Wednesday Wisdom

Today's wisdom is stolen from a well known sneaker brand --
Just do it!

I get the idea of delayed gratification and waiting until the time is right, but sometimes the priorities are wrong. Sometimes there isn't a good reason to wait or the thing we are waiting for isn't well defined.
Whether "Just do it" refers to exercise, taking a trip, or getting into a cold pool -- Do it. Do it now.

I have wanted to get a pool for quite some time, but always managed to talk myself out of it. It is easy to talk myself out of anything that costs money. I'm too cheap to spend much money on things for myself (other than decent cigars, bourbon, or tequila). We finally got one!
It's a pretty inexpensive one, but it's also a bit of an experiment on if it will be worth it. 
My pre-experiment hypothesis is that it most definitely will be. In fact, the real danger is that pool usage will interfere with actually getting work done. I may have to impose some rules about work time before pool time -- kind of a Just do it after I've mowed the field!

We got one of the pools with an inflatable ring at the top. the base is quite a bit wider than the top ring, so a poolside table for drinks, Chromebook, Kindle reader, etc. is a bit tricky. I'm currently looking at floating tables or I may just craft something from a few boards and a cut up pool noodle. In any case, I am not waiting to find something to use the pool. 
I waited a whole hour after it was filled yesterday to get in! The water temp was a cool 68 (20C) degrees, but I was in and enjoying the vibe for about an hour. I'll be doing more research on maintaining a pool and largely learning as I go. 
Looking back, I can't think of a good reason why we didn't do this when we first moved into this house six years ago. 

Today's plan :
Weed eat the yard around the house and flowerbeds (I mowed it yesterday)
Load the smoker with a half pork tenderloin and some burgers
Mow the field
Get in the pool

I'd better get busy!

John

My Summer Indulgence

Baseball.

That's my summer indulgence.
I think this is the fifth year that I've had a Red Access Membership for the Springfield Cardinals, the AA affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. I have always bought the cheapest package which includes ten ticketed reserved seats in one of the cheapest sections, and a general admissions pass to all of the home games. The pass also includes perks like discounts at the gift shop and concession stands. 
The GA pass does not include any of the promotional give-aways during the season. I have to use one of my ten reserved seats tickets if I want a freebie.

Last year the team won the Texas League Championship and I think I attended 20 games -- most of them by myself. This year's team is off to a slow start, but I've been fortunate enough that they have won all of the games that I've attended -- 5 so far.
Even in those five games they have struggled to generate good offense. Defensively, they're doing okay.

I generally park a few blocks away from the stadium and walk to save the $10 fee for parking closer. I also limit my concessions so this doesn't become an even more expensive habit. 
Today is another humid and overcast day, but we are not expecting more rain this afternoon/evening.
Due to Thursday's rain out, tonight's game is a twofer double-header. The last double header I went to the first game and then left to meet with friends at our midweek Barchurch. I may or may not stay for both games tonight.

What's your favorite summer indulgence?

John

A pic from last night's game.

IT"S SPRING!!!

I am enjoying my morning coffee while sitting on the deck today. It is just a few minutes past the moment when the earth has crossed that point in its annual journey that marks the beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere.

One of the added tasks of the transition to spring is to prepare for the arrival of the hummingbirds. I need to get the feeders cleaned and ready for them. I figure I still have a week or so, but they will make good use of an alternate food source while waiting on the flowers to come into full bloom.

I've made the decision to get back on the motorcycle this year. I haven't done much riding in the past couple of years--none at all last year. I have a new battery, but I still need to get it ready, inspected and licensed. 
This seemed to be an appropriate mug for this morning's coffee.

I am looking forward to riding again, but I don't know if I'll be putting in many 500 mile days like I have in the past.
 
You've got to admit, she's a pretty bike.

I'll always remember parking it at a grocery store and an older couple was walking to their car. The woman said to me, "I don't know a thing about motorcycles, but I know about pretty and that's a pretty bike!"
It still makes me smile.

Happy spring to my northern hemisphere friends!

John

Monday Meditation: Finding Peace

It's been a crazy week.
Perhaps the craziest part of it is that much of life goes on as if nothing unusual nor violent happened last week. 

