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Around Town: Oh, That Honey Do List

By Gary Wamsley
Berthoud Recorder

I took advantage of the weekend to catch up on some of the outdoor “honey do” items. Cutting the grass was tops among those chores. You may have had the same problem, it seemed that every time I planned to do mow it would rain. By now, the grass was about 18 inches tall and pretty hard not to notice.

Saturday was still a problem. Whenever I went outside the thunder would start. I did manage to do some repairs, jobs I could stop and seek shelter when the sky started rumbling. I am not keen about working outside when there is lightning.

Sunday dawned bright and sunny and this looked like the opportunity I had been waiting for. I had a new battery in the riding mower and it started easily but despite extensive work last year, it still has some running problems. The problem is fuel. The mower has a gravity feed like the Model T Ford and it seems to not work as well. The mower runs fine until the tank is about half full and then the engine starts cutting out. Topping off the tank solves the problem so it is obviously the fuel. An electric fuel pump would solve my problems if there is such a device for mowers.

After running the riding mower, I got out the push mower for trimming and discovered it had a broken front wheel. A three-wheeled mower is hard to handle and leaves an uneven cut so that job had to be put off.

I was soon to discover some more broken equipment. Last year I purchased a 40-gallon sprayer to control weeds in the corral. I used it in July and put it away without thinking about winterizing it. That was a mistake. I drained the tank well, but did not run antifreeze through it and the result was a crack in the pressure switch that allowed water to spray out the front of the motor. Of course, I did not discover this until the tank was full and had no choice but to do the job with water spraying out the motor.

There certainly is a moral here. Take care of your equipment and check it often. Does anyone know where I can find a fuel pump for the mower?

There was a lull in activity in Berthoud this week, but Lyons was going full tilt with its outdoor games. The town seemed to be covered with kayaks. This weekend we have the Berthoud Historical Society Home Tour, a wonderful event. Then next week is the Lyons “Good Old Days,” their equivalent of our Berthoud Day, but the celebration lasts for three days. Having a foot in both towns keeps us very busy.

Then comes Independence Day and fireworks all over the area. You shouldn’t have any problem finding a good place to enjoy the 4th of July displays.

Keep busy, and I’ll see you around town.

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