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Washer Repairs (Part II): Gary: 1. Washer: 0.
Washer transmission bearing and hub. However, there is bound to be a re-match later. This is what $250 of washing machine parts looks like. I can highly recommend AppliancePartsPros.com, not just for the very fast service (and inexpensive delivery charges), but also for the videos – though they do make it look too easy to do and in this case left out at least one step.
I could claim that this was one of my birthday gifts, but not really. Though fixing the washer was one of my birthday activities.
It took me a good couple of hours to clean all the gunk out of the washer tub and drum. We won’t mention the state of the floor under the washer, which I had to give a thorough wash. Before starting the re-assembly I gave the inside of the washer a quick wipe down and vacuum too. This is the starting point for the re-build.
Washer stripped down ready fo a new transmission 
Washer transmission fitted into place
I didn’t take any pictures after this as once the tub is in place it looks pretty boring.I did lose my temper once during the reassembly – when I thought I’d lost a tool and concluded I must have left it inside the machine somewhere. After a few minutes of unreasonable cussing, I found the tool under the machine, where it had rolled unbeknownst to me.
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Washer Repairs (Part I)
Washer Repairs (Part I) – Broken bearing bits Thursday night the washer started smoking. Obviously, that’s not a habit to be encouraged, so I took a quick look and determined that the transmission support bearing had broken up. Today I stripped the washer down, removed the transmission, and ‘rescued’ these loose bits of bearing I found littering the inside of the washer.
Now we have to decide whether to repair (C$250) or buy a replacement ($700-$800). The question is, how long until another bit breaks?
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EFM Graduation
EFM Mentors John Svagera and Meg Hanna present EFM Graduation Certificates to Marsha Patterson, Barbara Worman, and Gary Allman. Today saw the end of my four years of study. Though it took me five years to complete the course – I took a year’s sabbatical in 2013/2014 as I was too busy to fit all the course work in.
Completing the course means I’ve spent over 400 hundred hours in class, and well over 600 hours on reading and coursework. I’m not quite sure what I’m going to do Thursday evenings now I’ve finished.
Before I do anything, I intend to take a short break and take stock.
All the photographs were taken by Ginger.
After four years of studying – which is around 400 hours of class attendance and over 600 hours of studying I’ve finally finished taking the Education for Ministry course. June 7, 2015
EFM Mentors John Svagera and Meg Hanna June 7, 2015 | Copyright © 2015 Ginger Davis Allman, all rights reserved
EFM Mentors John Svagera and Meg Hanna present EFM Graduation Certificates to Marsha Patterson, Barbara Worman, and Gary Allman. June 7, 2015 | Copyright © 2015 Ginger Davis Allman, all rights reserved
EFM Mentors John Svagera and Meg Hanna present EFM Graduation Certificates to Marsha Patterson, Barbara Worman, and Gary Allman. June 7, 2015 | Copyright © 2015 Ginger Davis Allman, all rights reserved
EFM Mentors John Svagera and Meg Hanna present EFM Graduation Certificates to Marsha Patterson, Barbara Worman, and Gary Allman. June 7, 2015 | Copyright © 2015 Ginger Davis Allman, all rights reserved
EFM Mentors John Svagera and Meg Hanna present EFM Graduation Certificates to Marsha Patterson, Barbara Worman, and Gary Allman. June 7, 2015 | Copyright © 2015 Ginger Davis Allman, all rights reservedSome EFM Pictures from the past five years
Cat and mouse (365:353). Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
EFM Retreat 2013. Copyright © 2013 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Cats Watching TV
(L-R) Sprinky, Tubby, & Mao Copyright © 2015 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. We’ve created a monster.
Tubby now thinks any rectangular object is fair game to stare at. Picture frames for example. He also sits next to our monitors waiting for something to move. Worse he sits right in the middle of the screen while we are watching movies and shows on Netflix.
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We went off to see the Wizard (JKS)
JKS, Ginger and Gary. Copyright © 2015 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. Today we took a trip down to Tulsa and spent the day with our friend JKS (aka wizardjks on Flickr)
We’ve known JKS since 2007. Up until now, we have not had a chance to meet him as he lives in Pakistan. A work visit to the US gave us the opportunity to rectify that. We had a great day. Lots and lots of talks, a visit to the Tulsa Bass Pro (just about everywhere else is closed on a Monday). We ended the day by keeping Panera open past their closing time while we sat and chatted. In the end one of the staff asked us to leave.
