Another Flat tire! And I'm an idiot!

Well, how can you make a wonderful Saturday end up cold, dark and gloomy? Well, Go out after 10 pm with only 4 tires and no spare. Easy! Yep, That's right, We got a flat tire and our spare is still messed up from last time. Now a wise man would have fixed the spare when they fixed the last flat. Or better yet, they would have gotten all new tires and replaced the old ones. Ah, But I'm not wise you see. And how often does a tire go flat? Well, long story short, We must have run over something and the tire went flat before we got to the store. After failing to re inflate it with our emergency compressor, We drove home and totally ruined the flat tire now beyond comprehension. FUBAR! My only consolation is that I now know that adults are just as dumb as teenagers. because I have not gotten any smarter in my old age! At least Cheryl talked me into driving it home instead of walking in the dark , in the rain, and approx, 8 miles. Now we must figure out a way to fix a shredded tire on a Sunday with no spare or money in the bank! Yeah! Oh, and I did manage to carve tonight. After all that, I still have to make the Doughnuts. Hope your weekend is better than mine!

The Joys of Flat tires!

Well, Friday was spent getting my tire repaired...again. I must have drove over something on the way back from Iowa City on Thursday. This may sound familiar, because it happened to me once before....and I'm Sure I blogged about it. I'll be brief: Got a flat tire midway between two cities ( 7 miles either way!) It was dark, cold, and I had a flat spare tire that was Frozen in the trunk as well. ( sound familiar?) I'm somewhat of an expert on flat tires by now! Well, I drove home on it and was able to fix it up on Thursday easy! You see, I had three extra tires in the shed...all they needed was to be put on the rim. And BONUS! There was a perfectly good spare tire in the shed left by the previous tenant! Now it is mine ( because the old one was ruined after driving 15 miles on it!) And the tire repair guy in literally a stones throw away from our house ( as is everything in little bitty Wellman, Iowa. So in the end, we stayed home on Friday and I was able to snap a few cat pics and shots of Cheryl hard at work. We have new Items in our shop.....check them out! By the way,, Check out the really cool Claymore poster!

When Leaving Working Items Alone is Not Embarrassing Enough.

It did not start this way. 

Cheryl shows how I feel. 

It snowed today in Iowa.   I should say, "Snow-ing in Iowa."  It has not let up since 9 A.M.!   We had planned on running/biking....  But it was very cold... and began to snow. 

Running in the cold... without snow. 

Cheryl's still injuried.

It has been getting colder as the days in February progressed.   And Cheryl has not fully recovered from her little "Runner's Knee" issue.  So we have tried to bike a little.   Of the three times,   every single time, something has gone wrong.  Bumpy Trails for sore saddles.   A FLAT TIRE on Saturday!

And angry!

Flat tire third time out!  Are you Kidding?

   Cheryl's Bike!   A flat tire the third day out!  ( I was able to repair it...but com' on!)  Yesterday was simply blisteringly cold with a wicked wind chill.   I'm beginning to give up on the possibility that Cheryl will ever view bike riding favorably. 

Cheryl finally wants to go bike. 

Light snow,  but extremely cold. 

But then came today.    ( Pause for dramatic effect)

Cheryl said she was actually looking forward to biking a little today.  Something was about to go wrong. I was not disappointed in my prediction.

But today the snow is deep!

At 10 degrees above zero,   Subie refused to start.  This frightened Cheryl.   She is always afraid that Subie will strand us in the middle of Nowhere.. Or in this case:  Wellman Iowa.  (Where we live) I tugged on the throttle cables a bit and that was enough to get him going.. but the confidence and reliability persona that is Silver Bullet Subaru was already shattered. Cheryl nixed the Bike Ride. 

Fixing the car in a blizzard. Easy!  Right?

It was ok.   Riding in the extreme cold is never really much fun for me.   And it began to snow lightly on our way to Iowa City.   I figured  I would take a look at Subie when we got home and make sure there was nothing "unusual".   The extreme cold also makes the power steering whine and I thought I could adjust some things.  Simple!   What could go wrong?

Opps!  

Well,  Just  enough to mess up my day,  Ruin my reputation as a "fixer",  and Confirm Cheryl's already strained relationship with Subie.  I shall explain. Mostly because I have had very little to blog about in the month of February. 

Broken bolt?   I hardly touched it. 

As the snow began intensify,  I decide to take a look under the hood to see what caused that "little" problem this morning.   In my zeal,  I try to tighten, loose, and adjust a few things and discover that the alternator bolt was wobbly again.   You can probably guess what happens next.  ( Breakage!)  I snap the bolt off... again!

No prob!  I can go down the road and get one from the  local mechanic... again.  Sure it's snowing,  I can ride my bike there!  I end up purchasing it from NAPA...  Just as good.  The snow is really getting deep now.   Perhaps riding a bike in snow this deep was not the wisest of ideas.  But since when have I ever said I was wise? 

And where did these sparks come from?

