Apples, barn plumbing, and reading

[altivo]

Gary was away again today, this time to play an art festival somewhere on the west side of Chicago. So I was alone all day. It was cloudy at first, then got pleasant and sunny with a nice breeze, so I went a mile down the road to the nearest orchard to pick apples. They were supposed to have Empire, Jonathan, and a couple of other varieties ready this week.

Got there and the place was crowded, but no one was picking Empire. No surprise, they never heard of them, but I know how good they are. The crop is very heavy this year. You can't get your hand in to pick just one apple at a time. There are usually six to eight all clumped together, and when you loosen one, two or three will fall off. I watch where those go and pick them up off the grass too. They gave me a half bushel bag and a peck bag, explaining that if I was going to buy a half bushel of the featured varieties, they'd give me a peck of Jonamac or Gala for free if I'd just do the picking. Well, I never refuse free apples, so...

Apple pie ensued, after I got home.

One of the frost free hydrants in the barns has been leaking. We can tell because the pump runs in the middle of the night. So I tried to adjust it, which is never easy. At first it wouldn't shut off at all, then it wouldn't turn on. Finally got it right, and tightened the locking bolt. Whee, the head twisted right off. Now when it misbehaves again we'll have to shut off the pump and pull the whole core in order to fix it. Grr.

Spent lots of time reading today. Felt guilty about it, but I don't get to do that often. Finished up Breaking the Ice: Stories from New Tibet and there's now a review on The Clydesdale Librarian. Started Kyell Gold's novel, Volle, which is off to a great beginning already. I'm going to enjoy that one, I can tell.

So off to bed. Tomorrow is Monday (ugh).

Comments

[darkhorseman.livejournal.com]

Frost frees are always a pain in the ass. Getting one working right and keeping it that way is a chore. Replacing them is hell

[altivo.livejournal.com]

This one needs total replacement I think. Last time we had the well guys out to pull the pump and replace seals, they were gonna do it. But they decided to just swap out the core of the thing, and I'm not sure the replacement was as good as the original. Of course, the job was much cheaper since they didn't have to dig. We still have the original core and the unused new casing, and I'm about ready to swap the original back into it.

Probably should take this to furry_farmers

[songdogmi.livejournal.com]

Spent lots of time reading today. Felt guilty about it...

But... you're a librarian ... don't you have to read or else they take away your MLS?

The reading probably made up for the task of fixing the frost free hydrant, so you're even.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Heh. Actually, right around the time I finished my MALS, some professor told me I'd never have time to read again. I often feel like she was right.

[avon-deer.livejournal.com]

I would try a few books on your list, but my local library do not have them in stock. Nor can they seem to find many on their system. :(

[altivo.livejournal.com]

With a few exceptions, the books on my list are readily available from used booksellers. If you want to let me know which ones interest you, I may be able to help find affordable copies. A few were published in the UK under different titles, but should be findable by author.

I heartily recommend AbeBooks for finding used books that you thought you'd never be able to get. Their membership includes a large number of UK dealers.

[wolfgrowl.livejournal.com]

I've found some hard to get stuff at www.biblio.com.

[goldenstallion.livejournal.com]

Dear Rider,

Well, WE have a leak somewhere between the garage and the behind-the-barn frostfree valve and it is underground somewhere. Bear dug up one possible place, an old auto-waterer he capped off... no leak there. So I am slowly digging down the six feet to the bottom of the frostfree in hopes that is where it is. Otherwise it will be a matter of turning the water valve on when the boys need water trough filled and turning it off again. Big pain... I feel your pain. Grin.

Imp

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I have nightmares about a leak developing in the supply line itself. Ours is tapped off near the well and runs on the "back pressure" from the tank in the house. It has no shut off at all, which means if it really blows out, we lose all water in the house too and have no way to turn it off and keep the house going. Well guy's estimate for putting in one of those underground shutoff valves is about $1000. Yuck.

