Two things that are guaranteed to ruin your day are 1) reading about the latest idiotic rules the BTAF has imposed, and 2) repairing plumbing.

I had one of those visions of water leaking, so I went down to the old pump house and found a brass shutoff had cracked and was spraying water.  I shut off the water at the pump, strained and struggled to loosen connections that are at least as old as, and possible even more crusty than I am. After finally getting all the pipes apart and the main water line capped in the old pump house, I turned the water back on and all seemed well.  Later this afternoon Laurie said she could hear water dripping under the sink in the bathroom, but could not see or feel any water. I checked, and way back under the middle shelf a T-connector had cracked at the connection. I ran out to Lowe’s, bought a new T-connection, and after much trouble sawing pipe in tight quarters, I got the second leak of the day fixed.

Late this afternoon I got an email about some of the stupid rules the BATF have imposed over the past few years. If you have enough steel wool or copper cleaning pads in your pantry to make a silencer, then you are in violation of federal law (see sound/gas absorbing materials defined in 18 U.S.C 921(a)(24)). The problem is since few people know how many shredded metal cleaning pads it takes to make a silencer, I’m guessing only a few packages, and federal agents are able to pretty much decide on the spot how many it takes, then most Americans who have any variation of steel wool or copper cleaning pads in their kitchens are most likely criminals by BATF rules. If you want to come clean, you can register your stockpile of brillo pads with the BATF for $200. You will also have to submit a “no markings” variance since they don’t have serial numbers, which may cost you an additional $200.  BTW If you have any misdemeanor or felony convictions — go straight to jail.

Have you ever had a need to cut a shoestring to 14 inches? Don’t do it. You will have a machine gun by BATF rules. Never mind that you may not even own a gun, because the BATF classifies any single part used in a machine gun, or anything that can be used to make a weapon fire like a machine gun, a machine gun (see 26 U.S.C. 5845(b)). Isn’t it nice to know that you can be arrested for gun violations even if you don’t own a gun!

And doesn’t it make you feel wooly all over, and sleep better knowing the BATF is getting all those dangerous brillo pads and shortened shoe laces off the streets and out of the kitchens of we irresponsible Americans? Remember, this is the same agency that runs guns to Mexico!

The photos today are of blooms on our Christmas cactus and a backlit fading rose.