One little thing I forgot to do...  was disconnect the battery terminal when working on the alternator.   Opps! A few sparks,   A whiff of Ozone.   A gentle reminder that I forgot something kinda important.  I disconnect.  All is well... Right?

Cheryl tries to help. 

With Cheryl's help,   We embark on the task of reassembly.   The snow is falling like crazy now, and Cheryl's job is to hold an umbrella as I patch up the car. Snow is blowing and collecting all over the engine.    Everything goes together easily and like clockwork...  until. 

The snow continues to pile in. 

Was that wrong?   I KILLED SUBIE!

We attempt to start the car... Nothing!  No lights, no dials,  only the beeping of the door alarm.   Did I blow a fuse?  A wire?  A Harness?   THE COMPUTER!   My mind quickly spirals out of control!  (Because the worst case scenario is the most likely outcome in all of my thought paths!)  I have fried the entire car!

We head inside,  dry off,  apply tranquilizers to Ethan.    We look up fuse locations on the car.   I find them;  but the snow is falling so hard,  that I only have 2 seconds to look at anything before it disappears behind a sheet of white.  I dig out the fuse for the alternator.   Still good!   I look around for any other fuses that might be blown.  Everything is as it should be, and is now covered in snow. 

Time to give up and call the pros.

Could this be the problem? 

Disconnect battery and attempt recharge,  check my connections, everything in the chain of command I can think of.  I'm totally out of my league now.   Time to call the Mechanic?   It is 4:45 and they close at 5.   As well as NAPA and every other establishment that could possibly help us.   With defeat in the air,  I make the call.  They will be able to look at it on Thursday.  And We will need it to be towed there.   I accept the terms.

Looks fine from this angle. 

 And then Cheryl finds that the main fuse might be the problem.   I looked it over,   It seemed fine before.  But I actually go in and discover that under that yellowing windshield,  the fuse is actually blown.   A Break!  In the fuse AND the entire CASE!  I now have an idea what the real problem is.  We discover this AFTER 5.   And the snow continues to fall. 

Ah HA!   I SEE IT NOW!  Only after all of the shops close. 

So now Subie is under 12 inches of Snow,  missing a fuse and his battery.   I will have to wait until tomorrow morning to see if they have a part at NAPA that will get Subie back in the action.   Looking back there are many life lessons to be learned here.   And I'm sure I will forget every single one of them the next time something happens.   Perhaps that is why I catalog all of my "screw-ups"  on this blog.   To help me not repeat history.... again and again and again.   Also because I have not had anything to blog about in the month of February.    Ah! the things I will do for the blog.   

Bike Trouble?... Trouble no longer! ( Hopefully.) And The Golden Tortoise Beetle.

All of the above!

Today, I finally received the missing part for my Trek Mountain bicycle.  (Or Mountain Bike.... even though there are no mountains in Iowa...  Maybe Gravel Bike?  That is what the Brits call them I think.)  Anyway   About two weeks ago, ( Has it really been that long?)   I replaced the chain because it was slipping off of the gears.   The chain arrived and I put it on.  It was not very difficult with a chain breaker tool and  a chain pliers.  It was late at night, but I was eager to get it on before the next morning's ride.

Is it bad when it looks like this? 

Turns out,  it ended up slipping even MORE!.    How could this be?   Well,  "apparently"  you have to change the rear cassette if you let your bike chain ware further than you should.   I think I have never changed mine since I purchased it two years ago.    We average 7-20 miles a day..  hmm..  Perhaps I should have done it earlier?

Is this the right thing?  Looks odd. 

But ...Whatever!  I'll just order a rear cassette now and everything will be better!  Right?  One Week Later!  It arrived. 

No lowest gear? 

It looks a little different from the one I had on the bike before.  Hmm... Maybe this is a newer, better version?   It says it is a "downhill" cassette so the bike chain will not slip off your lowest gear and rip up your spokes.   Sounds good to me.   However...

There is nothing I can't handle
with a Dremel Tool!  I used to carve
Wood!.

The plastic guard on the largest gear would not set properly on the wheel hub.   Even after Dremel-ing a small groove to fit it snugly,  it still wobbled and threw off the chain.   Looks like I may have to buy a new one.

Doesn't look like the chain
de-railer will work...

Luckily,  they are not terribly expensive.  And I still save money if I can avoid the "World of Bikes" bike shop.   So Cheryl orders another one.  ( We read a little closer this time.  I go with a Shimano because that is what the bike mostly has as accessories.)

Flat tire... From a Thorn? 

One patch later....  all fixed! 

Another week later!  It arrived today!  But not before I got a flat tire!  Yep!  A small little tiny tiny thorn managed to poke through the rubber outerwall and punch a hole in the tube.  Luckily,  I had a pach kit that actually WORKS and fixed it without any hiccups.  Hey,  I might almost be "competent" when it comes to bike maintenance!

Looks better. 

Fits better! 

