When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Beautiful day for Good Friday. It is the first of 5 days off for me. I wonder if I'll have any fun on this long weekend.
Chris that is too bad Dawn has all but stopped with her furniture refinishing. She seemed to really enjoy it. Maybe she could do a couple pieces and then take them to the local flea market this spring. She'd clean up.
So last year I switched insurance for the Suburban from State Farm to Progressive. The irritating commercials had nothing to do with it. SF wanted 500 for minimum coverage for a vehicle that has had no claims. Unacceptable. Progressive was half of that. So this time around I get a bill and send it in, and today I get a message that says sorry you haven't renewed, sayonara. So I called them. I sent the payment in last week. Sorry we don't have it. I said, where the hell did I sent it that you couldn't get it in 12 days? We can't verify where you sent it until we get it. So my only recourse was to pay it on my credit card right then. And she says the policy will go back into effect at midnight. Terrific. Now the state will send me a nasty gram and try to collect 25 bucks for not having continuous insurance. Nope! The woman said when they get the check in the mail they will update the policy to show there was no lapse in coverage.
I've heard people on both sides of the Progressive is good/Progressive is bad fence. Like any company. But be forewarned if you call them the inane phone tree will absolutely not give you live person. I kept saying "representative" and kept pushing 0. And it kept saying fine but I need this. So what finally sent the computer into tilt mode was a screamed obscenities at it. A little childish I know but after a long pause, it said let me get you to the representative. Hey whatever works.
Gonna do some mowing at Mom's today and maybe work on the tree branches. It's absolutely gorgeous out. Full moon last night, I thought maybe I could see the Artemus heading towards it. But I couldn't.
Chris that is too bad Dawn has all but stopped with her furniture refinishing. She seemed to really enjoy it. Maybe she could do a couple pieces and then take them to the local flea market this spring. She'd clean up.
So last year I switched insurance for the Suburban from State Farm to Progressive.
Mike - Dawn still enjoys the refinishing as a hobby, but you have to be able to sell stuff so you aren't coming out of it underwater. With the price of paint and supplies going thru the roof, everyone wanting something nice for nothing, and no one splurging on extras with the economy being what it is, it kinda takes the fun out of it.
That really sucks about your Progressive payment getting delayed or lost. I finally broke down and started paying almost everything online because USPS is so unreliable anymore. I had Progressive for several years and had no issues until they started jacking up my rates a year ago for no reason, no tickets or claims. I switched to Allstate 6-months ago and just got my first 6-month renewal and there was no increase, so no sign of a bait and switch yet. 😀
I think the whole thread was deleted, except for the initial post. I understand the no discussion on a for sale bit, but it was important to read the commentary because the guy was clearly not on the up and up. Eh, I'm pretty sure he'll be sitting on those cards for awhile.
So I got all the mowing done at Mom's today, and also some of the bigger branches cut up with the chainsaw. Rather pleased with what got done today. But I'm beat. Tomorrow is stuff to be done at my house.
Chris the insurance companies know that people who have the same policy for years are likely to not switch no matter what, so they raise the rates just to fleece them. I've had State Farm for decades, and my rates have been systematically going up and up. I must have been afraid or something to switch. But I ventured out with Hagerty for a couple of the old ones, and now Progressive for the Suburban. And now SF has bought Hagerty, we'll see what happens to them. I've decided I'm not married to any of them anymore. Insurance is a government sponsored scam anyway, don't get me started.
Might go over to the airport in the morning, I haven't seen the neighbors for awhile. Then Awful house. Then chores. And no one will be worried about the dog slobbering water on the floor.
Dan - How's the clear liquid diet going? Gaining any relief from divert symptoms? It can be tough sticking w/ that diet - hope you're getting some relief. 🤞🤞🙏🙏
We got alot more rain overnight, but nothing severe, at least nothing I heard and I'm a very light sleeper.
Gabe's team won their game last night 4-2 avenging their only loss earlier this Spring Season to a team that had beaten them 5-3 a couple weeks ago. Gabe had 2 goals and an assist last night, giving him 12-points (7 goals and 5 assists) total in the 4 games they've played so far. These kind of statistics are just unheard of! He's really tearing it up!
I found this gal, a female Promethea Silkmoth this morning lounging away from the rain between my kitchen slider door and the screen door. Beautiful creature! They're about 3 inches tall. Apparently the adult moths don't eat and only live 3 or 4-days, living only long enough to breed. 1st pic is a stock Image and the 2nd pic is of the one on my door.
Spent the morning at the airport jawing with the neighbors. I haven't missed anything. It looked like it was going to rain but now the sun is out. Hope I can get something meaningful done this afternoon.
That's a pretty moth. Funny how nature can give us something beautiful once in a while. And where it ends up.