I know that for those that experienced the violence of last week, life will never be the same. They didn't watch baseball games, or football, or championship fights this past weekend. There was no tailgating and there were no big watch parties.
They were grieving and recovering from the personal trauma of experienced violence. They are dealing with the firsthand knowledge that our world is not a safe place. 

The internet has made it so that one cannot even express one's own thoughts without being scrutinized and criticized for what is said. Simple truths like -- "If you want people to say kind things when you pass, you should say kind things when you're alive," have been mocked for being insensitive. 
People are either heartless for not really caring or militant against those that don't care. 
It's a weird space when people can't say what they feel about a guy that supposedly championed free speech.

It is also difficult to find peace if you remain in the same media that brings about your distress. I don't think you will find peace on the internet or specifically on social media platforms. You may have a small group of friends that are a calming presence, but I generally find that time alone is the best way to find peace. 
Quiet time with nature is my favorite place to find restorative peace. 
Honestly, the peace is already within me. Sometimes I just need the quietness or the sounds of nature to help me find it. 

I woke up early this morning -- around 5:00. I didn't fall back asleep, but just listened to the night sounds. The birds weren't even up yet, and most of the night bug sounds as long since quieted down. Mostly I listened to the hooting of a Great Horned Owl that reigns over this territory throughout the nighttime hours.
I spent more than an hour just listening and enjoying the peacefulness of the early morning before getting up and making my coffee.

I hope that you have a place of peace where you can rest and be restored.

John

Happy Monday morning!

Just another day ...

It looks like another beautiful day in the Ozarks of Southwest Missouri (SWMO).
Yesterday I started on a project that will take some time to finish -- weeding and mulching the front landscaped area. I suppose it could easily be finished in a day or two, but I have no desire to work that much at a time and prefer to use 2-3 hour workdays. That makes it a week-long project, even if I work at it every day.
And I probably won't.

I am excited that my moon flowers and hibiscus will be blooming soon. 
And I am super thrilled that our dwarf hydrangeas are flowering nicely this year.
I am not thrilled with how the Rugosa rose is spreading. I am going to have to do some serious pruning when it goes dormant this fall.


I don't typically do my own maintenance on things, but my mower needs some adjustments that I think I can handle. I replaced a couple of front wheel bearings on a mower last year. YouTube is a big help. Maybe I will learn to do more of that kind of stuff. It kind of sucks when the thing that poses the biggest obstacle to doing stuff is having to get this fat, old body down to the ground and then eventually having to get back up!
When did the ground get so damn far away?

That is pretty much my life these days -- work in the yard or garden until I get tired of it and then enjoy looking at my work while smoking a cigar and sipping on something cool and refreshing. I might read a book, listen to music, or just bask in the energy of nature.
I'll probably take in a baseball game tonight.

I know that many would be bored with my simple life, but it works well for me.
More nature; fewer people.

John

Happy Spring!

It is spring in SWMO and the temperature just broke into the above freezing zone. Looking at the long-range forecast and it doesn't look like we'll see freezing temperatures again until the fall. 
Yay!

There are still some cool nights ahead and it will be a little while before I stow the sweatpants and flannel shirts, but spring is here and I am happy. I am not ready to extinguish the pilot light on the gas fireplace just yet, but I hope that there won't be many more indoor morning coffee times or late evening reading by the fire times. 
I will not miss mornings by the fire, but Groucho the cat might. She doesn't know how few mornings like this are left.

Of course, she is also a fan of sleeping in the morning sun on the deck, so...

I am looking forward to connecting to my Creator through spending more time with creation (nature). I wouldn't exactly say that nature is my religion, but I am pretty sure that my beliefs about life, community, and caring for each other is grounded in the world around me. It is where I find my connection to God, where I find my connection to our planet, and even where I realize that I am connected to others. 

I don't think I have ever felt as connected to God in a church service or gathering of believers as I do when I am alone in nature. It's obvious that being in nature would connect me to earth, but actually feeling connected to the energy of creation is different than just walking in the woods or digging in the dirt.
It is that connection to nature that helps one connect to or find your true self. And finding your true self is really necessary in order to connect with others.

It's kind of weird how this awareness has made me feel like more of an introvert and at the same time it has made me feel more connected to and aware of the energies and personalities of others. 
I recently read an article about a lone-wolf personality that has the appearance of an introvert, but also has some dominant traits of extroverts. I don't know. Maybe that's me; maybe it's just bs.
No worries.

