Dodged a weather bullet last night

[Clipper]

There was a severe storm warning for the entire area last night with severe thunder storms, possible 60mph winds, downpours and hail. Thankfully one band of storms went to our North across SW Virginia, and another went South of us by about 30 miles or so. We had some moderate winds and a heavy downpour about 4am, but all was clear and okay by the time I got up at 6am.

Had to make the trek to Kroger's at the ass crack of dawn this morning. They now have people going in one door, and out the other and they are counting people and only let in 50% of the normal number of shoppers at a time. I become more wary of going to any store with every day that passes. I haven't shopped for anything for several days, but we needed milk, eggs, and oatmeal, and we had just received the monthly preferred customer BOGO coupons in the mail. I took advantage of the trip to once again stock up some more meat, and a dozen packages of frozen vegetables. $83 dollars later we now have so much non perishable food that some had to be stored in a tote in the corner of the bedroom, and the freezers, both in the refrigerator and the upright freezer in the garage are stocked well enough to carry us through a month or more, with the exception of perishable needs such as milk and eggs. I buy the fresh fruit and produce for salads at a produce market up the road that I feel fairly safe visiting mid afternoon. That seems to be a moderately quiet time there. The last time I was there I had forgotten my mask so the owner put together my order while I waited outside. He knows me well as a customer so I just told him what I needed and he picked me the best of everything. No complaints. Shopping local small business is always preferred when possible.

[Clipper]

Are people in your area having trouble obtaining a pick up time for curbside pick up? People here are finding that they have to wait as much as a week for an appointment to pick up a curbside order.

[Deleted]

I don't order via phone for curbside pick up. It would look kind of silly me walking up to the place they have to pick up my order. One day I shall try delivery from some store. I suppose in the summer months I could pull up with a little red wagon.

Rain today. Very turbulent last night till 4 AM. Lots of smoke in my apartment. Will be going out soon not sure where just have to get away.

I need to pick up small cucumbers and lettuce.

[Clipper]

I pretty much gave up on the idea of using the online ordering and curbside pickup. Thank goodness we are stocked well for now. I suppose if things get worse I may have to reconsider using the online option for ordering groceries. Hopefully it will get better a bit at a time rather than getting worse.

Kathy may have to bake some bread. Neither of us likes the plain old Pullman loaves of sandwich bread. She normally eats Arnold's brand Italian bread, and I eat whole wheat or rye, neither of which have been in stock when I have shopped for quite some time. All Kroger's had today was hot dog and hamburger rolls, and a variety of the crappy and flavorless store brand white and wheat bread.

[BHU]

I haven't tried curbside pickup yet because the stores haven't been that packed when I go. And I now wear a mask & use hand sanitizer once I leave the store. I bought a box of them last summer from Harbor Freight & to my surprise they are N95's. The only items I've seen a shortage of are pasta, t.p., & paper towels. I read a story yesterday on MSN on how the seafood industry is getting crushed because of all the restaurant closings & consumers aren't buying fish. The little guys will be ruined & probably will never recover. It's a damn shame.

Worked on the mower yesterday. Pulled the deck after buying a $40. belt because the old one was stretched. Cleaned the bottom, scraped the rust off & primed it. It don't look like anybody will be mowing around here for a while with rain, light snow & cold temps for the next week.

[Clipper]

Properly maintaining lawn and garden equipment can make things last for a long time. Changing oil and controlling rust are imperative. My neighbor leaves his tractor out in the weather with a piece of plastic over it. Last year his deck had rusted so badly that he hit a small stone, a hole appeared, and clippings were coming out through it. I just shake my head when I see that tractor parked wherever he finished using it with a piece of clear plastic thrown over it. He has gone through three tractors in the 18 yrs we have lived here.

[clarencebunsen]

I can help but over hear when my son conducts his sales meetings from our dining room table. Casa sells to small grocery stores, restaurants, pizza places and the like. Something like 30% of their customers are closed. Barb and I usually eat at a restaurant about once a week. It is really not the same placing and order and doing a pick up of styro containers in plastic bags.

