May 24 - June 7, 2026 - Alexa To Florida - Homer is Home - FInal Work on Kiosk - Coons Visit - Oven - Generator - Glenn Miller Orchestra

My Blog Reflection

A mind is like a parachute. It doesn't work if it is not open.

Frank Zappa

May 27, 2026:

While it seems difficult for Kelly and I to get down to Florida, Alexa flew down yesterday for five days. Of course I wrote out instructions on how to open up the house, disconnect the car from the trickle charger, etc. With only two video calls Alexa had everything under control. Joining Alexa tomorrow are Jenn and Eve. It is the rainy season in Florida so some activities they planned may be limited or cancelled.  Even with rainy weather they should have a good time. 

We brought Homer home. This year we found evidence of a mouse and for the first time in ten years I can not get the generator to start. I hate ethanol! I'll get some stuff to try and get down the carburetor to clean it out.

I did get the water system de-winterized and the converter is charging the batteries as it should.

May 29, 2026:

I received a call that the plexiglass I ordered for the front of the bike trail kiosk was ready. With Alexa out of town I asked my friend, Gary Moll, to help me install it. We picked up the plexiglass and immediately found that it was a quarter inch too wide. I believe I gave them the right measurements but that is neither here nor there now. We brought the plexiglass to the house and cut a quarter inch off. We then headed back to drill holes for mounting the plexiglass to the frame with stainless steel screws. 

Just as we were starting to work the rain came. Luckily we were able to move under a nearby pavilion to drill the holes. After all the holes were drilled, and the inside paper pulled off the plexiglass, we installed it. It is under roof so mounting it in the rain did not bother us other than getting muddy feet. To protect the surface while we were working we only removed enough of the protective covering to insert the screws. Here is a picture of it mounted with the protective covering still on the outside. A pretty blue color I must say.

 

After all of our tools were loaded and we were ready to leave the rain let up. Naturally. Here is a picture of the front. The plexiglass gives off a little glare from a distance but it worked out great.

I was told I had to have this project finished by May 30th and I made it despite several setbacks. I'm glad it is finished.

May 30, 2026:

I walked off the deck this morning to look at something and found that clearly a couple of racoons found our back steps to be a nice place to leave us a number of nasty packages. I couldn't believe how much there was at the bottom of the steps and also going down several steps.

What would possess them to leave deposits here when there is a huge lawn and hundreds of acres of conservation property behind us? Disgusting. I hope this is a one time event. Keep your fingers crossed.

June 2, 2026:

When we brought Homer home I could not get the generator to start for the first time in ten years. I'm sure it is the ethanol sitting in it over a lengthy storage period even though I try to run it dry before I store it. I bought some starter fluid. With an extension tube on the end of it, I can squirt down into the carburetor to clean up any varnish, etc. Unfortunately I cannot open the top of the carburetor to spray it in directly. I sprayed what I could I could in and let it set.

In the early evening it was quite pleasant to sit on the deck and enjoy the weather. I took this picture of a few clouds that came by and hid the sun for a few minutes.

June 5, 2026:

Last night we realized that the oven burner was not igniting. It had been acting up lately but now was completely dead. I walk in the morning with Gary, who is a retired HVAC and appliance repair guy. I told him about the problem and he said he would be over later in the morning to look at it. 

Upon taking everything apart and removing the igniter he found that the igniter was bad. We got online and ordered a new one. It should be here in a few days.

When walking I had also told him about not being able to get the generator started in Homer. While he was here he wanted to look at the generator. I was happy to have another set of eyes to help determine why it would not start. We took off the fuel filter and tried to pour some carburetor cleaner directly into the carburetor. There is only a small hole so most of the cleaner just ran back out.  The engine still wouldn't start. 

While I was pushing the start button Gary noticed that the vacuum chamber was not pulling the choke in. When he pushed it in manually the engine continued to run. The vacuum chamber rod was hard to push in so we squirted some carb cleaner in and around it. It then moved freely and the generator thereafter ran like a top. We adjusted the idle a little to get the right voltage. YIPPEE!!!!!

The generator ran fine under a load for about twenty minutes. I turned the load off and let the generator run for over an hour while I ran a couple of errands around town. I cannot tell you how happy I am to have this problem resolved.

June 6, 2026:

In the morning I went out to the lake lot and cut the grass. It was so tall it had gone to seed. I had to cut it twice to get it looking decent. I wanted to spray weeds but Alexa has my sprayer. I will have to go back for that.

