Just a Reminder

Getting Hitched

It has been previously mentioned [link] that The Fuzz and His Sweetie had bit the bullet and purchased a shiny new automobile.

People familiar with the situation here in the woods will be aware that with no truck, The Fuzz relies on a utility trailer for anything requiring more space than is available in the trunk of a Honda.  And of course there is his little boat and trailer to consider as well.

As one would expect, the new ride did not come equipped for towing anything.

But it is rated for a limited towing capacity, which includes both of these trailers.

The only hitch was…

A hitch!

After a bit of online searching The Fuzz confirmed that a hitch designed for the '16 model, would also fit the brand new '17 model.

So he pulled up J C Whitney one more time.

And in a couple of days, this was waiting on the porch.

As it can be seen, some assembly was required.

Fortunately there were well thought-out instructions included.  And he was able to watch a video online as well.

So let's look at the project*.

The Fuzz started by backing up onto a couple of 4x4s to get a few extra inches of working room.

#1 Lower Exhaust

(This was not too difficult with the helpful hint of lubricating the hangers before trying to pry them loose) 

Now there was room to…

#2 Remove Heat Shields

(In this case, only 1)

Now we can get down to the tricky part…

#3 "Fishwire"…bolts into position…

Here's a look at the situation.

The mounting bolt needs to come out of the "mounting hole".  But the only access to said hole is through the "access hole".

But an ingenious system has been worked out to accomplish this seemingly impossible task.

Here's a look at the included hardware.

It will be noted that in addition to the required bolts, there is a funny-looking wire with a springy-looking end on it.  This is in fact the "Fishwire".

The Fuzz appreciates the great instructions that come with this kit.  So let's have a go at it.

Here's what we're working with.

A) That springy-looking end of the wire must be pushed up into the "mounting hole"…

…Worked through and out of the "access hole".

(Actually this is not as difficult as one might suppose)

B) Next the "spacer" is slipped over the wire, and the bolt threaded into that springy-looking end.

C) Then this whole arrangement is carefully pulled though the frame and the bolt pulled out the "mounting hole".

The "spacer" remains in the frame with the bolt passed through!

#4 Insert U-bolt through "tow hook"

#5 Insert fishwires through holes in hitch…

At this point the hitch is raised into position and the nuts put on the U-bolt (#4) which holds the hitch up enough to guide (with a bit of lifting) the mounting bolts through their holes…

And these nuts are installed, and (#6) everything torqued up to specs.

But now we have…

#7 Trim Heat Shield(s) around hitch

(This one kinda bothered The Fuzz 'cause he only had one shot at it, and remember — this was a brand new car!)

But he did get it fairly close.

Now all that was left was…

#8 Raise Exhaust and reattach…

A look at the finished job…

And with the fancy "Euro Ball" installed.

Next thing will be getting the wiring for the trailer lights installed.

*The Fuzz had done this job before [1 & 2] on the older car.  And the process was essentially the same.  So he did sorta know what was involved before he started.

Sightseeing

The Fuzz and His Sweetie saw this old cabin on the way home the other day.

They have passed it in the past, but this time they took the time to stop for a few pix.

Little Wheels

Over the years folks tend to inherit stuff, and The Fuzz is no exception.  And one of those things is a cool little old washstand.

And it is a nice piece, and still good and solid.

One nice touch was the casters under it.  In a place like this trailer space is at a premium, and it helps to be able to move things around when needed*.

The antique was equipped with antique casters.  And while they were pretty cool, they didn't roll on the bare wooden floor very well.  This made it a bit difficult to move, and had a tendency to skin up the floor as well.

This kinda bothered The Fuzz's Sweetie and she mentioned this to him.  And in the ensuing discussion it was decided to replace these picturesque, but ineffectual little fellers with something a bit more modern.

The first step was to empty the thing out and lay it on it's side to determine exactly what they were dealing with.

Here is a look at one of these little jewels.

The hard metal wheel couldn't really get a grip and tended to slide on the smooth floor.  And with the weight of the piece on it it had a hard time pivoting as well.

So The Fuzz and His Sweetie made a stop at that well known Home Improvement Store and found the best match they could.

These new guys should work a bit better especially with the ball bearings to pivot on.

But a close match is not an exact match.  And the stems on these things, while no longer, are a little bigger around.

The first thing (after actually obtaining them) was to determine the size of drill bit needed to make the necessary alterations to the legs.

That being done, the Fuzz got out his tools and went to work.

The drill to enlarge the holes, A rule to check the depth, and that little sucky thing to blow out any sawdust.

(Or maybe that should be "Drilldust")

Holes were drilled, being careful to keep everything nice and straight…

And the new casters installed.

And here's a look at the finished project.

*Another example of this is the "Car Seat" (actually from a Ford truck) which used to grace the front porch at the Old Place.

The casters under it allow it to easily be used for enjoying the view from the windows, or the "TV" on Movie Nights!

In fact it can be moved to any convenient location when needed.

First One Ever

Some years ago, The Fuzz and His Sweetie purchased what was to them, at the time, a Luxury Vehicle.

Well, time moves on and that guy was starting to give just a little bit of trouble.

There was a small problem of the battery draining on occasion when parked overnight.

The Fuzz had determined that the alternator was in fact charging it when running.  So now it was a question of tracking down the culprit.

Gone are the days when car repair was a simple matter of a bit of wire, or perhaps a few whacks with a hammer.

So rather than dealing with on-board computers and the like, it was decided to take a trip to the dealer's own little shop.  

And sure enough, these people were familiar with the situation.

And while it was not possible to determine the cause without extensive testing, they were aware of a good (50%) guess.

And it turned out that at least in this case, it was a good guess.

