Dec 31 2020 Last Day of 2020

 And we arrive at the last day of 2020, What a year for us earthlings. 

Work still going on with the car. And parts order from Vette Villians came in with one wrong part. Very wrong but not worth sending back. So decided to just put a patch job on the part I needed for the spoiler spacer on that side.  

This pic showing the torn corner at the upper left. 

And this pic showing the patched corner with hole drilled in place. 

And do have the nose coming in from Vette Nutts to Lake Charles FedEx shipping center so I can go get it. 

Next thing on the to do list was getting a new mattress for the guest bed and I was just the transportation for that job.  Wife chose and paid for it.  Been needing it and as Sis in Law from Texas coming in soon, Wanted to get that done. 

Next thing exciting was Dee, the sister of my wife coming in and always Sooooooooo Great to see her. Got her settled in and she loves the new mattress and the 1st night with it , sleep very well. 

Yesterday was house hunting for her as she's wishing to relocate here to be with her two sisters and 2 brothers.  Hopefully we found something that will happen about 5 blocks away from us.  Just the wait and see game now. 

So waiting on the nose part for the Vette to arrive as are the paint for it. ;-)   

And Christmas 2020 has come and gone. YES!  Did have Daughter's family over - 5 in total.  Daughter Holly,  Hubby Clint  their Son Zack  Their Daughter Alex and Her Hubby Kabuli. 

I even ended up with a 50 buck Amazon gift card from GDaughter.  

Lotsa food and memories and plans discussed among them and me not adding a lot and wife less. Just let them talk and listen. 

But the last weeks came with a few surprises.  Me and DA Vette bring in the wrong place at the wrong time and getting a tire gator into the right front of my car. Wrapped around the tire and made a mess of the body work in that area. 

On the jacks. Yes messed up. 

And with the nose off! La Yuk! 

Then begin what I want to do at this stage!  I really don't need the brake ducts to cool the front disks as don't drive that fast. for Sure. 

So decided to get a fiberglass kit from Auto Supply and build a plate to fit and glass it in place. 

So, Super glue a few splits together and let dry for a day. 

Then start building the panel to attach to the broken part of the inner fender. 

Then wash, blow dry and sand the area around the tear. Add piece and enough glass to get it stuck in place. 

Pinning it in place with pliers and clothes pin. Adding epoxy and let dry for a few hours then a 2nd coat. 

Then sand , add more epoxy,. sand and paint 1st coat of black to see where I'm at. 

Then sand that and repaint. and that's good. 

Did order parts from Vette Villians for 75 bucks delivered which were mail to me the 24th. 

Right Filler panel

Right spoiler

Right Fog Light Cover 

These coming in from V Villians

And yesterday, ordered paint from a place in New Orleans that had a kit I used before that was a perfect as you gonna get match. About 79 bucks for a pint kit. 

Monday will call a few places about a new nose. 

Mean while, in the chill mode and learning the emergency brake system. LOL. 

 

 

 Already past the middle of December! The time flies faster when yur older for sure. And YES! the weather lately has been sucking for my likes. As is anything under 60F. And we're 41F outside on my temp probe that sits under the South side of the house. The carport big thermo is on 40 even. Saw that on my trip outside to see what the sky has to offer at 3:15A.  Just clouds and no stars. Sigh! 

Things that have happened since my last entry.  

Did Cross the 159,000 mile mark on my car a week ago.  And now makes 50 thousand miles I've put on the car in the late 3 yrs and 10 months of ownership.  Also did have a ABS/Traction Control lights show up and the code said lost of ground to the pump motor in the ABS unit. It went away by itself. But did take the car out on a wet day and spun the tires to exersize the system. Need to do the same with the ABS but forgot. Next time I'm near a gravel road I'll do that. 

Then a trip to a new to me graveyard named Bertrand Cemetery not that far from me. Ended up knowing 2 peeps there. And took several pics of tombstones for a cuz that's into Memorial postings on a site. Not a big place but neat down a less traveled road. 