June 7, 2026:

This afternoon we went to The Sheldon Concert Hall in St. Louis to see a performance by the Glenn Miller Orchestra. If you are not familiar, the Glenn Miller Orchestra was a major band in the late 1930s and early 1940s when people listened and danced the night away. The band has been continued and plays concerts all around the country. The Sheldon is a small venue and, although the stage isn't very large, they had room for fourteen musicians and a singer. It was a great concert. The man in the gray suit was the music director and host. Here are a couple of pictures.

After the concert Aaron treated us to supper at Tony G's on The Hill. We hadn't been there before. It was 10:00 p.m. by the time we got home. A nice way to spend a Sunday.

 

 

 

May 8 - 23, 2026 Kiosk Project - Mayfest - Making of Kiosk Doors - Mother's Day - Change in Kiosk

My Blog Reflection

Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world.

Albert Einstein

May 8, 2026:

Recently a Mountain Bike Trail was built at Legion Lake here in Perryville. The build project included a kiosk on which maps, information, etc., could be posted. The posting surface on the kiosk is just a sheet of plywood under a roof. Here is a picture of the front and back. Anything posted on it would blow away in an instant.

The powers to be thought locking glass doors were needed on both sides to protect anything posted. They contacted the Perryville Rotary Club. We were able to obtain a grant from our Rotary district to pay for locking glass doors for the front and back of the kiosk. I was "volunteered" to make these doors. LOL. I have until May 30th to get them built and installed.

The other day Alexa and I picked up the wood needed from the lumber yard. Since the kiosk is out in the weather we purchased treated 1 x 6s. These will be  sawn down the middle to make door frames 2 3/4 inches wide. 

We cut the boards to length and then split them on the table saw. Here is Alexa gathering some more table saw skills and learning to keep her fingers far away from the blade.

After splitting all of the pieces we mitered the corners. For four doors there are eight side pieces and four top and four bottom pieces. Here is a picture of the stack of pieces cut to make the four doors.

Each piece now needs to have a 1/2 inch deep groove cut in it to hold the plexiglass in place. The plexiglass is 1/4 inch thick so I want the groove to be 5/16 inch wide so there is no binding when installed in each frame.

Daughter Erin sent Kelly five pre-packaged meals for Mother's Day. They arrived early so Kelly fixed one for supper tonight. It was "Salmon Cakes with Roasted Potato Wedges".  The meal even came with Tartar Sauce and a fresh lemon. The meal was excellent and enjoyed with a nice glass of white wine.

 

May 9, 2026:

Alexa, Aaron, Kelly, and I met up with Mary Bock and her daughter, Jennifer, to listen to music on the Courthouse lawn at the Mayfest. Having found a shade tree to sit under we stayed for about three hours. It was a beautiful afternoon to sit outside. It is the first time I have attended the Mayfest in at least fifteen years. Here is a picture of us under the shade tree and a picture of the crowd at picnic tables under tents nearby.

Tomorrow is Mother's Day. Mary gave Kelly ten cans of "Steak n Shake Chili", her absolute favorite. Kelly was thrilled. We got home about 7:00 p.m. and each had a can for supper.

May 10, 2026:

This morning I cut the 1/4 grooves in all of the kiosk door pieces. Tomorrow morning Alexa will come over and we will work on cutting biscuits into each mitered corner to make the frames. A biscuit cutter cuts a slot in each piece of wood to be joined. The biscuits are wooden pieces you purchase. They are inserted with glue halfway into each piece of wood to secure the pieces together. Here is what a biscuit looks like. 

Due to the large size of these doors, I am using the largest biscuits, which are "No. 20". Here is a picture of my biscuit cutter. You can see the slot near the bottom where the blade comes out to cut the wood in a semicircle for the biscuit to be inserted.

Here is the mitered end of one piece of the frame. The arrow points to the area where the biscuit cutter will make it's cut. On the left of the board you can see the groove cut to hold the plexiglass.

The groove on each piece MUST match the groove on the adjoining piece so that the plexiglass will slide correctly into the frame. The wood we are using is treated pine and today I noticed that not all pieces of the wood are exactly the same thickness. This will present a challenge in lining up the grooves before making cuts for the biscuits. Once all of the biscuits are glued in place and the glue dried, each corner will be air-nailed for additional strength. We will have to make three sides, insert the plexiglass, then glue and nail the top piece. Alexa's pair of hands will help greatly with this.