But this affair did suggest that considering how much out-of-town driving The Fuzz and His Sweetie were planning, it just might be time to think about a replacement vehicle.

They had been impressed with the service at this local dealer in the past, and were a bit fond of the model they had.  And it had given good service.  

So they decided to find a newer one.

Well, one thing led to another and they thought—

"Why not test drive a new one?"

And one thing did lead to another.

It may seem to have been a foolish move, but considering their age, travel habits, and the warranties involved…

The Fuzz and His Sweetie now have their first ever…

Brand new…

2017 model Luxury Vehicle!

And The Fuzz is happy to report that this Brand New Luxury Vehicle survived it's maiden voyage through the mountains to Charlottesville VA and back.

Fuginoid?

So what is this stuff?

When The Fuzz went out in the yard this morning he saw some yellow-looking stuff on His Sweetie's Mulch Pile.

It seemed a little weird...

So he went in for a closer look.

It made him think of yellow cauliflower.

Of course there was all that fuzziness too.

"Brains" was suggested-

Along with "Cat Barf"...

But let's not go there!

Maybe Brain Coral?

How about a fuzzy fried egg?

Looks like just another part of the wonderful world of fungi!

And since Our Fuzz was out there holding a camera...

He decided to zoom in for a close look at these guys growing on the boards along the walkway.

There seems to be an endless variety of this stuff.

It can seem like some kind of Microworld.

You can get an idea of the scale from that moss growing

on the rock.

But then...

Perhaps The Fuzz just has too much time on his hands!

✔And just a note for those who may be interested,  The Fuzz is recovering nicely from that "Medical Situation".  It'll just take a bit of time. 

A Medical Situation

Well, stuff happens as they say.  And sometimes it happens to The Fuzz.

It's no secret  that he has been cutting firewood for years, and that some of those chunks can get a bit heavy.

It is also a fact that Our Fuzz is a bit foolish at times, and has a tendency to not ask for help* when it would have been a good idea.

It turned out that what he tried to convince himself was only strain, wasn't going away.

And then the day came when he pushed on that little bulge and felt (and heard) something gurgle.

While discomforting, The Fuzz figured this was something he could live with as long as he was careful.

Eventually it was mentioned to His Sweetie, and passed on to other family.

That was when things hit the fan.

The family is large by contemporary standards and some members are or have been involved in the medical field.

The Fuzz started receiving phone calls...
long phone calls.

At this point His Sweetie became involved.

The Fuzz's view that people must have lived with these sort of things for thousands of years didn't seem to hold much weight.

In short...

He made an appointment with the surgeon.

And surgery was scheduled.

Well, it's been a couple of days now, and The Fuzz is glad to report that he is still living and beginning to move around a bit.

He regrets that there are no pictures, but perhaps that is for the best.

They wouldn't let him bring his camera, and besides he doesn't remember anything after being wheeled into the hallways himself.

So we'll just post a few more from the camping trip!

*It may be debated whether this is a macho thing or simply stupidity.

Boating and All

The Fuzz and His Sweetie had planned their camping trip for mid-week assuming it might be harder to get the desired campsite on a summer weekend.

(One of the advantages of retirement)

And in fact there were surprisingly few people there!

But there were still other boats out there...

A lot of Jon Boats with fisherpeople,

And some of those fancy Bass Boats.

But there were others too...

A good many Pontoon Boats,

Kayaks,

And even one of these...

Pedal Power!

Before he had to get his boat on the trailer for the trip home to the woods, The Fuzz decided to do a bit of sightseeing.

He took a ride up the lake and found a marina with even more boats.

Big boats...

Boats with "Spare Boats"...

Boats with lots of "Spare Boats"

Let's just say that The Fuzz got his boat fix for the day.
  

A Nocturnal Visiter

While camping at Jordan Lake this time, The Fuzz and His Sweetie were joined each evening by a Blue Heron.

Every evening it would perch in this pine tree at the edge of the campsite next to the lake.

The Fuzz did try to get a picture of it...

But it's not very good.

You can see the guy about ⅓ of the way down the tree.

(Or if you prefer, ⅔ of the way up from the bottom)

His Sweetie got a little closer with these two.

Check out the glowing eyes.

It was getting a bit dark by then and it took a bit of Photo Shop to see him.

He would stay all night, and then when it was getting light, he'd fly off to join his friends.

People didn't seem to bother this guy...

Guess he was used to them.

Back to Camping (Jordan Lake Revisited)

As has been obvious to anyone following this blog, The Fuzz has been quite slack as of late.  Perhaps even more than "slack", more like negligent.

So perhaps it is time to catch up just a little.

No, The Fuzz is still living and he and His Sweetie have been up to a number of things this summer.

It may be remembered back in June, that they were camping with family at Jordan Lake.

And while there there were a couple of decisions made.
The 1st was to look into the purchase of a boat.
And the 2nd was to plan a return trip.

It may be remembered that #1 was accomplished.

Then after a babysitting session, it was time for #2.

The reservations had been in place for a good while.  The Fuzz and His Sweetie had scouted out a new campsite with a nice view of the lake.

Here's a look at the camp*.

And a view of the lake from the camp in the evening.

There was even a place to keep The Fuzz's new/old boat.

And here we have a view of camp from the lake.

Having the boat handy was pretty nice.

The Fuzz was able to get out and feed the fishes in the mornings.

And here's a couple shots of the morning lake.

And The Fuzz will get a few more posts up soon...

He promises!

*It may be noted in this pix how the tent appears to be kinda leaning a bit.  Just after it had been put up it was hit by a serious little storm.   The Fuzz was forced to scurry around in the wind and rain adding a few extra guy lines.  And these needed to be very tight.  When the wind had died down, it was noticed that things were pulled just a bit too tight for the now calm conditions...

Oh well.