ShopTalk Sunday: Aborist Fail, Odd Power Problem, Shop PTP Planner

TL;DR:  The Ure’s tree-fixing falls flat – going wrong louder than a .22! Local power crews find our “sketchy” wires.  And Son G2 yells me out of a roofing project… Again it’s Sunday and wisdom through mischief is what we do.

OK:  Not an Arborist!

Living on just shy of 30 acres of tree farm sounds like an idyllic set-up, doesn’t it?  From our late 60s on it was perfect.  Now, however, there are a few things where we have applied the brakes.  Things like climbing trees and doing roof work.  Still, we figured, just because ground is safer, it shouldn’t mean we can’t do tree work, right?

Here was our problem tree.  Big-ass Southern Pine (100 ft class).  Where this bad limb had fell from higher up and landed in bronc-riding position over another limb.

It wasn’t particularly dangerous as potential dead-fall goes.  But I snapped at the opportunity to buy two things that had never come up on the Imperial Tool Slut’s shopping list, before.

One was an “Arborist Line Throw Kit.”  a nice ringed beanie bag with a metal ring on the end.  And some super-slick throwing line.  At Amazon this was $25 bucks.

After a bit of online study, I figured I’d pop the additional $22 bucks and pick up a “throwing box.”  This one.  Not that you can’t just toss the line on the ground, but with a throwing box, you’re more likely to keep the work site orderly and that can reduce (for old men of a certain age and eyesight combo) the odds of falling down.

First thing you do (in the comfort of the shop) is strip off the throwing line into the throwing bucket.

Check your work and it will look something like this: (Except where due to inattention it didn’t get in the box.  Say, I didn’t mention someone is  “somewhat smart but off-the-charts ADHD, did I?)

Then you go out to the work location and do some warm-up throws.  Which entertained the hell out of Elaine’s wild/feral cats.

Now you begin to get your recent baseball-Series mindset screwed on.  I sold a few bleacher  seat tickets to the feral Siamese – big thing in their homeland…  (I paused to spit a few times, for effect…though it didn’t seem to help.)

What I neglected to order was a rosin bag, but I didn’t think I’d be on the “mound” long enough to need it.  I was wrong.

After about two seasons worth of wild pitches in major league baseball (all teams combined), I was finally in position to “walk the tree”.

Just so the coaching staff can say “We Told You So…” here is the plan.  The fallen limb sticks up.  So if I get the line up behind it, as shown above, then I can pull up (back-haul from the other side) some 800 lb test paracord.  Then two lengths of paracord go on the tractor, which backs away from the tree – pulling the errant bronc limb with it.

So simple in theory.  Eventually (seven innings’ worth), the topside toss was perfect

So “routine” we didn’t even take snaps of the back-haul or tractor hookup.

Everything was going by the book.  Until everything stopped moving.  So I goosed the Kubota a bit….

Suddenly, a shot – loud as a .22 (short) went off.  The paracord parted. Just up from the tractor.

The story does have a happy ending.  Oh, no – that bronc riding limb is still up there.

But the saving grace of all this?  It was after the market closed.  So if we rushed a bit putting things back, we could make it to wine time in the 180-Room at the usual 4 PM tipple time.

Which we did.

Strangely, the conversation got around to “Now what?” and Elaine reminded me “Didn’t you do some research once to prove 5-blasts of double-ought buck would take down a 6-inch pine?”  

(Eyelashes fluttered, I went totally ADHD for a sec.)  Yes, Dear, I do seem to recall that – 2004 or 2005 if memory serves.

“Well, couldn’t you just do THAT instead?”

I love it how my woman thinks. But, with my luck, the game warden – already busy with deer poachers – will be along and ticket me for trying to take a pine out of season….

PTP Poster

Go ahead, download this and put it on the wall of your shop someplace.  Near the PPE supplies would be good.  You know – the masks, eye protection, gloves, eye wash station, Band-Aids, oxygen, AED, tourniquet kit – all  that shit we all have perfectly organized right?

PTP_Mitigation_Shop_Talk_Sunday_v2

“What’s this all about, Ure?”

