I'm Still Around

Wre We Today

Paisley, Ontario

Yes, I am still around, of course you know that, because you follow Patsy’s posts faithfully. We certainly have had quite the year, quarantine when we came home, covid-19 ever since and now staying here for the winter. Everyone has their opinion on what is right, what isn’t, wear a mask, don’t wear a mask, don’t go out or go out. This post is not about any of that. Each one of us has to determine what is right for oneself and respect each other for that decision, that’s all I’m going to say about it.

This post is hobby related; it has to do with me expanding my knowledge of new products that I want to install in the 15 ft. Telemaster. My RC buddies, know that I am a basic nothing fancy flyer, so I am really stepping out of comfort zone with these new products.

15 Ft Telemaster

The first one is a new Spektrum iX 12 intelligent radio (Android Operation) that I bought for myself back in September.

Spektrum iX12 Radio

Secondly, I purchased a Spektrum AR9030T, 9 channel receiver and thirdly, Smart-Fly Power System Eq6. This last one is completely new to me and will admit that it may be overboard for what it is going in, but I believe a good way to learn about it for other models. It will also, I admit, take me some time to get my head wrapped around the setting up part, but that’s the challenge, right.

Spektrum 9 Channel Receiver and Smart- Fly

Today, I went through the process of binding the receiver to the radio, with success confirmed by plugging in a servo and operating it.

Receiver bond, servo one direction 

Receiver bond and servo opposite direction

Bear with me as I go through the process of setup and installation into the Telemaster, with it’s maiden flight to happen this summer 2021, COVID-19 or no COVID-19.

One of my followers,” Yankeeflyer”, I know is wanting to know how the Corsair is coming along, I have it with me, but haven’t done any more to it. Space is limited, but I hope to do some work on it while here. Bear with me and I will post updates as I work on it.

Thanks for stopping by, your thoughts and comments are always welcome. As this is probably my last post of the year, I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and all the best in the New Year. Most of all, please be safe and stay healthy.

Where has the Summer gone

Where Are We Today

Tonight, we are sitting in the parking lot of Can Am RV, we are here to get some much-needed repairs done to the trailer. Some of these were to be done last April, but we all know what happened – COVID. Since then, we have added some items to the list, so as many items that can be done this week, will be.

Where has the summer gone? I know you read patsyischillin.blogspot.ca, so you are up to date on our day to day lives. With us both working time has flown by. I have and still do enjoy working with Mike’s Home Improvements, even though my body tells me different some days. We finally got the house in Walkerton done and have moved onto one in Neustadt.  

Also, you know we have had to find alternate accommodations for this winter, not being able to go to Arizona this year has been a hard reality to accept. We will make the best of it, continue working and safe for a great time next year.

I have had a few inquiries about the Corsair, the fuselage is skinned, the wing has been mounted and centered and I am about to mount the tail.

Fuselage skinned

My 15 ft. Telemaster is ready for its maiden flight, if the winds and timing would co-operate. I am still hoping it might happen this fall yet, if not first thing in the spring.

Taxi Run of my 15 Ft. Telemaster

That’s it, short and sweet. Thanks for stopping in, until the next time, take care, stay healthy and wear a mask when you have to.

Work and Ridge Projects

Where Are We Today

Chillin with Patsy has been keeping you up to date on the comings and goings here at the “Ridge”, along with her working at the “Mat and Graceland 2”.

I to have been busy, as Patsy as eluded to each day, I go off to work. If I didn’t mention in my last post, I am working for a friend, Mike’s home Improvements, doing siding, decks and some dry walling. Our work takes place here in Mid-Western Ontario, in the small towns and villages.

The following pictures are some of the jobs we have done or still working on.

This deck we put on the back of a house in the town of Mt. Forest

Beams in place for the new deck

Deck boards on

Railing up

Gate installed

Of course, someone had to go for a swim.

While you are in there, will you get the baluster that rolled in and sunk to the bottom.

I have also been working on a couple of projects here at the “Ridge”, one was to install a piece of vinyl flooring in my cargo trailer and the second was to have a load of “A” gravel dumped and spread in front of the “Hangar and cargo trailer.

Waiting for glue to set up before laying the back half.

Front half laid

Finished and the planes back in.

