jgradyc

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to share your suggestions. I went to Opry Mills Mall today and discovered there is a Merrill store in the mall. I tried on several boots and finally chose the Merrill Thermo Snowdrift 2 Mid Waterproof boot. It was $89. It came in Wide and I was able to add a wool insert that I were in my other boots. It was buy one, get two more at half off so I picked up a pair of trail running shoes for that felt great for $35. I plan to try them out tomorrow with a pair of SmartWool heavy boot socks.

I'm 76 with poor circulation in my left foot. I have a pair of Bates military boots with canvas on the sides and they don't work in the snow! Not only do I need winter boots, but I need to know how to size them. I'm wearing a middle weight wool boot sock now. Should I wear two pairs of socks to fit my next pair of boots or just a heavy wool boot sock? Should I add a wool insert? Where should I go to buy them? Academy Sports, Dicks, Bass Pro Shops, etc? Any other tips for keeping my feet warm would be appreciated!

UPDATE: A neighbor heard about my problem when I posted on Next Door. He came over and found the problem in about 20 minutes. It was a blown 5a fuse in the fuse box. The fuse had been jury-rigged to power a radio that I never used. I removed the radio and all the wiring to it. I mowed for an hour and the problem never happened again. I guess a wire from the radio was intermittently shorting out and eventually blew that fuse. I think the fuse was to the OPC, whatever that is... maybe some sort of power controller? Anyway, my wife is happy that the field is mowed. I'm happy that I don't have to pay to get the tractor hauled to Colemans for repair. I left some tall grass for the deer to bed down at night. It was easy to tell where they had been sleeping. Thanks to everyone for your suggestions! This is a great place to get advice.

UPDATE: This sounded like it might be the problem since I'm a short, lightweight guy and the problem typically occurs when I'm leaning forward on the seat. However, now I have a new problem. I started the tractor. It was running fine. I tested the seat safety by lifting the seat and it shut off. However, when I put the seat back down, it would not start... not even a click from the solenoid when I turn the key from on to the start position. Since the new problem started when I raised the seat and put it down, I guessed that the problem was related to the seat. I replaced both seat safeties and the solenoid won't even click when I switch from the ON to the START position. I checked the new safeties for continuity and they are both working properly. I next checked the 30A fuse going to the solenoid. It's good. What could be the cause? Anyone know a tractor mechanic that will come to my house to fix this? I live on Old Hickory Blvd in Nashville on the west side of Nashville near Scottsboro and Beaman Park.

I don't know if my tractor has a safety switch under the seat. I'll check for it. Thanks.

A big thanks to everyone. I'll look at those issues over the weekend. It has a brand new battery. The problem started on my first mowing this spring and it has continued through two tank fill-ups. I changed the fuel filter, but it didn't solve the problem. I'll go through these options this weekend and give a report when I find the problem. Again, thanks!

I have a 15-year-old Kubota B3030 tractor. This spring the engine started stalling. After the engine is warm, it will stall for only one second and then return to running normally. It feels like the fuel has suddenly cut off. This happens about once every 5-10 minutes after I have been mowing for a half hour or so. I have changed the fuel filter. Changing the fuel filter helped, but only a little. I get my diesel from the local gas station for the past twenty years in the same diesel five-gallon can. I put in a new air filter last fall so I don't think that's it. I'll check the air filter again today. I think it might happen more often if the tractor is going uphill or going sideways on a hill with the left side (drivers side if it were a car) higher than the right side. It never seems to last more than one second when it happens. Anyway, what is the most likely cause? How can I fix it myself?

I had 20x50 binoculars, but all I could see was a vague shape underwater.

Turtle or snake was my first thought. But it didn't swim like a snake and it moved pretty fast and was steadily swimming nonstop for over 100 yards until it was out of sight. I don't think turtles do that.

I was visiting a friend at Tim's Ford just after sunset when we saw an animal swim by in the lake. It was moving at a steady pace about as fast as man could swim giving off a steady ripple in the water. It was a steady pace about walking pace. It dove underwater 2-3 times in the minute it was in sight and would come up maybe 15 feet farther down the lakeside. I couldn't tell what it was because it was almost all underwater. It was maybe 30 yards offshore. The silhouette made it appear to be bigger than a mouse or a water snake... maybe about the size of a football or bigger? All I could see was what appeared to be a nose. About 20 minutes later, another creature went by in the same direction that had the same pattern. What do you think this was? My friend spends every evening by the same lakeshore and this is the first time she has seen it.

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Here are the pieces except for the cell phone that goes in the middle pocket. Here it is worn inside out so the belt pushes the pouch into my pelvis. I wore a bright shirt so it would stand out.

Recently, a young woman runner in Memphis was kidnapped and murdered. There was a discussion about concealed carry on a running forum I'm on and someone posted a link to concealed carry holsters. I checked them out. Frankly, none of the holsters were practical for runners. Belly bands have to be tight to prevent bouncing and thus interfere with breathing. Plus, they're hot, uncomfortable, and let sweat get on the handgun. So... I decided to "invent" a better running holster. I started with a running phone belt with two small water bottles on either side. My rationale was that this belt was comfortable to run with water bottles so it should handle the weight of a micro 380 without bouncing. I put a soft pouch carry case (4.5x5.25") in one of the water bottle slots. This worked. The belt was secure, but the pouch flopped. Then, I put the belt on inside out so the belt would press the case into my hip instead of letting it flop around. That worked. Once I found the right spot for carry (2 o'clock for me personally) it was so comfortable that I was able to forget that it was there on a 50 minute run. The case is neoprene so it keeps most of the sweat out. The belt + 1 8 oz water bottle + phone + Keltec P3AT weighs 33 ounces. Without the phone and water bottle, weight is only 17 ounces. If anyone is interested, I'll upload some photos. It looks innocuous, like a belt with a pouch for energy gels or car keys.