Funny you would ask.  Son G2 gave me a good “yellin at” because I was going to sneak up on the roof and push up an antenna.  Nothing wrong with that.  Well,except my mentioning it…

Old “Blood and Guts Ure (G2) who’s the site medical whiz on several server farm builds proceeded to read me his case notes on umpteen “old men falling offs ladders” stories.  “I even had one guy fall off the ass-end of a pickup truck a mere 3-feet 8 and a half inches.  Shattered his ankle and here a year later I saw him and he’s still not back to walking normally.  You’re not THAT stupid are you Dad?”

I was about to explain about nuts falling near their trees (and give him my skydiving advice).  But he insists that construction site work is more dangerous than his time in pro fire (including wild land).  Sometimes, you just listen to the kids.

Antennas and roof patch are off the project list (at least those parts are).

But you know?  I can now sling an arborist line up a good 40-feet – plenty tall for an 80-meter antenna.  And as soon as I get off the “injured reserve list” from my November 1 face plant onto concrete, maybe I will work up a new plan with both feet poured in Qwikcrete with footings into terra bite me.

These days, the trick isn’t to stop doing dumb things. It’s to do them smarter — preferably with both feet on the ground and a cold drink waiting when you’re done. G2 seems to think on occasion that may involve rescheduling or cutting a check.  OK, sure, he’s working with an all union crew, but didn’t he learn anything in the firehouse about work on the off-shift?

Isn’t retirement KIND OF like that?

(Don’t bother answering – my ears are…what???)

Take Out for Young Pups

I know – OK, old man does crazy shit like this and never gets hurt.  Why is that?

Read a book on Rigging Safety once upon a time.  In fact, because I have a BIG rigging project coming up (taking down 55 feet of antenna tower with 20 feet of beam antenna on it) I re-read all the pertinent rules.  See this book on Amazon – on sale under $5 bucks.  (As G2 yelled “There’s no’ R’ in DEAD, dad!“)

I have been hoisting and rigging antennas longer than you have been alive (if you’re under 65).  I know having been trained by a serious firefighter family that you rig planning for a line failure.  When the paracord snapped?  I was never in danger because the “whip line path” was never to the operator…you following?  Went out either side.

This is the way you live to a ripe old age.

Now, sometimes you just get lucky, Like having onboarded 1 ETOH price to the 2-weeks back face-face onto concrete from one or two steps up.  The ETOH was just enough to keep me from reaching out to block the fall and locking my arm would would have broken.  Still, you won’t ALWAYS be lucky so you rig for failure and remember one more ETOH and you would have broken something for sure.

Life is a blessing each and every day, until you run out of blessings.

Two Power Problem Week

This was the “week of odd power shit” going around.  I think some of it must be related to the minor X-class flare, but who knows.

First, it was my buddy up the hill.  Needed to borrow a meter because he was reroofing one of their family’s homes (yeah, with enough property you can have homes for relatives unlike the big city…)  And while he had the roofing off, he’d gone looking for why a ceiling fan wasn’t working.  It’s a mobile home.

So I ran him up my Fluke 115 – which saved him a trip into town to get his from the shop there – and turned out it was a mouse had gotten into the ceiling and chewed the insulation off about 18 inches of Romex type wiring. It’s a miracle there was no fire.

Anyway, I took the occasion to gift him my Fluke 115 which sounds really generous until you read my DNA report about TSG (tool slut gene) and discover Amazon had Fluke 117’s on sale this week.  Everybody wins including me. Love that kind of deal structure, right?

“Ure – what’s the service entrance pole picture about, then?”

Ah.  Second story man – that’s me.

So Elaine comes over to the office on Friday.  “Power’s out at the house…”

Power never goes off at UrbanSurvival Office HQ because of the stupidly over-built power system.  Now comes the weird part.  Power truck was here within the house – didn’t find anything. And, as you’d guess the power came up 10-minutes before they got here.

An hour later?  No power again.  This time I got curious, though.

Over at the house, I noticed that half the lights were on and when I turned on an element on the stove, the other half came up, too.  But only to part way.

A quick confirmation check with the “silicons” who explained to this old carbon “..that meant we’d lost one leg of the 240-volt feed coming into the house. Classic open-neutral or dropped leg symptom.”

