Good morning

Ernst, I keep drawing a blank.

Morning Guys.

I've got a leaky water softener, and it's time to toss it and install a new one.
Fortunately, I soldered unions into the copper pipes. It unscrews, then there's one wire and a drain hose.

Good morning everyone. I drove home yesterday. I drove in snow for about an hour and rain for another hour.

It was a quick trip, but nice to get to visit my boys a little. I tell ya, the way things are I take what I can when I can.

Anyways, you all have a great day.

Good morning Mossberg Owners.

Well I just cut the pipes between the water softener and the bypass valve and that basically got rid of my leaks, And allowed me to remove the water softener but leave the house water connected.

I had just filled the darn thing up and so I had to scoop up 300 pounds of salt into buckets.

Today I will go look for a new one, and install it.

I don't usually visit people on T-Day, but when I do they are special. This month I lost 2 very close friends. One cousin and also my first flame, (age 6 or so.) I see in the online paper that my old work partner's son was involved in a head on crash and is not doing well. The passenger of the other car was flown to Iowa City and also is stabilized but serious. SO, I bought a small turkey and today I will get some beer and Clamato. I hope the beer lasts at least for a couple days. I still want to hunt Thanksgiving Day but the snow we may be getting will cancel that. If that happens I will have to set up my pellet trap and break out the Silent Cat Spring air rifle and my Crossman single shot 10 pump pistol. I have turkey, squirrel and coyote targets. I also have a 4x4 hunk of birch for backstop. It ain't the same as the real thing but when you are at the mercy of old tires and 2" of snow ya do the best you can.

In case I don't get back here in time, Happy Thanksgiving to all. And look out for bouncing bbs and pellets.
h

I remember my Dad taking care of the water softener when I was a kid. Not a job I envied, judging by my Dad's nearly silent rumblings.

I'm pretty sure I loudly cursed the ancient gods of water, metal and fire, as the hacksaw bound up repeatedly from pressure on the pipes. Evidently the brine tank somehow had moved a little after "installation".

It just sits on the floor. Two pipes, a drain hose, and a transformer wire. Shouldn't take too long if I can get the fittings: copper union (male) to pipe (female), some pvc and a couple elbows.

If I plan everything and have no leaks, it'll be less than one hour, once it's unpacked and I am ready. It may take longer to find all the parts at Lowes.

Everyone comes to visit us on a normal year. I start shopping on the 16th. Useta be 21 folks, but Mom is gone and two daughters both divorced now.

Our yearly family reunions have dwindled in number the last few years, since grandkids now have kids but the original adults, and siblings are gone and no one seems interested in a fish fry reunion, but the "sponsors...the same every year because they use their church camp", have it there because it is convenient for them to come and say hi, then go rape the lake for fresh fish, close the party, lock up and go home, leaving only a couple bowls of fried chicken from a local grocery chain and a bowl of mashed taters or that salad with brocholi or cauliflower...cant remember the name.

“In January, when President Joe Biden and his national security team begin to reevaluate U.S. foreign policy, we hope they will quickly revise the national security strategy to eliminate ‘America first’ from its contents, restoring in its place the commitment to cooperative security that has served the United States so well for decades,” they wrote. “The best strategy for ensuring safety and prosperity is to buttress American military strength with enhanced civilian tools and a restored network of solid alliances – both necessary to achieving defense in depth.”

Retired General Mattis penned the op-ed, titled “Defense in Depth,” for Foreign Affairs with Kori Schake, director of foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, Jim Ellis, a fellow at the Hoover Institution and former commander of U.S. Strategic Command, and Joe Felter, a fellow at the Hoover Institution.

As a veteran this is very concerning to me. While focused alliances have their place, America First was more about American NOT footing the Bill nor providing the Blood.

I hope we're not returning to a policy of American intervention around the world vice negotiating policy outcomes across the table. We should first focus rebuilding our domestic infrastructure and economy.

Regards

I totally agree with this. As one of tens of millions of democrat weapons owners in America, a veteran and a retiree, I have no problem lending a helping hand here and there, but the balls to the wall, we’re Americans,dammit ! days of fixing the worlds ills while our country is crumbling, have got to stop. The issue of only republicans are real Americans and all the rest are just libtard,snowflake,socialist crybabies bs that has permeated this country for a long time,but especially the last 4 years,is getting more than a little old. We are getting another chance, hopefully with a guy without an axe to grind this time. But if that doesn’t happen, we’ll, in four more years, have another chance. But I fear that if we don’t pull our heads out, we won’t get many more chances.. sorry for the rant.

Well it’s not over until the fat lady sings.

Nothing moves slower than the law, so, as they say, keep your booger hook off the bang switch.

Rod burner, you definitely saw things differently the last 4 years than I did. I saw a democrat party that would not accept the results of an election. I saw an outgoing administration trying to set up the incoming administration for failure, and if that didn't work, then overthrow the president. I saw the Maxine Waters, Al Greens, Adam Schiff types lying to the Americam people on an almost hourly basis with the help of a left leaning media.

