One of the biggest impediments to doing a job is having the right tools for it. Sure, a good mechanic never blames his tools, but he has to have tool to blame in the first place. I picked up a couple of things today to help out with the yard work. They are a leaf blower, a hedge trimmer, and a chainsaw that all run on batteries. They are DeWalt, which I trust to last a long time and work fairly well, though I was blowing dust from the shop this evening, and notices a fair amount of static electric from the blower. It kept discharging through my hand. I will have to figure out how to manage that safely.
We used the leaf blower to remove old leaves from the stones along the front of the property, which cleaned it up really nicely out there. As Missus said, it was a job she did not realize needed doing till she did it. We used the hedge trimmer to cut up under the willow tree out front, which made it look a lot cleaner, too. Now we can fit the mower under it, adding to the appearance.
The chainsaw is only a 12 inch blade saw, and it also runs on the same batteries, which meant that I was able to buy the tool only, and save a bit, because who is going to use all three of those tools at the same time? We are set with two batteries, and since we are likely only to use one tool at a time most of the time, I think we will have a spare battery when needed. Also, the batteries from the drill set we have had for some time now work in these tools too, so we have more spares for emergency.
Anyway, back to the saw. It is just enough to do some light trimming without bringing out either of the big bas saws, and will handle those quick jobs, or maybe cutting some of the smaller firewood to length, though I suspect that the 16 inch saw they have will work even better for that. I don’t like starting up and killing the STIHL saws over and over for cutting firewood rounds down to the proper size. I would like to be able to cut, then move, then cut again. The battery saw would really simplify the Service Yard work where I do final length cutting on the wood before splitting it.
I don’t really want to talk about the weather and make it sound like I am small-talking, but with the heat this summer, and the dryness, it sure has been something. We are really reducing what we put water onto and looking at further ways to reduce water usage on the farm. There has been a heat wave on top of a drought, which has contributed to a much more severe risk of fire around here, though we are fairly treeless and likely to have more of a grassfire than a really bad wildfire. It is something to keep an eye on. I have been watching it too just because I was estimating last summer that this one was going to be far worse than the normal. I will have to gather some data to confirm it, but it sure seems to be the worse we have experienced here.
We are taking a break for the most part from our little farm, and not trying to raise much. I have potatoes in and they are finally starting to sprout! I am pretty thrilled about that! I was worried for a bit that they were not getting started, and that maybe I had not watered them enough, but we took a look earlier today and saw there were many more sprouts than I had seen over the past two days.
Apart from potatoes, I am working to set up our place so it is, uh… better. It is not the easiest to work because of things like only having a single outdoor spigot to access water. We have needed some new gates, and I am trying to get those this summer to make passage from field to field, and on and off the property easier. I have been updating the water supply containers for the animals so they are not at high risk, and so they are easier to manage and can go longer without having to be refilled. There is a lot to do. We are looking at more ways to make the place self-sustaining. It won’t have everything, but we are looking at ways.
I am frustrated right now. I have some work I need to get done, and I have had two different people come by and look at it, and what it needs. It is a septic replacement. The first guy was sure he could get a basic one done for about $5K. Then he bailed out. The second guy told me on the phone they cost usually between $4K and $10K. Then he came over and looked at it, and it was up to as much as $30K. After that, he walked off fast, and with his back to me, told me he won’t even look at it without a permit, which I have to get at around $1K just to have him give me the proper estimate. Well, at $30K I asked him how he wants payment, and he said sternly that he does the work, it passes inspection, and he gets a check. I am needless to say, uneasy about the idea that it could far, far exceed our bank account. I think he senses that and that is what sent him flying. I really wanted to know if there was a payment option, but he was on his way out the gate before I could ask, and I think that he gets screwed enough that he is not interested in it. But the attitude started out good, and went sour fast. It’s hard for me to say I would want to pay him. He may be good, but I don’t know it from what I was introduced to that day. No reasonable idea, with a range of $4K-$30K for the job? I mean, is that real, or a way of telling me he doesn’t want to do it? What are the alternatives? Guys like this know when they have got you by the balls, and they sure like to accelerate your pain when they do.
I can’t do everything, but some days I would sure like to.
Well, that vented… I think I will go to bed now. Golly! It is after midnight.