So what looked like “half the house dead” wasn’t gremlins — it was the other 120-volt leg back-feeding through whatever appliances were still tied across the line. That’s why turning on the stove element or dryer made the dark circuits glow dimly: those heating elements were acting like a big resistive bridge, letting just enough current sneak through to light bulbs at about half brightness.

Grabbed the meter (the shiny new  Fluke 117, naturally) and went pole-to-panel. Sure enough, one side was at 121 V, the other sagged around 50 V to ground. Bad splice or cracked crimp at the weather head most likely — and the lineman confirmed it later when he laddered up and found one aluminum conductor corroded clean through.  He was pro enough to re-connect all three.  Besides, I told him “You’re young enough so when this happens again on the other leg, you could be saving yourself a future call-out…”

Moral of the story? When the universe starts sending you “half-voltage” days, check your connections — physical and metaphysical. Sometimes it’s just a fried lug. Other times, it’s a reminder to tighten down the ones between your ears before the next solar flare hits.

Now off to stand on a footstool in front of one of the security cameras.  See how long it takes G2 to get pissed about the old man effin’ with him.

Write when it all falls down,

George@Ure.net

If this is your first time here?  Run for your Life!  (Or hit the visitor center.)

 

48 thoughts on “ShopTalk Sunday: Aborist Fail, Odd Power Problem, Shop PTP Planner”

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  1. this debt jubilee stuff and digital tokens guarantees its the stone age . bye bye western world and civil order in society . im shocked at the madness. yep the spike protein has rotted all neurons. dementia , Alzheimer’s? nah its far worse for the 99 % goodnight alice

    • Len : go for a walk in fresh fall air, get clean, set aside negative vibes dude … you’ll feel better for it. The world isn’t ending, yet. It’s just a mess. It’s always been a mess. We are so OK. You are too.

      ~ Egor ~

      “Why don’t you knock? it off with them negative waves. Why don’t you dig how beautiful it is out here? Why don’t you say something righteous and hopeful for a change?”
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xyh-JpWdGmQ
      Hogans Heroes — 1970

      • just got a pair of rose coloured glasses and humming the mamas and papas . trying lies as well now . if you can make some good out of this mess and believe making a bigger mess is the answer then smile away . 25 year gold bulls that went to university in the 1970s are sick of their lies and deceit . you cant make an omelet without breaking an egg . bad luck for the fellas

  2. Pssst

    hey buddy, got a can of cheap Black spray paint..think you know how to apply on the sly..plausible deniability dont cha know!
    Really like the target practice idea for safe removal of offending and perilous hanging limb.

    Dude – G-Pops, forget Prime – Look at BICOIN – dont she look all kinds of SEXY and Hard to Get ? “Take a bite..dont mind the maggotts” -RS

    Shadoobay – https://youtu.be/W_4NzaPSVB4?si=my5yQe1rnvQ8k7wJ

    • lay of the weed . are you smokin sheetcoin ? hey buddy i nailed it . dont forget it . 121 k . dive dive dive

  3. George : love the column today. I am geeked, feeling young again (OK, young-er) as my latest spinal has had a good soak and my pain is … a 1:10 (it could be zero but there’s always room for improvement). Coupla quick notes:

    Throwing lines : save your arm, be less tired when clear head decisions (adding strain) are on the line (pun intended). Use a sling shot sending fishing line as a sentinel to hoist tension line. I have a wrist rocket and usually buy them in pairs (one for G2). The sling rubber degrades so when on the Zon (for toolslut purposes) buy one with replacement rubbers. When the last time a friend suggested you have a 2nd rubber? Anywho, then, quit with the paracord for tension line and get a decent arborist line (bordering on rope). I have a great source if needed, feller on Ebay that I have bought lines for umpteen sailboats paying sorta 40% of retail. Best to avoid snotty yachtie pricing. He has arborist line too. Guy has spools of every dimension and length. You have my number, email me pardner.

    One legged juice : you are lucky to not have losses. I have lived through several brownouts in former home(s) in South Bend. Once, after the big scale power Co. lit up the hood my house was odd when I threw the main (knowing to shut it down after day 2-3). Hall light was half bright. Something else looked wrong enough I called a Journeyman bud and was on the line with him as I noticed my garage opener was throwing smoke! Ran to the main and shut down what was one leg but … not before it torched every motor, every display, every circuit board in the house. It was a very expensive deal. Nice new appliances though! Beware the half leg.