In another week, the hummingbirds will begin to show up and the rest of the MLB will be underway.
It's spring!

John

Taco Tuesday

...or as they call it here in Puerto Vallarta -- Tuesday or martes.

I am enjoying this weather! It is mid 60s (17c) for my morning walk to a different coffee shop and expected to be around 80 (27c) later today. Here is a pic of some of the flora I passed by on my morning walk.

I am ready for spring!

In truth, I may not actually have a taco today. I'll just have to see where the day takes me. Although the breakfast menu at this little cafe looks good, I may just enjoy my coffee and keyboard time and wait to have something to eat. 

Ten years ago I was ending my final shift at work as an air traffic controller. I used the balance of my sick leave to finish out the month and began my quiet, peaceful retirement. A couple of the gifts I received from coworkers were a bomber of a good barrel aged stout and a couple of very fine cigars. In each of the years since then I have celebrated my retirement anniversary with a barrel aged stout and good cigar. It hasn't always been right on the anniversary of my retirement because winter weather in SWMO isn't always kind to outdoor cigar smokers, 
Sometime in the weeks after my return to the States I will celebrate my 10 years of being retired. It has been a pretty good life.

I expect the coming year will also be a good year to be retired. In spite of the surrounding chaos, I am hopeful that good people and good things will continue to surround me and I sincerely believe that I need to have a part in being the good, encouraging, and helpful person to others that venture across my path in 2025. 
I hope to have encouraging posts and share some beautiful pics of my flowers and garden areas. 
For now I am going to follow this morning's Americano with a Oaxacan cold brew. It looks chocolaty and fancy.

John

Tuesday's Perspective

I did spend a few hours sitting on the beach yesterday afternoon. The energy of the beach is definitely therapeutic. The early afternoon when the sun was nearly overhead had a high thin layer of clouds that moved off leaving clear skies later on. As the sun reached full bright, I moved under the cover of the beach umbrella to keep from getting a winter sunburn. 
I enjoyed a margarita with a club sandwich for lunch and later had a paloma and papas fritas (fries). I also managed a couple of cigarillos. It was a good afternoon.

Like most days, I have no real plans for today. I need to get out for a nice walk today, and will likely join some friends for karaoke night tonight, but nothing is certain. I do need to take some laundry out before I run out of clean clothes. That's pretty much a must do today. 
It's just life -- one day at a time.

The privilege of enjoying the tropical weather in Puerto Vallarta while SWMO is experiencing bitter cold is not something I take for granted. The warmth and greenery here has me looking forward to spring gardening. Seeing the fresh produce in the neighborhood stores has me thinking about growing some vegetables this year. I don't know how much I'll do, maybe just some tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, cabbage, and peppers. I don't want to be too ambitious because I know that my enthusiasm for caring for a garden tends to wane as the temperatures climb in mid-summer.
Even just watering the flowers can grow to be a chore when it is hot and we haven't had much rain. I need to spend some money and do the work to set up a better watering system for our many flowerbeds. 

I think the thing I like most about planting flowers is that the simple act of planting seeds is an act of hope. Each seed holds a promise of future beauty. Each flower is a source of food and life for the birds, butterflies, and bees that will come to attend to them. And each flower will produce a multitude of seeds -- more promises for the future.

Be hopeful.
Find a place of peace today.
Or be a place of peace for those in your community.
Share a drink or a meal with a friend.
Be light in dark places.
Sow seeds of hope.

John

2024

There is still a week left in the year 2024.
Is it too soon to make an assessment of the past year?  
Is it too late to make some changes?

Checking back to where we were, assessing where we are, and making adjustments to get where we want to be should probably be something we do more than once per year. Nevertheless, the end of one year or the beginning of the next is as good a time as any to do just that. 

I'm not certain if my self assessment is easy or difficult. There really isn't much to it. 
I don't really have any life goals other than to enjoy each moment as it comes and I seem to do that pretty well. 

Our flowers looked great this past summer and I am looking forward to the coming spring/summer for the beauty of the many flowers. I've been adding flower beds each year and it is beginning to be a lot of work. That's not really a bad thing. It's not like I have loads of pressing things to do other than tend to the gardens. I have some gardening books and there is an abundance of gardening information on the interwebs, plus I am slowly storing away some knowledge in my head. So far, I have sucked at vegetable gardening, but will probably give it a go again this year.