Remember the odd couple? The ones who drive the ratty Suburban and have a house like a hoarders? She calls me up last night to ask if I'm gonna be at Awful house today. Then she says, do you think you could pay for us? Now, these people have multiple storage places that they pay upwards of 1700 bucks a month for, and the man refuses to get rid of any of it. He says he's going to sell it all. I said, if you just stopped paying it would be like you sell 1700 each month. Nope, he's not giving it away. Meanwhile, their SS checks haven't come and they have no money. I don't mind paying once, but they best not ask again. I'm afraid I'm crossing the line between nice guy and sucker.
So I got the big trailer moved out on the driveway, and this afternoon I'm gonna clean up around where it was, and then put it back. Then I might cut down a tree. Before the place was an airport, it was a Christmas tree farm. When houses started getting built they left some of the Christmas trees and over 40 or 50 years they morphed into 60 foot tall ugly pines that rain branches down on everything. I eventually want to cut all the trees down, but this one leans and has recently started with a curved look, and I don't want it to fall on the cars. So all the cars are moved and the tree has to go.
Mike, my current house is surrounded by 40 year old pines that break in every storm. I am burning the results of last year. This spring, so far, so good. I hate pine trees. I have yet to find one on my farm, which is delightful. In the winter, trees should be bare. Good luck with your trees.
On Wed, I got a call at work that my dealer had sourced 3 of the 4 items I ordered from Ventrac. Rep asked for delivery Friday. I said I could do, and call me when they left Louisville. Well, he called me at 8 his time, 7 my time, and let me know the owner was 52 minutes out from my place because he left early. I hate overachievers, but that's why he is the owner.
I hustled, got shower, breakfast, coffee, and out the door in 20 min and there about 40 min later. Got called as I pulled in, so he must've gotten there just then. We unloaded my stuff and he left. One thing we dragged the belt on, more on that in a bit. We picked the bush hawg type device off the back and moved it, then we strapped on the spreader, and then he hooked up the tiller, and then we dragged the belt. We parked and he left. I moved the tiller and noticed the belt was jammed. Had no tools since I got there in a hurry, and found some stuff of my granddad's for half the bolts. Went into town for lunch, got a crescent wrench and fixed it.
Over the day, minus a work meeting, I tried the devices. The two attachments have no additional hydraulics. The Brush Cutter is a beast. I have never used a swing blade bush hawg style blade. It just destroys stuff and makes a racket, but not a horrible one. It just doesn't seem to care that there is actually a stump under those vines and growth. The wide mower is "***** I hit something." The tough cut mower is "I hit something." This thing is "Oh, I hit something?" I used it for ten minutes and put it in the back of the shop. Parking these will be a pain. I figured out the spreader, plugged it in, and it works. Backed into the shop and took it off. It weighs 90 lbs, so I can move it around. It's nice, as I talked with the owner of the dealer, that I have all the hydraulics and power kits already. This has its own switch and controls, but I can use the cab control for on and off master.
I got the tough cut medium mower going and went and did laps around my friend's garden. She wants to till next week, so I cut the grass down around it. Put it away. I still need to learn better how to attach it so it doesn't bang on release.
After I fixed the jammed belt on the tiller, I see that it does not have a storage notch for the belt, so I will have to do something. Got it running, went out to the field, used it, and started smoking the belt. Too high rpm. It still slips some at times. It is a horizontal tiller axle going to a chain drive up the side with some gear reduction. That shaft is connected via 3 belts and some reduction to a gearbox which has a pulley to match the power unit's drive. The chain drive is bulletproof, and I think the 3 belts are. The initial belt to unit appears to be the sacrificial link, and it's the one I ran over. May want a new belt. I tilled around the garden for practice. It's set to top level of till on it. You have to be careful with the hydraulic main lift setting. I will adjust to medium height for her garden. You go in reverse, dead slow, to till. Got done with that and left the tiller on it and put it away.
I did get my hand tiller running. Started very nicely on 5th pull. It's a used Toro, so it should. Ran it a bit in case we want it next week. I was feeling confident, so I went to my leaf vacuum I bought on a lark a few years ago and it would not start last year. Added fresh gas. Pulled and pulled. Nothing for a long time, then one hit. Kept at it, it eventually started and ran slowly for ten seconds and died. Next pull it ran, so I ran it around and chopped some leaves and chipped some sticks for fun, then put it away and went home.
Small migraine today so not doing much. Pictures are the spreader (it can come in a lot further into the unit), the brush cutter is on the ground, the tiller is on the unit, the leaf vacuum which redeemed itself, and practice tilling around the garden.
John - Looks like a great set of equipment! 👍 It's a shame it sounds like the tiller belt may have been damaged while you were removing it. I am confused about this statement you made about operating the tiller. "You go in reverse, dead slow, to till." Does this mean you have to drive in reverse while tilling? I don't think I'd like that very much? My F'ed up neck would lock up!