I also saw an economy grow like never before in my lifetime. Record low unemployment for any and all Americans that wanted to work. I saw a president actually do something about criminal justice reform and an opioid crises raging out of control. I saw the American embassy moved from Tel AViv to Jerasulem as Congress had authorized in 1996 but three presidents had kicked the proverbial can down the road. I have seen promises made and promises kept. I have seen thousands of American soldiers brought home by a president that has been against the endless wars for decades. Israel and it's middle eastern neighbors are actually making inroads to meaningful peace treaties.

It's the script the big media has penned, and promoted for us all to follow. The out-of-control wealthy media barons are proving who runs the country.

It's not the Red or Blue. It's the greenback greed of MSM that turned normal political differences into protests, riots, looting, arson, racism and murder.

Ever since the early 60's, before I knew how politics worked, I knew TV was the most important thing ever. These attitudes will change when the MSM promotes it and not before.

And they will change to whatever we are scripted to follow.

What I don't see now are missles from North Korea flying all over the region or nuclear tests underground. I don't see caravans of people heading to our southern border demanding we let them in. I see immigration order being restored. I have watched a president battle for Americans 24/7 for four years against the media, the establishment (which happens to be made up of those from the left and right) types, the career beaurecrats, and the Democratic Party.

I have watched as people like Ted Cruz, Sara Huckabee, Rand Paul, and other supporters of the president were harassed in restaurants and other places by mobs, and the news media nor any democrats ever stepped up to put a stop to it.

Then the wuhan virus came along. We will never know what anyone else would have done, but we do know the left led by Biden took the opportunity to be Monday morning quarterbacks, at the same time saying don't make this political. Again, everything the president did was criticized and politicized. No matter which way he did things it either was not enough, not on time, or the wrong thing to do. If he mandated at the federal level he would be a dictator, if he allowed the states to have control he was incompetent. He was not going to win, and yet, here we are 9 months later with 3 promising vaccines hopefully on the way.

We are also working now to ensure our supply chains don't depend on China. That may be more difficult with Joe "come on man" Biden at the helm. You remember, he who just three months ago said the police have become the enemy of the people. Funny thing, they aren't the enemy of law abiding citizens.

Oh well, I could go on but it would be futile. I have a president for the next 4 years and I will respect the office.

I’m sure we did see things differently. A lot of the things you mention are exactly the same things that dems want/ wanted too. A lot of it just boils down to the guy at the top. My background colored my view of trump, everything I saw about him on the media, even just listening to him talk. In those early days of his admin, I would hear him and think yeah this is just somebodies opinionated grampa bragging and telling big stories,just like I do at get togethers. I’d see him laughing at meetings and think with his big life, he’s probably a funny mofo when you get him away from the camera. And he did get stuff done. The thing that turned me away was that his on camera persona never stopped getting bigger because the people around him loved the show. The more he appeased their adoration, the more he pushed it, the more democrats grew into his perceived enemies,the more his people loved it,and on and on. I have a different life from you and everybody else, but what we all want is pretty much the same. I grew up in a working family. Both my parents worked. My dad voted for George Wallace. I went to a public school, lived in a safe neighborhood, played in the woods,walked the streets in town at night, rode in the bed of our pickup. I’ve never been hungry or sick. I worked my entire life in a union job, always had medical,hate paying taxes,hate crime,like cops,the military and cats and dogs. Most of the people I know are just like me, only differing on this issue, by what I see as just a few degrees of tolerance or understanding or acceptance of this or that item. I choose to mostly overlook the super vitriolic talk of my friends about trump, because I know in their heart we mostly love or hate the same stuff and always have our whole lives. I Like Ike!

And on that note, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the different takes on subjects without all the hate. I like to learn new things and hear opinions whether I agree or not. I hear about the MSM or main stream media constantly. I don’t know or care which old guy owns them or what perceived power that person may have over their content. Like was mentioned, it’s all about greed, the bottom line. I’ve watched TV my whole life, from 3 channels and an Indian chief at midnight, before the dancing ants came on, to 300 channels and gay characters on Hallmark.. I never heard of the MSM until the last 4 years, or I did, but I didn’t register it as somehow controlling my life or some sort of devious ploy to get me to like bland cereal. When I hear Main Stream, I think, uh, middle of the river, neither left bank or right. Deepest, calmest water, least effected by input by the left or right. Middle ground, on the fence..etc Greed, on the other hand, is good. Trump expounds on it, we all work and accumulate to satisfy our perception of just enough. I have an IRA, with stocks in major media, including the suddenly turncoat Fox.lol Also Koch, Exxon and Carnival cruises. Even I am the enemy of the other side, no matter what side that is. Lol I’m sure that the media does play a big part in politics. I mean now I can identify numerous politicians and governors who I couldn’t care less about 4 years ago. And still don’t, lol So I guess I can see how the nation is painted by media, or is it the squeaky wheel gets the grease. If I don’t get another wild hair, y’all have a great thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving back atcha Rod.

Happy Thanksgiving Mossberg Nation

This picture reminds me of growing up on the ranch and decorating the tables for thanksgiving with things we raised including corn, squash, apples and pumpkins. Those were enjoyable times shared with family and friends!

Bless you all