I woke up today feelin’ pretty good — and I mean right out of the gate, better than I’ve felt in a couple of weeks, maybe longer than that. The only thing I can think of that’s different is the weather. These cooler mornings agree with me.
It’s dark now when I take the dogs out. That pleases me, too, believe it or not. The sky this morning was clear and brilliant, the stars so many diamonds scattered across the velvety blackness.
While Deb got ready for work, I checked the usual boxes. She’d mentioned a couple of days ago that her Jeep’s tire-pressure warning light had come on — an annual occurrence when fall rolls around — so I grabbed the cordless inflator out of my truck and brought all four tires up to 35psi.
As long as I had the inflator out, I did the same for the Silverado.
I retired to the cabin with my coffee and contemplated what, if anything, I might do before the sun warmed The Mountain. To busy myself as I thought, I fished out a short scrap of paracord and knotted a simple tether for my Spartan Blades Alala — the last lanyard on my (current) list.
Moving on to the shed, I backed the Ranger down the ramp and used the inflator to give its tires 11psi. Not far away sat our wheelbarrow and cart, and I addressed those tires as well.
Three of ’em, anyway — one of the tires on the cart was badly shredded and the tube wouldn’t hold air. Worse, the inside rim of the nine-inch steel wheel was bent.
I have no idea how that happened or when. The last time I’d pulled the cart behind the Ranger was early last spring, hauling firewood, brush and debris. I suspect the puncture came first, and when the tire went flat it contacted the frame. The first big rock I hit dented the unprotected rim.
The cart will be pressed into service this winter for bringing firewood up from the wood yard to a rack next to the cabin. (I still have to build that.) We’d need to replace the wheel and tire sooner rather than later.
I intend to bang the wrinkle out of the damaged rim and (with a new tire and a new tube) turn it into a spare. I’ll shave the tread blocks off of the mangled tire and set them aside for outdoor firestarters. The punctured tube either will be repaired or, more likely, cut into “Ranger bands.”
Waste not.
With the buggy parked outside and easy access to the interior of the shed, I carried our two smaller generators to the driveway and gave them their monthly exercise. Next came the Stihl brush cutter and the Echo leaf blower, followed by our gas chainsaws.
I hadn’t run the Husqvarna saw since I picked up a special tool for adjusting its carb. After starting it this morning and letting it warm up — and confirming that the off-idle stumble was still present — I pressed the tool onto the splined high-speed adjuster and gave it a quarter-turn to the left.
Then I goosed the throttle — better, but still not right.
I repeated the process three more times, ultimately opening the “H” screw a full turn. I can report that the Husky no longer falls on its face when I pull the trigger — throttle response is quick and crisp throughout the rev range.
With a turn of an adjusting screw (and not a trip to the shop), we now have two capable gas chainsaws in our arsenal. I couldn’t be happier.
I messaged Deb a photo of the FUBARed tire’n’wheel at lunchtime. She suggested that we drive over to Mountain Home after she got Home from work, so I spent time this afternoon checking inventory at the two obvious sources — Harbor Freight and Tractor Supply.
I decided that Tractor Supply would be the better bet.
Once inside the store this evening, however, I chose a different product than what I’d intended to buy — for five bucks more, I went with a never-flat (hard rubber) tire instead of pneumatic. Considering the tire-biting terrain over which we drag that cart, it made good sense.
I bought two. I believe it’ll save us money in the long run.
Oh, I replaced my holey deerskin gloves, too. And we swung by Harbor Freight anyway for free screwdrivers. (No purchase necessary.)
Life is good.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath #Ungovernable
#LetsGoBrandon #FJB