Jeremy Yarbrough

  Camping:  The Carefree Adventure by Jeremy Yarbrough     Autumn is the perfect time of year for camping.  Camping provides the perfect opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors and all the benefits of experiencing nature.  When you are going on a camping trip planning is key.  It may take a few camping trips to get the hang of what you might need to enjoy your stay.  Depending on the season and location will determine what is on your packing list.        The first thing you pack will be your tent, sleeping bag, foam pad and pillow for a good night's rest.  Meals will be the next thing to focus on when packing.  On the camping trip that I have gone on we always cook over a fire.  Each of us bring our mess kits to eat out of during the trip.  the first things that comes to mind is the evening meal which usually consists of cooking hotdogs and smokes.  The first person awake will rekindle the fire and get the breakfast foods ready.  Bacon, eggs and coffee are favorites to cook over th

  Endless Spam by Jeremy Yarbrough     Can there be anything more annoying than spam calls, email and texts?   Every day and any time of day these aggravating contacts are showing up on phones everywhere.  Are people actually answering any of these calls, emails and texts coming from phone numbers that are unrecognizable?  Nothing is more irritating than these constant interruptions.     Sure, there are a few valid sales calls that may be coming from a telemarketer who is following up on a purchase or service you have recently paid for, but the majority of these calls are a major waste of time for the person placing the call and especially my time.  In fact, a good portion of these calls are criminals trying to get personal and financial information from unsuspecting citizens.  Sadly, many of the people who fall for these phone scams are the elderly because they have a tendency to be more trusting in people and less suspicious of someone actually stealing from them over the phone.  The

  Salute to Veterans by Jeremy Yarbrough     The week a day is set aside to honor our nation's veterans who have served in the armed forces.  Veterans Day is on Saturday, November 11 this year.  Davidson County is well known for its recognition of these special people who have dedicated a portion of their lives in serving our country.     Most of the veterans we are celebrating this week volunteered to join the service due to their desire to protect their country.  There are many reasons a young person would seriously consider the military as a great way to begin their adult lives.  Joining a branch of the armed forces offers the benefits of a regular paycheck,  room and board, health care, educational benefits and travel around the globe.  Training in an area of specialty is typically what most members receive while serving their terms.  Many people my age find the military offers the structure that they need to become successful citizens.  Some service members find that this life

  Harebrained Adventures Part 2 by Jeremy Yarbrough     A few days ago, my rabbits were traumatized by having a neighbor's dog on the loose break into their pen we had constructed out of wood,  metal paneling and chicken wire.  And this dog still continues to show up in the backyard each week looking for the rabbits.  Well, my dad and I set out to remedy this situation.  We went to Tractor Supply and purchased a 5 x 10-foot dog kennel.  This weekend we worked on getting it set up so that the rabbits, Floppsie and Petey would be able to run around and get plenty of exercise during the day.     We brought the newly purchased dog kennel home and began work on it Saturday afternoon.  It came packaged in a box so we began by opening the box and pulling out the six separate panels, connector hinges and the door latch.  There were a couple of rubber parts missing on the bottom legs which we had to call customer service about replacing.  The only tools needed to get this job done were a dr

  Falling Back by Jeremy Yarbrough     Who doesn't like an extra-long weekend?  Everyone is looking forward to this Saturday evening due to the change in time when we turn the clocks back one hour.  It has to be the best weekend of the year and I am sure most will spend their extra hour gaining additional sleep.  But I believe this is the only gained benefit from moving from daylight saving time to standard time.     The gain of the hour on Sunday night will not compare to the loss of productivity due to earlier sunsets in the evenings.  There are so many benefits to having those extra minutes of daylight in the evening.  Most people are driving home at 5pm in the dark so there is no time to work out in the yard or exercise outdoors later in the evening.  And dogs have to be walked in the dark which poses a danger to them from traffic coming home for the day.     I do believe the change in time affects everyone's mood when there is not enough sunlight.  This is why I try to get

  In Hot Water by Jeremy Yarbrough     There are so many things we take for granted for instance, indoor plumbing and running water.  There is never a dull moment at my home.  Last Monday night while in the shower I discovered we had run out of hot water.  I immediately let my mom know of this problem.  It was not because other family members had used it all before me but something much worse.  Our 28-year-old hot water heater had heated its last tank of H2O.     I went under the house to check things out.  Upon a quick look everything appeared dry so we assumed it was a bad heating element that possibly could be replaced with little cost.  Then I heard the sound of pouring water, but saw none.  First thing in the morning the plumber was summoned.  When the plumber arrived, he found the old water heater was indeed beyond repair and discovered the sound of the pouring water.  The pressure buildup from the broken heater had caused a pipe to burst at one of the outdoor faucets.  The water

  Mini Bike Build Up by Jeremy Yarbrough          Anyone who knows me knows that I love anything with wheels and engines.  I started out with a go-cart at age 14 and have been interested in tinkering with vehicles of all kinds.  This week I have been working on a 1960's Rupp mini bike which I purchased at the Tville Vintage Power Show in June 2022.  There are several things that need to be improved upon to get it in better shape for the trails.     The first thing I dealt with was the messy weld on the bike.  I rewelded the engine mount plate securely into place as it should have been done before.  This week I began by painting the frame a regal red to improve the appearance.  Then I replaced the two tires so that the traction would be better with the ground.     One of the most important things on anything that moves is the brakes.  My next goal was to repair the brakes by replacing the caliper which I did with ease.  The final step which I hope to complete by the end of the  week