Think I'll sit down here for a bit... (9)

[LutheranChick]

Good news! It looks like we have a small grove of Firs that survived the fire! I was driving home and noticed them on the south slope of the hill. They're about a quarter mile past the house. I pulled over and looked at them, thinking they must be on the neighbor's property. Well, when I got home it was time to go for a wee little walkie with the dogs. We got up there and sure enough, the trees were on the Hudson property! Nice big ones too! There's only about fifteen or twenty of them and I don't know if the fire might have damaged some of them fatally. But at least a few should survive.

there was a trail cut into the steep bank of the road, so I put Nana on stay and went up it with the other dogs. Nana isn't up to mountain climbing at her age. She gladly waited at the bottom whilst we went 'splorin'. The understory trees are completely nuked though not all of the forrest floor is consumed (a good sign). However, the larger trees all look good. There's even some really huge White Oaks. 'Course, when we got to the top of the ridge, it was a moon-scape. All in greyscale. I just wanted to run back down the slope and hug each of those survivors. But I restrained myself (LOL)

There's going to be a lot of trees on the south slope of our hill that were girdled or so badly injured that they'll not make it. However, this little fir grove looks pretty darn good.

Amazing some of the trees survived, and that God spared people and personal property. And as you know, out of death and destruction will come new life- that's something to look forward to! Hopefully you will get some cooler weather and rain to encourage the new growth that will come.

 

[Studeclunker]

Amazing some of the trees survived, and that God spared people and personal property. And as you know, out of death and destruction will come new life- that's something to look forward to! Hopefully you will get some cooler weather and rain to encourage the new growth that will come.

Yes, the merciful provenence of the Lord, and the skill of the firefighters did some amazing things. For instance; there is a big white house that sits on a shoulder of the ridge that juts out towards the west and the river. The fire went straight up the slope and surrounded the house. The Bor-A bombers soaked the house and surrounding trees with their red solution. Of course, the house is now pink, but at least it's still there (LOL)!

I went down to the Conservation Resources Centre in Weaverville last week and got a package portfolio of their services. The people there were very enthusiastic and helpful. Looks like we may be able to get help in the way of grants and low-no interest loans to replant and maybe improve the water and soil for agricultural use. We'll have to wait and see on that though. Right now George and I just want to get the trees replanted and the hill protected from erosion due to the fall rains (which hopefully come soon).

 

[Tangible]

Today is a difficult day for me and my family. One year ago today my mother had a severe stroke which left her unable to speak or walk. It's been a very difficult year for us. Mom was the heart of our family, very healthy and active beforehand.

Also, my wife just told me that my brother-in-law was just let go from the job they had moved from Arkansas to Indiana to take six months ago. Apparently the owner is letting his son take over, and the son doesn't like my brother-in-law. Sounds like most of the other engineers will be leaving soon too.

Please keep us in your prayers.

 

[LilLamb219]

Praying

 

[DaRev]

For anyone who wishes to listen to President Keischnick's address to the ELCA CWA, click HERE.

 

[Tangible]

For anyone who wishes to listen to President Keischnick's address to the ELCA CWA, click HERE.

I don't think he could have spoken the truth more clearly or with more respect.

 

[Studeclunker]

I must say that I was impressed with President Keischnick's address. He did an excellent delivery of a beautifully written speech. Sadly, the likelyhood of it doing any good is slight. The vote on the controversial subjects it deals with is already fait acompli. However, one can hope for a miracle. After all, we did hear from the Lord what he thinks about all this, or so it would appear.

For those who, like myself are on dial-up and find it difficult to download sound and picture files, I posted the text of the address in the main Lutheran forum.

God help the ELCA. May our gracious and kind Lord also protect the LCMS and WELS from slipping into this kind of error.

God help us all.

I left ELCA all those years ago. There is no regret in me for joining the LCMS. In fact, I've a great deal of gratitude to the LCMS for the teaching, preaching, and answers I finally recieved. This is one reason that it's so difficult to join the WELS. Yet, the decisions that have occured in the past few days at the CWA 2009 GRIEVE me so much! It's like a physical pain to hear what these people are doing!

Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy,
Lord have mercy on us.
Amen.

 

[LutheranChick]

Today is a difficult day for me and my family. One year ago today my mother had a severe stroke which left her unable to speak or walk. It's been a very difficult year for us. Mom was the heart of our family, very healthy and active beforehand.

Also, my wife just told me that my brother-in-law was just let go from the job they had moved from Arkansas to Indiana to take six months ago. Apparently the owner is letting his son take over, and the son doesn't like my brother-in-law. Sounds like most of the other engineers will be leaving soon too.

Please keep us in your prayers.

Praying, CD.

 

[Studeclunker]

Well, I was manoevered into fixing my friend Paula's truck. She has a Toyota T100 and the water pump went out. The bloody thing runs the water pump off the timing belt, for the love of Mike! Well, I've got it back together with the parts she provided, and it looks like the thing just might run. I wouldn't be at all surprised if it self-destructs when I turn the key. This Japanese stuff is the pits! Give me a Studebaker any day. Studebaker, eight bolts and the whole thing lifts off. Toyota, it's over sixty bolts and the whole front of the engine has to come off. OI VAY!

 

[RadMan]

Yep when the timing belt goes, everything goes. I look under my 58 CHevy hood and all I see is motor. No power. Well at least not yet. I'm thinking about adding appropriate options for that year like PS and PB. Maybe even try to scrounge up an AC. Don't even know if they had them on that model then. I also want to redo the heads on the 283 CI since it still burns fuel with lead additive. Even my Ford Torino GT convertible burns leaded fuel. The convertible top bracket is part aluminum and part steel???? Naturally the part that broke on the bracket was aluminum. Can't get the top up or down without 2 people.

 

[Studeclunker]

hey Rad, sorry to hear about the 'challenges' you're facing with your classics. Yep, classic cars don't have problems, they face challenges (LOL)! Mine are so challenged none are even on the road (LOL)! However, I'm waiting on a few parts to get the '56 wagon and the '62 pickup back on the road. Waterpump issues on both and the wagon has a transmission issue. The pickup is downright scary to drive, front end issues you see. The wagon, on the other hand, is a real old sweetheart. She's a '56 Studebaker Parkview two door wagon and is just nothing but fun to drive. Ol' Bess should be back on the road by the middle of September.

I was kinda hoping to get another, a sedan, but that seems to have fizzled out. Pity, it was a beautiful car. A '56 Commander, Parchment White over Desert Sand. Pretty straight and nice interior. Oh well, I really need to spend the money elsewhere...

 

[Tangible]

OK guys, confess. How many cars in various sages of disrepair do you have setting around the yard?

 

[Studeclunker]

Um, to answer that question is just a touch... complicated. I have in all ten vehicles.

Um... as long as you don't report me to the County.

A Gimmy, six Studebakers, A motorhome, two travel trailers, one storage trailer, one service-body trailer, and a horse trailer. Of my Studebakers, two are drivable, three are parts vehicles, and one is sold and awaiting shippment to upstate New York. most of these vehicles were either free or very inexpensive.

George has a 63 Chevy one-ton, eighteen Land Rovers, two or three vintage Dodge pickups and various junk vehicles in pieces waiting for scrap prices to go back up. George also has three trailers. He also has a huge stock pile of vintage Land Rover parts. Many of those parts are either unobtainium or rediculously hard to find. We need to organize them so that we can start selling on e-bay. Oh, I almost forgot his three tractors (gosh, his favourite toys! some little boys never out-grow their Tonkas you know). Most of the Landies are parts vehicles though three are drivable. The Chevy is drivable also. Same thing with George. Most of his vehicles came with his parent's estate (his dad was a renowned Rover mechanic), or were very inexpensive.