Our small neighborhood is built on what used to be a pasture so there are no trees anywhere near the house. On one hand, I am happy not having to rake leaves in the fall. On the other hand, there is no shade in the summer and there are fewer birds and squirrels around. I've planted a few seedling trees, but those will be for the next homeowner to enjoy.
I'm still hoping to convert some of the field into native meadow grasses and wildflowers, but that appears to be a much larger project than I thought it would be. I have a plan, or at least the concepts of a plan, on how I might do that. I need to do a bit more research on it.

Looking ahead to 2025 I only have a couple goals. The first is to get rid of this extra weight that I've put on and get off the high blood pressure meds. If I'm completely honest with myself, I'm not that concerned with being athletically fit; more just being kind of active fit and healthy.
The second thing is to become conversationally fluent in Spanish. That might be a little bit tougher. I'm going to need to find a fluent Spanish speaking friend that is willing to converse with me on a regular basis (or spend more time in Mexico). It's one thing to learn it online or through an app. It's very different to actually carry on a conversation in another language. 

As you can see,my life is not filled with great ambition. Other than those two things, I plan to read a few books (maybe 50 or so), smoke a few cigars, sip a little tequila and a little bourbon, and just enjoy life. 
Check out my coffee mug in the pic below.

How was your year?
Any plans for '25?

John

 

Advent and being kind -- the challenge continues

Yesterday ended a 35 day posting streak. I was out of my usual morning routine and didn't really feel like writing anything later in the day. I didn't even have a set aside meditation time, although the day was a quiet and thoughtful kind of day. I also didn't have a set aside medication time and almost forgot to take my daily blood pressure pill (now a part of my morning routine).

In keeping with my 24 days of purposeful kindness for Advent -- I did get some volunteer time in and managed to thank and compliment the workers at Subway on their fine crafting of my sandwiches (for last night and for today) and friendly service. I don't know if today will hold any actual people interactions, so I'm definitely going to have to be purposeful about finding some way to be Christ-like while sitting alone at home. (Personally, I think keeping this sarcastic, condescending, grumpy old man at home is an act of kindness to the general public, but...that's just me.)

The gospels do tell us that Jesus got away to pray on a regular basis.
Matthew 17:17 tells of Jesus' frustration with people -- "How long must I endure you people?"
But I really don't see Jesus as an introvert. I'm not even certain that an introvert can read the gospels and think, "Jesus gets me." 

I mean I certainly believe that God understands us and loves us, but I also think that serving, helping, and loving others is a particularly big ask of some of us. I don't know, maybe it's a big ask for all of us. 
For now, I'm just going to enjoy my morning coffee and quiet time and share the fire with Groucho, the cat.

Be well, my friends
John

Cold brew

It's a brisk morning in the Ozarks for the final day of November. I decided it was time to light the pilot on the vent-less gas fireplace. Tonight's low of 16f (-9c) will be the lowest of the season so far. Even with the flame set low, the vent-less log puts out a lot of heat and so I don't leave it on for very long. It warms the main area of the house from 60 to 70 (15-21c) pretty quickly on cold mornings.

This is my morning coffee view today --

Speaking of coffee...
let's talk about brew methods.
Typically, I use a pour over brew, using 50g of coffee at a medium grind per liter of hot water.
I rarely use my French press, but would use the same ratio of coffee to water, but at a coarse grind.
It's been a long time since I've used my stove-top espresso moka pot. Although it used to be my daily go-to, I now find it a little more bitter than I like.
I haven't owned a drip coffee maker in a couple of decades.

Today's coffee is made from a cold brew concentrate.
I use 1.5 liters of water to 150g of coarsely ground coffee and let it steep or cold brew (room temp) in a two liter jar for about 12 hrs (overnight). After filtering out the grounds, I'm left with around 1.35 liters of cold brew concentrate. 
For hot coffee I use a 1:1 ratio of cold brew and water and I heat it in the microwave.
For iced coffee I fill a glass halfway with the cold brew, add a little heavy cream, and then fill the glass the rest of the way with ice.

The benefits of using cold brew are that it's pretty easy to adjust the strength by adding more or less water based on personal preference, it's typically less bitter, and you really get to taste the flavor subtleties of the coffee.