And still lots of work happening at the new Jennings Elementary School . Gonna be awhile and can just imagine all the paperwork in planning all the systems necessary 

Other than that for happenings, it's just roaming about on the back roads and highways to see what's happening. 

This Cov19 shut down has not effected my normal life more than about 10%  and in ways helped it. 

Bad news is my Sis In Law from Texas is under quarantine  for a bit due to the testing positive by her daughter in law for Cov19.  She was suppose to be here on the 19th but that's out.  Love that lady lots. 

Think the next thing happening is the wife, daughter and associate bunch heading for New Orleans the 19th for a gathering with Da Son Tysen. 

So, till the next. 

 Hello Thanksgiving! 

Did do a visit to sis in law's home for dinner with her and the wife's fam. Pretty neat! But just a quick HELLO to all and eat a little and back home. I'm sure Brenda will bring home much food and we'll have to eat it or it goes to waste. 

So far it's all good with the work on tying the harness off on the car. No problem with lights since. 

But , did run into another thing I've often heard of on the C5. The gas gauge going to 0 when you have gas left and the light on the dash coming on with the Low Fuel light. I knew I still have about a half tank Stopped at the first station that was open and filled it up. It only took 10.3 gallons in it's 18.5 gallon capacity so plenty left. And the gauge returned to full. 

Did stop and by some Techron to put in the gas tank. And when getting home put about 12 ozs in the tank. Next fill up I run it to about 325 miles and the gauge was reading between 3/8 and 1/2. And it took 11.2 gallons to fill.  And put about 14 ozs of Techron n before filling the tank. 

Do think that for this fill up the gauge is reading closer to actual than before. We'll see. 

Next comes wine production with the Lemon being bottle and most given to friends at present. Still good on the fig wine  with about 2 liters left. 

Did start some light green grape wine a few weeks ago.  Lot's of work with them but so far , still bubbling in it's carboy. The one in the pic to the left.  

Then a mxture of satsuma and lemon on the right. This was started with the yeast added yesterday. 

Next on the menu is the Monument for the Civil War soldiers whom where killed in our area.  On my nomal walk about I saw some scaffoling by it so venture of to see what? Finally after years, repairing it. Here are pics of the before and after. 

Here with the work going on to fill the bad spots. 

And here is the finished product.  Love it. 


















/And that's about it for this trip. Till the next. 

 Already into November.  Wow! 

Did get a few Halloween shots roaming about the city. Lot of work even though most were still repairing from Delta storm. 

Saw some 2nd crop rice being cut on my afternoon ride abouts in the country. Love those back roads for sure. 

A couple trips to Loggerheads to visit and of course a glass of wine. Still lots of damage to clean up in and around Lake Charles town and area. Wow! Gonna take a few years of no storms to get back to normal if ever. 

Then took Brenda with me to the Reed graveyard near T'Mamou to look for any Kinfolk beside the 2 I knew were there.  Did find some more Veronie's for sure.

And yesterday, attacked the short problem with the vette again. This time had bought some long pliers to run a piece of rope to the wiring harness to tie it off away from the engine. And a few coats of electrical paint to help seal the worn spot on the harness. 

Next is getting the car off the jacks this morning and a parade run through the Vet Home for Vets day parade. No stopping or getting out of the car, just a ride through and wave. 

 Wow! Sunday already and how time flys.  

Several ride abouts since Delta wrecked the area with winds and rain.  I totally enjoy my afternoon rides in the Vette or Truck.  

Poor house was the victim of the tree you see cut up to the left of the picture. Was told the peeps were riding out the Delta in the house when the tree came and visited. 

 Did take a few runs into south part of LC town but not in town for sure. Still a wreck there I'm sure. 

But a few days ago I ventured down Fruge Road South of Iowa and had to turn around and go back to high ground. 