Today we took a trip down to Tulsa and spent the day with our friend jks (aka wizardjks on Flickr). We’ve known jks since 2007. Up until now we have not had a chance to meet him as he lives in Pakistan. A work visit to the US gave us the opportunity to rectify that. We had a great day. Lots and lots of talk, a visit to the Tulsa Bass Pro (just about everywhere else is closed on a Monday). We ended the day by keeping Panera open past their closing time while we sat and chatted. In the end one of the staff asked us to leave. May 25, 2015 | Copyright © 2015 Gary Allman, all rights reserved
Today we took a trip down to Tulsa and spent the day with our friend jks (aka wizardjks on Flickr). We’ve known jks since 2007. Up until now we have not had a chance to meet him as he lives in Pakistan. A work visit to the US gave us the opportunity to rectify that. We had a great day. Lots and lots of talk, a visit to the Tulsa Bass Pro (just about everywhere else is closed on a Monday). We ended the day by keeping Panera open past their closing time while we sat and chatted. In the end one of the staff asked us to leave. May 25, 2015 | Copyright © 2015 Gary Allman, all rights reserved
Today we took a trip down to Tulsa and spent the day with our friend jks (aka wizardjks on Flickr). We’ve known jks since 2007. Up until now we have not had a chance to meet him as he lives in Pakistan. A work visit to the US gave us the opportunity to rectify that. We had a great day. Lots and lots of talk, a visit to the Tulsa Bass Pro (just about everywhere else is closed on a Monday). We ended the day by keeping Panera open past their closing time while we sat and chatted. In the end one of the staff asked us to leave. May 25, 2015 | Copyright © 2015 Gary Allman, all rights reserved -
Range Time
Not too shabby with the 9mm Desert Eagle. Copyright © 2015 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. I enjoy shooting. I find it relaxing and – believe it or not – peaceful.
In fact, I think shooting is rather like sailing. Both require concentration and keep my mind focused on the task at hand. Keeping my brain busy provides a welcome distraction from my day-to-day concerns.
As a closet designer and engineer, I am also fascinated by the way firearms are designed and made. They are not only robust and reliable, but they can also be serviced in the field with a bare minimum of tools. That requires a lot of design ingenuity.
I should add that I’m not a total newbie when it comes to firearms. I was brought up in the English countryside at a time when shotguns and rifles were a part of everyday life for a lot of people. My best friend’s father was a gamekeeper who kept a rifle and shotgun by the back door. Another friend was a member of the Small Bore Rifle Association. And, back in the seventies my then girlfriend’s brother was in the county shooting team. Among his collection, he had a .44 Magnum Revolver. So, firearms don’t unduly concern or worry me. They are tools to be treated with respect and with due attention to safety. However, until a couple of years ago I’d not handled a pistol.
My first encounter with a pistol was when a friend bought a Glock 17 and offered to take me down the range. I (probably falsely) remember being a pretty good shot when I was younger. I was most disappointed to find that while I could (generally) hit the target, consistent bullseyes evaded me.
More recently I discovered that one of my customers has a collection of firearms. At one meeting a handgun made an appearance as a paperweight. Well, that’s the Ozarks for you. I think the idea was to get a reaction out of the Brit. It failed, but my interest was piqued. Over the months, various handguns have appeared as paperweights. Since then we’ve been down the range a few times and I’ve tried out several of the guns in his collection. Though I have to admit that the recoil, noise, and muzzle blast of an AR15 pistol and the AMT .30 pistol had such an adverse effect on my shooting that I was completely missing the target for a while. The Desert Eagle pictured above is a loaner from my friend’s collection.
.30 Caliber, AMT, Automag III. Copyright © 2014 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
Tarus Judge. Copyright © 2014 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
.45 1911. Copyright © 2014 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
Desert Eagle (9mm) and 9mm 1911. Copyright © 2014 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
.30 Caliber, AMT, Automag III . Copyright © 2014 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.“Over the months, various handguns have appeared as paperweights.”
For the last four or more range trips I’ve been breaking in my new pair of glasses. I have discovered that progressive lenses and accurate shooting don’t mix. Well, that’s my excuse and I’m going to be sticking with it. When the sights are in focus the target is a complete blur. Reading the forums, it looks like the consensus of opinion is that I am just going to have to accept that my bullseye shooting days are gone. Unless that is, I get special glasses or sights. That, and I need more practice.
I rented a 9mm Beretta PX4 Storm Compact , a PX4 Storm full size, and a Smith and Wesson 9mm M&P. I did a lot better with the Berettas. These are some of my results with the PX4 Storm. Copyright © 2015 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. 
