TOILET FILL VALVE

Toilet remained "on" the whole night keeping
Sheila awake. This was not helped by the fact
that it was raining and the gutters were full of butternuts.
I slept through the night.

Removed the top of toilet and discovered
two bricks and a broken fill valve. (Sheila
uses bricks to save on the cost of water)
Fill valve filled toilet but continued to fill after full.

This is a problem.

(Joe Koch says toilets leak enough water
to fill an outdoor swimming pool such
as the one he and Wanda are planning to install.)

Used channel locks to remove fill valve and
brought the entire mechanism to Carr
for replacement.

Replacement box includes "shank washer",
"locknut", "cone washer" and "coupling nut". This
makes job easier than if box were empty.
Remember this next time.

Adjusted valve height to 11 inches which should
be high enough to save water in tank.

BRICKS ARE UNNECESSARY.

John

1/27/66

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RADIAL SAW AND DADO BLADES

Bought new DADO SETS from Sears as they sent notice
of a sale to the paper. This should make groove fitting all
the more easy and allow corner joints to be flush
no matter how big the frame.

Follow the illustrations on the box when attaching
blades to this mechanism. Look at the cuts before
attempting anything. This is not like Bob Petrin's jig saw.

(Call Bob Petrin about giving back his jig saw)

Mount the blade on arbor so that you can hand turn
the blade backward. The teeth get set by tapping striker
pin with a light hammer such as the small ball peen
that is upstairs or in the pantry.

Featured cuts: "corner lap", "cross lap", "straight lap",
"tee", "half lap miter", "miter box corner",
"half gain", "rabbet", "notch".

When unsure about anything refer to the HANDBOOK OF
CIRCULAR SAW BLADES AND POWER TOOL
ACCESSORIES that is tacked to the jar board hanging
above the workbench.

ALWAYS WEAR GLASSES.

John

5/10/66

__

SCARLET TANAGER

Placed the bird on the worktable under newspaper.
Packed beak and anus with padding to avoid
a mess. Made an anchor for the wings
with chains and fishhooks.

Cut and lifted up the skin as far as the beak.
Cut neck at the base of the skull, removed
brain, tongue, palate from occipital hole.

(Note that this needs to be done quickly
as skin may dry)

Made body form from wet straw and galvanized
wire. (a number 16 or 18 wire works well for this)
Inserted and filled every empty space inside
with padding.

Wrapped well in order to prepare for drying.
Note that this process can take several weeks.

Opened the mouth and puffed up the throat
with small pieces of wadding until it
was filled enough to be singing.

Eyelids raised with needle and thread so the eyes
will always show.

KEEP BIRDS AWAY FROM THE SUN.

John

2/14/79

____

These poems are part of a longer series of poems centered around a man and his house. The idea for these poems came from an actual note a man named John Connell wrote to himself entitled OUR BATHROOM DRAIN. These poems can be seen as a manual for living and dying in a place or as testimony to the dream we all have of someday moving to Florida or simply as some good advice from a man named John.