After two hundred hours, it was recommended to change the oil in my new Kioti Tractor. I decided to purchase the filter from the dealer and replace the oil for the first time. I have changed the oil on my vehicles for years and figured the tractor would be just as easy; besides some crowding of space, it was.

I couldn’t plan a better day to change the oil.  The weather was perfect.  The yellow jackets and insect population was at a low, so I wasn’t constantly bombarded.  It was overall a nice serene day on the property.

For the video, I used 2 cameras for the shot, a lapel mic, and our Zoom H4.  I realized the lapel mic was not of very good quality, which explains the sound in the beginning.  I also used the Zoom’s auto levels and that proved to be a terrible idea.  The Zoom couldn’t adjust sound level fast enough to keep it level, so the best sound came from the video on my camera phone and the camcorder I had with me.

I am still using Blender to edit the video.  It is nice to sync the two cameras together

and switch the view back and forth, something you can’t do in Movie Maker.  If you create YouTube videos by yourself, this is extremely helpful because you can roll both cameras and not have to stop and change angles for every specific shot.  I did the same thing on my  “electric  v. gas powered chainsaw” video, except with a few more change ups and added complexity.   This video also predates the firewood and frustration with YouTube  video I created a couple weeks ago.

I am still debating on whether to drop YouTube or not, and just rewind the clock and continue with blogging. I have noticed traffic on our website has increased on search engine results, possible Facebook friends who have no other way to find me since I left the platform.  It is interesting all Facebook visitors to this website are now gone as that platform works through the final deletion of my profile and living a sustainable page as it rapidly approaches the final 90 days.  I admit I do miss contacting friends on Facebook that chose not to follow me to this platform, but it also puts FB into more perspective as well.

As I check my WordPress reader, I noticed many of the channels I follow on WP are also not posting as often.  My wife is seeing the same trend on her Instagram and is almost done using that platform as well.  It seems that our society is waking up to the corporate manipulation of social media.  As we transition into fall, I wonder if social media is going through the same transition.  What was once seen as vibrant and alive is slowing losing energy and preparing for hibernation and a long winter, until it is re-birthed; hopefully, into something new and less manipulative with the expected arrival of spring.