Here comes my load of gravel

Starting to dump

Now for the hard part

Getting there

Here we are at the end of July, one of the hottest summers in a long time. This part of Ontario is in phase 3 of the covid pandemic reopening. For our American readers, this is where the Ontario government has said that businesses can reopen and under what guide lines. The counties have set guides lines also, mainly the wearing of a mask or face shield when you go into a business. We will remain in phase 3 until a vaccine is developed, unless we have another outbreak.

For those following the Corsair build, I have got a little more done on the fuselage

Bottom stringers .

Hope you are all doing well, thanks for dropping in and until the next time take care, stay safe and healthy. 

 

Change of Pace

Where Are We Today

The Ridge

It has been almost a month since my last post, though I know you have been keeping up to date through Patsy

This summer is sure different for me, instead of working down in London for CanAm Rv, I am working for our friend, Mike, who has a renovation construction company. For just over four weeks now, I have been with 3 or 4 others, working on a reno of the outside of an old house in Walkerton, Ontario. We have rebuilt a second story deck, added new vinyl siding, most of the soffit and some of the fascia is done and almost finished. We have also torn down an old garage which will be rebuilt. 

Rebuilding Second Storey Deck

I have had my hand in a little bit of everything, cutting material, putting on siding, erecting and tearing down scaffolding and any other thing to be helpful.

I got up to the top of the second level

Yes that's me

Bill, one of the guys I work with

 Apparently, they are able to teach this old dog what needs to be done and I am enjoying the work. I will admit that it’s more physical and most days I am wore out and stiff when I get home, but feel a sense of accomplishment. 

The other side of the house

This is short and sweet, thanks for stopping by, until the next time, stay safe and healthy.

  Patsy

May Update

 Where Are We Today

Since my last post, many of you know what the goings on here at the Ridge are, as you follow Patsy’s blog daily. As informative as Patsy’s posts are, she does leave some details of my doing, for me to post.

Outer Tips Covered

Wing completely covered

I have continued to work on my model, the wing has been skinned now and work started on the fuselage. I have not said what kind of plane it is that I am building, but a couple of followers have. For any airplane enthusiast, one look at the gull wing and you would know that it is a WWII fighter, the F4U Corsair.

Working on top half of fuselage

Top half of fuselage

For some time now, I have wanted to get a new laptop, as my 9-year-old one has stopped working in some areas. I am happy to say that a new HP laptop has been purchased and with only a couple of frustrating set up glitches, I am up and running, this post is being written on it.

New on the left, old on the right

New on the left, old on the right

 On another good note, the truck is fixed, except we are waiting on a new back-up camera, the original took quite a jar when the trailer pin box landed on the tail gate.

Black Beauty ready to come home

The latest news from me is that I have started a part time job with a friend and local contractor doing what ever I can to help out at the job site, so far it has been clean-up, dismantling and cutting and handling materials. I have found some un-used muscles, but I’m enjoying what I do and learning some things at the same time.

 This week we will get a date to get the trailer in for the repairs to the cap, where it cracked after hitting the box sides of the truck. It will be in the shop for three to four days, so Rob and Pat have offered to bring their trailer here to the Ridge for us to stay in while ours is being fixed.

The grass is growing and the cutting and trimming has begun. The buds are turning into leaves and the trees are filling out, there are many birds and chipmunks entertaining us daily, life is good here at “the Ridge”.

Thanks for dropping by, always great to hear your comments. Until the next time, be safe and take care.

 

Cupboard Refit

Where Are We Today

The Ridge

Our kitchen cupboard where we keep our dishes, can and dry goods, has two adjustable shelves in it. The adjuster strips are made of plastic and held on with 5/8 staples. I suppose for normal use, these plastic strips are great, but for full timers, like us, and the traveling we do, they are not the best.

Plastic adjuster strips removed

5/8 inch staple that held the strips on

With the weight of the goods on them when traveling, the shelves tend to bounce and the plastic tabs bend and sometimes break, causing the shelves to either droop or drop down. We decided on our way home, that since we never adjust these two shelves that I would make them permanent. To do this, I used four boards 3/4 X 1 3/4 x 22 inches, to replace the plastic strips, and permanently fastened them to the sides of the cupboard.

