.
Way to go New Roads!
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