up and going

2/12/09 Thursday
I’m up and going. Cherie just left for work and I’ve had my three eggs and toast to start the day. Now I’m headed out to fire up the tiller and hope that it magically fixed itself overnight. For the last few days I’ve been babying it and coaxing a few more feet of tilling before it quits running. It seems to be related to how hot the engine gets for if I leave it to cool off it runs well for fifteen or so minutes and then starts having fits of coughing and sputtering. Sometimes that clears up as I proceed, only to come back a few minutes later. I’m over halfway done now. I started this tilling twelve days ago and am still going. Once I get a tractor this can be done in a matter of hours, it can be done in one day. How I look forward to that and what a reduction of physical strain and pain it will bring, on top of increasing my productivity by many folds. Till then it’s the same as always, I do the best I can with what I’ve got. I’m going to talk to Tommie and Jamie about the possibility of them getting involved and helping out for a share of the production. Tommie talked about fixing Chuck’s tractor and that would help for he said that he will let me use it.

That’s it for now. Odds are that when my day is done I’ll be pooped and won’t even open this laptop to check email so you may not see an update. Or you might, who knows, I sure don’t.
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It’s 12:15. I just came in to give my back a rest and grab something to eat. Had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with the last two pieces of bread. I keep intending to tell Cherie that we are about out but forget. Maybe she’ll read this from work. The tiller is still giving me fits but I’ve figured out some better ways to coax it along. If I raise the tiller up where the engine tips forward and rap the accelerator a few times it seems to clear up for a bit. I suspect the problem is in the fuel system. Perhaps a float bowl is sticking or perhaps the fuel filter is plugged up, or perhaps it’s both. I’d bet a hundred dollars that sand is the culprit. But at least I’m making progress. Took a pain pill so am heading back out. A half hour rest helps.