Pat always seems to a pic of me working

Patsy emptied the cupboard shelves in preparation for the refit.  I drilled four holes in each board, counter sunk each hole and used 1 1/2 inch screws with plastic anchors to mount them to the inside wall of the cupboard. There is a space of about 3/4 of an inch between the inside and outside walls of the cupboard, so I had to trim the plastic plugs a little so they would fit in between the two walls.

First shelf done

 I had pre-measured where each shelf was, so marking the sides for each shelf, I held up the boards and marked where the holes in the wall needed to be drilled. Put in the anchors and fastened the boards. Replaced the shelves, cleaned up my mess and put the tools away. Patsy then restocked the shelves.

Second shelf done

Shelves back in

That's about it for this post, today is another cold windy day here at "The Ridge" and it looks like we are in for a few more before the warm temperatures return. Until the next time, take care, stay safe and let common sense prevail.

 

Update, Projects and A Rant

Where Are We Today

The Ridge

Priceville, Ontario

Six weeks have passed since we returned home from our winter in the south , and life is anything but normal, more about that later.

It was five days ago since I wrote that first line, I guess I got distracted, so I had better stick to it and get this post done before Ken posts that they have returned home.

Since we have been home, we have busied ourselves with getting "The Ridge" all set up, which I am sure you all know about by reading Patsy's posts. In my last post, I mentioned that I started building an RC kit. To update my progress, the wing structure is framed, the leading and trailing edges have been shaped and I am now getting ready to put the skin on the wings.

Left side

Right Side

So, what else have I been up to you may ask, well let me tell you. A couple of weeks ago now, while driving back from getting water, I saw on the side of the road a couple of cupboards, chairs and work tables that someone had put out for free, so I scooped them up real quick and brought them home for a use to be determined.

Finally, I decided to put the two cupboards up in the utility shed to help organize better then it was.

Cupboards installed in the utility shed

The two work tables are sitting just outside "The Hangar" where they can be used for any project. I used to have two of these in my hobby room at our sticks and bricks house with my band saw and drill press on, they were sold along with other items when we sold the house.

The two tables

One other major repair that I have done since returning here, is to replace the black tank dump valve, a smelly job to say the least. The valve is located just after the tank, and opened and closed by a pull/push cable, located inside a small compartment on the outside of the trailer. 

Here is the valve, just below the tank. The tank is located right underneath the bathroom floor.

The black handle is the remote pull to open the valve.

We have had a problem with this valve operation before and it seems to stem from the cable binding and making it almost impossible to operate.  So I decided to replace it with a standard operating valve, where I will just have to reach in through the basement storage area to operate the valve.

The replacement process is no easy feat, as to the confined working space, but with some grunting, groaning and a little blue air from an old man, I and a little help from Patsy got the job done.

Not an easy feat.

Here is the new one installed.

Now back to life, it is anything but normal. By now we are all getting tired of the physical distancing, the constant news stories, who's right, wrong or indifferent. In the beginning, we came home, did our isolation and  practiced the physical distancing.  I have to admit that I was at first upset by people that ignored the whole thing and said they were going to live their lives. I wanted to give them my two cents worth, but old age has calmed those impulses.  I realize that they are entitled to their opinions and I have to respect that, so I do.

The Hangar

We all have to decide what to believe from articles published by so called experts and news agencies. I for one , do not believe all the stories from the news , as stories have been proven false.

Our two countries were built on freedom through democracy, we say freedom came from the wars fought and the lives lost, and we should not forget that. Freedom also came with responsibility, to live by the laws made by those we elected to govern us, along with the right to march, protest and demonstrate peacefully to try and change those laws. I hope we all can remember that.

Home on the Ridge

Both our countries, each state /province, county, townships within counties, towns and cities  are handling this in degrees of difference, hard to fathom or make sense of.

 Normal cannot come soon enough.  For my friends and family, from now on, the next time we meet, if you are open to shaking hands or giving hugs, I am too. If not, I respect that as well. Remember, as with any cold, flu or sickness be sensible, wash your hands, cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze and if you are sick, stay home, protect those who are at risk, especially the elderly.

That's my rant, no more said.

Thanks for tuning in, until the next time stay safe, healthy and take care.