We can't manage our rural lifestyle without having a pickup truck. There are 1001 needs- from going to the dump, to the lumber store and hauling manure or other garden supplies. Sadly, we sold our trusty "ole yeller" 1966 Ford pickup when we lived in Sequim (as we had regular garbage pickup and a Buick station wagon that could haul a 4x8 sheet of plywood).
When we moved back to Kettle Falls we needed a pickup. Kurt found this one on craigs list-- an upgrade for him-- to a 1967 Ford pickup.
The new ford pickup turned out not to be as reliable as ole yeller. Within a year it was parked with a blown engine.
Fast forward to the mild winter we are having-- perfect for doing engine work.
So Kurt pulled the engine and sent it out to be rebuilt. He couldn't be happier with the work the machine shop did. Here is what the engine looked like when it came back
With the engine out he has been cleaning up the engine compartment
The engine got reinstalled this past weekend
Now he is awaiting the return of the carburator and it will be time to start 'er up.
Since we chose to move back to snow country we made a pack that we would embrace the cold and snow-- by not complaining about any of it from onset until mid February. (And after that we are free to wish for warmer climes.)
This year it hasn't been too insufferable since we only got our first dose of plow-able snow on Friday. So, before we miss the opportunity, we went snow shoeing today. The measly 6" out our back door wasn't worth the effort so we drove up the mountain pass across the river and found a place to walk in 2 and a 1/2 feet of snow. We had to break our own trail and it turne out to be a little more exercise than we intended--- In hindsight, we have decided that walking in 6"would have been just fine. Anyway, here are a few pictures...
Between our failing camera and really not that much going on, we haven't posted for a while. So here goes a little catch-up on projects and life in general..
SHOP UPGRADES:
In October Kurt installed a new beam to carry the weight of the car-shop roof and eliminate the need for a center post. Here are two pictures of the new beam in place. For those that don't know, this is the original shop that Kurt built when we first lived here. At that time he labeled the shelves for where items should be stored. When we moved back in 2006 it was funny to be able to put tools and supplies right back on their old shelves.
One of the reasons for elimnating the post was so the TR3, that came back to KF in October, could be parked inside and still leave room for working on another vehicle in the other side of the shop. So here is the triumph back in his old home. The little scraped area on the cement near the drivers door marks the location of the old center post in the shop- so you can see how it's removal has benefited the use of the space.
Another shot of the triumph.... and notice the new garage door on the right in the background- that was Kurt's November project...see next pics.
When Kurt built the car shop in the 80's, all we could afford was home made swinging doors for the big opening. They were heavy, leaked a lot of cold air and couldn't be used in the winter when the snow piled up outside.
So you can imagine that Kurt is a happy camper now with this new, insulated garage door that he installed in November. And, doesn't it improve the look of the old shop!
And finally- Kurt's 2011 Christmas present was a Parts Washer. Now, instead of 5-gallon buckets or an old bathtub being used to de-grease car parts, he has this official tub on legs to do the work. Of couse he had to raise it on a box to make it a comfortable height for him.