It is Mother's Day so Kelly put me to work making one of the pre-packaged dishes Erin sent her for Mother's Day. Kelly picked out "Cream Spinach Cavatappi". They send along great instructions so I got to work chopping the spinach, etc. It took about twenty minutes to prepare. I was a little nervous because I didn't want to screw up the meal but it turned out delicious.

May 11, 2026:

Alexa and I started cutting biscuits and assembling pieces. We quickly found two long side boards that are bowed out badly. I clamped them to a straight edge and soaked them with water to see if they will straighten out in a day or two. If not I will have to purchase another board and make two new side pieces. I'm probably lucky that only two long pieces bowed out. The bowing of these boards is a result of the lumber being stored outside, constantly getting wet, and the liquid product they soak the boards in to make them "treated" to last longer out in the elements.

We also found one bottom board that was bowed up in the middle. I clamped it to the saw table as well and soaked it with water.

We cut all of the biscuits on the boards and then began to assemble one door. I needed long clamps for this project. Here it is the first door on the table. Once the glue dries on the bottom, before final assembly I want to take it out to the kiosk and make sure I haven't miscalculated any measurements. I only have one surface in the shop large enough to glue these doors. We will glue the rest on the garage floor.

Alexa had to work on Mother's Day so she and Aaron celebrated Mother's Day with us today. For supper they warmed up one of the meals Erin had sent. This meal was "Sweet & Savory Brisket with Cheesy Mashed Potatoes and Broccoli". Kelly added spring rolls, which came separately, and some of the asparagus Bob and Ronnie dropped off the other day. Like the previous meals this one was well made and enjoyed.

 

Bob and Ronnie have kept us supplied in fresh asparagus all season. This was their last batch as they left for their cruise to Alaska.

May 12, 2026:

We took the first door frame out to the kiosk to make sure there were no miscalculations. The two side pieces of wood that bowed badly did not straighten out so we purchased another board and cut two new side pieces. We then glued the side and bottom pieces on all four doors. After that I headed to Liberty Glass and ordered the four pieces of plexiglass cut to size. 

May 15-17, 2026:

Kelly and I have been dealing with the worst stomach flu either of us ever had. we are hoping to be able to eat come rice today and keep it down.

May 19, 2026:

I am still dealing with the stomach flu but felt well enough to pick up the four pieces of plexiglass and, with Alexa's help, install them in the frames. The doors with 1/4 inch plexiglass are heavy so I ordered more hinges. There will be five hinges on each door to support the weight. Here is a picture of the four doors with the tops being glued and clamped. Tomorrow we will air-nail all corners. The doors will be ready to be hung on the kiosk when the rest of the hinges arrive.

May 22, 2026:

A milestone today. The truck turned 222,222 miles as I pulled into the garage. We love our Toyota truck.

Work continues on the kiosk glass doors. Today I sanded and air-nailed all of the corners.

Later in the day I went out to the kiosk and found that a map had been posted on the front side which takes up the entire front of the kiosk. It was mounted by someone using wooden strips. These mounting strips totally screwed up how I was going to mount the two doors on the front. I had no idea the map was going to be this size. No one had talked to me about it. I made four doors, two for the front, and two for the back, as instructed. Here is a picture of the mounted map.

After talking to Alex, Rotary President, we decided to eliminate the front two doors I made and order one piece of plexiglass to be mounted to the wooden frame to protect the map from the weather and vandalism. I ordered the piece of plexiglass. Once it is received holes will be drilled so that it can be screwed in place, more or less permanently. 

I must admit I was quite miffed that no one talked to me about the size of this map, etc. It would have saved me a lot of work to only make two doors rather than four, plus it would have saved some expense.

May 23, 2026:

Memorial Day Weekend and what are Mike, Kelly, and Alexa doing? Working on the kiosk!

Kelly, Alexa, and I went out to mount the two doors on the back side of the kiosk. Once they were mounted and the lock installed it was clear that some cabinet latches were needed to hold the doors in place against the frame. We purchased two catches for each door, top and bottom, and installed them. Here is a picture of the doors installed. Lots of information can be posted here about park rules and activities.