    Ladders for the aged : speaking of legs. Mrs. E, a retired surgical nurse, had loads of buds in the ER (ER fed Surgery so … they got to know each other). This is the time of year where weekend wonders were either cleaning gutters from fall deciduous leaf fall -or- putting up Holiday lights. Lots and lots of ankles went snap. We should market some new whiz bang ladder for elderly guys who just can’t stay on terra firma. Me too. I ache for the sea, or just to sail on the “puddle” out front.

    ATL : Went wading yesterday, twice. Left a single steel in place to set wind telltales on a PVC (flag) tube which inserts into the steel pipe. I am used to knowing wind direction as I step out the door (or not). Now I have a tri-tale lofting in the fresh breeze (39F when I rose) in clear view of the lake.

    Lots of single shots at nautical twilight. Bet the deer processor stations are hopping. MI shotgun season opened yesterday, unusually, on a Saturday. Bet the local businesses are pleased. Guys are loads more likely to show up tomorrow, Monday, as opposed to norm. Last year hunters took down 180k deer in the state. Yet we are swamped with Whitetails.

    Have a fine day all,
    Egor

    • I love sling shots but even painted can never find even bright flour orabnge 1 oz weights – wood sare big, weights small – may try again have pneumatic and finshing line launchers too, this was just me “throwing up” so to speak.
      Been thinking a masthead tridata on your rooftop would be a dandy present – then you could “couch sail” all day? Autohelm would be the choice – inexp[ensive, run on 12 v wall wart

      • Lol lol lol the boss stopped me when I was going to make a plasma pool noodle launcher..she CALMLY reminded me of when I showed the kids how to melt stone or smelt cans..( I thought they were going to burn the house down.. ) so I showed them how to freeze water with the sun instead and we built the solar beer chiller..lol lol she wanted to park in the garage so I gave it away ..all but the DAT heater..I still have that.. for my next brilliant the solar margarita chiller..and jockey box cooler lol lol lol..you seen the draw up of my idea.. BIC did give me the ok to use the margarita as the coolent ok.. lol lol..at work last night I found as big of a cooking gadget nerd as me.. I’m going to take a couple of starters to her today and swap them with her..let her know how to breed koji spores and another sour dough starter.. she has two starters she’s going to share with me to..I have to roast some wheat for my soy sauce..anxious to get it started..

        • I’ll send them. had a great weekend.. working at a facility for two days..the DON.. was a candy striper in paid when I was oo

        • orderly unpaid .been at a lot of places the staff at this one is so In tune with each other..very rare in the healthcare industry.. Saturday I was like a chicken with its head cut off Sunday smooth back to normal..made a cheat sheet we share recipes..great time.. the don came back to work just the same as me.. three facilities are now requesting me to work made me feel human again..the kids giving me crap they are scared I’ll hurt myself again .but hell what do you do .every goose I see leaves a little Congress instead of gold..lol lol

      • My father cut down thousands of trees in his day.. he drilled a hole in the handle of a hammer.. then would throw the hammer over a branch to get it over the tree.. Now rather than a sling shot.. why not make a harpoon cannon out of pvc pipe..simple cheap..my older mini me came home from schoo..the school science project was a simple potato cannon..I first checked with his teacher Principe and superintendent.. everyone said why not..because the world is insane lately and I didn’t want him and the other boy in his science team get in trouble..it is a Canon… everyone said yes how would they learn the physics.. so we made one and used a grill igniter for the trigger..even the police school guard was out there launching potatoes.. they were trying to get them to land in A pickup bed a quad order mile away.. who took it away was mom..he went through three cans of right guard and twenty pounds of spuds in ten minutes lol lol under twenty bucks or if you have some Creative Available Parts ( CRAP ) lying around it could be free..

      • I struggled over the shot to tie off sentinel fishing line, settled on a pair of large steel nuts tied off so the nylon “leader” exited between the two nuts. It went a long way. Aim high to account for D&D (drift and drag).

        We had cheap slings as kids. Now they’re quite accurate. A bud worked mtc. in a steel mill service center. The buildings were double football fields and drew pigeons. Mgmt declared a bounty. Enter wrist rockets.

