Skinny Lad ...

Every since I got my new toy, a lawn tractor with all sorts of nifty attachments, I couldn't shake off the feeling of buyer's remorse, and that I may have bought a lemon. This was largely because even after a tune-up (spark plugs, fuel filter, air filter, etc.) it would still have these moments when it totally lost power whenever I would take my foot off the clutch.

So I figured it might be the drive belt getting stuck, it was after all rather old with lots of cracks. I go get a new one, install it, and ... nope! Still the same problem. I go get E! to sit on the truck, so I could look at the drive belt while the truck is running (like every good lawn tractor this one has a safety switch in the seat, which requires someone to sit in the seat, or else the motor will shut off).

E! sits in the seat, and the tractor runs like an ace. I can't believe it. We switch rolls, I sit she watches, and the darn thing doesn't work anymore. Our conclusion was that 110 pounds is not heavy enough to drive the tractor. I put a bag of cement on the seat (and me on top), but that didn't work either (I guess the cement bag wasn't located properly on the switch).

I tried to take the safety switch out today, but it seemed like more hassle than I was willing to commit to, so I simply disabled it, so I could get some work done.

Speaking of work, it has been rather slow the last few days, which brings me to a different topic. I was recently asked, how we are doing all this. I wasn't sure whether the question was regarding money, time, or mental health.

In the end it didn't matter, because the truth is: Yes, we always worry about money and time, yes, it does take a toll on us, mentally and physically, no, we're not quitting (the woman in the building department, who will eventually issue our certificate of occupancy, was quite concerned we would).

Yesterday was certainly a low point for me. I could not get myself to do anything around the house, and I was fighting with the lawn tractor. Fortunately we had a lot of visitors, and thus a good reason not to work. Plus we had plans to go for dinner and a movie with our neighbors Julie and Jody of Little Dog Orchard (check them out for cute doggy pictures, and apple tree leases).

Today felt a lot better, not that we got a lot done around the house. I wanted to continue work on the dish station, but we ended up doing a lot of yard work, tilling the field, thatching the field, cutting grass, etc. (after I had finally fixed - if only temporarily - the lawn tractor, I wanted to try all the attachments). We did all this in preparation of tomorrow's Family Farm Day (we have family come over to help us work the garden, it's going to be fun).

Aside from doing yard work, E! was busy in the kitchen preparing food for tomorrow, and for some reason she decided that today was the day to bring IT up from the basement.

IT is a ham, which had been air drying in our basement for more than a year now. We had gotten it from a neighbor, who had slaughtered a pig, and E! decided to turn it into a prosciutto like ham. So she packed it in salt for two weeks, and then hung it up in the basement to dry.

Boy it is sooooo yummy ...



Dirk