10.31.2026

 

Happy Halloween everyone!  It's a beautiful fall day here, so hopefully the trick-or-treaters will have fun.  

The engine light came on in the 4Runner, so Jim ran diagnostics on it.  It said that something was wrong with the knock sensor.   Jim replaced both sensors as well as the cable, so he struggled to see how that would be wrong.  But in order to get at it, he would have to take the top part of the engine off.  This is the old cable and sensors...

Jim was able to reach the top connection...

It's kind of hard to see in this picture, but there are wires poking out not going into the sensor connection!  Jim tried to get the connection off, to no avail, so he's going to try and cut it off and splice one of the old ones on.

It was a bit challenging, but Jim was able to solder the old connector onto the new cable.  He still has to wrap the connection with some electric tape and try it out - that's tomorrow's job.  We're off to church!

We sure were hoping that the powers that be could settle on one time (preferably Standard Time!), but here we are for another year, turning back the clocks.

High 53.2/Low 34.3

10.30.2026

Yesterday was a busy day - we started with dentist appointments in the morning.  Jim has to get a crown, which he was anticipating, so he'll have some work coming up.  Then in the afternoon, we headed back down to see the cornea specialist, following up after his corneal debridement.  After a lot of testing and a lot of conversations with the doctor, and even a very scary mention of a cornea transplant, the conclusion is that the best step forward right now is to get the right cataract replaced.  There is a new light adjustable lens that allows the doctor to fine tune the prescription using UV light after it has been implanted.  So we're waiting to get things scheduled.  It was a good discussion but a long day; we didn't get home until about 6:00.

Jim started off the day today with getting a haircut and then doing some computer work.  Outside, he got the other handle back on the door of the Bobcat.  Plus, we were admiring how clean the windows look now!

Jim put the charger for the excavator in the battery charger and then he took it up to the excavator.  It's crazy, but we haven't used it all year - we had to take its winter tarp off!  But we have some tree work to do and Jim likes to give it a little workout as well...

After being completely ignored for a year, the excavator started up instantly - this thing is a true work horse!

Jim brought it down next to the driveway to where we plan on transplanting some pines, replacing the ones that didn't survive.  He wanted to get the stumps dug out so that we can just put the new tree in its place...

All three holes dug out...

10.29 - High 66.4/Low 38.6
10.30 - High 58.4/Low 40.5 - breezy

10.28.2026

What a gorgeous sunrise to start the day...

I was gone until early afternoon, doing errands from a haircut, to getting my flu shot, to going to the grocery stores.  

Jim is still doing some tweaking on the car - once I got home and Jim schlepped all my groceries upstairs, we got the hood lifted back onto the car...

All in place and hooking up fluid hoses...

 

High 51.9/Low 30.5

10.27.2026

Jim had to start the day doing blood work in advance for his physical next week.  The best news is that his PSA was still 0!  So incredibly grateful.

Jim continued buttoning things up on the 4Runner and getting the tires back on.  It's back on the ground!

Then we took it out for a test drive around the block, minus the hood.  It ran great!

 Doing some diagnostics...

Tonight was the Mug Club party - perfect because Jim and I had much to celebrate!  Once a year, you have to pay for your mug for the year.  In exchange, you get a free t-shirt and the party, which is all the food and beer you want - or have room for.  We stayed for our fill and then left but it is always fun to head into Saratoga.

High 53.8/Low 34.7

10.26.2026

Jim spent all afternoon tying up loose ends on the 4Runner.  He got the radiator installed...

Using his vacuum system to fill up the brake fluid...

Battery is back in, complete with its new cover...

So now there's nothing left but to try and start it.  Every single system in the engine has new parts and pieces, so if something doesn't work, it's going to be a diagnostic nightmare.  Jim doesn't have the seats in the car, so he had to sit on the floor to start it...first crank and it started!

Now Jim is doing checks to make sure there are no leaks or issues...

Checking underneath...

This has been months of work culminating in this start up!  I'm always confident that Jim can do anything so I'm never surprised, but just very happy!

I had an eye doctor appointment this morning, and the turkeys weren't even bothered as I backed out of the driveway...

High 70.2/Low 33.4 - gorgeous!

10.25.2026

Jim has continued to work on finishing up connections and hoses in the engine.  He got the new studs put in and torqued.  Here he's putting in the fan...

Everything looks so good!

Cleaning the radiator...

He was supposed to meet someone for a Craigslist sale but the guy postponed it so he just got home as I'm typing this.  

10.25 - High 58.4/Low 29.9
10.26 - High 63/Low 30

10.23.2026

 Jim finished cleaning the windows and got the Bobcat ready to reinstall them...

Finishing up inside the pole barn...

Jim's been waiting for hardware for the 4Runner and late this afternoon the studs finally arrived.  They've been a tough part to get - Jim originally ordered them through a Toyota dealer south of us and that didn't work.  We ordered them from the dealer in Saratoga, waited over a week, only to find out that Toyota canceled the order because the minimum order was 10.  So Jim found another source online and hopefully all will be well.  

These oak trees on the west side of the house outside the auto bay are just glowing with color in the sunshine...

High 57.3/Low 35.4