        A dedicated wind race portal had a wonderful WX station units which got sold to “sponsor” sites that then piped up data to build out a worldwide network. I planned to installl on the boathouse roof but they are now very spendy.

        https://www.windguru.cz/91981

        Windguru and Windfinder are pretty much the same though Guru has a more robust output. Sadly, most of these free services now hide good customizable data behind member paywalls. No free lunch …

        Dangerous to couch sail. I need to have racing to look forward to. Today, having taken Mrs. E out to a diner breakfast (outstanding food, great price but a hung over waitress), and shopping, I’m on to-dos.

        Have a insul kit of outside sillcock to apply and need to roll / bag my race sail.

        Keep a weather eye,
        Egor ~ /)/) ~~

      • Benjamin Franklin used a kite and a key  and look what happend to him.

        Looking Good Dude in that Orange Hat. Wearing an Orange hat a Sunday. Orange is the color of Sunday.

        each day has a color that matches a planet.

        most dont notice that, but i did.

        :)
        Im sure you knew that. All those big Pga fellas always wear the colored hat for the day. the color day draws the energy from the planet of the day, to the head that wears the matching color. its old PGA superstition thing. increasing focus and mental accuity.

        Saturday is the day to wear a black hat. black being the absence of light.

        Life is what you make it!

        I Win with God within ~

  4. I was looking through Clif’s interpretation of Thomas’ collected Logions. Interesting read, which G____ posted a link to. One item I saw a bit of an alternate nuance on was the references to “when two become one” in eternity. Both mainstream Christianity and the spiritualists acknowledge a piece of the living that continues on after death. I recall Andy `describing it as like a balloon tethered near the heart, but outside of our normal realm. Not sure if that is a Cayce meme, which Andy slips in from time to time, and I’m not intending to invoke Trekian symbiont memes.
    Clif’s read is that the two becomes one is to the separation of the matterium from the Eternal now. OK, that is painting with a broad spiritual brush. My point is that that interpretation is not so far removed from the ritualist’s view as to contradict. Rather, it is an expansion of that viewpoint. Eternity is with us now.

    • Very preceptive discussion and Clif’s latest substack on his NDE during cancer surgery (2018) was one of his best – froim the heart – works. Worth listing to several times.

  5. George,

    My late husband, a PhD engineer from Georgia Tech, was brilliant in rope rigging. He learned the basics from rigging for cave rappelling and later for rigging for cave rescues. We were both on the cave rescue in Lechuguilla Cave in 1991 that is located in the Carlsbad Caverns National Park area. He was the lead rigger during that rescue. There were about one hundred of us on that rescue to convey a friend of ours from the cave who had been injured. There are over one hundred miles of surveyed passages in that cave with just one entrance.

    Another caver friend, Bruce Smith, who co-authored the book, “On Rope”, told me he was inspired by watching circus tents being erected. Another book written by caver friends, “High Angle Rescue Techniques” focused on cave and cliff rescues. The word kilonewton becomes very important in rescue loads.

    The reason I have mentioned all this was to bring to your attention good data on rope rigging, the types of rope needed, and their rigging configurations. I expect that there are books on rope rigging for towers, but I do not own any of those.

  6. That is a very scary and expensive looking tree removal project. I had a tree hit by lighting and half of it fell onto my new fence. Very expensive.

    I had a plug blow out Friday and half of my kitchen plugs didn’t work. Thank goodness my refrigerator and stove were on different lines. So funny, but it was amazing how annoying it was to plug the coffee pot and slow cooker in different places. I kept walking to the wrong spot to get another cup of tea. So much of what we do is automatic. The plug is fixed all back to normal.