Chris, Norm, I think the belt is ok. Ventrac says to use "their" belts. They're Continental, says make and model right on it. Ventrac is an integrator and a fabricator, so I can source their components they buy from others from elsewhere, fast, like Amazon. I think the belt was slipping due to my ignorance. It wasn't really damaged, it just fell off its pulley (it's stored loose) and was pinched past a bolt to trap it behind the bolt and pulley clearance. Since I smoked it a little, it might have a glazed spot. I think I was just being less than great at operation. This thing is a little tractor, but, the front PTO is one, in the front, and two, belt driven, so you won't break anything, but you are not going to have the stump pulling power of an agricultural tractor with its huge wheels and shaft PTO. This is fine, as I need a super mower 99% of the time.
Tilling is done in reverse, and the tines spin backward. You do look over your shoulder, but you can line up the unit with the previous trench because you can look ahead and see it. So, most of the time you are looking ahead if you know there is nothing behind you. Most of the attachments are mowers or blades or buckets. There is the occasional oddball that still needs belt power that isn't one of those, and the tiller is one of them.
Some tillers work differently in opposite travel directions. Cub Cadet does shallow surface tilling (cultivation) in one direction and much deeper soil penetration (turning the soil over) when traveling in the opposite direction. The deeper penetration is used in the spring to loosen up the soil deeper. Summer tilling (cultivation) is to disrupt weed growth.
Farmers plow and disc fields in preparation for the next crop. They spray herbicides after planting so they don't have to run a cultivator between the rows, over the whole field to control weeds
.......Just my two cents worth.
Chris - The primary reason I’ve been winning money at golf likely luck, as I’ve managed to snag a bunch of skins. Lucky no one else birdied the same holes as me. All luck.
Yard mowing and trimming since 8am. No chance of being done today. Watch the Velero Classic this afternoon after a late lunch. Fighting Illini fought a good game.
Yes, they did, they just couldn't quite get over the hump.
Congrats to the Wolverines for crushing Arizona despite losing their star player (Big 10 MVP) for most of the game due to an injury in the first half. Hopefully he may be able to play in the Championship on Monday? How effective he might be if he plays is a whole other question?
Norm - We should all be as health conscious as you about our diets. Looks like a delicious lunch!
I was out in the garage just cleaning up and reorganizing a few things and happened to notice my Smart Charger for the Indian was alternating between the LED 2 light and LED 3 light. This means the battery, for whatever reason, is not taking a charge. I have an extra Smart Charger and swapped it in, same thing. I thought to myself how can that be, I just put a new one in a couple years ago? I pulled out my Indian maintenance folder and saw I had put the new battery in in September 2021! Where in the hell does time go??? I'm going to order a new one, but I'm not going to activate the new battery and put a charge on it until someone is seriously interested in buying it and wants to test ride it.
Last edited by Dream67Olds442; Apr 5, 2026 at 02:00 PM.
john [from the Big Easy] and is beautiful better half came over for lunch at the lake He's building garage for his fleet in the mountains and has almost finished so, I gave him a garage warming gift. [fire extinguisher] Mike, Sorry for the late notice, I wish you could have made it Next time
I feel like things are reverting. It's chilly out this morning. But the sun is out and it will warm up. And I'm not at work.
No worries Jamesbo. Glad you guys had a good time. My only hope is that you gave him a gift that never has to keep giving.
Norm John used to be a big contributor on the thread here, but decided to take a hiatus. Wish he'd come back.
We got quite a bit of rain yesterday but the sun came out in the afternoon. I think things will still be too wet to do much outside, so I'm gonna run some errands and putter around inside. Too bad it will be a nice day.
Okay gotta get moving. Hope everyone has a good day.
Norm, I didn't realize that I hadn't posted in a couple of days. Yes, big improvement in the intestinal tract, or there abouts. I am going to send my doctor an email, as I am still having some abdominal pressure. I want to see if he wants to go into a little more depth regarding it. 5.750" of rain since last Weds. I drive over the Muskegon river going to and from work, and it is over the banks, looks more like a swamp. Chris, i would have guessed Ciacropia for your moth. I'm quite sure I butchered the spelling.
Norm, I didn't realize that I hadn't posted in a couple of days. Yes, big improvement in the intestinal tract, or there abouts. I am going to send my doctor an email, as I am still having some abdominal pressure. I want to see if he wants to go into a little more depth regarding it. 5.750" of rain since last Weds. I drive over the Muskegon river going to and from work, and it is over the banks, looks more like a swamp. Chris, i would have guessed Ciacropia for your moth. I'm quite sure I butchered the spelling.
Dan - Glad to hear you're doing better despite the fact you're still experiencing some pressure. Sounds like a good idea you're following up with your Doctor.
Man, that's a bunch of rain. It finally quit here for awhile here. Gave me another window to get out and mow again today.
Dan - Glad to hear you're doing better despite the fact you're still experiencing some pressure. Sounds like a good idea you're following up with your Doctor.
Man, that's a bunch of rain. It finally quit here for awhile here. Gave me another window to get out and mow again today.
Where in the hell does time go??? I'm going to order a new one, but I'm not going to activate the new battery and put a charge on it until someone is seriously interested in buying it and wants to test ride it.
