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Saturday:
Assembled the chipper & struggled to start it. I worry that i don't have the upper body strength to start the ten hp motor attached to the rather heavy flywheel. I called my dad to make sure i had the throttle in the right setting. I did, but Christine came out and showed me the choke and got it started. She went in, i chipped a few branches and the bag managed to block the output. I filled up the fan housing, and the engine seized up. Dad had jumped in the car to drive over to figure out where the choke was -- he arrived in time to help me unload the chips and shreds. I had unplugged what i thought was the spark plug but wasn't. Fortunately that safety fail didn't lead to anything but a rush of adrenaline for both of us.
We had a chat over Dad's favored beer (Bud Lite, sigh, i stock it for him), and he reflected on Mom's mental health, his worries about losing her, and (independently) his own credo regarding a creator god.
The weather is wet and humid and muggy. I didn't really feel like doing much else, so i pulled out many of the greens that have gone to seed to make way for the last attempt at starting some herb garden plants from seed. I broadcast dill and lovage and caraway again, all plants that prefer cool weather. Presumably my early spring seeding two months ago was too early for this year's long lingering winter. And then we went to a long dry spell. Anyhow, i tried again, also including horehound (again), chammomile, calendula, lemon grass, and zinnas.
However, the wormwood seeds may have sprouted, so yay.
Sunday:
Meeting for worship followed by a jaunt over to M&D's for a quick visit. Then home, where we got the chipper going. I didn't use the bag and obliterated two large piles of branches. One was all the branches from a good sized sweet gum Christine had cut down the previous week. Branches the size of small trees were rendered quickly. It was the brushy stuff i had lopped off of off the firewood sized branches that was hard to keep moving down the chute. I can start a warm engine, i proved.
When i get back from Baltimore, i can quickly render what's left in the orchard and move on to the pile of rose of Sharon from clearing the driveway last December. It's going to be a joy to drag this machine down the driveway clearing the autumn olive away. And, i get to learn to sharpen the knives on the thing.
I wish i had had time and opportunity to mow; i'm leaving for Baltimore for a few days and won't have a chance until Thursday night. What with the wet and warm weather, a jungle will await me on Thursday.
Assembled the chipper & struggled to start it. I worry that i don't have the upper body strength to start the ten hp motor attached to the rather heavy flywheel. I called my dad to make sure i had the throttle in the right setting. I did, but Christine came out and showed me the choke and got it started. She went in, i chipped a few branches and the bag managed to block the output. I filled up the fan housing, and the engine seized up. Dad had jumped in the car to drive over to figure out where the choke was -- he arrived in time to help me unload the chips and shreds. I had unplugged what i thought was the spark plug but wasn't. Fortunately that safety fail didn't lead to anything but a rush of adrenaline for both of us.
We had a chat over Dad's favored beer (Bud Lite, sigh, i stock it for him), and he reflected on Mom's mental health, his worries about losing her, and (independently) his own credo regarding a creator god.
The weather is wet and humid and muggy. I didn't really feel like doing much else, so i pulled out many of the greens that have gone to seed to make way for the last attempt at starting some herb garden plants from seed. I broadcast dill and lovage and caraway again, all plants that prefer cool weather. Presumably my early spring seeding two months ago was too early for this year's long lingering winter. And then we went to a long dry spell. Anyhow, i tried again, also including horehound (again), chammomile, calendula, lemon grass, and zinnas.
However, the wormwood seeds may have sprouted, so yay.
Sunday:
Meeting for worship followed by a jaunt over to M&D's for a quick visit. Then home, where we got the chipper going. I didn't use the bag and obliterated two large piles of branches. One was all the branches from a good sized sweet gum Christine had cut down the previous week. Branches the size of small trees were rendered quickly. It was the brushy stuff i had lopped off of off the firewood sized branches that was hard to keep moving down the chute. I can start a warm engine, i proved.
When i get back from Baltimore, i can quickly render what's left in the orchard and move on to the pile of rose of Sharon from clearing the driveway last December. It's going to be a joy to drag this machine down the driveway clearing the autumn olive away. And, i get to learn to sharpen the knives on the thing.
I wish i had had time and opportunity to mow; i'm leaving for Baltimore for a few days and won't have a chance until Thursday night. What with the wet and warm weather, a jungle will await me on Thursday.
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