Clay St Oil Tank Filler Tubes Removal

 

Monday May 5, 2025

Oil filler & vent tubes 418 Clay St, Watertown, NY
Removal needed for new siding.

My brother Al & I spent better than 3 hours removing filling tubes on fuel oil heating tanks. The tubes protrude out the back wall of the house which will be getting new siding soon. It would have been quicker to use a Sawzall to cut the pipes, but that could potentially create sparks that might possibly ignite any fumes lingering in the storage tanks. I'm sure the pipe connections have never been undone since the original install. I don't know when that was, but many many years. We used a 4 foot pipe on  pipe wrench too break the fittings free. Due to space constraints we could only give the connections very small turns. Every turn of the wrench required much exertion. All said, it was a long, dirty, sweaty job. 

Disconnecting filler & vent tubes from home heating oil storage
 tanks at Clay St, Watertown

Disconnecting filler & vent tubes from home heating oil storage
 tanks at Clay St, Watertown

Disconnecting filler & vent tubes from home heating oil storage
 tanks at Clay St, Watertown

Disconnecting filler & vent tubes from home heating oil storage
 tanks at Clay St, Watertown

Disconnecting filler & vent tubes from home heating oil storage
 tanks at Clay St, Watertown

Disconnecting filler & vent tubes from home heating oil storage
 tanks at Clay St, Watertown

A Cold and Beautiful North Country Day

It was a cold and beautiful day here in the North Country. When I first got up t was 5 below zero at our house in Chaumont NY. I drove my 2011 Kia Sedona van to Cheney Tire on State St in Watertown dropping it off to have some repairs done. From there I walked to our Clay St apartment and spent next 3 hours shoveling snow. The air was crisp and cold. The work kept me warm. People find it hard to believe, but I enjoyed every bit of it. Later in afternoon Cheney Tire called and said it was doubtful my van would be finished today. Work being done started out as replacing rear shocks and springs. However on way into town a new sound erupted. A thumping, bumping kind of thing. Tuns out a front wheel was loose. I guess I never torqued down the lug nuts on the wheel after I changed the front strut assembly last week.

This resulted in damage to the wheel, the lug nuts, and lug nut studs. So... more repairs... more $$.

State St, Watertown, NY this morning.

Selfie of me during walk from Cheney Tire to Clay St.

Cold, snowy scene in Watertown, NY.

Recent snow on tenants car, Clay St, Watertown, NY

Our Clay St house after I shoveled snow for 2.5 hours

Half Mile Trail Walk With Better Half

1/4 mile marker at Development Authority of North Country Nature Trail, Calcium, NY

I took a half mile walk with the Better Half today on the nature trail in Calcium, NY. She has long had a back and leg problems that have been limiting her walking. Her pain and discomfort during walking is abated when she pushes a shopping cart through a store. With that in mind we recently bought her a walker. Today we tried it out on the nature trail. WE made it to the first 1/4 mile marker, trned and went back, executing a half mile. This was a real milestone and morale booster. Especially since she is soon facing some surgery and the doctor would like her to get walking before hand so as to be better prepared for after surgery recovery.

Development Authority of North Country Nature Trail, Calcium, NY

It was a  lovely day after 2 or 3 days of rain. Breazy with a temperature about 68 degrees, low humidity. I also put a couple hours work in at our Clay St apartment house. My phone app says I walked 5,501 steps today.

Snow Sculptures, Clay St. Door Trim

Saturday February 3, 2024 

Snow sculptors at work in Watertown, NY during annual Snow Town USA festival.

Today I finished trimming out the new door at our Clay St. apartment house. 

After that I swung by the Watertown Fair Grounds to see how the snow sculptures were doing.

The snow sculptures are part of the annual SnowTown USA event. Scroll down to see more snow sculpture photos.

Finished putting trim around Clay St door today. 

Snow Town USA 2024 snow sculpturing at Watertown NY Fairgrounds 

Snow Town USA 2024 snow sculpturing at Watertown NY Fairgrounds 

Artist Jerry Merrill at work, Snow Town USA 2024 .

Snow Town USA 2024 snow sculpturing at Watertown NY Fairgrounds 

Snow Town USA 2024 snow sculpturing at Watertown NY Fairgrounds 

Snow Town USA 2024 snow sculpturing at Watertown NY Fairgrounds 

Clay St Door Trim, Jigsaw Puzzle,

 Saturday, January 27, 2024

Eggs & Croghan bologna for breakfast. 

Weather was nice today with sunny afternoon and high of 38 degrees.

Cut & placed pine trim boards around stairway door, Clay St.

