It’s Saturday, and one more week of 2020 is in the can. Which can? You decide. I’m focused on the cooler behind the bar, the one holding the Corona. One thing is for sure, we have Linda G. Hill’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt to reckon with.
“Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is ‘list.’ Make or talk about a list. Enjoy!”
If we were having a beer, you’d sound almost concerned about me.
“What happened to you on Tuesday, Dan?”
“What do you mean, David?”
“As much as I hate to admit this, I follow you on Twitter. On Wednesday, you were linking to blog posts from Tuesday. Did you get your days mixed up?”
“No, a small task on Tuesday went into overtime.”
“Small task? Like shoving a lime wedge into a bottle of Corona?”
“Hahaha – exactly like that, Cheryl. Well, not my task, but a task I’d like you to complete. And pour the old man a glass of John Howell’s Bourbon.”
“Are you buying the drinks today, Dan?”
“I am Cheryl.”
“Yatzee! Sorry, David, but Dan tips better.”
“No offense taken, Cheryl. I tip the standard percentage. I believe my young friend goes overboard. I also believe he doesn’t understand living on a fixed income.”
“I’d rather buy one less Corona than stiff Cheryl on her tip.”
“Awww, in that case, your Corona is on the house.”
“And your tip will be less, Cheryl. Even at Dan’s inflated scale.”
“Nope, I include the value of the free beverage in the calculation of the tip, David-it’s only fair.”
“That’s why Dan is on the ‘nice’ list, David.”
“Are you saying that I’m on the ‘naughty’ list, Cheryl?”
“Just that you should be careful, David. You wouldn’t want to find coal in your stocking.”
“Yeah, yeah, enough of this social etiquette stuff. What kept you so busy on Tuesday that you weren’t able to tweet John Howell’s ‘Anything Possible’ post until Wednesday?”
“Wow, I didn’t know you paid that much attention to my twitter feed.”
“Only for the references to John Howell, Teagan, Mary, Cheryl, Linda and a few others.”
“Thanks David. I feel special. I assume you see my tweets about my new posts…right?”
“Well, here’s that free beer, a near-perfect wedge of lime and the bourbon ensemble for your buddy. That should make you both feel special.”
“Well, I see a couple of cherries in my bourbon, that always makes me feel special. Thanks Cheryl.”
“No problem, David…[snicker].”
“Now don’t you start!”
“I know you miss your buddy Skippy.”
“Not enough to want to see him behind the bar, Cheryl.”
“Well, I have to run some holiday errands, so you’re going to see him next week.”
“Sigh…”
“And it will be your week to buy, David. I’m already looking forward to it.”
“I could forget to show up at three o’clock, Dan. Perhaps have a senior moment.”
“You’re sharp as a tack, David. No one would ever believe that.”
“If you say so, Dan. Speaking of senior moments…Tuesday?”
“I told you, I got tangled up in a job at home.”
“What job? I thought you finished your projects, at least the ones that had to be done before winter.”
“I kept forgetting to install the idler wheel on the shed door.”
“I hate when you do that.”
“What, forget an idler wheel? It’s not like I do it all the time.”
“No. I hate when you use a term that I don’t know, and I can’t even fake a nod of understanding. It means I have to ask you to explain.”
“David, you should know better. You boys want any food today?”
“I do know better, Cheryl. Since I have to ask-and-endure, and since Dan’s paying, let’s have some wings.”
“You got it.”
“An idler wheel, David, that probably isn’t the proper name, perhaps guide-wheel is better, but…”
“Perhaps getting to the point would be better.”
“It doesn’t matter. Anyway, it’s a little wheel at the back end of the sliding door that keeps the door close to the wall as you open and close it.”
“Guide wheel would have been better. It might have even saved me this explanation. On the other hand, I fear there’s more because, well, how hard could it be to install one of those, Dan?”
“Not hard at all, on a wood floor, David, but harder than you might think in the middle of a stone walk.”
“Oh. That does sound difficult. Did you have to cut a stone? I only ask, because I remember you doing that once.”
“No, I decided to bury a small post and move the stone out of the way.”
“Excuse me for saying, Dan, but that sounds even easier.”
“It would have been, if moving the stone had turned out to be an option.”
“I’m really going to hate myself, but why wasn’t it an option?”
“It’s a fieldstone walk. It’s like a puzzle. I ended up having to remove about a dozen stones, replacing three with different shape stones and reseat the whole mess.”
“Sounds like you need another beer with these wings, Dan.”
“I think I do, Cheryl. And give the Mister inquisitive another splash of bourbon.”
