Ragdollcatlady's Just a Little Patch of Weeds Farm journal

[ragdollcatlady]

Oh, and I forgot to tell y'all that I got bit on the butt! By a mosquito. And for once I wasn't running around without pants!!! I know, strange but true, I actually had on pants... but there was a tiny little tear along one corner of my pocket and some durn mosquito apparently found it, thought I looked tasty enough to stop by for a bite, so now I have a huge welt on my bum!

 

[Mini Horses]

I have come to the conclusion that I need to go to a small engine class. Yep, those things work, then "suddenly" need more help than I consider needed or fair! When I get up & feel sleepy, tired, sore -- I have coffee, stretch and go for it. When these darned small engines get up and feel sleepy, they just don't even TRY to start!!! Sometimes I hear them laughing as I walk away. Spoiled equipment!

I feel your pain...annoyance....disgust...we are disrespected.

 

[Bruce]

Do you have the manual for the rider RDCL? Shouldn't be too hard, push the go pedal, turn the steering wheel. Somewhere there will be a PTO switch or knob to get the blades turning. Oh, and it had a stop pedal too

 

[ragdollcatlady]

@Bruce , I don't have the manual... least not that I am aware of. I might look for it another time. Everyone rolls their eyes at me for being nervous about driving it... I just need a tiny little refresher course, like 5 minutes I am sure. It has been 5 or more years since the riding mower has been functional and longer since I personally drove it.

The conference we went to in Berkeley was good. Mostly review for me, a few good reminders and pointers. Good company, good food, long day. But I got the 6 hours of CE toward my requirement!

My schedule this week is off. Traded with one coworker so I get to be off tomorrow and we are closing early for one coworkers wedding this Friday.

It has been stormy and rainy the last couple days. I love rain, but I was doing most of my weeding, tidying up the yard in the rain. I ended up with a soggy walkway!

I replaced the cushions for my favorite seats on the porch. I plan on using them a lot this summer, I love to eat outside when the weather is nice. I picked up 3 fuchsia plants for my porch too. My grandma always had really pretty fuchsias hanging under her deck in the old house, so they always remind me of her. I found some doubles, one pink, one mostly white and a pale pink/purple one.

So far Dusty has been behaving... Hope she keeps it up!

 

[Bruce]

I don't have the manual... least not that I am aware of. I might look for it another time.

You can probably find it online.

 

[ragdollcatlady]

So I did find a repair parts manual in some papers here at the house, but no users manual. I was having a difficult time finding an online version too. Alaska offered to help me by connecting with me on Skype and having me send pictures of the mower over email so he could see what we were talking about. He was able to describe what I needed to do, enough that I got it started, kept it running, got it to move forward and backwards, but then I ran out of gas with it right in the doorway of the garage! and I was not able to roll her anywhere.... that girl has a heavy behind!!! so the garage door stayed open for the night. I was supposed to be trying to drop the blade deck and start that rolling, but once I put the gas in, I just backed her in to the garage and decided Ill wait to try that another time. That was enough toaster time for me right now!!!!LOL! it wasn't actually too bad.

Work was hectic and my friends are all busy so I did some retail therapy. Last week I finally bought myself some beautiful curtains that compliment my pink walls and I even got the light blocking liners!!! I have been meaning to get those for my bedroom since I moved into this house that has 19 windows (I happen to prefer it extremely dark and a tiny bit cool to sleep so I have actually been needing these for about 12 years now ... yes I procrastinate sometimes! ) I bought some new ice cube trays since I threw out the old cracked ones when we got the new fridge and I exploded drinks all over the top part where most people keep freezer stuff. I don't miss them because I don't usually need ice, but it is nice to have for guests... and for the other humans that I sometimes live with. I bought myself new backyard sandals. I hit the floor running in the mornings to go out and feed, so I usually just roll out in pjs and socks, slip on the sandals and run. That is fine, but the sandals I had were handme down sandals that were way too big and I have rolled my ankle more than a few times this last couple days and it is swollen and hurting right now. So again, I decided to stop procrastinating and buy a pair that fit. And what do you know, I was able to feed all the foods without slipping!

Last night I babysat for Siri, Doodles sister, last minute. I was going to let both girls sleep in my bed, since I know Siri does that at home, and Doodles is actually really good the couple times she has had the chance. Doodles dove straight to my pillow, put her head on it and didn't move a muscle.... Siri kept jumping off the bed to go looking for stray cat food kibbles under the bed, wandering through the other rooms.... I couldn't do it, had to banish the girls to the kitchen with the fuzzy blanket in the dog bed. But neither of them fussed, the liked the company.

Right now the dogs and I are enjoying the cool weather on the porch, eating junky junk food and getting my required daily dose of vitamin C through a delicious grapefruit mimosa. Enjoying my pretty new plants. I love my little corner of the world. Especially right now, it is so peaceful out here!!! Mostly cause the goats are all fed, fat and happy.... so am I.... so it is all good!

