oldschool

Put the axle over the springs, as suggested above. But also install a taller shackle, either on only one end or both ends of the spring pack. This will provide more space between the trailer frame and the springs. The shackles will be however long you feel you need to keep the springs operating well.

Many ball kits come with a spacer/bushing already included. The bushing is also offered separately at most outlets selling this equipment.

Joey, I think that the vet is covering all possible bases with you in terms of taking care of Ralphie. While I am in this industry for many years, and I am not a veterinarian, I hear always that few vaccinations/treatments are 100%, and to know for certain whether a problem exists is to have the test. Your vet may know you quite well, and this may not be the situation for you, but many times they see pets that have had treatments skipped by accident, and they know that there is a chance for the disease to find a home in the pets. Heartworm is difficult to treat once established, and the sooner one knows, the better and less expensive the outcome. Heartworm has few symptoms until really late when it may not help to do the cure. Recommended treatments are for year around immunity, but that's usually not necessary, so many people skip treatments in the winter months. But it can happen that they become infected when we don't expect it. That's why the tests are done, to avoid heartworms doing damage because an ounce of prevention is much better than the pound of cure. I am sorry that I cannot be more definitive for you. You know the care that you give Ralphie, and that is really what tells the story. For what it's worth, I think that the vet is just doing everything possible to assure against any future issues.

Here is a nice presentation on bicycling in Ontario. While not specific in its declarations, it does say that bikes are to be considered vehicles, and therefore have to follow the same traffic laws as cars, etc. Also, if reading about the path and spacing that bikes need to follow, it is inherent in the law that bikes cannot pass on the side of an auto and do so lawfully. At least, that is how I would translate it if I was riding the bicycle. http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/safety/pdfs/cycling-skills.pdf

My mother loved to have birds show up at the feeder. She would always talk about the different species that showed up we would tell us what they were doing. Her favorites were Cardinals; she absolutely loved to see them when they spent time outside of her kitchen window. We had Cardinals engraved on her gravestone so that they could be around her for eternity. Thanks for those pictures, Lew; the memories bring her back to me.

I have a Giant brand bike that has served me quite well for several years. I bought the Suede model as I was looking for something primarily for pleasure riding on streets and trails. It has 21 speeds, but mostly, I wanted something that I could ride sitting more upright and with a larger seat for comfort. This one was about $450 in the states, and I honestly would recommend the brand to anyone given my history with it. Lots of good answers here, and I know that many brands will serve the purpose. I did buy mine from a bike shop because I wanted the specialized service that came with it, such as, the one year package of tuneups and general service. I expected the gear changing to require more service than it did. I had it in the shop only one time, but only because I was nearing the end of the year, and I wanted to have it checked out before then.

Herbeck has sold the lodge and has made public announcements about that fact. I received the yearly newsletter from the lodge as I had been there years ago. Never again, however, even before I knew of this recent situation. He also says that he will be doing professional guiding for the lodge, along with his son, Danny. I highly doubt that he or his son will be doing anything in Ontario for quite some time, and that's a good thing. We now know the reason that he sold the lodge!

Beautiful, Joey. Goldfinches are perhaps my favorite. The one captured in midair with wings folded is amazing. Thank you for sharing.

I believe that most of these transducers can be used 'through the hull' if so desired. That would tend to indicate that it does not need to be submerged to work properly. I tend to doubt that it would indicate proper depth out of the water, however, as the signal travels at different rates through different media. It's probably not a big deal if only a few feet, so whatever testing you are planning would probably be fine.

Fluorescent lights are not all designed for use in all temperatures. Your symptoms indicate that you have general use fixtures, and that means that they are most suitable for room temperature situations. The more weakness in your system, such as, weak ballasts, bulbs, will cause the lights to fail. Often the lights will come on only with a low glow, or in colder temps not at all. The best and most assured fix is to purchase new fixtures for cold temperature use, and these will work in all temperatures. You may get by with you current set-up, if you have an optimal situation, for most temperatures when you are able to work in shirt sleeves, but it will never be correct when temperatures get cooler.

Not that this is entirely relevant, but this is a very nice lodge with good people running it. I hope that all who suffer from this event can find peace for themselves in their lives after such trauma.

Gerritt, the F150 (1999) is absolutely the easiest brake replacement that I have ever done in my 40 years of shade-tree work. You will not even need the book, but only about 10 minutes to do a bit of looking and finding the two bolts on each wheel that hold the calipers on. No fancy special use wrenched needed either; just standard wrenches that would be found in any standard equipped do-it-yourselfer's garage. When off, the rotors simply pull straight off. I would do new ones as well as others have said. They can be turned quite easily, but with the price as low as it is for new ones, it isn't worth the extra trip to town. I would suggest good quality replacement pads as they are only about $30 a set higher than the cheap ones down here in Iowa. My four wheels only took me about 1 1/2 hours, and that was removing wheels and all. Maybe 2 hours as it always seems cheaper and quicker a few months after the fact. Lastly, I would do all four wheels each time. I think it's easier to do it as a set, and it always seems to last only a while until the next set would be due anyway. I like to know that my brakes are well maintained, and that I have no concerns with them at all. Good luck, not that this job needs any luck at all. Roy

All very good answers. Plus...it keeps the lines away from the propeller. a good thing with the young, inexperienced, and heck, even the unlucky amongst us.

It is quite impossible to ignore the fact that the human race has a tremendous impact upon our natural resources. It is quite possible that much of that impact is harmful to our environment (one might ask the Passenger Pidgeon.) The first step in correcting any negative impact is to realize that it exists. Al Gore's works are a step towards leading people to the inevitable conclusion that humans have an impact, that much of that impact is negative, and that humans need to recognize that fact. I fail to understand how burying the human race's massive head in the sand will further our successes on this planet.

"Looks like something I seem in a bar the other day" It'll take a lot of beers before that thing looks good enough to take home!