Not too bad either – Beretta PX4 Storm
Not too bad either – Beretta PX4 Storm -
Fishing with Tom
Stockton Lake North of Cedar Ridge looking North East. It’s been nearly a year since Tom and I last went fishing…
So, I was pleased when I got the text asking if I was able to fit in some time on the lake. Tom must have been feeling generous towards me, as we didn’t start until 7:30 a.m. which is late in the day for Tom.
Tom driving the boat on Stockton Lake It was good to be on the lake, but I had almost no luck with the fishing. I hooked one, but it got off the hook before I could land it in the boat. The water was extraordinarily clear, so I saw a lot of fish even if I didn’t catch any. Tom did better with four fish. Talking to some other anglers, it seems I wasn’t the only person having a slow day. I even put on my lucky fishing hat – to no avail.
Fishing with Tom on Stockton lake. May 4, 2015.
Fishing with Tom on Stockton lake. May 4, 2015.
Fishing with Tom on Stockton lake. May 4, 2015.
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Getting Ready
Time to sort out my fishing gear and clean and lube the reels.
I’m going fishing.
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High School Prom
Lanie asked me to take some High School Prom pictures of her and some friends. They picked the location – the old mill in Fair Grove, MO.
Below is the complete set of pictures.
Black and White Pictures
Lanie and her date
Color Pictures
Copyright © Gary Allman, all rights reserved
Copyright © Gary Allman, all rights reserved
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Ghost of a Chance
Ghost of a Chance. Copyright © 2015 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. ‘Ghost of a Chance’
What a great job they did!
(Click on a picture to see a bigger version.)
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Lanie’s Birthday
Lanie’s Birthday Busy Lanie’s Birthday
Lanie is in the middle of a very busy week. The play she is in was put back by snow days. So, for her birthday, she’s been at school all day and then spent the evening at rehearsals. Now at 9:00 p.m. it is finally time for some birthday cake.
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The new flame of the Easter Vigil
The new flame of the Easter Vigil. Copyright © 2014 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. I was looking for a cover picture for the April issue of Spirit, I took this photograph a year ago, and it’s been residing in my archives ever since. My search for something relevant and cover-worthy eventually uncovered it. This seems to be a recurring theme at the moment, going back and seeing potential in pictures I’ve previously discarded.
I’m really pleased with the way the issue turned out, definitely my best so far. I needed an extra four pages to fit in all the content, and the editorial calendar is starting to fill up for the next twelve months which is fantastic news. I’ve already got one article on hand for the December issue!
Read more about the April Edition of the Spirit Magazine.
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Spirit Magazine April 2015
Spirit Magazine, April 2015. Diocese of West Missouri Volume 7 No. 2
This is my sixth issue of the Spirit magazine and includes my penultimate changes to the design, which I started with the February issue. It has a simplified inside front cover page, and I’ve removed the events listing. We already have a two-weekly online mailing and our website to promote events. Anyway, the event list was often out of date by the time this magazine was issued. Instead, I used the space to add a complete list of churches and their contact details. This change is intended to give the Spirit a longer shelf life and create a resource that churches can hand out to visitors.
I have a couple of remaining design changes I want to include this year to complete my goal of consistent branding across our print and online media. However, they involve changing colors – so I will have to run some tests and get proofs printed, which is a pain with the printer being 180 miles away in Kansas City.
My contribution to this issue included the following. Editor, design, layout, editorial (page 3), photographs: cover, pages 4, 5, 9, and 18. Photo enhancement & edit: pages 11, 12 and 13.
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Another Short Hike on the Silver Trail at Busiek
Starting the 250-300 ft. Climb on Silver We’re still working on getting back in condition. Today, we wanted to increase the distance and elevation climbed while not getting too wet and muddy, and not driving too far. We settled on hiking the complete Silver Trail at Busiek State Forest and Wildlife Area.
The Silver Trail shares some of its route with the Yellow Trail. It includes a challenging loop that climbs a 250-300 ft. hill. The hill includes some 1:3 grades which are covered with slippery, loose, gravel. This is just the sort of surface which is best hiked with hiking poles which help keep you steady and avoid falls.
The trail really is that steep Because we are still out of condition, we need to stop to catch our breath almost every fifty feet we climb. This is most embarrassing when someone younger and fitter whizzes past us, managing the entire climb without stopping.
We succeeded in going further and doing more climbing. We hiked 3 miles and climbed (and descended) 850 ft. We averaged 1.2 miles an hour; which is typical for us, as we stop often. On this hike it was recovery time rather than ‘stop and admire the scenery’ time!