 

[ragdollcatlady]

Updating sales adds.... check out these cuties!

aaaaannnnndddd… A Rawr A Saurus Rex

So, a little update in the redneck fairytale that is my life.... Yesterday I was trying to back the trailer in to unload hay, but someone left her darn riding mower in the middle of the driveway! Oh wait.... that was me.... I was driving the mower out of the garage, going to try the mow deck for a couple seconds, then I planned to park her outside since she was leaving an extreme amount of fumes in the garage and laundry room.... and I really don't want to explode my house or nuthin like that... Things were going good for the first 15 feet or so, then.... "BAM!" she turned into a toaster! Just like that! Right under my bum! One second she was a riding mower, the next, a toaster! Seriously!?! I mean, in other peoples fairytales, their coaches turn into pumpkins at midnight.... Why not mine huh???? I could use a pumpkin!!! I make killer pumpkin chocolate chip scones, baked pumpkin with butter is good, pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting..... Why do I get the one that turns into a toaster!?!? I suppose it is just out of gas.... I cant imagine why I would be out of a gallon of gas from less than a full minute of driving..... but the fumes might indicate a leak. So for the moment, my pumpkin/toaster is impersonating a lawn ornament.

Last week was rough... did a little bit of emotional heavy lifting. I literally threw away my pain. I cleaned out some old paperwork and threw away several years worth of 'broken heart journals'. I hate writing, so these were only ever written in during some of the most painful times of my life when I was so overwhelmed and needed to get things out, so I could put it all away and focus on my kids..... they added to up to many, I mean, many pages, booklets, binders. And this was the second or third time throwing a full set away. I needed them so I would remember exact details. This was a part of protecting what I remembered as it happened, so efforts to try and put the blame on me, for things I didn't do, didn't matter. I promised myself years ago, that if I ever need another one, the person causing my pain is going to be gone faster than gold fish crackers at a toddler play date!

 

[Baymule]

So are you saying that you backed into your mower? Sometimes, despite our best efforts, poop happens. I was mowing one day on Marigold, my beloved Kubota tractor, when it began to smoke. I turned it off immediately and looked underneath, the wiring harness was fried. $1000 later and a few days in the shop and it was fixed. After the fact I learned that I should have disconnected the battery too. Oh well, I'll know for next time.

Those are some beauties that you are selling. almost makes me want goats. Almost.

Cleaning your mental house is a good thing. Throwing out your journals is cleansing. Maybe the only thing better than throwing them out is burning them. I burned a wedding dress one time in a friends front yard. We had a great time dancing around the bonfire like idiots. White satin bubbles up, before turning black and disappearing into smoke like a marshmallow dropped in the fire at a weenie roast. Cathartic.

 

[CntryBoy777]

I had a similar problem with my rider.....solution??....what I did was put an in-line cut off valve in the fuel line, between the tank and filter.....ne'er another problem like that again.....just have to remember to open and close it before and after ya mow.....and the gas will stay in the tank, and the fumes will not be emitted.....a real simple proceedure......

 

[ragdollcatlady]

Well I didn't hit the mower... it was just in the way. I had to stop short and buck the hay from the trailer and carry it the 20 feet into the garage, where I would normally back up until I'm almost in and unload within 5 feet. Not complaining.... but these happened to be pretty heavy bales, so I got a good workout.

@CntryBoy777 I am not sure where the fuel line is .... but that sounds like a solution. I believe I ought to get more gas, add it and maybe put a sheet of cardboard under Pumpkin to see if she leaks???? do you do that with riding mowers? If she was leaking, the little bit of waste hay that is on the garage floor would have soaked it up so I didn't see any, just had my nose hairs almost catch on fire from all the fumes! .... I leave the hay there on purpose because Ladybug the cat eats her 'dead dinners' in there and hay with guts is way easier to clean up than wet/sticky guts directly on the floor.

@Baymule I thought about burning the journals.... but that would have been too much work and the fire might have been so big with all of that paper (I do country style bonfires round here! ) that California might have gone up in flames again!

I went to the store for couple of latches for my trailer... and came back with several rescue plants. I took a couple to the neighbor, she loves yellow and a couple just had her name on them. I picked up 2 big butterfly bushes that were severely discounted, but have plenty of life left in them and really wanted to come home with me. I am tempted to go back for several of the others.... the just need a light trimming, some water and more space. I also bought 2 pretty planters to use for my dogs water buckets outside. I usually use the plastic buckets, but they knock them over. I picked up some squishy welding putty that says it is safe for potable water and I'm going to stop up the holes and let it cure first. Maybe it will keep the water cooler too. The dogs are never outside for too long (spoiled housepets), especially with rain or the heat, but I like to have full buckets out there so hopefully these will work how I want them to and wont tip over.

My kid is back (DS3) !!! He was gone for a few weeks visiting DS1 for his birthday, so it has been a little lonelier and quieter around here. I love my geriatric babies!