Sometimes someone has to get pissed off

It is deer season ! What a pain in the rear it has become for me. Why do es everybody think it is their God given right to use my property, leave their garbage on the ground, nail stands into my trees, even cut down vegetation to get better shots, all without my permission?

For the most part I am fairly easy to get along with and I hunt deer myself. Hell I bought my hill farm with this in mind and I have my sons and close friends that I have hunted with for decades. During the year they help me on my projects and do the homework needed for success come hunting season. We get together and before the cabin went up we used an old motor home to rough it for a week or two of fellowship and lies about what great hunters we are. Always a wonderful time where old friends get to discuss the good, the bad, and the things that are important, at least to us.

Now the problem:
I have three brother in laws that I do not see from the end of deer season until maybe September, except for Dave who has become part of the group. He is a genuine nice fellow, not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but a good guy and he is always there for anything that needs to get done. Can't ask for more then that.

Well I am home today because another of my BIL's decided that since I have two farms and can not be in both places at the same time he should put together a group to invade my flat farm and do what they please. I have not seen this guy or talked to him since last Christmas at my Mother-in-law's house. My son Jon called me on my cell to tell me about the invasion, he lives at the flat farm. Since his uncle was leading the group that showed up Jon was not sure if I had changed plans as we communicate well. I told Jon that I would handle the problem and NO his uncle did not have my blessings. I also had him tell his uncle to call my cell phone, I wanted to talk to him, but he was too much of a bitch to do that so I came home last night.

When I got there in the back yard was a beat up pick up stuck in the lawn. In the back was empty beer cans and garbage that blew out all over the yard from the high winds we had. The police were called, had the plate ran and it was not even registered to the truck. The police impounded it and now I have a major mess where it was stuck. My Brother- in-law does not answer his phone, caller I. D. I guess. Gee I hope he gets the messages I left him. Today I will call from a strange phone and hope he picks up. if not I head to the city to see him.

It feels good to vent! Christmas at the Mother-in-laws should be interesting this year.

Lazy Blogger

I have not posted to this all summer. Shame on me. Work on the hill farm has been painfully slow, just too damn busy. Retiring is a lot of work. We have been running short handed and I have taken all the overtime we throw at me. This will raise my pension check so it is kind of a no brainer I think.

I have gotten a few things done, water well is drilled , electrical service is in including the intertie for my to come later hydro system, most of my lumber I have sawed and stacked at the flat farm. Also this is a biggie I have the go ahead from the county to put in my geothermal heat, gray water set-up and solar composting toilet. Everyone I have had to deal with has been very nice and think what we are doing is wonderful. What a huge difference from the goofballs who want to make the rules on the fly at my flat farm.

Every time I go up to the hill it seems like I mostly work on getting my wood lots and agricultural land into shape. I love this place and sure do like just being there.

Hard To keep the Ducks in a row

Sure would be nice if I had more time. My time is being spent getting ready to drop out. The system dictates that I work, work, work, and work some more. We are short staffed and over time is there for the taking and I am taking it. What this all means in the long haul is a bigger retirement check every month so I have to go for it. This time next year I will be RETIRED!!!!! or should I say self employed? Work on the homestead has taken a bit of a back seat for the moment, but my eye is still on the prize, behind the scenes activity is going on even if the building boom has slowed.
The week of Easter I am taking a couple of weeks off and using the time to put up a shelter and pasture for the animals so we can stay on the hill bride and all without commuting and without making arrangements to feed the brood. My youngest son has cut fence posts from a stand of Locust trees we have on the flat farm, after splitting there will be over 500, enough for a lot of fence!
This summer will see the place start to take shape. It will start to look and feel like a home and farm. All the extra money I make from the overtime I am banking and will use it on the hill. Debt free is for me, if I can not pay cash I don't buy it.

