Back in October I posted a letter from Bob Hatch about the 4th Annual Old Car Tour. Well, I just received this new letter from Bob:
"Dear Bill,
Could you please thank the people that signed up for the Old Car Tour? We now have our limit of 50 cars for the trip in June, and we have started a small waiting list. If people are interested in getting their name on the waiting list, please have them e-mail me at bobs58ford@hotmail.com.
Thanks,
Bob"
Please note - you may still sign up for the waiting list, in case one of the first 50 can't make it - a lot of life can happen between now and next summer, and plans change :o)
Bill
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Another Prediction Comes True...
Almost. Two or three weeks ago I predicted oil prices would again rise because OPEC would meet early, to shore up the falling prices. Well, this just in:
CAIRO, Egypt – Saudi Arabia's king says the price of oil should be $75 a barrel, much higher than it is now, but his oil minister indicated Saturday that no measures will likely be taken until OPEC meets again next month. Saudi Oil Minister Ali Naimi said that the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries will "do what needs to be done" to shore up falling oil prices when the group meets Dec. 17 in Algeria, but for now it was "too early."
So there you have it. I mentioned earlier I will fill my oil tank and my gas tanks before December 15th, and I still plan on doing so. You may want to consider a similar plan. Bear in mind, now that the speculators are aware of this, the price may rise sooner, due to speculation.
Make no mistake about it - the Saudi's are not, and never have been our friends. They care not that the economy is bad, or that many folks may freeze. They only care about their profits. And to them, we are nothing more than infidels. So, expect nothing less from those people.
/
CAIRO, Egypt – Saudi Arabia's king says the price of oil should be $75 a barrel, much higher than it is now, but his oil minister indicated Saturday that no measures will likely be taken until OPEC meets again next month. Saudi Oil Minister Ali Naimi said that the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries will "do what needs to be done" to shore up falling oil prices when the group meets Dec. 17 in Algeria, but for now it was "too early."
So there you have it. I mentioned earlier I will fill my oil tank and my gas tanks before December 15th, and I still plan on doing so. You may want to consider a similar plan. Bear in mind, now that the speculators are aware of this, the price may rise sooner, due to speculation.
Make no mistake about it - the Saudi's are not, and never have been our friends. They care not that the economy is bad, or that many folks may freeze. They only care about their profits. And to them, we are nothing more than infidels. So, expect nothing less from those people.
/
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
If This Were Snow....
This much rain would have been over 3 feet of snow. See? You DO have something to be thankful for :o) Looks like the year is going out the way it came in - soggy. Here's hoping next season is sunny and warm, and only rains at night.
We have more great classics up in the classifieds - a really sweet 1930 Ford Model A Roadster Street rod and a '68 Camaro. Check 'em out.
Well, so far "The Complete Car Show" guide has sold in almost every state so far. It is becoming popular, mostly by word of mouth. Looks like there was a real need for something like that.
Sure do miss y'all!
Happy Thanksgiving - and if you have a winter project vehicle, please share. Or a "super garage" for the gallery. Or any plans for gatherings over the winter.
Til then..........
/
We have more great classics up in the classifieds - a really sweet 1930 Ford Model A Roadster Street rod and a '68 Camaro. Check 'em out.
Well, so far "The Complete Car Show" guide has sold in almost every state so far. It is becoming popular, mostly by word of mouth. Looks like there was a real need for something like that.
Sure do miss y'all!
Happy Thanksgiving - and if you have a winter project vehicle, please share. Or a "super garage" for the gallery. Or any plans for gatherings over the winter.
Til then..........
/
Monday, November 24, 2008
Chicken Tractor
I can hear you already saying, "NOW what the Hell is he talking about? Chicken tractor?"
Absolutely. I'm going to get one of those child-sized John Deere tractors and teach one of my chickens to drive it.
NOT!
For those of you who may not know, a chicken tractor is a small, self-contained chicken enclosure that is portable. You put a few chickens in it, and they peck and dig up the area. They eat the bugs, pull up the weeds, and lightly till the soil. Meanwhile, they also fertilize the soil with chicken manure.
When they finish an area, you simply move the enclosure to a fresh area.
That said, I'm building a newer, bigger one, for a dozen Rhode Island Reds. Here's what I get outta the deal:
Tilling, fertilizing, and bug control in my garden area, 72 square feet at a time, in about 3 days flat. So, I get better crops, as well. I also get on average about 9 eggs per day. We use three, so the other 6 per day means I can pawn off a dozen organic eggs every two days, which pays for the feed and oyster shell.
And when the hen stops laying, she will have another way to serve me - on a platter. There really is not much of a downside to having and using chickens in this way.
