Life goes on - Winter 2024

Continuing the discussion from Life goes on - Summer 2024

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We got a Frost warning for tonight. 


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Been chilly these past couple days. I hope it stays decent for all the people in the mountains.

My friend that lives in Weaverville was picked up by his brother in law and resupplied to get his car out of there and is staying with his girlfriend in Cullowhee. I think he works for Amazon so who knows when he’ll have work again in that area, maybe he can find some work as an electrician’s apprentice he has some experience with that. I hope he’s going to be better prepared from now on and keeps a rotation of food and potable water or at least containers to keep some in.

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MAYBE even a good working water distiller, I run my shallow well water through a RO filters and then through a cheap 89.00$ distiller, the idiot light breaker burned out about a year ago, I bypassed the B’s and it still working good, I think i had it running 2 gallons a day for last 2-1/2 or 3 years. I got a 5 gallon unit on wheels, I just cleaned out all the SS steel tanks, since its been sitting around several years though just mostly dusty. its got a element like hot water heater, so its fairly heavy duty. the cooling coil looks SS steel tube,and fan works good. I been building up supply’s to start growing organic seeds to grow all organic micro greens, no pesticides. lots of options, some are cool weather better starting and others fair better in warmer locations.NO pesticides or firalizer needed.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------AND thanks for all the advise on water purifying, I got a big filter canister I could put charcoal filter in it, its about 6-7 inch at the top and nearly 2 foot long- maybe I try the boil water and char filter method.

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Drinking distilled water is problematic Kevin. If you do you must be able to replace the minerals through your diet. Research required. If you are concerned about bacteria in your well water it is better to just boil your drinking water and run it through a activated carbon filter if you think you may have any chemical contamination.

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There are UV light setups that are part of water filters now for bacteria. I had to get a reverse osseous filter here for the ground water here.
The system i have replaces trace minerals after filtering the water to avoid the issues Tom mentioned. Simple little system that sits under the kitchen sink and i replace the filter about once a year.

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Water filtration is a big topic, but if you don’t have anything in place, think about picking up a Sawer Mini or similar filter. They are usually under $30, lightweight (for when you are on the move), and quite durable, assuming they don’t freeze after they have gotten wet.

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Here comes a story from life, this happened some weeks ago, or a month, i forgot to post it anyway.
When i came to work in the morning my “bosses” told me: theres a Chevy on the parking, it’s something wrong with the brakes, customer towed it here.
To my surprise (and joy) it was a 1939 Chevrolet, nice old car.


Well the brake job is not much of a story, just seized shoes, and bleeding, it’s the story behind the car that is interesting.
In 1939 a man here in Sweden bought his first brand new car, he was happy and proud. A world war was in it’s beginning, after only some month’s of driving, government stated: there is going to be a fuel shortage, every driver needs to apply for rationing coupons for fuel. The man with the brand new Chevrolet had no proven reason to get fuel coupons, only way to drive was to convert to wood or charcoal gas.
But! He don’t wanted to cut in his new car, and a gasifier system cost almost a third of what he payed for the car, and there was still a LOT instalments.
Also: that gasifier stuff was pobably not good for the engine, he got a deal with a local farmer and parked away his nice car in the barn, hopefully the war is soon over.
Some years went by, the man gets a letter from the government: you are owner of a Chevrolet, the tires of this car is needed for the military or public transportation needs, please leave the at local collecting spot, or police actions will be taken. Send appeal to
last date that and that.
Well, nothing to do about it
 the nice car is now placed on some wood blocks in the dark and dusty barn.

In late 1945-early1946 the man takes his bicycle to the barn to look up his car, the gasoline has started flowing again, tires are for sale, and the car is fully payed.
A sad sight
 the once new and modern car now looks old, and sad, dusty and dirty, lots of bird droppings, a crack in the windshield, and mice had been nesting in the seats, under inner-roof, and everywhere, they have also eaten alot of the insulation on the wiring.
This ends with the man with the once brand new Chevrolet places an order on one of them new Volvo PV, and sells his Chevrolet very cheap to two younger brothers, that uses it for everything from personal transportation to transport of firewood, cheeps, bricks, until its used up. The drag it out in a bog with the intention it will sink and dissapear.
1980 a auto-shop school teacher out pickin mushroom’s find the leftovers, he saves it, and make it a school project for his students to restore it.
Some years later he sells the now finished Chevrolet to a man that enjoys it many years, until suddenly left front wheel wont move, and he tows it to the local shop
 :smiley:

