The first big thing after the last update was L's birthday. Once again, it was nice to get some of the family together. Unfortunately, not everyone could make it, but we all still had a good time.
The weekend of the birthday party, I also got a better chance to try out the plow with my Wheel Horse. The boys are not the only ones in the family that enjoy playing in the dirt with their tractors.
Later, we finally got a wet weekend and a chance to aerate the lawn. I got the aerator put together and pulled it around with the 70. The aerator did a nice job, but as with the last time, it's kind of a pain to deal with the little dirt cores all over the yard, especially when they get wet.
The first week of October brings with it the annual fall cleanup week. I started off by using a wagon I found last year as part of a fall decoration on our front porch. Once again, I made the rounds "picking" the treasures set out at the curb. The big finds this year were a few Power Wheels Jeeps and and a couple wagons. The Jeeps were combined into 3 "good" ones, which will eventually get sold. L was a good helper getting them cleaned up and both boys helped test them out.
A new activity in our house this fall is Cub Scouts. The Scoutmaster came to N's class and gave them the hard-sell on scouting, and N thought it sounded good. So far, it has been fun, and a good way for he and I to spend some time together. Since he is just a Tiger Cub, I get to do everything with him. So far we have had a couple meetings, walked in the Homecoming parade, and participated in an all-day scout event. He is also really excited about getting to wear a uniform.
A project I had helped with this year a little here and there was the heritage display in the Cat visitor center. I had helped do research for the machine restorations, provided some input to the archivist for display content, and came up with the idea for some images in the main stairwell. Last week the visitor center finally opened. C and I got invited to a preview night so we got to see it before the general public. It was really neat to see the finished product. I can't wait to take the boys to see it.
My rate of new "toy" acquisitions has slowed some from the rapid pace in September, but I have perhaps traded quantity for quality. To make a long story short, after a couple years of considering it on and off, I got a utility trailer. Originally, I was focused on getting a trailer to haul my Cat, but ultimately decided so long as I could just borrow one, that was the way to go. However, with my expanding interest in garden tractors, and semi-regular trips to Menards where a trailer would be handy, I had been thinking more and more about a small utility trailer. Although a sales flyer from Tractor Supply is what triggered my renewed interest in getting one, I had all but decided to hold off until Spring. That was, until a trailer showed up on the classifieds at work. Although the trailer in the classifieds was a little more than the Tractor Supply one, I decided it's quality, and rust-free aluminum construction was well worth the small premium.
Prior to actually getting a trailer, I had gone through the exercise of figuring out how to store it. My most obvious solution was my go-to storage space; under the deck. I concluded a trailer would fit in the remaining open space, but I couldn't get it in there without moving one of the deck support posts to provide a wider opening. After several design iterations, I finally devised a plan to minimize the necessary deck modifications. Although the modifications were "minimized", it still has taken a couple afternoons to get things situated. Eventually, I would like to improve the design to provide easier access and more protection, but for now it works and gets the trailer secure, out of sight and out of the weather.
With that project wrapped up for now, I am trying to shift gears into my seasonal Ebay selling mode. I'm having more trouble this year getting motivated to work on toy projects, but I'm sure once I get going, the thrill of the auction, and the prospect of making some cash, will provide the boost I need.
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