Dreaming of Spring Gardening in the Middle of a Wisconsin winter part 2

[oldhenlikesdogs]

My geese say it's officially breeding season. They are laying and mating, and honking up a storm. So spring is staying. It's official.

I see some daylillies trying to peek out. I haven't seen any glory of the snow yet. Those usually come up first.

 

[jvls1942]

after fiddling with that saw sharpener on and off all day, I came to the conclusion that it will not sharpen my 10" blades..
I am taking it back.. I hope I can fit it back into the box..
in the meantime I found two places that sharpen saw blades.. have to wait until they open shop for the day..

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Years ago I bought a blade sharpener for my clippers. Didn't work either, and I went back to sending them out to be sharpened. Hopefully you can get it all back in the box. I swear they do that so you give up and just keep it instead of fighting with getting it back in the box.

Today the red winged blackbirds are singing up a storm in my yard. Everyone waits for robins, but the blackbirds are the herald for spring here. Haven't seen a single robin yet. They are dumb birds.

 

[jvls1942]

yup, I always waited for the red wings, too
I have heard reports of robins, but that was from down south near Madison..
I decided to round up some of my 7 1/2" blades and sharpen them before I take the sharpener back.. small payment for getting it all set up for the next guy..
It was nice to be outside today.. I am going back out again..
I hand sharpened a 10" blade by hand.
I want to get it onto the saw and see if it works..

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I also heard a single sandhill crane.

 

[jvls1942]

Lisa, how do you know that crane is not married ??
I was loading a 7'' blade into the sharpener.. It didn't fit, either..
Annie said, what is that little screw for ?
I said, that is the only screw I haven't touched. it doesn't look like it goes anywhere.. so to show her, I loosened it..
It was holding the limit bracket.
Whole new ball game.. the small blade fit..
then I loaded the 10" blade.. IT FIT !!!
So I fine tuned and it seemed like it would work, So, I plugged it in and tried sharpening a tooth. It went OK, and then another and another. in about 15 minutes I had all forty teeth sharpened..
I am keeping this machine.. I am so glad I don't have to try to fit into that box..
While I am sharpening the blade, Annie comes in from outside with two brand new blades she found in the garage.. I don't remember buying them. It had to be years ago..
It feels like Miller time. I will substitute
a Michilob Ultra..
I am back.. didn't do the Ultra yet.
just had to try the blade out.. I ripped 2ft of one inch thick oak, and then cross cut it. it is like a new blade.. better, even.
because I sharpened it..

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Jim, my guess is the little lady crane sent the husband crane ahead to get the area scoped out.

 

[Callender Girl]

Before my sister left this morning, she said she wondered why all the ducks suddenly marched back into their shelter. Then, we saw a bald eagle flying low. It had just made a kill -- probably a bunny -- and landed in the field next door to eat breakfast. For about 20 minutes, while it dined, all of my poultry was very quiet and subdued.

However, a giant mixed flock of wild birds landed. I was surprised to see dozens of red-winged blackbirds, starlings, grackles and a few robins all hanging out together. Maybe they thought they were more protected from being eaten if they traveled in a confusing crowd.

We got lots done while Carolyn was here. The biggest project was building a framework of 2-by-4's inside the duck house that lost its roof to the wind. We reattached the metal-covered plywood roof by drilling pole barn screws vertically down into the new frame. If this doesn't work, I'm out of ideas.

 

[jvls1942]

windy and not too warm today.
we cleared a space on the sun porch and set up a table. I moved the saw sharpener business to there.. It is not heated, but the sun shining through all of the windows made it tolerable..
I took a 60 tooth blade that was almost worthy of tossing into the junk bin.
gave it a sample sharpening. it turned out OK, except I missed the tips of the teeth.. So I reset and ran it through again.. It looks good now. I don't think there is another sharpening left in it. I will test it on the table saw. if it works OK, I will put it onto the miter saw..
I am weary of having to use a small wrench and an alan wrench to make the fine adjustments. So Annie drove us up to Ace Hdwe in Merrill and I bought a hand knob . I would have bought two , but they didn't have a fine threaded one.
so, I Gorilla glued the alan wrench to the set screw. no more fumbling to find that hex hole anymore.. I have the glue setting over night. I hope it holds..
It sure is holding on my fingers..
as long as we were in Merrill, we bought some hot dogs from Geise Meat Service. they have the skins that snap when you bite . I like that.. and I like the spices they use.. I think they are all beef..

 

[Callender Girl]

Did I ever tell you that my dad's name was also Jim (in addition to my Jim and my sister's husband Jim)? We always said that if Dad didn't have a particular tool, he'd make one. That's how a big, old steel drum got transformed into a snow blade for the tractor. Your story about "making" a tool you needed brought a smile to my face. Hope the glue works today!

Despite the fact that there is likely nothing at all that I need there, I am planning to go to an auction in Humboldt today and see what I might waste some money buying.