Nuts! aka Hitting Rocks

 It's going to be hotter than blazes for the next few days here on the farm.

Any outdoor projects will have to be done in the morning before it gets unbearable outside.  One project that I was able to finish yesterday was replacing a mower blade after hitting a rock. 

We don't have any rocks in the acreage to be mowed.  This was my own dumb mistake of getting too close to rocks in the driveway.  

Anyone who has changed mower blades knows it isn't an easy job and using the tractor to elevate the mower makes it easier.

Apparently Dodger stadium in LA has refused convicted felon Trump's sturmabteilung stormtroopers, aka ICE, on their property.  Good for them!

Seems to me with the expansive authority they are exerting they should be required to be dressed in clearly identifiable uniforms.  And what's up with those masks and scarves they wear?  Clearly they aren't involved in "undercover" operations.  This whole barrage of totalitarianism is dragging America further into the abyss.

On a lighter note, it has become fitting to make fun of convicted felon Trump's hokey military parade.

What's not funny is the cost of $40 million to stroke this dictator's ego.

The 14th.

 Summer heat is upon us here on the farm.

With the extreme heat leaving the doors open on the metal buildings is necessary.

Today is the NO KINGS protests across America putting the Constitution above a monarchy.

Since we won't be able to attend a nearby protest we've brought out the sign we put up during the election and modified it to support the NO KINGS protests.  This is the same sign that someone shot at with a shotgun one evening causing us to bring the sign in the garage every night.

Once the sign was in place yesterday some people drove by shouting obscenities and throwing trash in our yard.  On the bright side there have been others who honk in support.  The simple fact is that our democracy is failing and remaining silent isn't an option.  Even if we have to "babysit" this sign all day, so be it.

 

Around The Farm

 As Washington continues to take America down the toilet...

... we lament, but keep ourselves busy here on the farm.

I pulled a couple of rotted stumps with the tractor and having a ballast box on the tractor kept the back end grounded.

The repairs to the mower are ongoing and I took the broken pulley (see previous post) to the Kubota dealer and they agreed it should not have failed like that and exchanged it for a free pulley.  I still maintain that it is a design flaw and if it happens again I'll just have the broken piece welded back on.  In the meantime I decided to check the bearings on the spindles.

 

While there wasn't much play in the bearings I decided to order new bearings to have on hand, however the dealer had to order them.  Since we needed to mow right away I cleaned up the old bearings.  They are sealed bearings and there is no way to grease them.  Another design flaw in my mind.  I greased as much as I could and we got back to mowing.

It's hard to see in the photos the haze from the fires in Canada that has migrated this far down.  So sad to see so many fires in Canada.

 

The nice neighbor farmer brought the cows back to the lush pasture and we enjoy having them here.

We provide electricity for his fencer and water for the stock tank.  I got the stock tank ready by cleaning it and leveling it.

The two brothers who farm the ground around us are super nice and it always makes for good neighbors when we can help each other.

And so it goes here on the farm.