    • Well dear, lookie here: In most homes it’s a good idea to keep the coffee market and the slow cooker on different outlets. Reason?
      In many homes (mid 1990s) the wiring is #14 and in a good home #20. You can (squeeze) 15 amps through a #14 but the total of a corfffeemakrer (on high) and he crock pot (also on high) may total more than 1500 watts. As a result, the wiring (and the socket) may heat some at max load – now repeat that heating and cooling cycle long enough nd you can get an arc – or worse.
      We had that problem on the sailboat – where the “shileshole” (marina) shuffle involved managing a couple of 1500 watt plug in heaters in the winter PLUS a coffeemake and/or microwave and tvs and…
      The electrician may have have explained this, but 1500 watts per outlet should be etched in mind unless you did the wiring (like I did oursa here) and went in with #12 everywhere I could get to through there re still some old #14 circuits, but even these all have updated plugs. Remember annealed cooper will flow (extrmee slow, but it will flow) almost forever. And in agreaker box at 10 years, you’ll be able to get a 1/8th to 1/4 turn on most screws… just a heads up

      • Hear, hear! I replaced ALL the outlets in the volcano ranch before moving. Crusty, painted, like fuses waiting to light a fire. Found a wiring error in half the house, too. The two kitchen counter outlets were on separate breakers, and were #12… but Aluminum! Special attention to those for tightness, with NoAlOx. And when I installed the 240 volt line to the ham shack for the amp, it was #10 copper all the way to the new breaker box that the solar install team insisted I needed… for a mere $2200 up front.

        Y’all understand living in Lava Zone #2 I cannot get fire insurance. So having an electrical fire is something that is VERY preventable. Not so much a lava fire, although that hasn’t happened on this property since 1840.

  8. Back in 2016, the lights in my house would all of a sudden start to flicker. I would turn off all of the lights and the next morning the flickering was gone. Called out several electricians from 2016 to 2022. Even had the electric provider come out to check things three times – no problem, they would say and leave. The last electrician I used said I needed to replace some breakers; okay$. Lights still flickered. Next, he said to replace the sub-panel; okay$. Lights still flickered. Next, he said that all of the outlets and switches should be changed from back-stab to side-wire; okay$. Lights still flickered. Next, he said that the main panel needed to be replaced; okay$$$. The lights still flickered and then one Saturday in early January 2022, there was a fizzing sound and then a bunch of pop/bangs (this was due to breakers flipping). Called the fire department to check for fires – none found. Had the electrician come out that day and his observation was to ask me if my house was built on an Indian burial ground – I think he was half serious. He consulted with the older electricians in the company, and the conclusion was that the electric provider was sending power surges into my house. He called the electric company and spoke ‘electrician’ to them. They never told me if they found anything wrong and if they did, what it was. I have not had a repeat of the flickering since then. I suspect it was a loose neutral somewhere. It cost me two microwaves and every transformer in the house – no doorbell, no security system, no cordless phone, no garage door opener, no irrigation controller, a couple of lamps, and surge protector strips. Also, over the years of power surges coming into the house, I acquired burn marks on carpets in two rooms. I figured if the electric provider sent power surges into my house before, then could do it again.
    I learned about a device called TING from a posting in the Nextdoor app. It monitors the power coming into the house as well as the power in the house so as to alert me if there are problems. It requires WiFi and an annual fee – this last time it was $53.04. You buy the device (some homeowner insurance companies provide them) and download an app to your phone. It has given me some peace of mind knowing that it is monitoring for any future power surges. http://www.tingfire.com
    Because of this experience, I learned a lot about power surges and surge protectors. There was a surge protector in the main panel but not one in the sub-panel. The devices powered directly by the main panel (oven, stove, HVAC, dryer) were never bothered by these power surges. I have since learned that if the sub-panel is over 20 linear feet (the length of the wire) from the main panel, that it would need a surge proctor, too.

    • yes i have heard of that . down here the electricity providers send big surges to fry tv s , appliances , computers , stereos . retailers are happy and insurance companies just charge more next premium . hey egor im trying to be positive , damn hard though

    • Vevor earth auger arrived early this aft and looked into box all parts here. Will use to make drainage catch basin pit. test her out/ nice working temps.

  10. Paracord to pull interlocked branches apart?? Most paracord is called ‘550’ for a reason. Shame on your materials overconfidence! How much tension pull is your tractor capable of? Now double that… and get some FAT rope! Thought you were a data analyst.