Worked on door repair project at Clay St apartment house. Cut some pine boards to train around the new door. Took them inside and coated them with some white shellac to block stains from knots in the wood.

Took trim boards inside vacant unit to prime them with white shellac.
Blotch on floor caused when I knocked shellac can onto the floor.

Spilled the shellac on the living room floor. Not big deal. Carpet is horrible and needs replaced. 

At home worked on a jigsaw puzzle with nice fire in wood stove. Later watched Walter Matthau & Goldie Haun movie from 1967 titled Cactus Flower. Very funny & enjoyable. 

At home worked on a jigsaw puzzle with nice fire in wood stove. 

The Better Half has been sick all day & evening with stomach issues. Hopefully she is better in the morning.

Jan 19 2024 I Shovel Snow at Clay St Apartment

Back stairs and basement door at our 418 Clay St apartment house, Watertown.

We have had quite a lot of snow here in Northern NY. 18 to 24 inches fell in Watertown. I spent a couple hours this afternoon clearing a big portion of the driveway at our Clay St apartment as well as cleared it from the back stairs. I started at 1:00 and was finished by 3:00. It was pleasant work, outdoor temperature was about 10 degrees. As I write this it is 11:00PM and temperature here in Chaumont is 1 degree.

Back stairs and basement door at our 418 Clay St apartment house, Watertown.

Back stairs and basement door at our 418 Clay St apartment house, Watertown.

Back stairs and basement door at our 418 Clay St apartment house, Watertown.

I also changed the low beam bulb in our 2019 Kia Sorento today. Bulb cost $19.00 at Wal-Mart. 

Chatted with brother Mark in Florida. He gave some wild news. 

I Shovel Lake Effect Snow for 5 Days November 2022 (photos)

The first big snow storm for the 2022-2023 winter season started during the night of on November 17, 2022. I spent a good portion of Friday the 18th shoveling snow at our house in Chaumont.

418 Clay St, Watertown, NY, snowed in.

418 Clay St, Watertown, NY, snowed in.

Woke up Saturday morning, the 19th, to another 10 - 12 inches in Chaumont. I spent the morning shoveling that here in Chaumont. From there I went our Clay St apartment house in Watertown. There was close to four feet of snow there. Clay Street had not been plowed. I parked a block away and walked to our house and proceeded to shovel the sidewalk. I also dug out some of our tenant's car that was buried in the driveway. 

418 Clay St, Watertown, NY, snowed in.

418 Clay St, Watertown, NY, snowed in.

On Sunday the 20th I went back to Clay Street to check on things. The city had plowed the street. Not perfectly, but enough to drive on it. On this day I touched up the sidewalk and chopped through the snow and ice at the end of the driveway so our tenant would be able to get out in her car.

Monday the 21st I went to Clay to assess things. Did some minor snow removal. The balcony roof however was bothering me. Very heavy load of snow on it. No way to get to it without mu 32 foot ladder.

Shoveling lake effect snow at 418 Clay St, Watertown, NY.

 

  418 Clay St, Watertown, NY, snowed in.

Tuesday the 22nd my Celebrity Brother Al assisted me with loading the ladder on. the roof of my 2011 Kia Sedona van and followed me to Clay St. I shoveled the roof and he worked at removing the roof snow that fell on the sidewalk. It was much warmer, close to 40 degrees. I was sweating as if I were mowing the lawn in August. The sweat got in my eyes, soaked my shirt. The roof has a shallow pitch, but stressful being up there where slipping and falling off is a real threat. I exercise great caution in these situations. I kneel in the snow and push it off the edge where possible. Anyhow, we loaded the ladder at 10:00am and I was back home with it by 2:30pm, the job completed. 

  418 Clay St, Watertown, NY, snowed in.

  Lake effect snow removal at 418 Clay St, Watertown, NY.

 Lake effect snow removal at 418 Clay St, Watertown, NY.

 Lake effect snow removal at 418 Clay St, Watertown, NY.

 Lake effect snow removal at 418 Clay St, Watertown, NY.

 Lake effect snow removal at 418 Clay St, Watertown, NY.

Flowers Doing Well, No Frost Here Yet

  

Flowers purchased back in the Spring are still doing nicely here in October. I snapped this shot this morning.

All of the flowers and plants we bought in Spring are still doing well in October. Very often by now we have had a frost that kills them off. It was a lovely day here in Northern NY, sunny and some gentle wind. I spent the bulk of my day at our Clay St. apartment house in Watertown. Cleaning a vacant unit. It will be ready for rent soon. About all I have left to do is replace the bedroom carpet. I have thoroughly cleaned the kitchen, appliances, and bathroom. I have been there a total of three days, about 5 hours each.