j-bird
Moderator
Well the fishing Charter was a bust... Weather didn't cooperate. The ocean was pretty calm, but storms blew in about an hour into our adventure and the rain poured and the lightening sent us back to the marina. The weather looked pretty ugly for at least an hour or so, so we called it a bust. We was all soaked to the bone from the ride in so waiting an hour in HOPE that the weather would break was not going to happen. We was fishing for King and Spanish Mackerel at a location the locals call "5 mile". It's a hump where the bed rises from around 25 feet of water to about 15 feet (roughly 5 miles off shore). We trolled for about an hour without a bite. We could see fish on the chart/depth finder, but no dice. We was working on moving to our second spot called "3 mile" where a natural reef is being added to artificially as well. There was boats at that location when we went thru but we wanted to take advantage of the smooth water and push further on the way out. Then the storms moved in. The guides where cool and we pro-rated the cost. Nice guys, and we will try again if we ever get the chance. Boat was a 25 foot catamaran style with twin 150 outboards. Captain was Roy Pinson with First Strike Charters out of Marlin Quay Marina at Murrells Inlet.
j-bird
Moderator
Yep - sportsman (at least in my estimation) realize that NOTHING is a guarantee...especially when it comes to the weather. I had no reason to be upset and they was cool with only covering the time we was out on the water.
Funny part is only after we got home did we see a little humor in something the Captain had shared with us. He has a little girl named "Wake".....the boats name...."Makin' Wake".......we missed that at that point in time.....
Funny part is only after we got home did we see a little humor in something the Captain had shared with us. He has a little girl named "Wake".....the boats name...."Makin' Wake".......we missed that at that point in time.....
j-bird
Moderator
Well I got out over the weekend. It was sort of funny because summer has hit here with a force. I looked up the temp on weather underground....WOW..."Feels like 154 degrees"...now that's hot!
Spent the weekend just getting some minor stuff done and took some pics along the way...
The persimmons that the graft died is still alive....now I just got a 50/50 shot of it being male or female.....
I also pulled up the dead chestnut tree. I have been in communication with Chestnut hill about both trees and thus far I am impressed they even care. At the moment they are claiming root rot got my chest nut tree....but I am trying to have it looked at. They are saying the tree was 8 years old....and it produced nuts and shown no signs of stress last fall....this spring....DEAD!
There was some discussion about screening so while I was out mowing I took a shot at my MG/Cedar/Wire fence screen....It's a work in progress, but it gets a little better and gets a little longer every year. MG is about 5 to 6 feet tall and the older cedar are roughly 8 feet....a woven wire fence is behind the cedars and has native honeysuckle growing on it that is nearly an evergreen here.
Also planted a couple pin oaks seedlings Dad saved for me so we will see how they do as well and cleaned out around my sawtooth (catscratch) oaks as well.
North triangle plot is doing well also. I pulled the cam card and it's seeing some traffic...nothing worth showing everybody, but a couple young bucks and a couple does and their fawns. I'm just glad to see it being used. I was worried about getting there and finding it covered in weeds.
Spent the weekend just getting some minor stuff done and took some pics along the way...
The persimmons that the graft died is still alive....now I just got a 50/50 shot of it being male or female.....
I also pulled up the dead chestnut tree. I have been in communication with Chestnut hill about both trees and thus far I am impressed they even care. At the moment they are claiming root rot got my chest nut tree....but I am trying to have it looked at. They are saying the tree was 8 years old....and it produced nuts and shown no signs of stress last fall....this spring....DEAD!
There was some discussion about screening so while I was out mowing I took a shot at my MG/Cedar/Wire fence screen....It's a work in progress, but it gets a little better and gets a little longer every year. MG is about 5 to 6 feet tall and the older cedar are roughly 8 feet....a woven wire fence is behind the cedars and has native honeysuckle growing on it that is nearly an evergreen here.
Also planted a couple pin oaks seedlings Dad saved for me so we will see how they do as well and cleaned out around my sawtooth (catscratch) oaks as well.