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Short Hike at Busiek
Taking it easy – going back to the trail head We wanted a fairly quick and dry hike
Ginger didn’t want a repeat of Saturday’s wet and muddy trail. We didn’t want anything too challenging either. And, we didn’t want to be out for too long. We decided to do a short and simple loop from the South Trail Head at Busiek. Short it was at 1.75 miles, though the 450′ of elevation descended and climbed had us breathless at times. Right now we just want to get back into the hiking habit and not try and do too much and end up with unnecessary injuries.
We were surprised to find ice both off and on the trail. The going was quite tricky in a couple of places with ice completely covering the trail. The melt water on top made it particularly slippery.
I’ve started giving my own names to places. Shoe Lace shelf – the spot where on more than one occasion I’ve had to take a seat and fix broken laces. Lightning Tree Ridge – where there’s a tree that has survived being struck by lightning, and finally Prickly Pear Glade – a glade where the trail is surrounded by prickly pear cacti. Whenever I see these prickly pears growing alongside the trail I am reminded of my mother. She collected and grew cacti as exotic pot plants for as long as I remember. I am sure seeing them growing in the wild would have given her a thrill.
Trail head maps
Trail head signs
Silver Trail at Busiek State Forest
Silver Trail at Busiek State Forest
There was ice both on and by the trail
Small creek on the Yellow / Silver Trail
Yellow/Silver Trail at Busiek State Forest
Fire!
On the ridge
Lightning Tree
Prickly Pear
Map & elevation plot -
An Afternoon Hike at Compton Hollow Conservation Area
We stopped hiking in 2013
It wasn’t deliberate. First, we missed our ‘annual’ Spring Break backpacking trip, then we both got tied up with work. I abandoned my semi-retired state, and getting out just faded away. No backpacking, no hiking, no kayaking, not even any fishing. It all stopped. We made an attempt to pick things up again in October 2014, but cold weather set in.
Any nascent plans we had for a backpacking trip in December failed completely when we both got the ‘flu.
A forecast of 55°F, and the fact that we are both completely and utterly out of condition and in desperate need of the exercise prompted us to try and get out today. We picked an easy target, Compton Hollow Conservation Area, and went on a very straightforward hike of just over 2.6 miles and 400′ of elevation.
The going was as we expected, muddy. Unexpectedly there was still a lot of ice around in the shaded spots on the eastern side. I enjoyed it – especially squishing through the mud in my huaraches. Unfortunately, Ginger doesn’t like the mud and she soon found it a bit tiresome.
This is only my second real hike in my latest huaraches, and while I like them a lot, they are just a little bit too thin for my liking. I prefer a tad less ground feel and a little bit more insulation. I’m always being asked if my feet get cold. They do on occasion – you cannot walk through frozen mud or water without getting a bit cold. But, I soon dry off and they get warm again. So much so this afternoon that I welcomed a muddier bit of trail to cool me down a bit. I think pictures of how muddy and dirty I get put people off huaraches. Today I just found a clean puddle and washed the mud off – okay the ice in puddle made for a cold wash but it was easy to get clean. Ginger didn’t have the same option with her trail shoes which were very heavy with mud.
Trail head maps
Trail head
Open spaces
Ice by the trail | Photograph by Ginger
Ice by the trail | Photograph by Ginger
Spot the trail
Spot the trail
End of Public Use Area
Ice & I must get a picture of my huaraches | Photograph by Ginger
Some trail-side fungi | Photograph by Ginger
Getting muddy on the trail | Photograph by Ginger
Frozen Stock Pond
Frozen Stock Pond
Frozen Stock Pond
Enigmatic Ginger
Cheeky Ginger 🙂
Grasses and thistles
Grasses and thistles -
Grasses and thistles
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Frozen Stock Pond
Frozen Stock Pond You can read about this afternoon’s hike here.
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Frozen Stock Pond at Compton Hollow Conservation Area
You can read about this afternoon’s hike here.
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Kauffman Center For The Performing Arts, Kansas City
Kauffman Center For The Performing Arts, Kansas City.Copyright © 2015 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. I popped out of the diocesan office in Kansas City for a meeting and found myself in a pastiche of Sydney, Australia.
Despite the 25°F temperature I had to stop and take a picture, the light and colors were just too good to miss.
It was a long day – We left at 06:30 a.m. and got back around 8:30 p.m. fortunately I wasn’t doing the driving today. I left that to Fr. David. We should have stopped and got a picture of the sunrise. That too, was quite spectacular.