[darkhorseman.livejournal.com]

Valve: 5 dollars at hardware store
valve box: 20 dollars
pvc glue and cleaner: 5 dollars
Hack saw or pipe cutter: you should already have one what kind of farmer are you?
A couple hours digging out the supply pipe: Pain in the ass, back and neck
Doing the job yourself and saving 900 dollars: I would say priceless but worth more like 900 dollars.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Well, yes. And no. Remember that up here we have to bury this stuff deeper than you do. The line is more than 25 years old, so probably cast iron or steel pipe or something of that sort, rusty and perhaps likely to break. We don't know exactly where the line takes off from the main house line to the well, either. Could be anywhere in the 50 feet or so between house and well, and is very likely under the driveway which would make for tough digging indeed. I expect it is buried at least four feet down, possibly more. It would need one of those valves that you install in a vertical chimney with a metal cap, and operate with a long forked tool, like they put on the city water main feed to a house.

Bad enough that we may have to dig up the frost free in the barn and replace it. That's under the barn floor, which is packed ag lime going down I have no idea how far.

[darkhorseman.livejournal.com]

Ohh I have to burry atleast 3ft deep. And yeah if the line is that old I would probibly replace it. Probibly worth having a backhoe come out and dig it then do the line yourself. Makes a good opertunity to run new power lines and maybe a telephone too. Im looking to do the same at my place in the future.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Power and telephone lines are newer and already in place. We had some of that redone shortly after buying the place, so I even have Cat5 lines between house, arena and barn, though we've never put any computers out there. Those lines come from the other end of the house and take a different route entirely. The power from house to barns does have a shutoff at the house, both indoors and out, which it didn't have when we moved in.

Quote for replacing the whole water line from house to both barns is in the thousands. Not in my budget right now, maybe not ever if I can avoid it. Over that distance, I'm sure not digging it all up by hand myself, either.

[darkhorseman.livejournal.com]

I just wish I had a barn that was level. A decent workshop and an arena. And yeah when I put the mobile home in I ran cat5 and 3 RJ6 lines. Turns out im using 2 of the coax and both the cat 5 now. Best thing I could have done when I put it all in I got that 2" flex irrigation pipe and ran it between the two buildings.. now if I need a new wire I just run the fish through it and pull it back

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, using some sort of conduit is a good idea. Ours are just buried naked. But if I were doing it myself, I'd use something. Our house in Chicago had the electric supply from house to garage (80 feet, it was a long narrow lot) put in through a buried garden hose. Someone's improvisation and probably a violation of city code, but it worked a treat and was never a problem. It also deflected spades and shovels if you happened to hit it while digging in the yard or garden (it was only about 18 inches down.)

[darkhorseman.livejournal.com]

Out where I live there is no code other than the NEC. For a while I studied to be an electrician so I know the basics enough to slip by. The only thing you have to approve is if your insurance asks to inspect other than that the co-op wont hook your power up if it dont meet their standards. Ive done all the electrical at the farm, ran all the service wires, rewired most of the house, etc and they havent done more than glance at it, give a nod and plug the meter in. I know my service panel right now would fail since im remodeling the kitchen and have removed alot of circuits that are no longer used (switched to gas, loving it) Ive removed the breakers but havent cut the wiring out of the panel yet so theres bare (but dead)wires hanging out of an uncovered panel for now.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

A horse and apples....makes horse apples XD *falls off his seat and out the window behind him laughing in the shrubbery* Ahhh I find "horse apples" just too amusing a phrase

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Well actually, up here the "horse apples" are the red ones that go INTO the horse. Usually they are the spotty or bruised ones that people don't want.

The ones that come OUT of the horse we call "road apples" because you find them lying in the road. ;p

[pioneer11.livejournal.com]

Nothing better then having time to sit and concentrate
on books you've wanted too, feel no guilt.

*pets nice*

As for apples; Empire and Golden Delicious are my faves.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Empire seems rather variable, so that I suspect some trees are being sold as Empire that are really something else. But good Empire is darned good both for eating and for pies. I love apple pie.

Golden Delicious is certainly better than Red Delicious (which I consider a total oxymoron) but they tend to be dry and are often too large. In the last couple of years, we've been seeing something called Ginger Gold here that appears to be derived from Golden Delicious and has a similar spicy taste and fragrance. But Ginger Gold are smaller, and juicier. I really like those.