Bruce's Journal

[CntryBoy777]

Sorry ya had such a 'Start and Stop' day today....vehicle problems are always a PITA...and never seem to happen at a 'Good' time either....sure am Glad ya found all your Chickens and they were Safe.........since most animals are 'Routine Oriented' it sounds like Merlin is getting it going on the 'Ear Rubs'.........hope it is just a sensor on your Prius and ya don't have to feel 'Violated' to get it back..

 

[Bruce]

I already feel "violated" for the hour minimum they are charging to look at it! Sure wish it had happened locally and I could have taken it to the local mechanic up on the main road. He doesn't have the knowledge to mess with any of the hybrid parts but this isn't anything that wouldn't happen to any vehicle. Maybe the water pump, thermostat, etc. His 2 lift, single man repair shop is attached to the garage on his house. He doesn't have to charge nearly as much per hour to cover all the overhead that a dealership does. A wheel bearing replacement at his shop is about 25% less than at the dealer.

 

[Bruce]

Kinda beat today. DD2 came in on schedule at midnight. She said they were going to be delayed leaving JFK because the flight attendants were coming in on a delayed flight. But another crew of attendants said they would make the run. Not sure how that all works out with their schedule for the next day, that plane wasn't leaving Burlington until sometime this morning. Got to bed about 1:30.

Wife up at 4:30 to Merlin barking. She's not happy, needs her sleep, gets up at 5:15. So I stuck myself into the Carhartts and went to chat with Merlin. Clearly not a "Danger, Danger!" thing, he met me at the gate between the barns on the west side. Stayed with him in the barn for an hour. Had no idea how long it actually was, Santa is bringing me a new watch. After some time I made a bed with HIS bed (not yet actually laid out since is don't know where he would want it or if he would even use it) on top of 3 bales of pine shavings. I "locked" him in the barn, meaning latched the west doors. Figure the 3' gate to the alpacas' side wouldn't be a challenge but maybe he would stay inside and quiet for a time.

Came in at ~5:30, got in bed. Wife left about 6:30 so I figured I better feed the cats. Fed them and the woodstove and went back to bed. BTW, Merlin was out barking so as expected the 3' gate wasn't a problem for him. Went back to bed. Got up about 8 feeling like I was still in need of a lot more sleep (wonder why??) and laid on the couch under a blanket.

Service guy from Toyota called at 9 AM, car is ready and do I want them to deal with 4 or 5 other items. He detailed them and I said no (*). DD2 wanted bacon because Tuesday is bacon day at the commons. Claims she can't use the propane stove due to the odor even with the fan on so it is on me. DD1 had an appointment with the Bowenwork lady at 12:30. Since I had no desire to pay for 2 days on the Highlander, I had to squeeze breakfast and car pickup in there.

Figured I would make a sausage/egg/muffin sandwich (got our Wolferman's order a few days ago) and use one of the eggs I froze about a month ago to see how they were faring. Haven't frozen eggs before. I probably should have gotten it out of the fridge and let it thaw but no time so it thawed and cooked at the same time. Turned out pretty well actually.

Made it to the Toyota dealer, could have been worse. The belt was gone. Only 1 belt in a Prius and all it does is run the water pump. Belt $20.39, coolant $22.85, some "subassembly" $19.08. Labor? $145. And tax of course, bringing it to ~$244.

I took a sleeping bag and blanket down to the barn this afternoon in case I have to "baby sit" again. Not very warm out there this time of year. If the overnight barking at non essential "threats" remains a problem (until hopefully she learns to tune him out), maybe I need to get a cot. Bigger problem, no bathrooms here other than in the house.

* Especially said no to the replacement of the cabin air filter. That dealership charges 20 minutes of time to put in a new one, it takes 3 minutes to do if you are slow. The dealership closer to the house doesn't charge to install it. They figure it is already out so they could SEE if it needs to be replaced and they have to put it back in whether they change it or not.

 

[Baymule]

Last night Trip let out a LOUD BOOF BOOF BOOF and went running down the driveway. I stepped out and it sounded like the coyotes were having a concert. DH got his pistol and walked to the end of the driveway, yelled loudly and shot into the ground. Between the dogs barking, DH yelling and gunshots, the coyotes figured this was a unhospitable place.

Today Paris was barking, a high pitched MIRF! MIRF means she thinks there might be danger, but she can't prove it. She kept it up, so finally I tapped on the window. She tucked her tail like a board landed across her butt. It took a lot of going outside and telling her HUSH, JUST HUSH to get her to the window tapping point. And no, I have never hit her butt with a board, it was just funny.

