Overdue Christmas update

 This was from our trip to the range over Thanksgiving. We were just having some fun after the work Allen did on the kitchen. I didn't get any pictures of our range trip right after Christmas with Bill. The camera was one of the things I forgot to bring. I'll try to remember better next time.

 This is the work. Nothing really difficult, but a lot of detail work, with all the cutting and fitting.

 And on to Christmas morning. Everyone was here for the holiday, and that is important.

A new breadmaker made Lynne happy. They are getting hard to find, it seems.

Allen's upgrade to our kitchen

 Allen wanted something to do while he was here over Thanksgiving, so we came up with a project. Remove the old breakfast bar and replace it with more counter space and cabinets. He got the breakfast bar torn out the first day.

Then came all the cutting and fitting - the countertop was cut off and a new cabinet brought in and modified so it could do what we needed it for.

Mostly storage space for the kitchen appliances and the flat bakeware. Cookie sheets and the like will now be stored on the top shelf of the new cabinet.

While he was putting it all together, Lynne got him to add a couple of spice racks to replace the wire baskets that we were using. He did a fine job!

New shelf for the reloading bench

I built a new shelf for my reloading bench yesterday and got it put up this evening. The desk (bench) was just getting too crowded. Moving the powder and dies freed up a lot of space. Now I can get to what I need without unloading a whole drawer.

Opening Day, 2013

 I got one on opening morning for the first time ever. It's a small button buck and will be excellent eating.

We had a good day here in Kentucky. Heather also got her first deer this afternoon. Allen- it's your turn now!

Moving Jessica to Kentucky

Sunday morning October 13th, the truck and trailer were hooked up and ready to leave. It took just under 5 hours to get there.

Another couple of hours to load up and we're ready to head back. Sadly, this wasn't all of it. I went back today and got the rest of it. It was another truck load. I brought the trailer just in case I needed it, however. The camera battery died, so I wasn't able to get any more pictures of today's trip.

Back from my road trip

 It was a pleasant ride, a bit long, but that was to be expected. Thanks to Bran for the route directions. It's much nicer not having to drive near Atlanta.

The scenery was very nice and the traffic was light. That is about all you can ask for. it was lots of fun catching up with my friends. We don't get to see each other often enough.

Great day on the lake

 This sight started the smiling... the parking lot was as empty as I have ever seen it. Only one other truck was there. I didn't have to wait to get to the launch ramp.

 Nobody was in sight at the beach in the recreation area, either.

 There were a few other boats out on the water, but not very many. This is why I like going out in the middle of the week.

 Warm and sunny, plenty of space to call your own, and the water was still warm. What more could you ask for?

A little fall color, maybe? Here it is. This set of trees always turns ahead of the rest. I didn't want to leave.

Fun with Allen at the range

 We went to the range so Allen could test fire the new trigger in his rifle, and check the scope alignment. It has been a while since it was fired. The Timney trigger was a huge step up and the scope was close, so we dialed it in the rest of the way.

Then it was time to play with the pistols. The Ruger is sighted to 50 yards and right on. We tried a few out at 100 yards to see what the bullet drop was with the extra distance. It's fairly substantial, about 8-9 inches from zero at 50 yards. We also burned some ammo with the .45 and enjoyed the afternoon.

Blade change

 Heather helped me take the deck off so we could scrape it out and put some sharp blades on. I greased it while it was easy to get to.

 These had really lost their edge. They were doing more tearing than cutting. I'll sharpen them back up so they can be swapped for the others next time.

 Alright, who is the knucklehead that put the center blade on upside down? Oh, wait, never mind.

I'll take care of it!... Now its ready to put back under the tractor.

Corner shelf

 We decided to put a corner shelf in the bathroom. We're a little short on shelf space, so I got started. We cleaned out the corner and I removed all the trim from the corner. I built the unit yesterday, but had to leave it in the shed for the night. The paint was still very tacky.

Here it is in place and ready. We don't have a medicine cabinet, so this takes the place of that. It's fully stocked now and a nice addition.

I need to do this more often!

 We had a beautiful day and I got to spend part of it on the lake.

 The water is still fairly warm  (84) and today was sunny and calm.

The only problem is leaving. I usually don't want to, but I have to. I had a pasture to mow when I got home.

Bathtub cut down

 I took the jigsaw and cut a step out of the side of the tub to make it easier for Lynne to get in and out. Here the piece is cut, lowered and refastened to help close the gap.

 The first layer of cloth and resin to make it watertight.The next few layers didn't change the appearance much, so I skipped those pictures.

 Here is the final gel coat and the lowered side. You can't step on it, but it's now a much lower threshold. I still have to peel the drip runners off the outside. I got them off the inside already.

Bill at the range

 Bill and I went to the range today. We had a good time and burned up some pistol ammo.

I didn't get very many pictures as you can see. We helped load some cases of clay pigeons into the trap houses for the shoot tonight while we were there.

A nice "weekend"

 This was yesterday's job - getting the lawn mowed. It's all done and good for another week. (or so)

 Today was the day for some fun. I got the boat all hooked up after I fixed a ground wire in the wiring harness.

 The lake was beautiful. There weren't too many people there, no storms popping up like yesterday.

 Hmmmm... Which way do I go? North towards the dam, or to the south end?

I picked north. The water was 88 and it was easy to get in, but a lot harder to get back out when it was time to head home.

Nice day on the lake

OK, so it wasn't a whole day. I had to let the yard dry out so I could mow it. I chose to wait on the lake for a few hours. The water was high, as expected. Still in the mid 80's for temperature, it would be nice for swimming. Next time, I guess. I wouldn't have wanted to get out to come home and mow.

A ride on the Licking River

Heather and I put the boat in the Licking River today. I had found the launch last year, but needed an extra set of hands to launch and retrieve. It was a small launch in the tailwater of the Cave Run dam, so lots of current to contend with.

It really was pretty going down the river, but the fast, shallow water made me a little nervous.

The water was running higher than normal, but was only showing about 8 ft on the sonar. A lot of places showed less than 4 ft.

New water pump for the boat

 The parts I ordered came in this morning and I picked them up in Nicholasville. Not a very big box for $40, but it was what I needed.

 Getting ready to start the job. The tools were out and a work table set up.

 The bottom end pulled off. It wasn't really hard to do, just a few bolts and pry it apart without breaking anything. The driveshaft just slides out with it.

 My view of the water pump housing, with a few more bolts to take out.

 I got it apart without breaking anything. The impeller and gasket are out. Re-assembly was a little more challenging. An extra set of hands would have helped, but I still got it done.

Re-assembled and installed. The most unfortunate thing is that it didn't fix the problem. I'll have to have a professional look at it and see what else is wrong. At least I know how to change the water pump in my outboard now. Yamaha says you should do it every other year as routine maintenance. I've had this motor 15 years and this is the first time it's been changed.
Update on the motor: I tried one more trick I knew, and it fixed it! The water pump is working now!