With the exception of mounting the front plexiglass when it is cut, the project is complete. The cost was covered by a Rotary grant. I do not intend to let myself be "volunteered" for anything like this in the future.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!

 

 

April 17 - May 5, 2026 - French Toast - Lunch-Kill Switch- Rib Roast Dinner - Porch Railing Repair - Cat Gate - Garage Carpet - Crawfish Dinner

My Blog Reflection

What strikes me is that there's a very fine line between success and failure. Just one ingredient can make the difference.

Andrew Lloyd Webber

April 17, 2026:

Early this morning I dropped the truck off at the shop for a scheduled appointment. When we got back from Florida the brake fluid reservoir was down to within a half inch of the bottom. There was no fluid anywhere around the master cylinder, or any wheel cylinders, or on the garage floor. This had happened before and they couldn't find any leak. Late morning the shop called and they found that the master cylinder was leaking into the brake booster. $800.00 for the part to repair it. What could I do but "ok" the repair? I need brakes!   

I decided to make French Toast for breakfast. I cannot eat French Toast without thinking about my former employer and friend, Ray Kreitz, and his wife, Sarah. Ray owned Western Display Service in St. Louis and when I was in college and law school he employed me part-time to help decorate grocery stores, car dealerships, and taverns, for the Christmas holidays, and for other jobs he had around his house.  

We started the Christmas decorating the weekend before Thanksgiving and worked both days of every weekend until we finished. Back then the grocery stores were all closed on Sunday, which allowed us to work much faster without customers to work around. The owner would show up, lock us in, and we would call him when we were finished so we could go to the next job. 

We started at 5:00 a.m. and put in a full day to get as much done each day as possible. Ray would have me come to his house about 4:00 a.m. so Sarah could make us a nice breakfast. She always made French Toast and it always had Apple Butter on it. Ray loved Apple Butter and he often bought me a jar at one of the grocery stores where we worked. They were great people and working for him is a great memory. 

I stayed in touch with Ray over the years until he got dementia. After he died Sarah moved to Oregon to be near her daughter. She and I communicated by letter for several years until she didn't respond anymore.

One day in May of 2021 my daughter, Erin, was contacted on Facebook by a lady asking if she was related to me. The lady was Sarah's daughter-in-law and she was trying to get in touch with me. Sarah was 93 years old and on her deathbed. She told her daughter-in-law that she would love to talk to me before she passed. I can't remember the daughter-in-law's name but Erin gave me her number and I called her. The first call I made Sarah was sleeping and the daughter-in-law said she would call back. A few hours later I received a call and talked to Sarah, who was obviously very weak. We had a short but heart-warming conversation. As I hung up the phone I couldn't help but feel extremely touched that this lady, after decades, had expressed talking to me as one of her last wishes. Her daughter-in-law messaged me later that day that Sarah died  that very day. I am so thankful for that conversation and the daughter-in-law's effort to contact me.

April 18, 2026:

Bob and Ronnie invited us over for a late lunch. Bob made up a dish of country ham, fresh asparagus, bowtie pasta, and onions, all sauteed together. It was quite good and there were no leftovers.

For dessert they served a homemade Apple-Mincemeat Pie, which was topped with a generous amount of vanilla ice cream. Yum!

After eating we had a nice visit before heading home for the evening.

April 19, 2026:

When we returned from Florida the grass needed to be cut desperately. I found the lawnmower battery to be totally dead. I had this problem before and under warranty they replaced the ignition switch, which they said was drawing power even when turned off. I'm not sure if the dead battery this time was from sitting all winter with the draw of the LCD hour meter on it, or if the ignition problem still exists. 

It is a pain to disconnect the battery, which is up under the seat, so I purchased a battery disconnect switch from Amazon. When it arrived it was MUCH more heavy duty than I envisioned from the picture. The switch and mounting bracket are both heavy duty steel. It is a switch used to cut off battery banks in a huge yacht or motorhome. Nonetheless, it will work. 

This mower is a commercial mower and the frame is made of 3/16 or heavier steel, all of which is powder coated to deter rust. Because of this I didn't want to drill a new mounting hole where rust might form if I didn't have to. I looked around and found a slot in the metal frame near the rear wheel. I was able to bolt the switch bracket on there. Here are two pictures of the install. The switch location works out to be convenient because I can reach it from the seat if needed.

Kelly invited John and Carlene over for dinner. Kelly made a standing rib roast and roasted asparagus. Carlene brought potatoes and onions as well as a dessert.

