[RHClarke]

We experienced a very soggy and wet Saturday. The temps were well above zero and the rain really helped make a mess of things. Lucifer was fired up to drive off the humidity inside the barn so that Bob could continue his work on the sewing machines. Later on Grant and Bob demounted a Michelin military tire from a civvy rim and remounted it on a CMP rim using the Hammond Barn special tool that turns a fight into a casual chore (see the applicable thread). I spent the day removing grease, crud and rust from two hubs belonging to the 42 HUP Pilot model. While one hub had considerable brake wear on the inside, the other was in pristine shape. Both will have to be milled and fitted for shoes in the near future.

After lunch Bob took his truck for a ride to the back 40. It wasn't hard to tell where he went as the ground (mud) under the snow is still not frozen. Later we removed snow and ice from the shelters and spend a good amount of time digging out doorways. The boys found that Bob's shelter needed a new tarp, so they played at that task. All of this outdoor work was done in anticipation of the rain on Sunday and the cold snap that was forecasted to follow on Monday. For three of four seasons we spend as much time preparing for the weather events as we do actual CMP work. Part of the charm at the barn.

Photos:
1 - The slush on the barn just waiting for an unsuspecting denizen to walk through the door (it still had not let go when we departed).
2 - Bob's jacket hanging by the fireplace with care after a good soaking outside (Pilot model water pump hangs in the foreground).
3 - Evidence of CMP life at the barn.
4 - Pilot model hubs after the initial cleaning.