"Checking the connections" is not simply putting a wrench on the cable bolts on the battery. It entails tracing each cable (positive and negative) from the battery posts to the other end of each cable to its other end attaching point. Typically, the positive cable will end at the starting solenoid. The negative cable will end at the tractor frame or the tractor engine block. Checking the "far ends" of the cables includes putting a tool on the bolt that holds the cable in place and testing it to see if it turns in either direction and that the cable does not move freely around the bolt (the bolt can be corroded and seized tight, while the cable end terminal is actually "loose". As a precaution (and this is very important) always disconnect the battery negative cable from the battery before you put tools to any of the other cable attaching points on the tractor. And when disconnecting the battery for any reason, remove and reconnect the cables in this order: Disconnect the negative cable first, after the negative cable is loose and moved away, then disconnect the positive cable. When connecting the battery cables, attach the positive cable first, after the positive cable is secured, then attach the negative cable. When checking the cables for good connections, you must check the cable that runs from the starting solenoid to the starter to make sure its terminals are secure too. The detail about it having gotten wet in the rain could still have some significance. Electricity and water do mix, contrary to popular lore. The problem is that when you mix them you often get corrosion inside switches and connectors that shows up long after the initial wetting event. There are several components in the electrical system that might suffer failure after being exposed to a drenching rain (or even a misguided wash job). Below is a stock test procedure I have written for testing testing a typical LT/GT starter controls system. It was written with Craftsman in mind, but it is generic enough to apply to most modern OPE. Attention Walt Conner! If you have read this far.....turn off your computer now. Here is the test outline: For this, a 12 volt test light will probably be easier to use than a volt meter. So that's how I will describe the tests. The battery must be fully charged for these tests to be accurate and you must make sure there are no blown fuses. Clip the ground of the test light lead to a known good ground, negative post of battery is ok. Confirm the test light works by touching the probe of the light to the battery positive post. If light works, proceed to tests. You might want/need a helper to turn the key switch if you have short arms. Lock the brake pedal and make sure the PTO switch or, or other engaging method is not engaged. Step 1 Find the "S" terminal on the back of the key switch (a white wire). Insert the probe of the test light inside the wire connector where the white wire enters the connector, make certain the probe is deep enough to touch the metal terminal. Turn the key to the START position. The test light should burn. If test light does not burn, replace the key switch. If light burns, go to step 2. Step 2 Touch the probe of the test light to the small white wire on the starter solenoid, turn the key switch to the START position. If the test light burns, the entire control circuit for the starter solenoid is good. If this is the case, move the test light probe over to the large post on the solenoid that has the cable going to the starter. Turn the key switch to START position. If the test light burns now, the starter is faulty, or the cable from solenoid to starter is defective. If the test light does not burn now, the solenoid is faulty. If the first test of the white wire on the solenoid did not cause the test light to burn, go to step 3. Step 3 Find the brake switch and locate the 2 white wires on that switch (there might be 4 wires on the switch, only check the white wires). Turn the key switch to START and hold it in that position. Touch the probe to each white wire. If the test light burns when touched to both wires (one wire at a time of course), the clutch/brake switch is good. This would mean there is an open in the white wire circuit between the brake switch and the PTO switch (the switch on the deck, because you have power on the white wire leaving the brake switch but no power on the same white wire arriving at the solenoid). If you have power showing on just one white wire at the brake switch (with pedal locked down), make sure that the switch is adjusted properly. If adjusting the mounting of the switch does not give power to both wires, replace the brake switch. Now, if you have power at both of the white wires on the brake switch , move on to the PTO switch in step 4. Step 4 Find the white wires on the PTO switch and place the probe on the white wires (one at a time). Turn the key to START. The test light should burn on both white wires. If only one white wire has no power on it when in START position, replace the PTO switch. If you have power on both wires here, but not at the starter solenoid, there is a break in the wire between the PTO switch and the starter solenoid.

Thanks a lot for the advise! It helps greatly to know what I'm dealing with. The planting bed these are in are primarily for fruit trees. I am adding flowers to make it prettier. This particular planting bed gets a lot of volume of runoff water during storms. The soil is very fast draining - I have sugar sand soil, and I actually have to amend it with compost so the edibles get enough nutrients. So adding additional sand wouldn't change anything - it is nearly all sand already. It is very interesting, I am finding that here in FL that there are some plants that can take quite a lot of moisture if they have a cool root run (here that means shade), but absolutely cannot tolerate hot+damp roots. Hippeastrums seem to be one of them. Another is agapanthus. I have hippis in other spots of my yard that get just as much storm water runnoff, but they are in shade, which seems to make a large difference. This particular one I think was a belated casualty of hurricane Sandy, which dumped quite a lot of rain as it passed. On the plus side, rain lilies seem to flourish in this location, in fact my candidas are still blooming even this late in the year! They like the periodic drenchings. I've moved what is left of those seedlings to a spot agapanthus does well in, so hopefully they will do better now. I was worried that if it was an insect that moving them might spread the problem. If it is a drainage problem, then moving them should be safe. Thanks for the help!

Was in Guymon last evening and my pu just turned in at Wally World as I was leaving. So being I was in the parking lot went in to see what they had put out over the last week. Almost everything was out inside the store now. Just a few bulbs though and didn't see any seed potatoes. They had a lot of boxes stored just outside the doors in the outside area. I didn't go out to see what was there. This year they have a large Ferry-Morse seed display and a fair sized display with organic seeds from Seeds of Change. The FM seeds were very reasonable. Not sure if someone put the wrong price on the SoC seeds or not. They showed $5.49 a pack. Which I consider very high. Didn't buy anything but looked through both racks. They had all of the usual potting and seed starting mixes and supplies out. Last week they had a sale on plastic containers which I bought a few of and using as flats for onions, leeks, ect and wanted to buy a few more buty they were all gone and the area full of garden/lawn/Bar-B-Q items. Just 2 years ago I couldn't find any seed starting mix or potting mix anywhere before Feb 1st. So since I've kept at least a partial bag and some potting soil for insurance and both years the stores have had it out in mid Jan. More geese have moved in from the south over the last week. Notice a few more flocks moving north during the week. Everyone that is talking about it says it is due to little water and food south of here. They say the ducks/geese that use this fly way can go clear to the Mexico border and not find many water/food combinations. So not sure if them moving north is a good indicator of an early spring or just an indicator of hungry birds. I would say the numbers here have climbed to over a thousand now. The wheat is growing and some fields that they didn't even cut must have a little grain down on the ground as I've been watching them feed in them. They don't stay out feeding over an hour which indicates they are getting plenty to eat without a lot of work. Which somewhat surprises me. My two youngest apple trees just lost the last of their leaves a week ago and are showing signs of the buds growing now. The older one has buds I'm afraid won't wait long enough to bloom out from the way they look. I remember in the late 80's a winter like this. The last day of Jan it started raining. And then turned to ice and snow. Then the cold set in for around 2 weeks. Hope that isn't the case this winter. I keep telling everyone not to store their coats away yet. The good thing is the longer we go without a severe cold spell the less likely we are to have a prolonged extreme cold spell. But I've seen really cold weather through the 15th of Feb so not getting in too big of hurry starting too many seeds yet. Jay

Well, I've seen geese the past few days... but today I hit the triple-header (comes from being able to work with a window for a change, perhaps): snowdrops are blooming away, the grackles are here, and my first robin in a very long time made an appearance and broke into song. Unfortunately, the snow melt revealed I've got moles or voles in my front bed, home to columbine, astilbe, crocus, tulips, hyacinths, coral bells, and some jacob's ladder. ARGH!