The meal was delicious! This was our first visit with Carlene and John since they came down to Florida in early March. We never run out of things to talk about with them.

April 21, 2026:

I worked on Alexa's front porch stair rail, which is loose at the bottom. We have the exact same railing in Florida and had the exact same problem. There is no way to take the rail apart from the base to attempt to tighten it or strengthen it in any way. The base is riveted into the concrete step. It is not made to be taken off. 

Here is a picture of the rail base area. The arrows point to where the post fits into the base and becomes loose from years of use.

Last year in Florida I roughed up the entire area and coated all around the post and base with a layer of JB Weld. JB Weld is a thick epoxy which contains some metal and sets up like iron. The repair in Florida worked great so I'm making the same repair to Alexa's rail. Here is a picture of the first coat of JB Weld. It is crude because is is like working with sticky toothpaste. It will be sanded down and a second coat put on, which will also be sanded before painting.

We both had a hankering for tuna casserole so Kelly made one for supper. She likes crackers on top, I like cheese on top so she made half and half. It was quite tasty and will make several meals for us.

April 22, 2026:

Back at Alexa's house I ground down the high spots on the JB Weld stair rail repair and put on a second coat of JB Weld for more strength. I will let it set for twenty-four hours and then grind and sand everything smooth. It should then be ready for paint.

In the afternoon back home I took advantage of the beautiful weather to sand a rusty area of one of our patio chairs and paint it with two coats of rust inhibiting paint. It looks like new. 

I then called about the truck, which was has been in the shop since last Friday. Eric told me they ordered the master cylinder and it ended up being the wrong one. The bad news is that only Toyota makes the exact replacement for my truck. The price for the part went from $800.00 to $1,300.00! I have no choice but to pay it. I need brakes. If the part comes in tomorrow it should be ready by Friday.

April 23, 2026:

At Alexa's house I pushed on the stair rail to check its strength and the JB Weld immediately cracked. What? Apparently the strain I put on it with a strap to make the rail plumb was just too much for the JB Weld. I had to grind some of the JB Weld off and fabricate a piece of metal for a brace on the opposing sides of the post to handle the strain. After I screwed on the metal reinforcement pieces I again coated everything with JB Weld. I will let it sit for a couple of days to cure totally. This result was not expected.

 

In the afternoon Kelly, Alexa, Aaron, and I went out to the lake lot to cut up a couple of big limbs that had fallen, and to burn brush that had accumulated. We planned to use the brush fire in the fire pit to roast hot dogs and make smores while there. We cut up the big branches with the chainsaw but decided it was too windy to burn brush. I had some charcoal in the shed so we built a small fire in the pit for roasting the hotdogs and smores. Aaron's cousin, Corey, was in town so he came out to the lake and joined us for dinner. Kelly brought along a salad she had made and it was eaten as well. I had two hotdogs, but no smores, I don't care for them. I neglected to take any pictures.

April 27, 2026:

I picked up the truck. The bill swelled to $1,990.00 with an oil change, tire rotation, and inspection. Easy come, easy go.  We made a trip to the Rural King store in Cape Girardeau to purchase a metal gate that Alexa wants installed between her house and the garage to keep the cats in the backyard. We also stopped at Harbor Freight and bought some cheap wheels to put on the gate so Alexa can roll it open and closed. I also made a couple of brackets to hold the gate in place at the house and at the garage.

April 30, 2026:

John and Carlene had new flooring installed in their basement some time back. I asked them to save me a piece of the old carpet so I could replace the carpet I have in the garage to catch dirt from being tracked in the house. I unrolled it today and laid it down. It looks much better than the old green carpet that had been down for about 20 years. The light color may not last too long. LOL

May 1, 2026:

At Alexa's house, after a final sanding of the JB Weld repair, I spray painted the area with white paint. Here are a couple of pictures. The railing no longer wobbles.

May 2, 2026:

Alexa, Kelly and I headed to the Apple Creek Winery where we met Carlene and John for a Crawfish Dinner. I haven't eaten crawfish for a couple of decades. It was much too cool and windy to sit outside.  We didn't know what to expect for the crawfish dinner. We ordered four of them and each contained: 2 lbs of crawdads, a couple of new potatoes, and a half corn on the cob. Here is a picture as we begin to dive in. There were no crawfish to take home. Alexa took all the bodies home to make a seafood bisque.