“Cheers, Dan!”
No Facilities 
Does Alaskan Amber Ale make it to these parts? Oh … the dusk skies are awesome.
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I haven’t seen that, Frank. These days, they tell me getting beer to put on tap is a crap shoot. We do have a locally brewed Amber, which is quite good. The good thing about short days is that you get to see sunrise and sunset and still get some sleep.
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The local amber is good enough for me. :) Cheers! … and thanks for the drink.
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How I wish my husband had some of your engineering skills. Idler wheel? We’re lucky the barn doors close at all.
Multiple Smokeys? Now you’re just showing off…
😉
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According to the “evidence” in the yard, we also have a big bunny. Actually, my wife has seen it, but only when it’s still dark outside. My wife was singing the Rivergirl chant on that wheel, “are you going to put something at the back of the door to keep it from flopping all over the place?” I kept saying that I had this great plan, but…
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Wives. We’re helpful that way…
😉
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You buying the drinks and food, along with great pictures again today (love that Smokey is ready to ride!), it doesn’t get much better than that!
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If he gets enough gas, Smokey might come visit you for the winter. I think they need to cover that quad. We have a Nor’easter blowing rain all over the place today, no pictures being taken and no squirrels are venturing out.
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I can’t blame them!
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Why is it that the job you figure should take maybe half an hour to complete, takes several hours….. maybe a full day? And the job you put off and put off because you know it’s going to be ridiculously time-consuming is finished in a couple of hours?
Pretty soon you’re going to have a village of Smokeys! That puddle picture is the best!! Beautiful sunrise shots.
Cold and rainy here. The kind of weather that you and Maddie would snuggle up on the couch. Hope you and the Editor and Faith are able to stay well and continue to keep safe. Murphy sends you all sloppy kisses (sorry about the sloppy. She’s not a neat kisser!). Happy weekend!
Ginger
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Sloppy kisses are always welcome, Murphy. Maddie sends a wag and a scritch. It is true what you say about those jobs. The wheel/stone fiasco took so long that I didn’t dare start the next think I wanted to do. I went out yesterday to do that, and I spent more time getting dressed than I did doing the job.
Cold and pouring here. Not walking today, unless it’s for business.
We have seen as many as four black squirrels in the yard, but these tow clowns have been paling around. One is shy but the other will come right up to our feet. We have to be quick tossing the peanuts.
I hope you have a nice, albeit wet weekend, Ginger.
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Hello, Dan. ( using voice of HAL from 2001 A Space Odyssey.) Excuse me while I take an Advil. Ok, I’m back. That Idler Wheel project made my head throb at 8 am. Think I might join you for that beer. Your attention to detail is limitless. I’m glad you got the job done in the end. And thanks for being the kind of customer that cares. We are the same way, even in other countries where many Americans don’t see fit to tip at all. 🤦♀️I love, love the last image of the tree reflections. 👍🏻👍🏻Have a relaxing weekend. Really.
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I’m glad you liked that image, Cheryl. I tried and tried to get it to be in a more prominent spot in the gallery, but WordPress would not cooperate. The bartenders rely so much on tips (the restaurant owners are allowed to pay then about 1/3 of minimum wage), so we try to be generous. Now that that door is the only way to enter the shed, I needed the walk in front of it to be higher than the ground, so water wouldn’t pool and freeze and I tried to get it level enough to shovel (since the blower is behind that door).
Enjoy your weekend.
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Thanks for the explanation of the idler wheel. Like David, I would not have a clue. The pictures of the project were great. I liked how smokies come under the gate. Pretty smart little beasties. Good use of the prompt and thank you for the pingback to Tuesday’s post. I hope you are caught up enough to relax this weekend. BTW, I enjoyed having a Steeler game mid-week at a decent hour.
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We have one grey squirrel who has to stuff himself under that gate. I keep telling him he could use the exercise of going up and over. I realized ‘idler wheel’ was the wrong term, but not until too much editing would have been involved. I didn’t want to risk having Linda issue a fine and expropriate my bonus points.
That was a good time to watch a Steelers game, but that game was so hard to watch. Are you in the broadcast area for Monday’s game? My brother said Fox isn’t going to be showing it nationally, just in selected areas. I think we should get it. 5:00 is a good starting time. Hopefully we play better.
Family smack-down here today – WVU v Iowa State. Embarrassing t-shirt wearing is on the line. Wish us luck.
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Go Mountaineers. We probably won’t get the Steelers game.