So it finally arrived today, but Cheryl would not let me put it on before out evening ride.   ( She was probably afraid I would botch it again if I had a time crunch on me.... She knows me so well.) I have been riding my bike in 7th gear the entire time.. It turns out that that is the ONLY gear that does not slip... probably because I never use it during my normal rides.   But I just finished putting on the new cassette and took it for a test run.   Seems to be all fixed.   I still will have to adjust the gears so they match the switcher later... but for tomorrow at least,  I should be able to ride in the lower gears as God intended. ( I do not "race" while biking along side Cheryl as she runs.)

And it WORKS!  

Well there it is.  A New Bike chain,  Bike Tire Repair, and Two New Cassettes...  one that actually WORKS! ( so far, anyway)   And it only took 2.5 weeks to complete!   Most people would take it to the shop and get it done in a day... maybe even an afternoon.... But not me!  I can't see spending the extra $40 to get it done properly the first time by a professional.  I would rather limp it along for half a month as I wait for improper parts to arrive from China... so I can save money and Show off my almost dangerous bike fixing skills.   That is just how I roll!

Smooth Chanterelles. Only a few
today. 

Mushroom hunting in Coralville. 

Hope everyone is enjoying their evening this evening.  It is the last pleasant day we are to have here in Iowa for the next few weeks... I guess.   We could certainly use some rain.  Cheryl and I went Mushroom Hunting  this morning and only found a small handful of Chanterelles and Russulas.   Even the Deadly Web-caps were not out!    I guess everyone is waiting for rain.     Normally Mushrooms start popping out in late august again anyway.   And then the Chicken of the woods and Hen of the Woods will be out.   I can't wait! 

Golden Tortoise Beetle. 

What is this gold thing on this
leaf? 

One last note.   I saw  another  really cool insect along the Bike path the other day.  A Golden Tortoise Beetle!   I was only able to snap this blurry picture before it jumped away. ( apparently,  Cheryl said it jumped!)   A little research on Google show much better pics.    It's something you don't see everyday here.   Thanks for stopping in.

Another Deer Sighting!

See the Deer?

Slightly better picture of another deer.   Still a bit of a focus problem, but at least it was not from a moving car.

Bad day for Subie's Tire

It has been a rather wet day today.   In addition to the rain, I was surprised by a flat tire on Subie!   Not the best start.    I'm hoping it will only be a small puncture that can be repaired by Reggie, the Local Tire Guy. 

See it now?

Can you see the antler?

After changing the tire in the rain,  we set out for Cheryl's daily training run.   I had a feeling it might be a good day to see some deer, because they have to refresh their scrapes when the rain washes the scent away.  (all that Hunting Education paying off!)    Low and Behold!    We saw one.

How about Now?

At first I thought it would be another failed attempt.   But the Buck did manage to move a little and held still so I could snap his pic.    He blends in so well. 

Broad side....with a flash of white tail.

One of the Things about Bucks vs Does is that they never flash their tail!   Bucks keep that tail tucked under so the bright white is hidden.   Makes sense during hunting season....  But Does are always flashing it.   Still,  I managed to get the "white of his tail" for a brief second.

After that,  we finished the run kicking up three Does ( using the ID method mentioned before) a little farther down the trail.   I was not able to get a picture of them as they practically flew down the hill! 

Follow the Trail

More Rubs showing the way.

An interesting thing about the buck:   He actually turned back towards me.   Not in an aggressive way...but rather a curious way.    As if he was trying to figure out what I was up too.  I'm pretty sure he was about 2-3 years old....judging by the antlers.   He was a LOT smaller than the one we saw yesterday.   Still,  you could clearly see his buck rubs and trail markings all along his "Territory Trail." 

My Hunting Experience on display

As if he is Taunting me. 

Sometimes I miss hunting.   And by "miss"  I mean:   I never hit anything I was ever aiming at.  Lugging a heavy shotgun around in freezing and wet areas was not really the funnest way to spend a weekend.   But I loved being outside.   And hunting gave me a purpose.

Cheryl gets me out in the cold. 

Slightly Damp day.

  Thankfully,  Cheryl's running allows me to be outside and get cold and wet without the Gun.   In a way,  it is almost "better."    I never had to worry about killing anything.   I never saw deer when I was actually hunting them.   Now, it appears to be a huge conspiracy among the  Odocoileus virginianus  to show up while I'm no longer a danger!  As it turns out,  they still taunt me by being "Un-photogenic".

Cheryl,  showing off Subie's Spare tire. 

More Stockings.

Cheryl packing them up...

Stockings continue to roll out.  Cheryl is getting that strange Limbo feeling.   The place where if you sell too many,  Doom!  If you sell  too few....DOOM!   What is the right amount?   Who knows.  We shall continue to make them... and worry about our future.   Just like everyone else.

Thanks for stopping by.   Hopefully you can enjoy my attempt to capture a whitetail deer in it's natural habitat.   And as the Rut continues, maybe I will have another chance.