24 April 2013

Took the Kubota down to Pittsford first thing to have 220 pounds of liquid ballast added to each of the rear tires, which greatly improves the tractor’s stability.  Interestingly, the “stuff” they use for ballast these days is what’s left over after pressing sugar beets and soybeans… so it’s noncorrosive and completely biodegradable. Rachel (Giddings chief mechanic) says it doesn’t taste so good, though.  Rachel also fixed the mechanical thumb pin that was binding.  Back to Fern Lake by 9:45 and over to Perry’s by 10:45, having unloaded the tractor from the trailer, suffered some embarrassment as Marty watched me try to back the Kubota into the shed garage with the rollover protection bar in the up position (can you say “crunch”?), swapped out the backhoe attachment for the three-point hitch used to skid logs, reloaded the tractor onto the trailer, and made the commute, remembering en route that I not only had forgotten to lock the RV, but I’d left the keys hanging in the main cabin door lock.  Marty!?!?  Spent an enjoyable 5 hours helping Perry get a bunch of logs out of his neighbor’s woods (with permission), mostly beech intended for firewood, but including two mill-quality black cherry logs containing 150 board feet of potentially beautiful lumber.  Lynne & Perry fed me lunch, beer, and dinner.  Upon return to ∆□O, took some brownies down to Marty & Merry to exchange for the stray RV keys.