This new, big Chicken Tractor will be somethin' to see. Instead of a simple wired cage, it will have a built-in coop where they can retire for the night. The coop section will also be on garden cart wheels, with handles on the caged end for moving it easily. The top of the coop will be my old truck cap, providing light and ventilation, and the wheels and support come from my old Vermont garden cart - you know, the ones with the large bicycle wheels.
I'm also considering raising two pigs next year. If I do, I'll name them Muhammad and Osama. That should make it easier to dispatch them in the fall. (Of course, it could just as easily be Pelosi and Reid.)
Robin says I'm turning into a farmer. I guess she forgot I was a farmer before I was 6. Raised on a farm.
Well, it's dinner time - gotta go!
/
Absolutely. I'm going to get one of those child-sized John Deere tractors and teach one of my chickens to drive it.
NOT!
For those of you who may not know, a chicken tractor is a small, self-contained chicken enclosure that is portable. You put a few chickens in it, and they peck and dig up the area. They eat the bugs, pull up the weeds, and lightly till the soil. Meanwhile, they also fertilize the soil with chicken manure.
When they finish an area, you simply move the enclosure to a fresh area.
That said, I'm building a newer, bigger one, for a dozen Rhode Island Reds. Here's what I get outta the deal:
Tilling, fertilizing, and bug control in my garden area, 72 square feet at a time, in about 3 days flat. So, I get better crops, as well. I also get on average about 9 eggs per day. We use three, so the other 6 per day means I can pawn off a dozen organic eggs every two days, which pays for the feed and oyster shell.
And when the hen stops laying, she will have another way to serve me - on a platter. There really is not much of a downside to having and using chickens in this way.
This new, big Chicken Tractor will be somethin' to see. Instead of a simple wired cage, it will have a built-in coop where they can retire for the night. The coop section will also be on garden cart wheels, with handles on the caged end for moving it easily. The top of the coop will be my old truck cap, providing light and ventilation, and the wheels and support come from my old Vermont garden cart - you know, the ones with the large bicycle wheels.
I'm also considering raising two pigs next year. If I do, I'll name them Muhammad and Osama. That should make it easier to dispatch them in the fall. (Of course, it could just as easily be Pelosi and Reid.)
Robin says I'm turning into a farmer. I guess she forgot I was a farmer before I was 6. Raised on a farm.
Well, it's dinner time - gotta go!
/
Friday, November 21, 2008
Being A Landlord Sucks
Been pretty busy lately, and will be busy for a couple weeks, it looks like. I had a really, really bad tenant in one of our New Hampshire houses. He started violating the terms of the lease the same day he signed the lease 15 months ago. And in spite of all the breaks I gave that family, they just kept putting the screws to me.
Rent for a 3 bedroom home on two private acres in Deerfield runs an average of $1500 a month. I only charged them $1200. Then I reduced their rent another $200 a month in exchange for them caretaking the property. They took the money, but never lifted a finger to take care of the place. They screwed over the gas company, and could no longer get gas from them. They claimed poverty so I paid for new tanks from a different company, and paid $131 for the first 50 gallons. I paid over $220 for K-1 fuel when they were broke. I gave them three weeks free rent when they cried poverty. I even gave them an extra $200 last February when he said they had a choice between heat and food. I really did try to be a good landlord.
What I got: they trashed the place, inside and out. They did almost $1000 in damage to the heating system by putting #2 oil in a K-1 tank. They disconnected the propane tanks when they ran out, and hooked the house up to a 5 gallon propane tank used for BBQ grills. They stopped paying rent altogether in August. As for being in poverty - they bought a new car, a new truck and a motorcycle. So much for poverty - I should be that poor!
Well, they complained I was a lousy landlord when I served the eviction notice. They refused to leave, even though NH law says there is no other choice because the home is classed as "unrestricted property". So, I had to get a writ served by the sheriff. They ignored it. I took them to court - they told the judge what a rotten landlord I was, and what a rotten place the home was. The judge asked, "If they are as bad as all that, why have you refused to leave? Why are you fighting so hard to stay?"
The judge was familiar with the property in question, and new it was a nice place. So, he ordered them to leave or the sheriff would be ordered to arrest them for trespassing.
Well, they left last weekend (two months after the eviction), and I have been going to NH almost daily to do all the fixing up and cleaning. I mean, the place was TRASHED! Doors ripped off the hinges. Floors cruddy. Their dog ripped apart the screens. Gouges in the walls. Windows so dirty you cannot see outside. Ceiling tiles ripped out. Carpets ruined. And they stole the microwave. I'm surprised they didn't rip out the dishwasher, or steal the upright freezer (yeah, my homes are well-endowed).
The previous tenant was worse - did over $10,000 in damage. Took three months to get it ready to be rented again. Thinking about it, I think it would be more cost-effective to leave it vacant. So far, the last two tenants, covering three years, cost me nearly $19,000. I only collected just under $17,000 in rents.