North triangle plot is doing well also. I pulled the cam card and it's seeing some traffic...nothing worth showing everybody, but a couple young bucks and a couple does and their fawns. I'm just glad to see it being used. I was worried about getting there and finding it covered in weeds.
j-bird
Moderator
We have had a very wet and cool spring this year....only until the last week or so has summer really shown up. We will see how the MG responds. I don't help it none....no weeding, no fertilizer, no nothing....its a rough place here....you make it on your own or you don't! I was sort of expecting it to spread a little more than it has...but time will tell. I figure I got enough to start creating my own cuttings at some point and will thus expand it's application around the farm.
j-bird
Moderator
Hand weeding....Nope, not here. That's why we don't have the garden my wife wants. She likes the idea of a garden but not the work. I tell her, I'll work it, and plant it....but she has to weed it. I know she won't and thus the weeds take over....or I end up doing it.... I'll either mow it with the brush cutter or spray it with gly! I'm not weeding HER garden! Never have had a garden....Yeah I babied mine the first few years. Even hand weeded the first year
j-bird
Moderator
Well, the investigation and the like continues regarding the death of my chestnut tree.
Over the weekend I had a local arborist come out and take a look. The good news is I got some helpful tips and a probable cause of death of my tree, the bad news is....I got some work to do. The other good news is that I continue to get support and interest from Chestnut Hill (the original source of the tree). I have been very surprised at their level of interest to be honest.
So - it appears that the tree died from too much water in the ground, but not actual root rot. The abrorist looked at the dead tree and the planting site and the other 2 remaining trees and made some suggestions that I need to act on. I am going to look into adding a 4" drain tile, and need to do a soil test for pH and the like as well. The one surviving tree was showing signs of clorosis (tree closest to the one that died). Apparently chestnut trees can be fairly sensitive to water issues....this plot doesn't having standing water issues, but I guess there can be more to it than that. The arborist was telling me that for the rolling calendar we have had more rain and ground water than we have had in 75 years....so this may just be bad timing, but obviously for my best result I need to address the drainage.
Over the weekend I had a local arborist come out and take a look. The good news is I got some helpful tips and a probable cause of death of my tree, the bad news is....I got some work to do. The other good news is that I continue to get support and interest from Chestnut Hill (the original source of the tree). I have been very surprised at their level of interest to be honest.
So - it appears that the tree died from too much water in the ground, but not actual root rot. The abrorist looked at the dead tree and the planting site and the other 2 remaining trees and made some suggestions that I need to act on. I am going to look into adding a 4" drain tile, and need to do a soil test for pH and the like as well. The one surviving tree was showing signs of clorosis (tree closest to the one that died). Apparently chestnut trees can be fairly sensitive to water issues....this plot doesn't having standing water issues, but I guess there can be more to it than that. The arborist was telling me that for the rolling calendar we have had more rain and ground water than we have had in 75 years....so this may just be bad timing, but obviously for my best result I need to address the drainage.
j-bird
Moderator
Damn right! Ditch/tile is a one time thing.....I'd be weeding that garden constantly!Hmm
A guy won’t weed his wife’s garden but he’ll dig a ditch for a tree
His Priorities must be straight
j-bird
Moderator
Sometimes, things go your way....
My boy and I have been working on an idea of a mobile shooting house for a while. I have a bottom area that floods nearly every spring and as such I can't put anything permanent down there without the worry of it ending up in the next county (literally) next spring. As such we have been working on an idea of using something on wheels that I can pull out of the bottom once hunting season is over and pull back into place come summer....or even move to a different part of the farm.
This is the beginning of our "gravity wagon" project. She gets a little squirrelly over 30 mph, so it was a long drive home....but for $250 I think we did pretty good. All new tires, new wood beams, fresh bearings and no significant rust that I can see. I almost feel bad not trying to sell it and make some money....but this works perfectly. I think we are just goin gto build on top and not actually cut on the wagon itself. It's 6 feet wide x 9 1/2 feet long and the top lip sits about 7 feet off the ground. We will put an enclosed home-made blind on the top and be set!