Mother Nature

The old girl has slowed me down with cold and snow by the bushel full! Under there is my Honda. We have had seven feet of snow so far this winter. All is not lost I have gotten some lumber sawed and located materials I need to get back at it as soon as I get a break in the weather. In my shop I am working on making trim and a spiral staircase for our love nest. I need 60 feet of crown molding like this. I put this up in the homestead last winter made from Larch and cherry,

Got Wood?

Muzzle loader season closed Dec.19 and that was the last day I was at the hill farm until yesterday. Needed to take a break for Christmas and to spend time at home with the family. Today we woke up to a dusting of snow here in the low lands, first snow since the freak October storm. Usually we are under a white blanket this time of year.

My efforts are now on producing lumber at my flat farm. The log pile has dwindled and I need to get into the woods with the tractor and bring in some pine logs I have on the ground. My Amish friend has a couple of Larch logs that he is sawing for me to use as plate lumber for the out house I have to put up. Larch is Mother Natures pressure treated lumber, it does not rot when used as ground contact lumber. I do not see a functioning bathroom until maybe next fall and doing my business in the woods is getting old, plus if I want female help on site I better have a nice spot for the girls to squat. An out house will get a lot of use even after the bathroom is in. The one we installed at the flat farm for our music weekends gets used all the time and the house has all the creature comforts. When I am working outdoors or hunting on the flat farm it is my spot! A properly vented outhouse does not smell and the pit will last a long time before the house needs moved. The one for the hill farm is going to be a bit fancier then the one at the flat farm, insulated, heated with a small non-vented thermostat controlled propane heater, an a real door instead of a curtain!

Here is one of my shed moving projects for my Amish friend.

Things are different on the hill

It has been a while since I posted to my blog, mostly because I have not had the time or even electricity for that matter. Work on the homestead proceeds even though the weather does not cooperate. My oldest son caulked all the hemlock siding from the inside to stop any drafts prior to insulation going up and the little building took 60 tubes. Who would have thunk it? On the floor we put down 90# tar paper to keep the drafts out as the wood dries and it works well, spent several nights there so far. The wood burner does a great job even without the wall being insulated as a couple of nights got down in the 10's. Most nights I could get 6 hours out of a fully loaded fire box and still stay warm. Also getting quite good at wick trimming and using oil lamps as I have not even used the generator the last four nights.
The biggest thing I notice about staying on the farm is the quiet, very little traffic noise and no neighbors close enough to hear. At night the stars are a sight to see, no street lights or other light to dull the brilliance, make the sky seem bigger some how. Woke up one morning to 60 or so wild turkeys in the "Yard" and the camera in the truck so no pictures. If you have never been in the woods when a flock is sweeping for food the amount of noise they make will amaze you. Also a turkey on its roost sounds like a plane crash as it takes off. I wonder how they don't break their wings.
My Amish friend has commented to me how much he likes what we are trying to accomplish, the thought that has gone into orientation of the buildings, and our "green attitude." He also likes the fact that I have increased his cash flow having sold 4 of his sheds so far. That works well for me too. Our deal is I get $100.00 for a direct sale plus I get paid for delivery by the buyer, most often so far another $100.00 or better depending on the work and time involved. When ever I do any type of work for folks I am up front with what the cost is going to be and I encourage them to get other prices. Very few do not hire me and this approach saves on hard feeling.
We are chomping at the bit for spring and winter has not even officially started yet. Some small changes have been made to the original plans, mostly involving locations of rooms and such. It is nice to have frozen ground hiding the mud. My grade work has allowed the site to drain nicely, but until I get grass growing and the rest of the stone in mud will continue to be a problem. My open ditches on the high side are still running water in this cold snap. Tells me they are doing the job. It will be nice to get pipe and stone in them.
Next week I am working at the flat farm running my sawmill. The best thing is I have a cut list and will be sawing with a purpose not just making lumber. We will be adding 10 feet to the south side that will be a deck for now and closed in later. On the front of the building the plans for the entrance are drawn up. A 10'x26' combination mud room, storage area, laundry room over a basement that will serve as a root cellar and dry storage area for can goods and the like.
So for now this is very much a work in progress. I feel good when I have wok in progress!