If there seems to be no real danger, pet Merlin and tell him good boy, then tell him to hush. That's what I did with Paris and now it's starting to work on Trip.

 

[Bruce]

GPs have a high pitched bark? Or is that just girlie girl GP's


There was only the one time (that I know of) that he was on a likely serious threat (were it to get over the new fence). My voice was ignored that time. Such appropriate GP behavior - "Yeah I hear you but I'm kinda busy right now".

If I open the door and say (not in a loud voice or yell) "Merlin" he will stop and come to the east gate where he can see the back of the house if he isn't truly busy protecting. But if he's going to start up again in a few minutes, my wife won't get back to sleep. This morning, after I came back in and went to bed, I heard her tap on the window frame when he was barking. I figured that was as useful as sending him an email But later when I was in the bathroom and he was barking, I tapped on the window and he looked at me. Good hearing. It would be nice if that would work, better than opening the window in these temps.

 

[CntryBoy777]

Bigger problem, no bathrooms here other than in the house.

You afraid to make 'Yellow Snow' or sharing the Boys area?glad your car didn't 'Violate' ya....

 

[Latestarter]

Glad the repair wasn't anything serious... for me it seems any time there's a repair shop trip for anything it starts @ 4 figures minimum... Love that "I hear ya but I'm kinda busy" analogy... very apt. I've noticed with Mel that there's a serious bark - he's alerted on something and it's real, and then there's a warning bark - there MIGHT be something there and he just wants whatever it might be, to know that HE knows it might be there. Then there's the startled bark when something got him riled up but he doesn't really know what it is... like basically every time my cell phone rings. He does NOT like my cell phone for some reason.

I'm quite sure he's really going to enjoy your company at night.

 

[Bruce]

No @CntryBoy777, not worried about yellow snow, it is the other!

Merlin did not "ask" me to join him last night I went to bed about 11. He was in front of the east gate between the barns about 11:30. That gate is about 40' from our bedroom on the first floor at the north end. Prior "alerts" have been from the south end of the newly fenced area (*) or from the barnyard by the pond facing our west field and the woods beyond. I opened the window and said "Merlin". He went quiet and we didn't hear from him again last night.

My guess is the cat that lives across the street came over. Historically he has come over pretty much every night, checked things out around the house and in the upper part of the barn. We see his prints in the snow and I ASSUME the same happens in warmer weather. Looking for rodents I imagine since one day 2 years ago I saw that he went off his straight(ish) path, there was a "scuffle" in the snow, then he came back to the path he was making. He did stick his face in the game camera a few months ago when I had it set up in the feed room next to the coop when I was checking for rats. I think he found the doorway I opened for the alpacas. Not likely he has been back with Merlin down there.

* South of that is a private road that goes to 8 houses up the hill, an unkempt (never mowed) field that is probably 6 acres of my neighbors' (the one with the barking pet dog) 10 acres. South of that is woods. Thus plenty of wildlife opportunity there.

 

[Bruce]

I'm hoping he will decide -25F windchill is a "stay in the barn temp". That is what we will see tomorrow night and Friday.

Here is a picture of Merlin "on the job" today while I was working on a project in the barn:


I took the chicken wire off that gate so he can go through rather than having to go over.

This is the project. I am repurposing a door that was in the house before we had to rehab an entire building. I only needed to take some off the top. My intent is to have it on double acting hinges but I haven't purchased them yet so I hung it on the hinges it already had. It is tied "half open" so the animals can get back in, they have already done that successfully. I'm hoping that by needing to mess with that door to come back in, they will easily enough translate that to "push on the door" when it has double acting hinges and will be self closing. I have had 2 pieces of 3/16" plexiglass for I don't know how long, I THINK they were part of an entertainment cabinet at some point. And I THINK I snagged them figuring they would make good cold frame covers, but never got to using them for that. I screwed one over the glass on the inside of the door. I'll do the same on the outside with the other piece.


Another "on the job" picture:


And one where he actually appears to be alive:


ETA, he didn't eat all the chickens and leave a mess of feathers. The girls have been moulting. Still waiting for Nuit to moult, she is still laying every other day or so. Much as I appreciate the egg, I'd really like her to moult before it gets any colder.

 

[NH homesteader]

He certainly looks comfortable!