How do you like your coffee brewed?
Do you have a favorite origin for your beans? (I'm partial to Ethiopian coffees)
If you are in the Springfield/Ozark/Nixa area and want to visit over a cup of coffee, hit me up. Let's do it.

John

Wednesday Wisdom -- Travel

It is good to be home.
There are so many simple things that just make being home wonderful:
  sleeping in your own bed
  sitting in a familiar chair
  drinking your morning coffee from one of your favorite mugs
  even using your own bathroom!

It was a short visit with Hannah, Jason, and the pups, but we had a good time. This was our first fall trip to the mountains and the brilliance of the yellow aspens against the dark green conifers is truly something to see.
It was unseasonably warm this past week -- upper 80s everyday, so it remained shorts and t-shirt weather. We walked through downtown CO Springs on Friday night and had dinner at a Mexican restaurant. Saturday we drove up to around 9500' and had a campfire dinner that was tasty and enjoyable. On Sunday afternoon we went to one of my favorite places -- Manitou Springs. It has a bit of the feel of Eureka Springs, AR. It's kind of artsy and hippie-ish with a little mountain man vibe thrown in for good measure.

Although mountain life wouldn't be my personal choice for everyday, I can certainly see the attraction. The wilderness has its own spirituality and way of connecting to the soul. If there was a Venn diagram of urban life, wilderness, and hippie life -- Colorado would be right in the center! I am happy to have someone there to visit and to have a reason to make regular trips to the mountains. This was really an ideal time of year to go.

But it is also good to be home.
Travel.
Go to some different places.
Appreciate the beauty of each place.
Return home better for having seen and experienced a little more of life.

John

This formation is called The Cathedral and was near where we had our campfire dinner. The second pic is from our dinner site. There was a cold stream that ran right next to where we set up our campfire.

Wednesday Wisdom: Learning patience

Why does learning patience take so long?
Gardening is a good teacher.

I wonder what our place will look like in a few years.

John

Dreams

Today is launch day for my friends at The Flipped Table Collective!
Go ahead. Check it out.
It has been a lot of planning and a lot of work and I hope it will be a source of comfort as well as a great resource for many that are seeking truth and peace and a healthy connection to our Creator and God.

This morning I am thinking about my friends and this dream of theirs being put into action.
I'm also thinking that I don't think that I've ever really had a kind of dream/vision/goal that I've worked towards or for. Didn't have a dream career. Didn't have a dream house. Didn't even have a dream car.
I don't know if that makes me unambitious or boring or maybe just normal.

I know that some people are driven. They are always pursuing a goal, chasing down a dream.
I am not one of them. 
Today I am just happy that my dahlias are blooming!

I don't think that retirement was ever really a dream, but I am most definitely enjoying it.
I never dreamed of nor planned to spend my mornings drinking coffee on my deck and writing about meditation/contemplation, but I am enjoying it very much.
I know it's not the same thrill or rush as launching a website, opening a business, or achieving a challenging goal, but it is a great feeling and I cherish each morning, each sip of coffee, and each of the birds that are chirping and gathering food for the babies in their nests.

Living a quiet life and enjoying the sounds of nature may not be the achievement of a lifelong dream, but it is a pretty grand way to spend each day, and I am very much aware of this privilege that I enjoy. I know that it may be the dream of others to have a simple, quiet life -- free from striving to achieve or the competition with others for a pay raise or promotion.

Maybe it's a blessing that I don't feel like I need to act a certain way or say the right things so that people will like me or think well of me. Maybe it's not. Not conforming has cost me some friendships in the past, but I really don't regret my decisions. I have to admit that I am a little sad about their decision, but there just isn't much that I can do about that, so I move on.

I am to the point in life where I have fewer days left than I have already lived and it is enough for me to appreciate today. My planning for tomorrow will be the hope that the flowers I planted last week and the ones I'll plant today will bloom to provide for the pollinators and grace us with their beauty as the summer passes.

What are your hopes for tomorrow?
What are your dreams?

John

Happy Tuesday

I missed yesterday's Monday Meditation post. I had a morning appointment with the dentist to have a fractured tooth extracted and didn't really have the time to properly meditate nor write about it.

Yesterday was supposed to be another rainy day, but it turned out to be pretty wonderful. I spent the afternoon finally getting the yard mowed. Three+ weeks of rain, sun, and spring growth took a little longer than usual, but it is done and looks very nice. 