It was a great meal and a great visit with great friends. I was the only one who sucked the heads. LOL

May 4, 2026:

Today I went over and installed the two brackets for Alexa's "Cat Gate". Alexa is thrilled with the gate. Here is a picture. The wheels allow her to roll it along the garage wall and out of the way when not in use.

There was no drip edge installed over the old cellar door, only a piece of rubber tacked on the top of the door. We tore this off when we rebuilt the door sometime back. Without a drip edge, during the last big rain the water cascaded down the outside wall and into the basement steps. I couldn't find a drip edge for this type of installation in town so I ordered one online. It arrived a couple of days ago so Aaron and I installed it. I was quite surprised at the thickness and quality of the aluminum.  Here is a picture of it installed before the next rain hits. It should deflect all water on to the door and away.

May 5, 2026:

Happy Cinco de Mayo to everyone!

 

March 31 - April 16, 2026 - Flight Home; Scooter; Easter; Grass; New Bridge; Cemetery; New Drawer; Scooter Battery; Doctors

My Blog Reflection

A mind is like a parachute. It doesn't work if it is not open.

Frank Zappa

March 31, 2026:

Celina drove us to the Tampa Airport. We arrived three hours early due to uncertainty about the TSA workers not being paid and a good chance we would have a long delay getting through security. As it worked out it only took us 28 minutes to get through. As a result we had a long wait, no big deal.  

We flew Southwest because they do not charge for a carry-on. We each had one. Allegiant flies out of the St. Petersburg airport, which is closer, but they now charge for each carry-on. This policy made flying Southwest cheaper. Another advantage to flying Southwest was they fly into the St. Louis airport, which is closer to my sister Renee's house. Renee and Jim were picking us up and we were spending the night there.

When I asked for water on the flight this is what I was given, along with a bag of about six pretzels. It was not a bottle of water like we received in the past. When flying now you better not be too thirsty.

Renee made a great Lasagna for us for supper. It was compliments by a nice salad Jim made.  We spent the night at their house and borrowed Renee's car to drive down to BJC for my bone and CT scans. After the scans we went back to their house and visited until Alexa arrived from Perryville to drive us home.

When we got home I could not believe how tall the grass was. It had to be foot tall. I am not exaggerating. I found the lawnmower battery completely dead. I've had trouble with this happening in the past so I am going to install a kill switch on the battery. Once the battery was charged I mowed on a high setting just to knock it down. It still left clumps of grass everywhere. It will need to be mowed again before the rain comes this weekend.

April 2, 2026:

After the long day yesterday I slept in rather going walking at 5:00 a.m. We unpacked the bags and went through the pile of mail which accumulated over two months. I then gathered all the documentation I needed to have our taxes done and took it to our accountant. On the way home I stopped at Alexa's and helped her get the lawn mower started after sitting all winter.

Later in the afternoon I rode the scooter to several auto parts stores in Perryville looking for a new fitting for the positive cable on the lawn mower battery. I found one, fixed the cable, and reinstalled it.

April 3, 2026:

I rode the scooter to the park at 5:00 a.m. and walked a lap and a half with Gary and Wayne. This was enough for me after not walking for months. They walked another lap and I headed home. 

I got on the scooter and after a two second "grunt" it was clear that the battery was dead. I sat and waited for Gary and Wayne to finish their last lap. I needed a ride home to get a charger. When they arrived I told them what happened. The battery is under a plate that is screwed down under the seat. Gary had a phillips head screwdriver in his truck so he opened the battery compartment. He checked the battery with his meter and it was dead. 

Wayne had a portable jump charger is in his van so we hooked it up and the scooter started right up. I decided to get the scooter home. Gary would follow me. Even with the jump charger connected to the scooter battery the scooter lunged and would only go about fifteen miles per hour. Once I got home we checked and apparently part of the problem was that Wayne's jump charger needed to be charged as well. 

At the house Gary agrain tested the battery and it was only 10.2 volts. Time for a new battery. I surmised that if the battery is not fully charged the fuel injection system doesn't work properly, thus the slow and lurching speed. Here is the battery I took out. I found a better battery on eBay with free shipping and ordered it. It will be here next week. This battery only had tabs on top for connections, rather than lugs. I made sure the new one had lugs.

I then cut the grass again trying to further chop up the grass clippings. It worked somewhat.