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42-6 😞
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🙄
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I enjoy when “you use a term that I don’t know” because then I learn something.
But don’t you hate when real life interferes with blogging? (Now there’s an interesting question- isn’t blogging “real life”?)
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I hope I didn’t cause a future error on your part, Maggie. I think guide wheel was a better choice, but the whole ‘no editing’ thing got in the way. Your question about real life interfering with blogging made me laugh. It does seem that way sometimes. But, real life feeds the machine.
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I am glad it was just a little project and that you got to it before the ground froze. Happy Saturday Dan.
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Digging that hole before the ground froze was the main goal, John. I think I was cutting it close. Enjoy the weekend.
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I often wonder what you are going to do with yourself once the projects run out. Or are they endless?
You do a great job sharing blog posts on Twitter, Dan. Thank you! I am not so great at it, probably on the tweet/retweet naughty list, but I suppose there are projects of my own that take time away from social media. Your focus on being kind to other bloggers will make you a permanent fixture on the nice list and keep you busy.
Have a great weekend, stay safe!
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Oh, Mary, there’s always another project. I still have a workshop to build. Once that’s complete, the sky’s the limit. This was only a few hours, but I thought it was only going to be a few minutes.
I think sharing blog posts from you guys is a great way to balance out the negativity on Twitter. I don’t keep a list of who tweets and who doesn’t, so don’t worry about being on the naughty list. You are locked in on the nice list, except for a previous and potential future Super Bowl Sunday.
I hope you have a great weekend and a nice week.
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LOL, the gloves go on when it comes to football! :-D I’ll have to try harder with Twitter if, for no other reason, than to share the positive posts and tweets.
Good luck with all of your projects, Dan. It will keep you busy and blogging for several years to come.
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Go Pack – Go Steelers!
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Thanks for the shout-out, Dan. :)
That task couldn’t be easy. While a “round peg” will go into a square hole (easier than the famous square peg issue, LOL), making everything look neat is no easy thing. That’s a nice addition to the Taj Ma-shed. I should have put this in list form but… Particularly nice puddle pic, pretty puzzle, and Smokey Ready to Ride — look out Rolling Thunder. Love it. Hugs on the wing.
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I think Smokey wants the keys to that quad, Teagan, he looks ready to ride, for sure. Of course, as I was sorting through the pictures for this post, I realized a better way of making that guide – one that wouldn’t have required moving the stones. Oh well, the whole walk has to be raised and set in paver sand eventually, at least this section is done.
I’m glad you like the puddle,I think that’s my favorite, after Smokey. I hope you have a great weekend. Cold snowy hugs from the north to you.
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It’s been a weird weather year here for sure. The past several nights have gotten down into the teens. I’m thankful that it warmed up nicely (50s most days), and dry. Hugs back.
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We had over an inch of rain before it turned to snow. It may turn back. Crazy.
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I suppose the idler wheel must have been important to put that much work into it. Watch that fella trying to take a ride. Our squirrels often wreak havoc when they get close to worldly possessions. We have had them chew through a strand of Christmas lights, and once through some cables on the Explorer we had at the time. Maybe we should feed them – but then they would not get their exercise trying to get into the bird feeders. 😂
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Once the door is unlatched and opened, it can swing up and away from the shed with the wind, and then crash back into the wall. It can also get caught by the wind while we’re trying to open or close it, so the wheel helps to hold it close to the wall. I think the neighbor should cover the quad, but… One of the Smokeys lives in their tree, so I guess he feels everything in the yard is fair game.
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Sounds like a pretty important feature, Dan. As my grandfather used to say ‘a job worth doing is a job worth doing right ‘.
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Absolutely.
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I know we have one of those on the barn door, but I didn’t know what it was called. You are now ready for Mother Nature’s knock, knock. It’s pouring right now but turning to snow later today. We are still in drought conditions so I’m not complaining about the rain. Happy weekend.
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I think ‘guide wheel’ is probably the right term. Once I realized that, it was too late to fix without editing a few sentences, which Linda frowns on. The rain turned to snow here about an hour ago. We had over an inch of rain before it changed over. We are also not complaining. We still are well behind the normal amount for the year.
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I join the chorus of those who have no idea what an “idler wheel” is, so I can’t judge whether “guide wheel” is better, but at least I have a mental picture of what a “guide wheel” does. I loved the Smokey photos and am trying to imagine them in leather jackets. Is that an a motorcycle, an ATV, or what?
