Cold, wet weather has dominated much of this winter, slowing down progress here at Three Geese Farm on a number of projects. Still, we managed to make some headway. As always, there is no dearth of items to tackle, even as the trees lay bare and the grass brown.
Through a long-term loan, we acquired a 20-year-old side-by-side that I am attempting to resurrect. Since this Kawasaki Mule has been sitting outside for more than a year, I decided it would be prudent to change out all the fluids and filters. Here is what I did, unaided:
· Changed the oil and filter. Since the entire undercarriage of the Mule is caked in mud, finding the actual plug took a while. The Mule was up on jackstands, with two thick pieces of black walnut beneath the rear wheels for safety. (Old Man Crushed by Mule would not be a pleasant headline.)
Doing mechanical work is not my favorite activity. At least the invention of thin, black disposable gloves makes it more tolerable. I am an admitted wimp and do not like to get my hands dirty or dinged. My rationale is that I largely make my living with these fingers banging away on a keyboard and prefer to keep them all intact and operable.
· Replaced the fuel filter, air filter, fuel pump, and spark plug. I consider these monumental accomplishments, since my ignorance of such matters knows no bounds. I bought a kit online that had all these gadgets, so it was a matter of figuring out where they existed on the Mule. Again, lots of time spent on YouTube.
· Drained the gas tank, figuring water almost certainly had infiltrated the tank in the months the Mule sat outside. I borrowed a hose syphon from my brother-in-law. This consists of several feet of clear, plastic hose, with a couple of ball bearings inside a brass fitting on one end of the hose. The ball bearings create a one-way valve so fluid can flow out the tube but not flow back into the tank. All you do is shake the ball bearings until the gasoline fills the tube and emptys into a five-gallon bucket.
Finally, I charged the battery once the old gasoline was safely disposed of, and the tank refilled with fresh ethanol-free gas. I cranked the Mule, which willingly turned over but stubbornly refused to start. (It is called a Mule for a reason.) I then contacted my trusty mobile mechanic. I am confident he will get the Mule up and running in short order. At least I have eliminated all the obvious obstacles to it running.
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A few days later, it was time to tackle another project. We were about to have a large greenhouse delivered. Several tree limbs needed to be pruned so they wouldn’t scrape the greenhouse’s roof as the delivery fellow pulled it up to its designated location. I had already built a pad out of crushed limestone and bought a couple dozen concrete pads so he could level the greenhouse.
Trimming the limbs, most about a dozen feet high, required the assistance of my wife. She pulled out the tractor, while I grabbed the limb loppers and climbed in the tractor bucket. (Kids, don’t try this at home.) While I held on, she slowly raised the bucket so I could reach the limbs, all the while trying not to lose my balance and fall out of the bucket.
My wife whipped out her phone and both photographed and videoed my efforts. I’m not sure why, maybe for proof to collect on the life insurance policy?
I survived unscathed, and the greenhouse is in place. Work remains before both it and the new chicken coop are operational. The road goes on forever, and the party never ends out here at Three Geese Farm.