Temp, Trip, Bugs, BCS

Our new low temperature was recorded a few nights ago: 58.4. I know to family back home that sounds warm considering the sub-20 degree temps that you had this morning, but you guys have carpet, windows that close, and warm clothes. Our indoor temperature seems locked 67 degrees. I find myself taking my time checking out the generator (it's much warmer in that room).

On Sunday I went with Cullie (the former mechanic of the Mission who is still a mechanic and lives about 1 mile up the road) to check out a house that he was working on. After we checked it out, we went for a tour. He was on his Honda 200R and I was on the Kodiak 400 four-wheeler. It was a blast and we saw some great views. I got to see more of our neighboring areas. Cullie and I are going to try to get out and do that again (my family and I don't get out much - it would be nice to bring Tina some time, too). I am starting to want a four-wheeler of my own to get out and about (Mr. Storm - any recommendations?). The Kodiak that I use has some ownership issues and related questions surrounding it. It needs a lot of work (one thing is the frame which had broke and been welded back together crooked), but we don't want to put much work into it if it isn't ours and the work will not be reimbursed.

It is really nice to get out and see how some other Haitians live. There is a different feeling when being outside of the Mission grounds here. We are somewhat isolated from the normal daily life of the Haitians just outside of our walls/gates which can be a good thing and a bad thing. I really enjoy getting out.

Here are a couple new bugs in high resolution. Check out the feet on that cricket - his body was about 4 inches long. The centipede was about 5-6 inches long.



Boring car stuff...

I got all the parts that I needed to put the transmission back together in the Landcruiser. I got both gear stacks assembled and then started working on the shift forks. There was a spring loaded ball bearing in one of the forks and it got stuck in the shift rail. There was no way to get it out without breaking something, so I had to cut the shift fork apart to get it out. Now I have to wait until the parts come in. I am so glad that I took pictures with my camera of the disassembly. It has helped greatly and I don't know that I would have put it back right without the pictures.

I am almost done with the cage for the new Landcruiser. I built the doors (that was NOT easy to get it all lined up) and now have to find a way to secure them with a locking mechanism. Then we'll be painting it and putting it on. It'll be nice to have that project done (and the transmission).

The Canter was brought elsewhere to have the tranmission and transfer case dropped. It showed that the fingers on the clutch pressure plate were VERY worn to the point that they were pushed backwards almost 180 degrees (four of the fingers were broken off) and the throw-out bearing was trashed. The gears in the transfer case were also toast. 3 of the four gears had significant damage. We'll be taking it somewhere to either replace the whole thing or just the transfer case side of it. I don't know where they take things to get them repaired, but as the Mission's mechanic I sometimes feel like I should be the one doing the work. We don't have the proper tools to handle a transmission as large as the Canter's and, with just me in the shop, it's hard (if not impossible) to do some things by myself - like this. I am still getting used to the way things are done around here.