Category Archives: Bob

Grandpa’s truck

September 17, 2019Bob, Family, Farming, Odds and endssusanmanzke

A while back I saw our son, Russ, taking his son to look at Grandpa Bob’s old farm truck.

I couldn’t figure out what they were doing. It wasn’t until later that I found out that Russ was giving Harrison an education.

Russ was showing the hand crank in the truck door that worked the window.

It was something Grandpa had that none of their cars had. The crank was very interesting to Harrison.

I wonder what else we have around that would be considered ancient. I think that in the attic there’s a dial telephone that was attached to the wall by a cord. How in the world did we call on that phone without buttons?

One windy day

September 13, 2019Bob, nature, Wisconsinsusanmanzke

To get to our usual critter cam location we’d need a boat. Because of all the rain we’ve had we relocated the camera. As Bob switched the cards today a wind blew one out of his hand. He was worried it had flown into the water-filled ditch. Luckily I found high on the bank close to the tree.

We almost lost this photo and hundreds more. So happy we found the SD card. Bob says he’ll be more careful when switching cards next time, or he’ll just let me do it.

Shopping @ Fleet Farm

September 4, 2019Bob, worksusanmanzke

We are expecting a repair person to come here next week to work on our clothes dryer. It hasn’t been working for over a month.

Today, Bob and I drove to Fleet Farm for dryer vent parts so we can start with a fresh venting setup.

Since we didn’t know exactly where the dryer vent parts would be found, we walked through the store, picking up dog food and cat food along our journey.

One of the parts we brought home was this vent kit.

Bob went to work as soon as we got home.

It took both of us to put everything together and hang the new vent section in the basement. Of course, there were no extra hands to take pictures when we were struggling to get it set up so you won’t see me in a photo.

We are now ready for the dryer to be repaired … or replaced. Let’s hope for the repair and not the costly replacement. Fingers are crossed.

Bob doing some fixing

September 2, 2019Bob, creativity, Odds and ends, Sunnybook Farmsusanmanzke

The Manzkes brought up two wooden picnic tables from Illinois some 40 years ago. They had them for years in Illinois and we still use them in Wisconsin.

The thing is that they aren’t exactly as they were many years ago. Wood doesn’t last forever and when Bob finds some wood rotting he replaces it.

Last week Bob thought these picnic tables had finally come to the end of their lives. He was ready to make a bonfire out of them, but I talked him out of that drastic measure.

Bob searched out some wood scraps and patched the heavier table back together.

Never fear, after his patching, the picnic table is usable again–maybe for many more years to come.

Bombs away!

August 28, 2019Bob, gardening, Weather, wildlifesusanmanzke

The apples on our trees are coming down. A wicked wind in hurrying them off the trees.

Bob wants to mow the grass under the trees, but he can’t. The apples are in his way.

What to do? Pick them up.

Bob can not pick up off the ground, so he uses his grabber. I just lean over and pick up as many as I can.

We both had to watch for falling apples. A healthy wind was bombing us with the fruit. Good thing the apples are rather small this year. These don’t hurt so much when they drop on our heads.

Hopefully, we’ll get some good apples off the trees before they all blow down.

Wonder what we do with the apples that have fallen? We take them down the lane and toss them in an unplanted area where we just happen to have our critter cam set up. It isn’t our fault that deer and other critters come and eat some of the discarded fruit.

Susan Manzke

Writer, Speaker, All-Around Good Person