Send me the photos. I'll downsize them and email them back to you. I'm sending my email address by PM.

Ha! Well, I looked up armadillo sounds and discovered that they can make a pig-like grunt or a wheezy grunt when foraging for food. I'm guessing it was an armadillo.

I thought about getting a video, but I couldn't see anything so I didn't try. Later, I realized that I could have recorded the sounds, but I had walked to my car by then and it was too hot to walk back.

I was running around 11am in Bells Bend Park northwest of Nashville and I heard a chuffing sound in a thick grove of underbrush. I stopped running and listened. I heard it again as it moved around in the brush. The CHUFFF sounded a bit like a deer huffing and a bit like a dog clearing its nose after burrowing in the dirt for a mouse. I've heard deer make a similar sound, but this wasn't a deer... I'm just saying it was a similar sound to a deer huffing. I listened as it moved through the grove, chuffing every 10-15 seconds or so and moving maybe 100 feet away. Then, it circled back and moved closer to me. I still couldn't see it. Then, it moved closer like it was heading straight towards me. Whatever it was, it got within about 30 feet of me. I still couldn't see it. Then, the chuffing stopped. I suddenly thought it might be a wild pig and I looked around for sticks or rocks and saw nothing to defend myself with so I thought it was time to back away. Judging by the direction of the sound, it was low to the ground... not as tall as a deer. The sound would have been about the height of a small dog. It was creepy to hear something that close and not be able to see it. It sounded like maybe it was rooting in the dirt and then chuffing to get the dirt out of its nose. I wondered that because I saw a lot of holes in the running path where some animal had rooted after grubs or something. I stopped at the Nature Center. She said she had seen some armadillos around recently and wondered if they made that sound. Otherwise, she had no idea either. What do you think it was?

Yes water flow is the problem, but it's an underground channel coming from two locations. Redirecting the water flow would require a LOT more work than I'm willing to do and I'd have to hire someone to do it. It would be a pretty significant cost... several thousand dollars. I just want to patch it. Then, patch it again in a few years.

Our driveway is beginning to wash away in some spots. It's very old... probably 40 years old. It's thin... maybe only 1 1/4 inches thick with no gravel under it... just dirt. It looks like medium gray asphalt with pea gravel in it. I've tried patching it with blacktop sealant, but it just washes away in less than a year. The bare spots are about 1x2 feet. A few are smaller. All I really want to do is fill in the holes and stop the continued erosion. It's a long country driveway. I don't want to replace it and I don't care a lot about what it looks like. How should I repair this?

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Not vaccinated. Age 74. I got Omicron on Jan 1 and it lasted for 4 days. Other than a severe sore throat, it wasn't bad at all. Fatigue lasted another two weeks. I was already taking 7,000 IU of vitamin D3 daily and I followed the FLCCC protocol on their website... D3, Quercetin, C, melatonin, nigella sativa, 1% Povidone iodine nasal rinse and NyQuil for the sore throat. My wife did not catch it from me and I could NOT keep her out of my room. She also was taking vitamin D3 and she used the nasal rinse when I was sick.

After looking at these photos, I think I'll buy some 3M vinyl wrap in carbon fiber black and make another holster. I think that would look better than gaffer's tape.

Assuming the gun fits properly in the holster you're done, you can now add the photographer's tape... also known as gaffer's tape. It's used to tape photographic lights to tripods or furniture WITHOUT leaving residue. This holster will look AWFUL if you use duct tape because the glue residue begins to show at all the seams and it will pick up lint. You can buy gaffer's tape on Amazon for about $18. In the photo below, I made two mistakes. I tore the tape instead of cutting it, which left a more noticeable line. That piece on the barrel end of the holster should have been underneath so I would have been invisible instead of on top. EDITED TO ADD: I think I'll use 3M carbon fiber vinyl wrap next time. It should look more professional. Here is the end result. Notice how I trimmed the plastic so it does NOT cover the mag release button. I've done it with the mag release covered and pressure against the holster can cause the mag button to release. Only 0.7 ounces! Very hard to see. Note that these are tight fitting pants and I'm a small guy. It would be invisible in baggy pants.

Next, roll two or three little cylinders of plastic to add a "hook" under the barrel. These hooks will keep the holster at the proper cant and prevent the holster from coming out when you draw. Put some tape on it to hold it together. Tape it to the lower part of the holster. Add a second cylinder under the first one. IMPORTANT: Big guys or big pockets might require a 3rd "hook" to hold the gun in the pocket. Put the gun in the holster and try it in your pocket. Adjust the hooks until the holster will absolutely not come out while drawing. Front the top, it will look like this. Note that the "hook" curves in and the hooks are smaller than the holster. This prevents the edge of the holster from printing. You'll see what a great job it does at the end.