Any of you monkeys want a banana?

Things almost always seem funnier in retrospect, don't you agree? For example, last Saturday I was cutting the grass on my newly repaired yard tractor (by the way, why is it called a yard "tractor"?) and generally enjoying the morning. After running it for 1/2 hour or so I was cutting near the house and noticed there was a lot of smoke coming from under the hood. I stopped got off and opened the hood to find a nice little fire right under the carburetor. HOLY CRAP!!!!!!!!!! I ran to the outside faucet and put some water in the bucket that happened to be lying there (It pays to not put things away, see?), ran back, threw the water on and the fire went out. After three or four minutes I tried to start it and it actually started and I was able to finish the lawn. Of course, I took it to the garage and ran it for a while to make sure it wasn't going to happen again. Now, I know what you're thinking...you never put out an oil fire with water. But trust me, if you are faced with that situation you would probably try that as well, and it actually worked. Thankfully it was a small fire and there was no plastic or rubber in that area to melt. Since I'd had the carb rebuilt a few days before, I assume it was from gasoline that had been spilt on the engine, and possibly some oil/grease buildup on the engine exterior. Whatever the cause, I'm hoping it was a one-shot deal. It reminded me of the day I had just dropped Rosalie off for work at Tripler Army Hospital in Honolulu and was returning to the apartment. As I rounded a curve I saw on my left a fellow standing and watching as the tractor he had been riding stood and blazed away. I'm sure it was a gas leak, and all he could do was watch it go up in flames. So since I was able to quench the fire on my tractor, it seems humorous at this point. I wonder if that fellow was ever able to see the humor in his situation.....

The other thing that happened on Saturday was annoying but mostly harmless. I was getting ready to leave for a picking party at Bob's house on Sugar Island when Jonathan came to me and said that he thought there was a bird in the furnace. We went downstairs to check it out, and sure enough, a starling had managed to crawl into the air inlet and once he dropped down the vertical section of the pipe wasn't able to get back out again. We ended up cutting the pipe (3" pvc) and getting it out that way.

I caught the 2 am ferry and went to wait for Rosalie at M-28 and I-75. She was just returning from her trip to Italy, and would be arriving around 4 am. Well, I got there and managed to drop off to sleep just in time to be awakened by her phone call. Oh, we were going to meet at 6 mile and Mackinac trail instead. Wonderful.....so I woke up enough to drive over there, park, and wait. She was dropped off around 4, and she drove home since I was out of it, and according to her internal clock it was 10 am. She kept talking about her trip and I even remember a little of what she told me. I'm happy she had a good time and that she had the chance to go. It prolly won't happen again............