Off to the Races

I have wanted a marble race track for a few months now and when I saw one at DI I could not pass it up. The boys really enjoy it and we have had a lot of fun. These are a few of the different tracks we have built.

First Fish

I went to Scofield Reservoir this last Friday with Adam Cunningham from my ward.  It was a bit chilly but we had a nice time anyway.  I have not been fishing many times, but I am looking to learn all I can.  It was a bit too cold to take my boys.  May be next time.    

Scofield has a slot limit.  You must release trout that are between 15 and 22 inches.  This little fatty is the biggest fish that I have ever caught.  It was 18 inches and 2 1/2 pounds.  I wanted to cry when Adam said I had to throw it back.  We caught a few fish, most were not big enough or small enough to keep.  Just before dark I caught one.  As I pulled it up on shore I said, "Is it small enough to keep?"  How often does someone get excited about a small enough fish.  I was.  I ended up coming home with two fish that were each 14 1/2 inches long.  

It should be the first of many successful fishing trips.

Repacking Wheel Bearings

I bought my trailer used in the summer of 2010.  The other day I had the thought that I need to change the grease in the wheel bearings.  I have no way of knowing if the grease had every been changed before or if it was original from the factory.  I had never done it before, so I got on YouTube.  Then I just jumped in to do it.

I removed the dust cap.  Then the cotter pin then the nut.  This nut should not be very tight.

After removing both the sets of tapered roller bearings, there was still old, dirty grease inside the hub.  I balled up some newspaper and forced it through with the back of my screw driver.  I had a bucket underneath to catch the greasy newspaper.  Then I wiped out the final grease with a rag.

I used gasoline to dissolve the dirty grease off of the bearings and bearing nut. 

Then with a glob of grease in my palm, I forced new grease in the bearings.  This also forces out the old grease.

After that I filled the hub with grease.  You cannot put in too much grease.  It will just squeeze out the extra.  Jennifer thought that I was using too much grease.  She made me put the extra back in the can. 

Then with a rubber mallet I put the dust cap back on .  I am now all set to go for a few more years.