April 4, 2026:

We had lightning and thunder from 2:00 a.m until 5:00 a.m. with quite a bit of rain. By 10:00 a.m. we had three inches. The rain is supposed to stop today but it will be a while before I can cut the grass again.

Alexa came over for an Easter brunch since she is working tomorrow, Easter Sunday. 

April 5, 2026:

Bob has been a little under the weather recently and he and Ronnie weren't going anywhere for Easter so we invited them over for dinner. Kelly cooked a ham, and made potato salad and candied carrots. It was served with a nice bread. Bob and Ronnie brought a walnut pie for dessert. Everything was delicious. 

After dinner we had a nice long visit and got a nice selfie.

April 7, 2026:

I purchased grass seed and peat moss to fix a number of bare areas in the lawn where weeds had killed out the grass. In the afternoon Alexa and Aaron came over and helped get the areas scratched up, seed down, and peat moss spread over the top. Actually they did all the hard work. I just threw down the grass seed. Even that wore me out. The project took about three hours. I so appreciated their help. If I would have tried to do it by myself it would have taken me a week. 

Here are some pictures of the spots of new grass seed and peat moss. I hope this effort will produce results.

The spot in the middle is one of the tree stumps ground out.

Now I have to consistently water these areas, which are spread throughout the yard, so it will be a bit of a challenge. A sprinkler just won't do it.

April 8, 2026:

Kelly and I were out and about and decided to drive down to the river to see the progress on the new Chester Bridge. Driving toward it I could not take a picture but here is a picture of the old bridge and new one from the Missouri Department of Transportation. This was taken just before the last piece of road bed was installed recently. The bridge is projected to be completed in July. It will be a major improvement.

On the way home we took a detour through the river bottom farm land. My mom was from the town of Belgique in the bottom. The town is entirely gone due to many floods over the decades but the church cemetary remains and is well-cared for. We stopped and looked around, something I had never done before. I found a replacement headstone for my Great Grandfather. He came over from Belgium and opened "A. E. Staelens Undertaking and General Repair Shop" in Belgique. I have a picture of his building. 

Mary was his second wife. My grandmother's mother either died on the trip over or shortly after arriving. We cannot find her name or anything about her. Kelly thinks they may not have been married since we can't find any record. My grandmother had no great love for Mary telling me she was mean to her.

April 10, 2026:

Today we worked on tearing out the the built-in cutting board in Alexa's kitchen cabinet and converting it into another drawer. In the old days a cutting board was built in on which to knead bread, thus it was built to be quite sturdy. Gettin all of the framework out was not easy. I modified a drawer that we took out when installing the dishwasher to fit this space. 

April 11, 2026:

We loaded the lawnmower on the trailer and went out to the lake to cut the grass. We are going to be putting the lot up for sale soon. We just don't use it anymore. Actually we never did use it much. In twenty years of ownership we probably only camped on it twenty times. It needs to go.

For dinner I grilled a rib eye steak and some asparagus Bob grew in his garden. Yum!

April 13, 2026:

First thing in the morning I went to my accountant's office and picked up our taxes and signed for them to be electronically filed. Of course we had the privilege of paying Uncle Sam some more money but we will get a little back from the State of Missouri. 

The new battery for the scooter arrived by mail. I am happy with it because it has much better lugs to connect to the scooter. For the last battery I had to make push-on adapters. This is the second battery I have had to put in the scooter. That is not bad for owning it for twelve years. She runs like a top now.

April 14, 2026:

Today was blood work, office visit, and injections at the Siteman Center in St. Louis. Afterwards we made an obligatory trip to Costco to spend our customary $200.00. LOL

April 15, 2026:

We installed the "revamped" kitchen drawer at Alexa's, nailed moulding around the dishwasher, and fired up the chain saw so Alexa could cut up the remaining log from the dead tree we pushed over last fall in her back yard. 

I then went home and finished cutting the grass just before we received a half of inch of much needed rain. I couldn't believe how much the grass had grown in less than a week. I was delighted to see that some of the seed we sowed about a week ago was coming up nicely.

April 16, 2026:

The truck goes in for repairs and maintenance tomorrow. After that we head back up to St. Louis to visit with the radiology oncologist about radiation for bone pain I am having. I didn't know they did radiation for pain. We will learn what it is all about.  

And that's the news from Lake Wobegon.