Broken Machines, New Suppressor, Planting Progress

Joan and I both ran the Kubota pretty hard last weekend.  Joan bush-hogged for five hours, I bush-hogged for 3 hours, and then I rototilled three plots. Here's some action shots of Joan.

Wasn't I surprised this week when I got a call from my helper, Van, who said the Kubota was broken.  Both the lower swingarm cylinders on the three point hitch were broken.  Seems crazy since I bush-hogged and then changed to the rototiller - and then did three fields.  But sure enough, both cylinder heads were broken off from the U-channel that attaches to the swing arm.

My first thought was, what did Joan do?  But then I remembered a little altercation that I had when the bush-hog hit the post for the pond stand.

And I might have hit that same post once before and repaired it with a couple of 2X6's.

If that was the event, it's amazing that I could change implements and then work for a couple more hours without issue.  It's a mystery.  But Van is on the case and I hope that he can get it welded back together.

Last week Van worked on the John Deere which was bogging down under load.  This has been an intermittent problem for a couple of years now.  He changed distributor cap and points and, so far, it's running well.

I took the opportunity after some rain to burn a pile of accumulated cardboard.

After that, I used the Ranger while I worked on planting some sunflowers in the pumpkin patch.  I parked it by the barn, went back to work in the field, and the skies opened up on me.  I got drenched and ran back to the barn to pull the Ranger in out of the rain.  Turned the key and I got only a click and a check engine light.  Another item for Van's list - I had to winch the Ranger into the barn.

So, I broke pretty near everything I touched this weekend.  But I did get some stuff done.  I got a strip of sunflowers planted in the pumpkin patch.  I was hoping to start some other planting in the patch but the rain put a stop to that.

This is the new cultipacker-type implement that I got recently.  I used it on the plots planted last weekend and I used it on the sunflowers this week.

Ed got my fertilizer spread this week which was followed by 1/2" of rain.  That's his spreader truck.

The buckwheat plot has germinated nicely in just a few days.

The big sunflower plot is popping up too.  The soybean plots aren't quite as advanced.

Fruit trees showing some fruit - not a ton, but some.

This cherry tree is on its last legs but still producing fruit.

The Starlink internet is an amazing upgrade from the really poor DSL that we had.  I still have a couple of networking issues to work thru.

And, after 14 months, I finally received the silencer that I ordered from Silencer Central/

I need a special thread adapter for each of the three rifles that I plan to use it on.

But I got it out to the bench and got a few shots downrange.

There is an insulator that goes over the can so that heat mirage isn't a problem.  Recoil was working it off the can.

The noise was noticeably reduced (Joan was watching videos and didn't know that I was shooting).  But it's not like the movies.  It's much more than a "pfft".  I shot this generic load and the groups were not very special.

Much more time needed getting to know that can with my various rifles.  

Here's a shot of me on the John Deere last week.  I used it this week to turn the pumpkin patch.

Still stocking the minerals.

And the antler growth is in process,  Check out the ticks behind the ears.

Multiple shots this week of deer and turkey in the same frame.

Bobcat on the prowl.

Coyote.

Groundhog or woodchuck.

Neighborhood dogs.