THEN....sometimes things DON'T go your way!!!!
I was/am SOoooo frick'n Pissed! I crossed the creek like I have in the past without issue. I went to come back across and the tractor slid and sunk! I worked for 3 hours trying to get it out....blew out my infamous flip-flop in the process!!! This is the 2nd time I have had it stuck that I required assistance to get it out. We will be pulling it out this afternoon. I had to walk away from it.... I was so upset I either had to walk away or I was going to set it on fire! Walking away was tougher on the pride, but cheaper in the long run. Man was I a cursing fool! I'm not sure who came up with the front wheel assist concept on these things but the whole power to the free wheel concept is a bunch of garbage. I'm thinking I need to see if they make a detroit locker type front axle for my tractor!
My boy and I have been working on an idea of a mobile shooting house for a while. I have a bottom area that floods nearly every spring and as such I can't put anything permanent down there without the worry of it ending up in the next county (literally) next spring. As such we have been working on an idea of using something on wheels that I can pull out of the bottom once hunting season is over and pull back into place come summer....or even move to a different part of the farm.
This is the beginning of our "gravity wagon" project. She gets a little squirrelly over 30 mph, so it was a long drive home....but for $250 I think we did pretty good. All new tires, new wood beams, fresh bearings and no significant rust that I can see. I almost feel bad not trying to sell it and make some money....but this works perfectly. I think we are just goin gto build on top and not actually cut on the wagon itself. It's 6 feet wide x 9 1/2 feet long and the top lip sits about 7 feet off the ground. We will put an enclosed home-made blind on the top and be set!
THEN....sometimes things DON'T go your way!!!!
I was/am SOoooo frick'n Pissed! I crossed the creek like I have in the past without issue. I went to come back across and the tractor slid and sunk! I worked for 3 hours trying to get it out....blew out my infamous flip-flop in the process!!! This is the 2nd time I have had it stuck that I required assistance to get it out. We will be pulling it out this afternoon. I had to walk away from it.... I was so upset I either had to walk away or I was going to set it on fire! Walking away was tougher on the pride, but cheaper in the long run. Man was I a cursing fool! I'm not sure who came up with the front wheel assist concept on these things but the whole power to the free wheel concept is a bunch of garbage. I'm thinking I need to see if they make a detroit locker type front axle for my tractor!
ghilliehunter
5 year old buck +
Jbird, make sure to post the blind build, interested to see the finished product. I have a hay wagon I may convert to mobile blind in a year or 2.
j-bird
Moderator
Trust me I tried. And tried and tried and tried.... Forwards, backwards, dif lock, front wheel assist, low speed, high speed (dumb idea mind you to turn the front wheels during this attempt). I tried putting what debris I could find under it....rocks and limbs and all sorts of stuff. I tried to use the loader to pull me out as well as to push me back and out....all no dice. Trust me....if I had to walk home....and I did. I tried everything I could think of...at least twice. All I managed to do was dig some nice holes and throw mud everywhere....and increase my blood pressure!
j-bird
Moderator
Will do. The "plan" is still being worked out, but right now the idea is to simply build a platform on top of the cart. We considered taking the metal hopper off and scrapping it, but that just seems like more work and trouble than it's worth (and it's in real good shape). So for now the intent is to keep the hopper intact I will try to share the build (certainly the finished product) here.
j-bird
Moderator
Oh...my boy has been doing a good job of that. I do it to him, and when I do something dumb....well, turn-about is fair play! He comes home from work and asks "Dad, where is the tract.... Oh, never mind....still stuck out in the woods ain't it!?!" I tell him he keeps it up and he's gonna come home one night and find all his stuff out in the yard and the locks on the house changed! Yes....he and lots of folks have gotten a real good laugh out of this at my expense.... at some point, I too will look back and laugh....just not anytime real soon.NIce find in the cart.
Oohhh I so wish I was there when you got the tractor stuck. I’d have been bustin balls so bad you would have lite her.
Not that I haven’t been there. But someone busting on you just adds to it...;)