After he told me the story of the car, that you just have read, he asks me: do you wanna buy it? 15000$ and it’s yours.
Well i don’t have that kind of money, but wouldnt that have been the ultimate irony if i bought it, and woodgassed it? The poor car that escaped the woodgas era? :wink:

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Honestly 15k is a pretty fair price for that in the states. especially given it sounds like it has matching numbers for the frame and engine.BTW it is a great story.

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Yes!

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/cars-for-sale/chevrolet/all-models/1939

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Ha! Mice in vehicle wiring!!
Has happened here twice in the last 10 years out on our gravel driveways adjacent to green-spaces. On the daily running operating vehicles. Brought home late with warm engines. The field mice are hell on top of engine COP and fuel injector wiring. using the under hood hush insulations as nesting materials.
Just having two cats was not enough.
We now have five.
The now older, two in&out house cats. And the just turned one year old, three youngster barn birthed cats.
They gift us at least two, sometimes three, mice caught/killed every night.
S.U.

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Northern lights made an appearance last night. Very rare to see them this far south. Anyone else catch them?

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It was too cloudy here to see them. Looks like they where really impressive though. Nice photos.

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We could sort of ‘see’ them IF you used nightsight on the phone camera.

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Hi SteveU, did you know juniper bush twigs (with needles) are a good way to keep mice away from vehicles stored?
Some of it on the inner fenders, and on top of the engine really keeps them away.
Very good for vehicles don’t used very often, and winter stored vehicles.


Air filter on a customers Mercedes, the mice had started to expand their living room (chew hole in filter cartridge) the car survived.
This is a risk when storing your bird-feeder supply at the same place as your car.

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They were amazing in west-central Idaho!

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Hi All
As said we are sponsoring a high school Foreign Exchange student this year.

A couple of amazements recently to her.
Bring her home from volleyball practice her side of the car is the pick up street box mail side.
Eight boxes on a rail. One of the one’s past ours had an 14" sticking out parcel I was going to have to navigate. I screwed up over focusing on that and mirror rubbed hard the first box in the row. Screech! Then had to make sure she kept her hands in and screech back away.
Oh well. Shit happens. I got out and palms whacked the niegbors box back into functioning shape.
“But what about your poor car and scratched up mirror head?!!” Shrug. It just adds charter to this old car. “But my mother would be in tears her Tesla scratched up!” “My father allow a new family driver cousin to use his Tesla and the boy tore off the mirror head. Very expensive to repair!”

Another amazement to her . . . she finally caught the news on the 1st hurricane known death count. “200!” Actually so far 240 with over a thousand still missing. “Why did not all of the people evacuate?!!” Many did. Impossible for all. Time and resources.
Sofia this happens here nearly every year in the U.S with hurricanes and tornadoes. Why we live here - not there. We send help from all across this big country to help after these.

Here: PNW wet-side Rural it is the headlights on the other side of the center lines drifting over, the biggest hazards we have to deal with I tell her. Have a crash worthy car and be willing to expend it.
In a shitty (city) here; it would be random crazies and crazinesses. Anywhere. Anytime. Anymore.

Your folks may be o.k. with their Tesla’s there in your quiet peaceful country.
Here??
We get to practice and experience worst-cases every year.

Bare through until 7:27 and just listen and then think through about EV Emergency vehicles. Sheeez.
Steve Unruh

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My question is, How screwed up must your native land be for you to come here for a programming? Slip of the tongue. I meant education.

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DO anyone here on dow know if there is a at home water test for drinking water, For bacterial,ECT. AT home water test, I have not had my water tested in 20 years I live here.

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Not that i know of. I would guess there is a lab you can take samples to for pretty short money close by though. Mine was tested when the well pump was replaced as part of hiring someone to change it for me in the winter. That was how we found the issue that wasn’t in the water in the mid 90s when it was tested every year for the dairy cows.

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