This Ain't the Way We Did It

Roger started transplanting tobacco on my farm yesterday. 

Planting eight rows at a time. Sixteen people dropping plants, four people following to catch missed drops, one on the tractor and probably twenty-five people in total. 

This is not the way we did it when I was growing up on the farm and we planted tobacco in these same fields. Mother and daddy would pull the plants in the morning.  They would get me out of school that afternoon so that I could drive the tractor while they dropped the plants. 

Our planter looked something like this, but the tractor was a Farmall Cub. 

We thought we were state-of-the-art farmers. This is the way it was done before farmers had tractors. 

Don't You Just Love Family Reunions?

It was a beautiful spring day when the Adams family had their family reunion Sunday. Becky's mother was an Adams. Therefore, I get to attend these functions. 

It was held this year at the Pleasant Grove Community Building on highway 210 between Angier and McGees crossroads. 

Everything is ready for the crowd to arrive. 

Remembering those who are no longer with us. 

Everyone around Angier know that the Adams family love to talk. They did find time to eat. 

I always like to go to the Adams reunions because the food is the BEST. 

Inside the IPad (update)

UPDATE

It's repaired!  After $47 dollars in parts and at least 4 hours of aggravation, it works. Don't try to do this unless you have lots of patience and a young set of eyes. I think I would do it again it it breaks, but only because I learned what not to do the first time. 

EARLIER POST

I have an iPad 2 that is now several years old. Unfortunately, I knocked it off the vanity onto the hard ceramic floor. You can probably guess what happened. Yes, cracked the screen. Apple charges about $150 to repair a screen. A search on Amazon revealed that you can buy a new screen for $18 and the required tools for another $7.

I am a retired engineer with a few technical skills so the choice was obviously to replace the screen myself. The parts arrived, I watched the repair several times and away we go. 

New screen and tool kit. Don't waste your money on the the tool kit. An Exacto knife works best. 

The screen of the iPad is attached with 3-M adhesive. A heat gun is required to soften the glue so that the screen can be removed with the Exacto knife.  Not an easy job. It took me two hours to get to this point. 

The inside of the iPad. The large three black panels are the batteries. The lower right silver part is the brain. 

In the process of repairing the iPad I cut the WIFI antenna with the Exacto knife and I also broke the new screen.  So much for my technical skills. The second $18 dollar screen has arrived, but the $4 WIFI antenna has not. I now have $50 invested and three hours of time. Not so sure I made the right choice. 

If I can get the thing back together, I will let you know. 

Tony's Toys

If the man that dies with the most toys is the winner, the rest of us can give up now. We will never live long enough to accumulate what Tony Mangum has. I have been helping Tony some on the upcoming class social. I asked him to let me take some pictures of his toys to share with you on the blog. 

Tony's latest project is Mid-60's Buick Riviera. 

This ride has the big block nailhead with two fours. 

Here is the civil war cannon replica. His group does a lot of traveling with this cannon for reinactments and special events. 

This is the "limber" better know as an ammo wagon. 

1934 ford five window coupe. 

You probably guessed that Tony owns a hog. 

Tony in his Civil War museum. 

More museum stuff. 

 

Some nice prints and artifacts. 

THIS PHOTOGRAPH WAS CENSORED by my daughter as inappropriate, although George Clooney wore one in "O Brother, Where Art Thou?". 

Original outfit speaks to the history of the South whether we like it or not. You can not change where you were born or your experiences growing up. Our responsibility is to see that the mistakes of the past are not repeated. 

These are a few of his toys. He showed me lots more than what I've shown. Come to the class social and he could show you the rest of his collection. Heck, he might even fire the cannon. 

Spring at Last

It has been a long and cold winter, but there are now signs that spring has arrived. The temperatures are rising. Pollen is so thick that you can hardly breathe. Dogwoods are in bloom. The Masters is underway in Augusta. Yes, spring is here. 

Saturday was a beautiful day to enjoy some outdoor activities. One of my favorites is boating and that is exactly what I did. 

Max Henries invited me (or maybe I invited myself) to go sailing with him on the Pamlico near little Washington.  This is what a sailboat race looks like when the wind is not blowing. 

Later in the day I returned to Morehead City in time to take an evening cruise with our neighbors on the Newport River. 

Just drifting along and enjoying the scenery. 

This is a picture of the sun setting over the Newport. Herbert, it is time for you to move back to the beach. 

Spring Break

The grandchildren are out of school for spring break this week and we are fortunate to have everone together in Morehead City. When I say everyone I mean two daughters, their husbands, three grandboys and two dogs and, of course, Becky and I. That's nine people and two dogs in one house.  

It's really not too crowded at all. It has worked great. The grandparents have done the child and dog sitting when required which suits us just fine. At other times we have had family outings as well as other activities. Following are some random photographs of the family.  I'm sure most of our classmates have similar spring break experiences to share. 

Me holding the youngest grandson, Levi. 

Grand dog Sally

Grand dog Gypsy. 

Levi's Dock Siders. 

Ready for boating. A real fashion statement. 

Lunch at Ruddy Ducks, my favorite place to eat in Morehead City. 

Levi, the center of attention. 

Brendan the middle grandson. 

Oldest grandson Eamon playing video games. 

Levi's first solid food, a banana smoothie. 

And a little golf at Morehead City Country Club. The fairways are still brown from the cold winter cold but the greens were nice.