 

[Tangible]

My dad always worked as a maintenance man, in the garage in the air force and in various industrial jobs, so he's pretty happy when his hands are greasy. A few years after he retired he bought and restored an H Farmall tractor just like the one he used to use on his father's farm (except I think it had an extra gear or something that made it special). He got to drive it a few years in the local Forth of July parade and had a write-up about it in the local paper.

Ever since then, though, he enjoys tinkering around with Murray riding mowers. He's got about ten of them give or take a few major parts, with three or four in running condition, but I think only one or two still have mower decks. He uses the other ones to putt around the farm or to pull little trailers when he needs to move stuff around.

I definitely didn't inherit his mechano genes though. I know very little about motors and stuff and I'm horrible at maintaining my two vehicles, sad to say. :o

 

[Studeclunker]

Hello... anybody around? Anybody know what's happened to our lady's auxillary, where they've got off to? Gosh, Sis' kitchen has got a bit dusty.

 

[RadMan]

Toys?----I don't have that many. Most of them I've gotten rid of since the move. My Farmall Super H and attachments were sold as well as the MF 35, even though it's still being used at my farm to keep the grass down for prospective buyers. My '99 Rialta RV was sold to a Canadian, sight unseen, on Craigslist. My brushhogs and blades are all sold.

All I have left is a '68 VW DUne Buggy with an overbored, .30, motor. It's also road licensed. My 58 Chevy beauty, white over Sea Mist. My 70 Ford Torino GT convertible in Burnt Orange. An '09 Chevy Silverado 1 ton dully, Crew Cab, 4X4, Duramax Diesel. An '09 Buick Enclave and a '02 Arctic Fox 5th wheel camper. That doesn't include a variety of riding and pushing lawn mowers.

Winter projects include tube radio maintenance and maybe rebuilding a grandfather clock that has been in the family for 90 years. It still works fine but I can't help wanting to tinker with it and make it perfect. Oh yea, also have an old early 1900's gas generator I want to refurbish. Reading is the utmost importance through all this plus snatches of computers and TV. I used to build all my own desktop PCs but laptops have become so cheap I don't don't bother anymore.

 

[seajoy]

Hello... anybody around? Anybody know what's happened to our lady's auxillary, where they've got off to? Gosh, Sis' kitchen has got a bit dusty.

My life has been in a bit of an upheaval....haven't had much time for TCL. Thanks for thinking of us ladies, though.
I also think all the homosexual talk has been about enough to chase anyone away for a while. Once people have decided not to follow the Bible - it's hard to talk with them. The whole thing makes me sick.

 

[Studeclunker]

Yes, Sis, you have a point. My wife used to say, "Some people have already made up their minds. There's no point confusing them with any facts." I've gotten rather tired of repeating the same arguments without any effect too. Have you ever seen the movie, Amazing Grace? It's one of my favourites.

Gosh, Rad, nearly an empty garage and driveway (LOL)! You know, my Father was partial to John Deeres. He did have one Massey, though the M.F. on it didn't stand for Massey Furgeson to him (LOL)!:o He hated the thing. George has one here that the diff has gone out on. Pity, it runs like a top and has good hydraulics as well. Once he gets back to work, George is hoping to find a parts tractor for the MF. It's sad really, as the Massey was George's favourite. He loves anything British.

We have to meet with the EQIP people in Weaverville next week. they want to come out and assess the damage from the fire. If we're really lucky, they may practically pay for replanting George's back property. Looks like the Feds just might help us with our water situation and to make this place into a truck farm. I thought we might try growing Studees (LOL). Nah, George would like to put in a few acres of fruit trees on the back. It's just getting the resources together. There's about 3/4 of an acre here around the house I'd like to grow veggies on. We'll have to see what can be done. It would be nice, though to be able to sign up for the Farmer's Market next year though.

 

[Studeclunker]

You ever have a day that just keeps getting better, metaphorically speaking? I came to the conclusion that I'll have to sell my Studebaker Pickup. Most of the money I've invested in the truck will be lost. Add to that, this afternoon the Lumber Mill in Weaverville burnt. George was just offered a job. Great. They're the only sizable employer in town.

 

[Tangible]

That bites, Stude.