Next up is working on the flower beds.
I'm a little late in getting seeds out for the annuals. Two weeks in Mexico at the prime planting time will do that. No worries, though. It's a long summer and there will be plenty of time for planting and enjoying the beautiful colors.

The hummingbirds are back!
I saw one Sunday afternoon and it looked like it was looking for the feeder that was out last year. I made a batch of sugar water (1 part sugar to 4 parts water) and put it out. The tiny ruby red throats and emeralds found it quickly and have been feeding regularly. I wonder if they are the same birds from last year.

I think I'm going to take the bike out today. One of the Springfield pastors has a weekly open coffee and conversation on Tuesday mornings. I could use an enlightening spiritual conversation, so I think I'll see what she has to say today. I've thought about a weekly day out for coffee and conversation, but don't really have a base of followers or friends to make that kind of thing happen. Maybe I'll just join somebody else that does.
After the additional boost of coffee, I'll be back to working in the yard again.

If you were having a pastoral conversation today, what questions would you have or what would you want to talk about?
I'm curious.

John

Thanksgiving

It will be a quiet Thanksgiving at our house. In spite of the fact that it will just be me and Chris, Chris decided that we'll have the full meal deal -- turkey, all the fixin's, and pumpkin pie!
I'll take advantage of the nice, warm day that is forecast and get some work done outside (It really is never ending).

I will begin today as I start most days -- quiet time and coffee.
Although I'd rather be enjoying a warm, sunny morning on the deck, coffee by the fireplace isn't a horrible way to begin a day.

John

Twofer Tuesday

Ave Maria Immaculate

Kirkland's spiced rum eggnog 

Fall Gardening

Cleaning up garden spots in the fall isn't as enjoyable as planting in the spring. Honestly, it's a lot more like work than the labor of love it feels like in the spring.
I've already harvested some seeds and yesterday I was cutting back the stems and dead leaves from some of the hosta plants. I'll probably be thinning them in the spring so let me know if you want some.

I thought it was interesting that the few post-frost warmer days that we've had have encouraged some new growth among the hosta varieties that are in a more protected area.

These guys will have a couple of weeks until another overnight frost kills them off for the season. Nature always amazes me with its resilience.
Still plenty of work to do.

John

Gratitude

I'm sitting here this morning and wondering...
It seems that recent Novembers have been filled with thankfulness posts on different social media platforms. I haven't seen that this year and I wonder why.

It is pretty easy for me to take this quiet and simple life of mine for granted, but I rarely do. I am daily grateful for the privilege of living this retired life in this comfortable manner. It is difficult to express that with the intensity that I feel it. 
Saying (or writing) that I am thankful for family, or thankful for friends (both of you), or even thankful for things that make life easier doesn't adequately convey the gratitude that I feel.

Maybe that's why there aren't daily gratitude posts this year.
Maybe we've figured out just how empty it sounds to say -- I'm thankful for my _____ -- day after day.
In reality, those often simple moments of gratitude are the stuff that makes for a good life.

This past week I spent a few hours with a guy that just has a life giving energy. We exchanged and smoked cigars, sipped bourbon and talked. I don't think I would use the word "fun" to describe our time together, but it was definitely enjoyable and I am truly grateful for his friendship.
Later that evening, Chris and I went out to listen to our friends' band. That's always an enjoyable evening. While I am not much of a people person, I do enjoy these nights out whether it's just Chris and me or we meet some friends for the evening.
Maybe we should find another band or musician to follow, as well.

Here's another simple and seemingly worthless experience -- watching my crow friends eat the peanuts I leave for them.

They are so skittish that it is difficult to take a picture, even from this distance. If I start moving around on the deck after they land close by and start to make their approach to the rock, they sense the nearby movement and leave.
I am hoping to be able to get closer as they get more used to feeding there.

What is something you are grateful for today?
A simple pleasure.
Maybe something as simple as a favorite coffee mug or a cozy blanket.
Care to share?

John

16 Tons

You load 16 tons,
What do you get?

I'll let you know.
That's about how much topsoil was dumped onto my yard yesterday. I'll be moving it to my flower boxes and backyard over the next few days. It's too bad I don't have a tractor with a scoop. I suppose I could have if I want to make the deeper in debt part come true. I'll definitely be more than another day older by the time I finish.

Have a grand weekend!

John