Summer is starting

Summer heat is setting in. During high sun the bass are active in the back waters. I've been fishing a few feet deep to surface, but letting the lure run super low when I get toward the bank. This is where I've been hooking the most bass this year. Right off the bank.



I've had good luck with white and light colored lures, usually diving minnows. I run them slow with fast spurts. Helps it look like a dying minnow. I run them pretty close to the surface out away from the bank. But keep them deeper by the bank.

With the summer heat I've had vehicle issues. My Bronco, the beast decided to die on me, the battery kept discharging. The alternator seems to be fine. And the only other clue was the gas gauge. It stopped working off and on. Low and behold the gas tank wires where pinched under the tank lip and over the frame. It had cut the wires, letting them connect and run a current.



I cut the harness and spliced in an extra 6" wires. I ran it over the frame, over the tank. So it is now way out of the way. With my truck there will be more surprises coming I'm sure.

Inner Tie Rod 1986 Ford Bronco

Back to working on one of my babies, my truck. My 1986 Bronco started to get a little swervey on the road. My mom’s boyfriend swore the ball joints were shot. I picked up the lower set, about 10 bucks a piece. After inspection the ball joints were not that bad. They aren’t new, but they aren’t loose. The out wheel bearings have a little play. The u joints at the wheel are shot. Really shot. But I don’t run 4x4 too much so they can wait.



The tie rod ends are soft, not wobbly yet, so they have a while. The inner tie rod on the driver side was the issue. I could grab the inner tie rod and shake it about a half inch. So I took the ball joints back and got a inner tie rod, for about the same price. I should have did the tie rod, the sleeve is fine though.
But being on a tight budget I can only do so much at once. So I changed the inner tie rod, which AutoZone calls the draglink, though I’ve never heard the inner tie rod on the driver side called draglink, that is usually the passenger side on the fords, hooks to the pitman arm.





I changed it out, took off the tie rod, then the inner tie rod. The inner tie rod was really in there I was gentle with the hammer to not damage the side. But it came out. I greased everything, took the tie rod and greased it, greased the boot, and greased the new end, even though it was greaseless. I greased the other side tie rod, and inner end on the passenger too. I used marine grease, all purpose. I choose it over regular front in grease, because the front end of the truck sees a lot of water. A lot of water.



But it didn’t take too long, worse thing was getting those stupid aluminum wheels back on. The outcome? The truck handles much tighter, not as wobbly. It still is a two hander, with the tire treads is has some wander at slower speeds, but not bad.
A tip for this blog, measure your old tie rod before you take it out the sleeve. Measure from the sleeve to the end of the inner tie rod, measure the new one and wrap tape at the length, so when you thread the new tie rod in you get the same length. Too long or two short and your alignment will be screwed.

Tuscan Garden Ranch

So I went to use some ranch dressing. I noticed the label was different. Hmmm a flavor. I looked at the label, green and blue, vegetables soaked in ranch dressing in the background. Colorful seasonings stood bold in the white dressing.

So I now read the label. Tuscan Garden Ranch. Tuscan Garden? Is that a reference to the type of spices and flavors that are in my new ranch? Is that title to remind me about the freshness of this ranch, like it is right out of the garden?

That’s not what I thought when I read Tuscan Garden Ranch. I thought, Tuscan Garden Ranch. . . what the hell does a Tuscan garden taste like? Leaves and dirt? Who the hell wants to eat leaves and dirt?

Maybe it took me back to my garden fresh experience. While it wasn’t a Tuscan garden it was a garden experience. I ran out to our garden at about 10 years old. I ripped off some lettuce and threw it on my quick made BLT sandwich. I took a bite, and half a spider crawled out between two leaves of lettuce.

Leaves and dirt that’s what I thought. Not about a fresh tomato from a crisp Tuscan Garden, I thought about leaves and dirt. Evidently no one in that study group thought like me. Such a shame.