The old F-150 came with a rubber bed mat. The goats got good traction on it standing in the truck. When it finally (after 23 years) deteriorated I took it out and the paint was like new under there. The only downside was trash working under around the edges. Places like Tractor Supply sell rubber horse stall mats that are very heavy duty, 4'x6', 3/4 inch thick and weigh 94 pounds. That might make a good mat for a 6' bed, if you cut it to fit. Price raised to $50 each now.
Not to interrupt but wanted to say being friendly, as in back and forth about harmonica, has been fun. Take care.
You told me I'd be able to play "a little something" in 90 days. I was going to tape something, just to prove I'm still practicing. But can't get through a whole song without making a mistake. If I ever do, I may post it here if it doesn't sound too awful, since the Road Closed sign is up on your street. Oh, and I learned the "growl."
Record and post it with mistakes. Everything I have recorded is full of mistakes. I just call it my version hahaha!
Think I'll compromise. Just half a song with mistakes. Fewer mistakes that way. Oskar's 3 hole draw (B) has become flat. Not a B flat, but a flat B. Gave it a quick rinse bath last night. {Gasp!} It's better, but still a little flat. Will do a more thorough cleaning today, since it didn't seem to hurt it. If that doesn't help I'll have to take it apart and see what's going on, as if I'm going to know. Like looking under the hood of a car. Tuning makes no sense. Just file off a little metal and see if it works.
(8/11/21) Wednesday Late last night the harmonica became disassembled. Both sides of the draw reed plate This looks like corrosion to me. I can find no other pictures on the internet of reed plates that look like this. Just tarnished. I must have acid breath. Could it be just some kind of nasty dirt? Harmonica is 12 weeks old tomorrow. It's NOT past due for a cleaning. One website says soak the reed plates 30 minutes in vinegar and baking soda; another says NEVER soak them. So, I just brushed them with a soft toothbrush and a mixture. Spots did not come off. Plunked all the reeds, with special attention to draw 3. Put it all back together. Three hole draw was OK at first and gradually went flat as it warmed up. This morning it's not flat again. Apparently these spots don't make any difference, but it's hard to believe.
Continued from above ... Could this possibly have been an already used harmonica? Don't see how there could be that much corrosion on brass in 12 weeks. Came from Sweetwater Music Co, which has a strict no return policy on harps. Supposedly. If those little specks are on the individual reeds it's bound to make a difference. They won't get any better, so I'm going to order 2 new reed plates from somewhere else. If they don't deteriorate after 12 weeks, it's water under the bridge. I just won't ever order anything from Sweetwater again. If they do, I'll assume I just have dragon breath, and try one with stainless steel plates. Also thinking of getting a harmonica in G, because it's a little lower pitch. High notes on any harmonica always sound tinny to me. My ears have default cicada-like buzzing sounds anyway. Maybe that's the problem. Lee Oskar reed plates are interchangeable. I could just order G reeds for this one, but a new G harp is not much more expensive than the reed plates. Enough about harmonicas. Moving on...
Sweetwater has always been upfront with me. Do you shake it out good after use? Also maybe try using compressed air in the can and spraying it from the back a few inches away after use. My father would hang his backward, on a holder he made from a wire coathanger that was attached to a small fan. Maybe your breath is on the acid side and stainless steel would be the answer. I know I have corrosive breath and saliva.
Yes, I always bang it against a soft body part several times after using it. Never keep it in an enclosed case. The pattern of corrosion on those reeds makes no sense compared to how I've used it. Wish I'd thought to look inside the first day I got it. Sweetwater has been bombarding me with emails ever since, even call on the phone and leave messages. I'd just like to see a picture of one plate with similar type corrosion. Maybe I just have no shame and show mine. Found while searching, that treasured finds for metal detector hobbyists are harp reed plates.
Put out an old hummingbird feeder in town a couple days ago, and two females showed up almost immediately. I believe it's the same one in both segments of the video. Squirrel in tree in the background. (HD - better view full screen on YouTube)
Another weekend The tooth mentioned on July 7th is acting up again. The earliest appointment I could get to have it pulled was August 24th. Most dentists won't pull a tooth if it is infected. They will send you away with antibiotics first. I'm tempted to tug on it a little myself and see what happens, but it might make it worse. Just watch. Everything will be fine, come Monday. Afternoon thunderstorms yesterday and again today. It is supposed to rain most of next week. I think there is a tropical storm predicted to move through. Is it Grace? Did get the lawn mowed at the mobile home last time. I think it has rained more days than not this summer. Not a lot of rain. Just enough to make things wet and steamy. I still got more spraying to do before the plants stop growing.
Late trip out to the farm. Mostly because of the hummingbirds and to practice driving while there is little traffic. Schools start this week. It takes me 5 minutes to get out of the driveway, and 5 minutes to get out of the truck when I get home. I've got to practice and get it down to 1 minute each. First time lifting the hood also took 5 minutes because I was looking for something more complicated. It works exactly the way the old one did. Why didn't they "fix" that too? Rain predicted today didn't show up. On the spur of the moment (@ 7 pm) I decided to do 2 more tanks of spray up at the house/road. Didn't finish until dark. Everything up there is done now for the season. Need to spray the perimeter fence and dam soon and I'll be done with that. Two days, provided no trees have fallen on the road. The power company sprayed all under the power lines this time. A lot of neighbors will probably be upset, but I expect they would be upset no matter what the power company did. I'm not. I'm happy.