Oh, it's fun being a landlord! Please bear with me if I slack off on this blog a bit until I get that place back in shape. I'll still write - just not as often.
Meanwhile, my family and I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving. May you eat all you desire, and not gain a pound :o)
/
Rent for a 3 bedroom home on two private acres in Deerfield runs an average of $1500 a month. I only charged them $1200. Then I reduced their rent another $200 a month in exchange for them caretaking the property. They took the money, but never lifted a finger to take care of the place. They screwed over the gas company, and could no longer get gas from them. They claimed poverty so I paid for new tanks from a different company, and paid $131 for the first 50 gallons. I paid over $220 for K-1 fuel when they were broke. I gave them three weeks free rent when they cried poverty. I even gave them an extra $200 last February when he said they had a choice between heat and food. I really did try to be a good landlord.
What I got: they trashed the place, inside and out. They did almost $1000 in damage to the heating system by putting #2 oil in a K-1 tank. They disconnected the propane tanks when they ran out, and hooked the house up to a 5 gallon propane tank used for BBQ grills. They stopped paying rent altogether in August. As for being in poverty - they bought a new car, a new truck and a motorcycle. So much for poverty - I should be that poor!
Well, they complained I was a lousy landlord when I served the eviction notice. They refused to leave, even though NH law says there is no other choice because the home is classed as "unrestricted property". So, I had to get a writ served by the sheriff. They ignored it. I took them to court - they told the judge what a rotten landlord I was, and what a rotten place the home was. The judge asked, "If they are as bad as all that, why have you refused to leave? Why are you fighting so hard to stay?"
The judge was familiar with the property in question, and new it was a nice place. So, he ordered them to leave or the sheriff would be ordered to arrest them for trespassing.
Well, they left last weekend (two months after the eviction), and I have been going to NH almost daily to do all the fixing up and cleaning. I mean, the place was TRASHED! Doors ripped off the hinges. Floors cruddy. Their dog ripped apart the screens. Gouges in the walls. Windows so dirty you cannot see outside. Ceiling tiles ripped out. Carpets ruined. And they stole the microwave. I'm surprised they didn't rip out the dishwasher, or steal the upright freezer (yeah, my homes are well-endowed).
The previous tenant was worse - did over $10,000 in damage. Took three months to get it ready to be rented again. Thinking about it, I think it would be more cost-effective to leave it vacant. So far, the last two tenants, covering three years, cost me nearly $19,000. I only collected just under $17,000 in rents.
Oh, it's fun being a landlord! Please bear with me if I slack off on this blog a bit until I get that place back in shape. I'll still write - just not as often.
Meanwhile, my family and I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving. May you eat all you desire, and not gain a pound :o)
/
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Weather Forecast
Taxpayer money at work: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration put out its winter forcast today. For the Northeast, it predicts we "will either be warmer or cooler than normal." It then goes on to say that it will either be "wetter, dryer or normal precipitation."
Now that's what I call a forecast. Can't possibly be wrong.
And to think, these are the folks at the Fed who keep telling us with certainty that there is global warming, and that it will get worse.
But they did state that, so far, this season is one of the coldest, and that there has been NO "global warming" since 1995. None. Nada. Zilch (if you recall, I have been saying that right along). And the U.N. council on climate agrees, begrudgingly. I'll bet that is why Gore and the other "chicken littles" have stopped using the phrase "global warming", and started using "climate change". And that is their new way of trying to fool us again. Because as any Mainer can tell ya, the climate will ALWAYS change.
Since there really is no global warming, and, in fact, there may actually be a global cooling, it makes one wonder why governments and environmentalist keep screaming for us to act quickly to avert global warming. Could it possibly be about $$$$? The government tends to throw an incredible amount of taxpayer money to those who convince us there is a "crisis" that needs to be fixed.
I think I have just found a place where we can cut some tax expenditures...
/
Now that's what I call a forecast. Can't possibly be wrong.
And to think, these are the folks at the Fed who keep telling us with certainty that there is global warming, and that it will get worse.
But they did state that, so far, this season is one of the coldest, and that there has been NO "global warming" since 1995. None. Nada. Zilch (if you recall, I have been saying that right along). And the U.N. council on climate agrees, begrudgingly. I'll bet that is why Gore and the other "chicken littles" have stopped using the phrase "global warming", and started using "climate change". And that is their new way of trying to fool us again. Because as any Mainer can tell ya, the climate will ALWAYS change.
Since there really is no global warming, and, in fact, there may actually be a global cooling, it makes one wonder why governments and environmentalist keep screaming for us to act quickly to avert global warming. Could it possibly be about $$$$? The government tends to throw an incredible amount of taxpayer money to those who convince us there is a "crisis" that needs to be fixed.
I think I have just found a place where we can cut some tax expenditures...
/
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