Corona Down Time

My wife works for a closing attorney and they received notification today from most of their traditional lenders (ie, banks) that they're freezing funding and not issuing new home loans. Real estate market is about to take a hit...

Yeah, what a time for me to be closing on a house. :panic
 
Yeah, what a time for me to be closing on a house. :panic

And we’re getting ready to finance a shop/garage/house. I’m not looking forward to having amazing plans just sitting on a shelf. :headbang
 
I'm sure everyone will be glad to hear that the gas tank replacement was a success. But only after the kind of cuss words you only remember when lying on your back blinking 48-year-old rust, mud, and gasoline out of your eyes.

In keeping with my high moral character and disciplined mind, the first thing we did upon buttoning everything up was to take it to the liquor store on a test drive.

Let's all raise a glass to old Jeeps, cold beer, and Bloody Marys.
 
We spent the weekend attacking the creeping infestation of montefiore rose over at the campground and we cut back the growth on the old mill dam race behind the house. With all the stuff going on in the last 2 years it was getting ahead of us. Cut, drag, burn, get stuck with thorns, check for ticks, repeat.

With that finished we threw the kayaks up on the truck and headed over to our local marsh for a paddle. While where we live has it share of problems, the shear variety of places to get lost on your own is outstanding. 8 minutes up the road we were enjoying a paddle on a sweet marsh pond all to our selves.

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We encounter geese, mallards, buffleheads, eagles, beavers, and sandhill cranes.
 
Al, yesterday I was out cutting a very large oak at my Dad's place. One of the thoughts going through my mind running the saw was your pic of the farm jack. I was wondering where he kept his if needed as this was something I'm sure I would do you just beat me to the punch!
 
Quarantined on the River...
Trout fishing, all food cooked on fire, light rain to sleep by...
Paddle in/paddle out
We brought a brace-n-bit with 1" auger and made this giant hammer to smash things
This is my friend's kid on his inflatable

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@Al Swope I am stealing your gigantic hammer idea. I am not sure what we'll do with it, but I know a certain 10 year old who is gonna lose his proverbial shit over this idea... I'll just have to figure a way for him not to destroy everything, including me, with it.

Frickin awesome.
 
^^^^^Smashing aluminum cans so flat that you can slide them under a door was a big hit. Also, wacking a empty plastic water bottle and making the cap fly 30'...
Haha! We are so in on this. A forced day off in this mess on Friday and I am going for it.
 
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OK, I have not gotten to the sledge yet. Maybe today. Yesterday I did this. Some of you may remember that I lost a sweet 2003 TJ Rubicon to a vehicle fire in 2010. Best vehicle I ever built up. In that fire I also lost 2 mountain bikes, camping gear, tools, packs, etc... However being the nostalgic sap I am the biggest loss was the Kabar I carried during my time in the USMC. The leather handle burned completely away. The blade looked pitted, etc. I wrote it off.

Thankfully I have a wife who is smarter than me. She tucked it away in the back of a drawer. It surfaced on Friday evening. Having acquired a few skills since 2010, I saw what could be... (I am beginning to think Ann had this in mind...)

I did a quick clean of the blade and realized that most, not all, of the damage was to the coating on the metal. I then dug around the woodpile and found a suitable piece of hickory. A couple hours later, after some chisel work, lots of sanding, some bronze pins and some epoxy... followed by some linseed oil... and throwing a new edge on this is what we have. Not perfect, but I am thrilled to have this part of my personal history back in service here at the compound.
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OK, I have not gotten to the sledge yet. Maybe today. Yesterday I did this. Some of you may remember that I lost a sweet 2003 TJ Rubicon to a vehicle fire in 2010. Best vehicle I ever built up. In that fire I also lost 2 mountain bikes, camping gear, tools, packs, etc... However being the nostalgic sap I am the biggest loss was the Kabar I carried during my time in the USMC. The leather handle burned completely away. The blade looked pitted, etc. I wrote it off.

Thankfully I have a wife who is smarter than me. She tucked it away in the back of a drawer. It surfaced on Friday evening. Having acquired a few skills since 2010, I saw what could be... (I am beginning to think Ann had this in mind...)

I did a quick clean of the blade and realized that most, not all, of the damage was to the coating on the metal. I then dug around the woodpile and found a suitable piece of hickory. A couple hours later, after some chisel work, lots of sanding, some bronze pins and some epoxy... followed by some linseed oil... and throwing a new edge on this is what we have. Not perfect, but I am thrilled to have this part of my personal history back in service here at the compound.
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Very cool. That bit of personal history will mean the world to others down the line one day as well.
 
We made a day hike out to Hunter's Rocks, which is Central PA. I am a huge fan/seeker of rock cities and this one did not disappoint. It was a huge outcropping of sandstone on a ridge. It is covered in "pock" holes making it a big draw for rock climbers. Here is a link

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We made a day hike out to Hunter's Rocks, which is Central PA. I am a huge fan/seeker of rock cities and this one did not disappoint. It was a huge outcropping of sandstone on a ridge. It is covered in "pock" holes making it a big draw for rock climbers. Here is a link

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Added to list whence next we are down thataway.
 
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