[BHU]

Apr 9, 2020 10:07:52 GMT -5 Clipper said:

Properly maintaining lawn and garden equipment can make things last for a long time. Changing oil and controlling rust are imperative. My neighbor leaves his tractor out in the weather with a piece of plastic over it. Last year his deck had rusted so badly that he hit a small stone, a hole appeared, and clippings were coming out through it. I just shake my head when I see that tractor parked wherever he finished using it with a piece of clear plastic thrown over it. He has gone through three tractors in the 18 yrs we have lived here.

I never leave my mower out in the elements. It's stored during winter in the garage parked on a plastic t tarp to help keep moisture away especially under the deck. There was little rust which I wire brushed down to bare metal & primed. I was in Lowe's today & I glanced at the riding mowers. The cheapest one they had was over $1400 + sales tax. I think I'll hold on to this one.

[clarencebunsen]

I plan to hold onto my mower (a walk behind Craftsman) as long as I can. I hope my grandsons can do most of the mowing this year. My lawn doesn't justify a riding mower.

[Clipper]

Our tractor is a Craftsman with a 42 inch deck and an 18 HP Briggs. We bought it on sale at Sears for $900. I have looked at them at Lowes and Home Depot and something comparable to what I have runs anywhere from $1400 to $1700.

I have not priced the REAL John Deere tractors or Cub Cadets. The one's you buy at Lowes are made by MTD, just like the Craftsman, Troybilt, Ariens and Poulan. They are all basically the same mower with a different paint job and decals. You can buy a 42 inch deck REAL JD mower at a JD dealer but it only comes in a 20hp model and it is $2600. The genuine Cub Cadet starts at about $2000.

I imagine that I will have to buy one in the next year or so. I will probably buy another Craftsman or something similar in an 18 hp 42 inch deck. My next one will probably outlast ME, haha.

[BHU]

Mine is a Bolens, an 08, 38 inch cut. Same as a Yard Man, like you said with a different paint job. I bought it at Lowe's for $550. It was a return. The guy who bought it used it once, didn't like it & returned it. When the manager said he'd sell it fot $550 I whipped out my Lowes card & paid for it on the spot. They helped me load it onto my truck & when i got home I pushed, pulled if off the truck by myself using 2x8 boards for ramps. That was fun.

[Clipper]

Apr 9, 2020 19:13:07 GMT -5 BHU said:

Mine is a Bolens, an 08, 38 inch cut. Same as a Yard Man, like you said with a different paint job. I bought it at Lowe's for $550. It was a return. The guy who bought it used it once, didn't like it & returned it. When the manager said he'd sell it fot $550 I whipped out my Lowes card & paid for it on the spot. They helped me load it onto my truck & when i got home I pushed, pulled if off the truck by myself using 2x8 boards for ramps. That was fun.

I know what you are saying about unloading the mower by yourself. When my mom and dad were alive I used to load our tractor in my pickup and go mow their lawn. Yep, two 8 foot 2x10s. I about busted my back pushing it up into the truck and when I unloaded it I would get it straight on the ramps and let it roll out onto the lawn. I finally bought a set of aluminum folding ramps at the flea market, and after my mom died and dad came to live with us, I used them to wheel his wheel chair up into the camper.

If I have to take mine anywhere anymore I borrow my neighbor's trailer. He has one of those 8 foot trailers with a fold down ramp. He bought it at Lowes.

[Clipper]

I remember when Bolens was a powerful and well built garden tractor. I had a neighbor up there in NY that had one back in the 70's or early 80's. It had a gear transmission and a cast iron rear end. It was only 12hp but it would pull a single bottom garden plow and would push snow with a 4 foot blade.

[clarencebunsen]

Snow here last night.

[Clipper]

I saw that on WKTV site. It has been a crazy winter and spring. Was there very much accumulation? It has been in the 50's here at night but tonight there is a frost warning. Just a reminder that we really aren't free of freeze danger here until at least the first part of May. I have been spoiled by the mild winter and recent warm spell. They had a dusting of snow on the higher peaks around us a couple of days ago.

I wonder if freezing temperatures have any effect on the aerosol spread of the corona virus.