  12. George,
    Amazing how as we age age, we seem to think we are working “smarter” not harder. About six years ago, before I decide to let a younger man rent my cropland; I decided I needed this rough terrain scissors lift for work off ground. No need to climb a ladder anymore, just step on the platform and raise it up. Found just the item (in reasonable condition) at local contractor who was closing down. Had just sold a tractor, so had money for it. Worked great for working up high on combine, etc. Then we had a small wind storm that blew some shingles off farm house roof. Got the necessary repair supplies, pulled the lift up beside the house, and raised it up to roof edge level. Job would be a “piece of cake”. Took one step toward side of lift in the direction of the roof, and promptly fell through the deck on the lift. Floor had decayed underneath and down I went. Caught myself by elbows and shoulders before going all the way through. Feet would not touch anything, but managed to pull myself back up to the lift deck. Lesson learned, call the roofer, sell the lift, and keep my old self on terra firma. Lift seemed like a good idea, but just about led to an old man’s downfall. (Pun intended).
    As an aside, built my house in 1990 and used #10-2 with ground for all 110v circuits. Reasoning being that the breaker should be the “weak” link, not over heated wires. And today, I am still ahead of the game. Shudder to think the cost today with wire prices being what they are. We wired the house ourselves (wife was an electrical engineer), passed the inspection with flying colors. Inspector was amazed at the neatness of breaker box, etc. I pulled the wire and wife did the details. She also quilts, so everything had to be just so-so. Glad she took care of that part.

  13. First, I want to congratulate on you finding a family activity that Ure fuzzy adopted cat kids can participate in. The photos were heartwarming.

    Next, there are some stats that indicate that home foreclosures are picking up.

    https://www.zerohedge.com/personal-finance/october-foreclosure-filings-jump-20-yoy

    Still overall foreclosures are running 1/2 to a 1/3 of historic norms. Delinquincies are not so good, with FHA delinquincies at the 11% mark, and the expectation is FHA foreclosures will spike in 2026. Not sure how much of this would be characterized as subprime.

  14. First off – I would very much like to thank all of you who sent well-wishes and thoughts of encouragement. It was well received and very much appreciated. Thank you all !

    I don’t have very much religion – what little I did have I left in the jungles of Vietnam., and as far as I know it is still wandering there, lost under the triple canopy, wondering why I abandoned it. Please don’t take that wrong., I believe., just in my own way. Not in the current monetized BS way.

    However., a couple of nights ago I had a very heated argument with God. Standing out in the back-forty., pitch-black, not a sound – except me yelling.., and I never yell. I couldn’t understand why he was hurting and threatening the nicest person I have ever met.
    It all ended rather abruptly., right after I threatened to come up there and kick his skinny ass if he didn’t fix this.
    It started raining.
    Hard.
    So., I made my way back to the house, but I didn’t go in. I went through the carport to the other side and stood there listening to the rain. The motion sensor light went off – I glance at the security camera – it had stopped recording. A moment later my big ole Tom came out the kitty door – he barely fits – walked over and sat on my foot. He’s below the motion sensor., so now both of us stood there, staring off into the darkness – listening to the rain. For how long, I don’t really know.
    I eventually made it back into the house., hung up my wet coat, went and sat down on the couch.., and promptly fell asleep.

    I have never figured out what it is that she sees in me. We are very opposite. Completely different pasts. She was a banker for crying-out loud., with a few years as a beach-bunny surfer girl. She’s not a wimp though. Very tough lady. I watched her stand-up to the biggest bruiser in the room and threaten to put his lights-out., very loudly. He mumbled a few things and quietly & quickly left., before I could even cross the room. [ He saw me coming, and I was coming hard. The room parted before me like the Red Sea. She told me later that it was rather impressive. “You probably didn’t see all those people scrambling to get out of your way. I am glad though, that you didn’t have your Viking ax – the look on your face – you would have killed everyone in the room.”]

    She is something. More than I deserve., and I know that. I have always known that. Though I have also, always, wondered – why?

    The next morning, I woke-up on the couch – I was having a hard time breathing, when I realized why. My big ole Tom was fast asleep on my chest. Twenty-five pounds+ of dead weight. I smiled., gave him a few gentle strokes and thanked him. He started purring. He opened his eyes and stared at me.
    “Yeah.., time to get up., big guy.”

    About an hour later I was standing at the kitchen window., sipping a cup of coffee and looking out into the darkness when the phone rang. Mindlessly, I reached over and picked it up..,
    “Hello…,”
    “Good morning.., have you gotten any sleep?”
    “The Mrs”.
    I almost dropped my coffee cup. How could this be? The last time I saw her, she was speaking Martian., couldn’t understand what was being said and I am pretty sure she didn’t know exactly who I was. She wasn’t ‘here’ anymore.