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An idler wheel is normally one that puts tension on a drive belt. It isn’t involved in the power (creation or consumption) just keeping the belt tight. I thought it would be a good fit, since it applies pressure to the door. I think guide wheel is better, but it was too late to change and correcting the issue made for some good conversation. I think Smokey might like a leather jacket. The vehicle is a quad-ATV. It’s not mine, and I think the neighbor would be wise to cover it.
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I learned something new this morning…what an idler wheel is!
The sunrise and evening sky images are just lovely! Smokey on the motorbike cracked me up! Great post today in pictures, and teaching me something new!
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I may have misled you, Deborah. I think guide wheel is better. As I just explained to Mike, an idler wheel is normally one that puts tension on a drive belt. It isn’t involved in the power (creation or consumption) just keeping the belt tight. You have one buried in your car that keeps the timing belt in tension. Smokey on the quad is just too cute, He makes me laugh every time I see him sitting there.
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Hi Dan, I am also a stickler for tipping. People live on their tips in South Africa. Sorry I didn’t manage Thursday’s doors this week. My week ran away with me. I’ll be there next week which I think is the last before your holiday.
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Tipping is so important, especially now, given that indoor dining and drinking is so limited. Weeks have a way of running off like that. I’m just glad you know where to come. There are two more Thursdays left, the 10th and the 17th, but tradition says that on the 17th, we share our favorite doors from throughout the year. Whenever you can make it, I’ll enjoy your post.
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I’ll be there for both posts, Dan.
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Yay!
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Great post, Dan. I loved the photo explanation of your entrance. Wow, you make it look easy. Your photo of the reflection in the puddle is extraordinary and definitely marketable. Have a great weekend.🙂
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Thanks Gwen. I tried to get that reflection photo to be in a more prominent spot in the gallery, but WordPress was not cooperating with me. I almost lost the entire post at one point, and I had to paste several lines back in. I hope your weekend is nice, too.
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Life is a bit of a puzzle. But it all looks good!
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Thanks Pam. It’s always good to work those spatial skills.
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haha! David is killin’ me: “Perhaps getting to the point would be better.” How many times have I said that??! A whole lot. I think this is why ‘small talk’ is like a knife in my heart. I am a ‘get to the point’ kinda gal. So Skippy next week, eh? I had better make it a point to get here early. you see what I did there?? Have a great Sunday, Dan.
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Oh, and Smokey on the bike–adorable!!!!
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Vroom!
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I’m glad David channeled his inner Lois, for you. I do have a tendency to go on. Skippy needs to get some bar time, you know, for his fan base. Have a great Sunday, too.
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Don’t you just love when a simple task turns into a project? Sigh. You definitely deserved a beer or two and some wings.
janet
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Thanks Janet. It does seem to be the way projects go.
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I love a natural stone walkway and now have an inkling about how it’s done. Those two Smokey’s are ready for action!
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I have to redo this walk in the spring. Years of drought and action by ants has caused the stones to sink. I should have used the paver sand throughout. This time, I will.
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Experience is such a good teacher.
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I love seeing the photos of your projects, Dan. Natural stone walkways are beautiful but it sure does look like a big project.
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This walk is nice, but the ground in the back sank/compressed or something after multiple drought years. It’s lower than the grass in spots so I have to raise it up this year. It is like working a puzzle.
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I hope you don’t get tired of me saying how I love your bar banter every week. I really do. The stone walk looks like a big project to me. Love the C-130 and the sunrise.
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I always appreciate that compliment, Jennie. I love seeing the C-130s and we hear them way before we see them. The walk was/will be one of those a-little-at-time projects.
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My pleasure, Dan. Really. Speaking of planes, I am SO excited that the only surviving fighter plane from Pearl Harbor has been restored and is at the Collings Foundation Museum in Hudson. This made front page local news. They showed a photo of the cockpit, which looked just as complicated and scary as Hubby’s F-4 Phantoms. This is on my bucket list.
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I need to get up there.
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😀
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This was a trip my friend and had planned to take last spring 🙁
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It’s still on my radar, too.
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If God had intended for us to put fruit in our beer, then Barley would grow on trees.
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I’ll go with, everyone is entitled to their opinion.
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Great post Dan….love Smokey ready to go for a ride!!
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He looks like he’s rarin’ to go :)
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He really does!!
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I don’t even like beer, but it sounded preferable to the project. :) have fun. :)
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This was one of those projects that you only feel good about when it’s done and you can have that beer.
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My husband is a project person like that. We just moved to AZ and left our project house and one acre in Central Cal. He’s at a loss right now. He’s been three weeks and one day without a project, but not without a beer. :)
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