Was enuff of that water in the Vette.  To headed back to higher ground!!!!!! 

Did get a set of chevy truck wheels from Bro in law and have one cleaned up so far. They were pretty rusted up in places but still better than my eat up aluminum ones on Da Truck at present. The jury is still out on if I'm gonna use them or lose them. 

Next is a batch of Lemon wine that it now ready for sugar and yeast this afternoon.  Did it a bit different this time by slicing up the lemons and putting them in a big pot to boil and futher making mush out of them with a little cutter I have that finally gave up on me but did finish before the motor quit. 

Did get one wheel cleaned and painted this morning on the truck wheel deal.  Now only 3 to go. 

Hello Delta.

 `I just guess that one hurricane for the year in our area was not enough for Maw Nature. She chose to send another in pretty near the same path as Laura.  Hence,  DELTA.  arrives as a Cat 2 and the eye goes right over Jennings. 

Been many years since I saw the eye of a storm.  Audrey  in 1957. But didn't remember much cept the men in the hood getting up on their roofs for inspection , then back down under cover as the last half go there. 

I did stay  outside under the carport for the hardest part right before the eye. Wow! The wind screamed so bad I had to cover my ears once. Then the quietness of the eye with a light rain. So erie. Back in the house and getting ready for bed when the winds returned and knocked out , 1st > the internet , followed rapidly by the electricity going out. 

So, to bed and getting up at '2:30a and and back to bed at 3:30a and wake up again at 7:30a and see the electrics back on. Then call from the wife whom was in Lafayette with daughter and Gdaughter. Damage report given to her from what I could see out the window as I'd not been outside yet. But, we good as far as I could tell from the kitchen. 

Put the stove on to heat  up left over coffee from yesterday and a walk about out side. About 30 plus grapefruit on the ground. And that was it for damage.  Awful lucky again. 

Did Go to Tractor Supply in Eunice and buy a generator.  5000 watt unit. Brought home, put together, put oil and gas and fired it up to test with fan. Then put it up n case of need 

Next morning before the Delta came,  got gas out of the truck, about 6 gallons and topped off the 5 gallon container just in case of need. No need. So , after the storm, put the 6 gallons back in the truck. 

Yesterday, ran generator for about 30 mins with fan on and shut gas off to let it run out in the carb. 

Will be running it every 2 weeks for 20/30 mins to keep it in shape,. 

Reminds me, need to fire up the pressure washer.  ;-) 

Did take a few runs about the area and more trees down and more electrics out. Gonna be awhile before our city back to normal for sure. 

Aftermath of a Storm

 Over a month has pasted since my last entry to my blog. But , What a Month!  A storm by the name of LAURA  has came and left SW Louisiana a big big MESS. With 150 mph winds and the eye passing just West of Lake Charles , destruction was everywhere. And as of it's entry date , 27 August 2020 , early morning.  I'll let these pictures do the talking.  

And this is not the worst of it. 

Of course I was really lucky here at my home as lost no power and no damage. But, then I got rid of all my big trees also. Only thing I kept is fig, grapefruit, kumquat and the new one. Satsuma tree still in  the 1/2 barrel till much later next year. 

And have been getting out every day pert near just driving about and checking damage to the area to the West of me. Wow! 

And now, Beta arrived out of the gulf to the Central Texas coast.  But with flooding their main problem. 

So , while this is happening, the wine making continues>  Can't do without out the wine can we? 

And this being the latest batch of Fig wine.  Still have 5  liter and a half bottles of the Dew Berry I made for the wife last month.  We will not be wineless for sure. 

Then the old Craftsman finally made me say UNCLE and get rid of it after 16 years of repairing it and now , some parts you can't get. So, a Toro rearwheel drive and the learning experience . Finally got it adjusted right and removed the rear ground flap. 

A lot different than the Craftsman's I've been using for  the last 30 years for sure.  But, we'll learn it 

So, that's about catches us up for the last month as I've been lazy about entering.