CLSranch a journal to compensate my lack of memory.

[CLSranch]

I've thought about putting up a sign here that says WILL WELD FOR HAY if I had a plazma cutter to make the sign look pretty.

 

[CLSranch]

We finally got a light shower yesterday afternoon. Enough to sit in the feed room and enjoy. I watered the garden by hand with the intention of letting the sprinkler go for 2 more hours later but I didn't reconnect the hose to the sprinkler. It was a light enough shower that it still could've used the extra 2 hours.
I need to replace the hydraulic fluid again in the 9n. It's been 2 years but almost nil on the hours since it's been done. After doing it and no improvement and nasty looking fluid, I redumped it and refilled with diesel to run for a while. (suggested by tractor mechanic) Then put another batch of hydraulic fluid in it. And it's worked since.
Before it was a stuck check valve keeping the 3pt arms fully raised if engaged. No switching it off after getting the right height if you want to run the pto as they are 1 system. A true advancement on a newer tractor. But If the hydraulics can last 60 years with heavy use and not changing the fluid, even though you SHOULD have, we know many didn't, one would think they could last 2 with no use.
I'm also missing that dip stick and asking the kids didn't help. I stuck a "what I could find" down in main fill cover to check the fluid (It looks like it's got some water), and I held it where the dip stick should go and it looked about right. Not sure so I added a half gallon. Not gonna hurt it.
Yea I know the dip stick missing could allow water in but after draining, refilling, redraining for the diesel then refilling with another bucket of new fluid, then basically spending more time working on it than using it that discovery didn't make happy.
Last time or the time before I was home I made it (after a jump start) from where it was parked to the yard, so I could hold up the bush hog to change the wheel height. I swapped batteries this go round and reaired up a tire and it's running fine now. Even sprayed a little fertilizer yesterday and may bush hog a little today.
Also the bee's are doing well. Not sure If I didn't lose a swarm from the east and not as friendly hive that I didn't split, but they are still doing well.

 

[CLSranch]

Speaking of rain. The split that went around us the other day still has standing water in driveways. I've watered everyday since. An hour or so away had a he!! of a storm yesterday getting 5" in a rather short period of time. It's looking like last year again. Only that even though each side of us got more rain from several storms they still ended up with almost nothing for the year.

Yes that was 5" not .5"

 

[Mini Horses]

Oh, my.....that hydraulic fluid has gone sky high $$! Like everything else, right? I've got a newer tractor and had rear hydraulic lift issues a couple of weeks ago. Process of elimination it proved to be one of the connector fittings. Whew, $25 to replace. Glad it was the male one, the female side was $53 . Yeah, 2 oz of technology...$53!! But could have been Sooo much worse. I'm learning to be a mechanic!

Glad your issues weren't worse....when your home time needs you to "get it done" it's hard to have equipment down. Your ahead of me. I couldn't use tiller until hydraulics fixed -- need to till & plant now.

 

[Baymule]

Glad you got the tractor going. My son bought a 10’ bush hog and had to have a part of it rebuilt. Runs great now. But problem with tractor either hydraulic pump or something in the transmission. He got the front and middle fields mowed for me, I’ll be chipping away on the back field with my little 4’ bush hog. LOL He was home about a month, gone again to south Louisiana on a job that’s supposed to last another 2 years.

 

[CLSranch]

My newer tractor that could pull a 10' or my 7' is still down. Even a 4 or 5' can get the job done. I thought buying one under a 1000 hrs would last a little longer. It's still just barely over 1,000. Not even trying to get it fixed right now.$$$ It would be nice to have the front end loader and not switch things constantly on the 3 pt on the 9n. I probably would've done more bush hogging yesterday if I wanted to take the sprayer back off, just to put it back on next week if I'm still home.

need to till & plant now.

All tilling last year and this is done by hand, since the tiller quite. I actually threw some clover seed in the garden the first go round this year to have, 1 a low growing plant to help shade around what I am growing, 2 nitrogen, 3 out grow some of the other tall grasses and weeds I don't want in there.
Just hoe a row in the grass and plant. Weed eat between rows. Leave most grass and pull weeds. I acidentally pulled a carrot the other day thinking it was a weed and not knowing she planted some there.

 

[Baymule]

Or you can make the rows wise enough to get the lawnmower between them. I like your clover idea!

 

[CLSranch]

Or you can make the rows wise enough to get the lawnmower between them

I did use a push mower in the garden until it quite working. I used it in between the bigger rows and around the outside and mulched the walk way at the same time. The riding mower doesn't fit through the gate or in between rows.
It was great around the cucumber & cantaloupe before they get spread out well.

 

[Ridgetop]

Clover is a great cover crop to replenish nitrogen. Sounds like the clover growing around the other plants is doing a great weed control job. There is no need to plant everything a foot apart figuring it will eventually need that much space. The weeds just fill in that empty space, use the nutrients and water in the soil, and cause work weeding! I used the French Intensive system for a number of years. You plant everything super very close together. This keeps the soil shaded - less weeds and water needed, and as some of the veggies need more room you remove the weaker ones. It works particularly well for beets since any thinning you do can be cooked and eaten.

 

[CLSranch]

Mornin
Had another light show this morning but no rain. Yesterday morning their was quite a bit light while looking at it to the north then seeing the water tower light up on my south west side was neat. With Fri evening and Sat mornings storms we got just over a quarter inch. 3 tenths but I read a tape measure and that's not in tenths.

Trying something new of just getting up at 3. I'm always up mid morning several times. With the sleep apneia and not using the c-pap I don't really sleep from 1 to 4 or 5 and the past week plus some weekends when working I just can't get out of bed when I should. Normal time is 5am but it seems some days after 5 is all the real sleep I get, or with waking up every 2-15 minutes I'm still tired and just can't get out of bed hours after normal wake up time.