    After two xrays, three MRI’s, [ or was it four ] two EEG’s, half a dozen blood draws, spinal tap., and lord only knows what else – they still have no idea what happened, or what caused it. None. Or how she has recovered so fast.

    From a mini stroke to a seizure, to a mini aneurysm., to parasites., to viral brain infection., to a tumor, bacteria., to standing around scratching. Nothing tested out. No cause has been detected. There are no symptoms, nothing has been repeated. No medication recommended.

    There are problems., and we have a ‘long’ way to go – nothing I can’t tackle and handle, though. I now have a target, a course of action. Something I can stare down and challenge. She will be home in a day, or two. They are watching her, closely, for now.

    As she put it – “I am their current anomaly.”

    Thanks again., everyone.
    I’ll try to keep you informed. Don’t know when.
    Right now? I am going to try and eat something and get some sleep.

    Side note: I am friends with an internet buddy, have been for many years, In Ohio. He was an Army Ranger, I followed him through two tours in the Sandbox., I connected with him through his father, who was also a Ranger.
    Out of the blue he sent me an email a couple of nights ago., told me I had woke him up from a deep sleep.., “What’s wrong?” “I know something is wrong.” “Need some help?”
    He never crossed my mind these past few days.
    Fascinating.

    – d’Lynn

    • I suspect she’ll be fine.

      You should get some rest.

      If the locals can’t find an answer, Mayo Clinic is in Rochester, Minnesota — 1450 miles by I-90 but under 5 hours by 737.

      Bear in-mind, the cause of your distress was likely not the Guy in the Sky, but the Dude from Down Under…

    • Phew..that’s what happened to my honey to.. they still don’t know what caused it..she recovered thank God.. some weakness but all her facilities.. I just picked up the slack on the things that needed.. this is probably the best news I’ve read all day..glad to hear the good news..

  15. I assume you own one of these:

    https://www.beararchery.com/products/bear-1st-shot-bow-set

    Back when feathers were actual feathers and shafts were Port Orford cedar, I did my own points (field points, filled with solder) and nocks. I was probably eight years old when I drilled my first shaft to accept a line. This training bow is (I think) 27″ tip to tip. The one I used to introduce my kids is a Barnett. They don’t shoot very hard, but will drag a 100# Kevlar line 200+ ft up, with accuracy.

    For trees, I bought a length of 1″ Manila hemp mooring rope from Memphis Net & Twine, years ago ( https://www.memphisnet.net ). For Kevlar, I use speargun line purchased off eBay. BTW, speargun line (braided Kevlar) in 400# to 1000# test makes excellent guy line for remote antenna masts and light towers…

  17. George,

    Remember the kilonewtons I mentioned? Your system failed because you had shock loaded the rope.

      • George,

        Your paracord was not rated strong enough in kilonewtons for what you were doing.

        My late husband, Stephen Attaway, wrote a very important paper, he actually wrote many, about Fall Factors in rope systems. He described how systems fail due to ropes being stressed beyond their ratings. This also applies to mechanical devices.

        Back in 1996, three climbers fell 826 feet to their deaths on Sandia Mountain because they had accidentally shock loaded their ropes and mechanical devices. My late husband and I were two of the four investigators tasked by the state to explain why this happened.

  18. Living at times on the beaches of the Gulf of “America” salt spray is constantly attacking everything, especially metal. Our power provider, ‘National Royalty’, is not super on maintenance of their power lines. Several times the ground lines on the poles have corroded into pieces allowing what I believe to be 480V to zap every appliance connected to the grid and to burn main panels and breakers. Somewhat grudgingly and probably to avoid liability suits, they have replaced and repaired the damages. Still dangerous and inconvenient. Check your grounds.

  19. I had the same electrical problem in an old house I once owned. Got home at 2 a.m. after working late to find the power off. Decided to crash and deal with it in the morning……then discovered the furnace would still run, and when it did, everything else would come back on until the furnace shut off. Called it in the next day, and they told me it was a line popped loose at the pole. I thought these things only happened to me…..

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