We did a few events around here yesterday. I dreaded changing out the kitchen faucet, and have done it one other time. Our old one started leaking inside the fixture and simply gave out on us.
Saturday found me outside squeezing peaches. They were about perfect, and I earmarked part of Sunday to pick a bunch of them. Oddly enough, Frankie woke up in the middle of the night and had to make a security patrol. I chocked it up to doggie strangeness and we went back to bed.
In the morning, I discovered the problem. The tree broke. I’ve seen this happen to other peaches, but never had this problem. I guess the wheel just went around for me. We decided to leave it as is while we tackled the sink first. (12 hours. I only needed 12 more hours.)
The nightmare part of the sink project was getting the old faucet off. It has a nut that needed to come off and it was waaaay up there between the basins of the sink. I tried about ten different tools, and none of them fit. The best I could manage was a pair of pliers, but that required me to twist like it was a bottle cap. I couldn’t use any leverage, which is the advantage of a wrench.
It failed. I sent Old What’s Her Face to search the toolbox. I have a roll of old open end/box end wrenches. This isn’t what they are for, but one fit, and the handle left room between the basins to move it about an eighth of an inch.
It took me about ten resets to move the nut one revolution. Keep in mind, this is inside the cabinet, on my back (Which I feared for) and at the limits of what my short arms could reach. It took a long time, but I prevailed. Once it was loose, it easily spun off then hit me in the head.
The new one was a piece of cake. My wife put the fitting together while I grabbed coffee. She crawled inside and put the mounting nuts on, which were designed to be finger twist tight. Whoever designed this one deserves an award of some kind.
After coffee, I connected all the water lines and installed the gun. This unit has one of those pull out hoses for squirting off dishes or filling pots. What do you think? No hospital required.
We took a break, then tackled the peach tree. We managed about three baskets of fruit from the broken part before giving up. It was 90 something degrees outside. There are a lot more peaches on other parts, and I hope they don’t decide to break off too. I won’t get another chance at them until Friday.
We’ve always picked a basket here and there, but I feel like I’m pressing my luck. Probably based upon what already happened. The poor old tree is in for a major trim, the kind you give with a chainsaw, now. I really like this tree, but if this is the end of it, so be it. No matter what I do, it’s going to be ugly, but it could fill back out next year.
My back is surprisingly okay today. My neck and shoulders are kind of stiff, but that’s easily overcome.
Time for a peach, possibly in a daiquiri.
Definitely sounds like you deserve a daiquiri or two. It’s really frustrating when you find a screw or nut that is in a place where tools can’t reach. Have to wonder about the sadist who designed those nightmares.
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I remember putting that one in, and it was an all day project. The new one had screws, and with a long driver it was cake.
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Cake is good. Though, I prefer pie. Much easier to carry since it isn’t tiered. 😀
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It’s mandatory, but you can have a pancake.
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Sounds good.
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I can relate when you have more than one project to do.
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I am not a project guy, so if the next one waits 20 years, I’m okay with that.
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I’m glad your back held up. You had me laughing aloud at the faucet hitting you in the head.
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All my projects are like that. I wonder what could go wrong with a chainsaw related project.
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OMG. If you’re clumsy like me, be careful!
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Changing that faucet had to be a pain in the fanny, but you sure had me laughing. It’s not as funny when my hubs and I have to do projects like that. Glad your back’s in good shape and the projects are done. Enjoy your peaches!
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Thanks. Any time the end result works, and the ambulance doesn’t come is a success in my world.
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It does sound like you needed a strong drink after your Sunday. We always prune our fruit trees and they don’t die so it should be okay. I hope so.
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I might have to start thinning this one more heavily in the future.
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Okay first, I’m SO jealous of your peach tree! We want to try growing one here, but we’re having tough time finding any.
DH sends me to get tools, too, and it’s a big joke. I don’t know why I can’t keep the name of the star-shaped screwdriver or the difference between a wrench and a set of pliers straight, lol
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Hope the tree survives. It’s been a great producer. I got it from Gurney’s through the mail years ago.
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All’s well that ends well, apart from your lovely peach tree…
Pruning will make it stronger though…
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Might. It’s going to be pretty misshapen now.
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All the best trees are, somehow…
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Reblogged this on anita dawes and jaye marie.
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Ooh, a nice peach daiquiri! Sounds lovely and like you both earned one. And in that heat, maybe a water fight with that new squirty hose thingy! lol. Glad it all went well and no hospital needed, Craig 🙂
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Love the water fight concept.
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Glad you made it through relatively unscathed. And the new faucet looks nice. Does old What’s Her Face make peach pies? One sounds pretty tasty.
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She doesn’t, and flat peaches don’t lend themselves well to it. It can be done, just doesn’t make nice slices. Flat peaches work well for people with beards.
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LOL.
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Our grandmother had a peach tree in her back yard and she lived down the street from us. We often went down and grabbed a peach or two. It was a sad day when the tree needed to be cut down.
Glad you didn’t need a trip to the ER. And the faucet looks nice.
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They aren’t long lived trees and are prone to these breaks. I know I’ll have to replace it one day.
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Glad you got the job done without a hospital trip, or your back playing up. Hope the tree survives, and you don’t injure yourself when it comes time to use that chainsaw.
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Me too, thanks. I think the tree will survive, but it might be pretty ugly for a few years.
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Nice job, Craig – it looks great! Glad your back held up. My hubby isn’t handy around the house at all – it would have been me replacing the faucet here, lol.
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It was a team effort, but it worked. I’d rather deal with electricity.
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You survived installing the faucet! It looks great even if it was a “project” LOL.
Our peaches around here have been extra crappy this year. Haven’t found a good one in the bunch. 😦
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Mine are wonderful, but no idea what next year will bring after this damage.
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Nice looking faucet! That fix sounds very familar at our house along with very interesting language peppered in. I haven’t had a really good peach this year but maybe I’ll get one at the farmer market. The bears will strip the trees up here. They love peaches too.
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It seems wildlife is a big fan of fresh peaches. I usually have to battle the birds for mine. Bears might just earn a wide berth.
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Interesting that your dog reacted to the tree breaking outside. The weight of the fruit must have been too much. Hope you can find a way to can or freeze the peaches. Our blackberries are coming in now and my freezer is about full.
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Peach trees always produce a ton. They’re prone to this breakage, but I try to keep mine pruned for stronger branches. Frankie must have heard it in the middle of the night.
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I would say you did a yeoman’s job on the sink, which looks great! I know peach trees are likely to break because the fruit is so heavy – it’s always the balance of pick or wait. Prune it when the season is gone by – it will regenerate!
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I’m sure it will, but it’s going to be ugly for a few years.
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Plumbing work is the pits! There is no easy way to get to any of it without being a contortionist. 🙂 But, sounds like the job eventually went well! My mom and dad had a small peach orchard and I can remember the limbs getting so heavy with fruit that they broke. They did lose a few trees that way. I hope you are able to save yours. Here’s to a fresh peach daiquiri!
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Thanks, Jan.
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Well done!!! … on both tasks! 😀
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Thank you.
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Good job! May I please have a peach daiquiri? Please and thank you!
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The rum is gone. Seems like the rum is always gone.
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Haha, don’t it though?
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