What a mess!

[Erik B]

Damnit! Been watching the 7 day forecast since last Friday - looked like things would be drying out Mon, Tue, Wed and continue dry through the weekend. Big plans to go to the woodpatch and get a lot of the burn pile cleanup done on Thurs. Figured it would be dry enough to drive in (I got stuck last week trying that) All weekend scattered showers but wild wind, Mon showers but too windy with chill factor down in the 20s. Tues dry and tried to work on cleanup around the wood pile. Got a little done but wind chill got to me again. Wed, fairly nice and dry put ipn two good good hours cleaning up odds and ends around the woodpile.

This morning got up and we had had a ?snow/ice/hail? shower, ground white. Figured to go to the breakfast club about 7 and leave at 8 thinking things would be dry. 8 and the white cover was still present even where the sun was hitting. Cancled the trip thinking to put in time on the woodpile., Nope not even that. Ice/frost cover was enough that the rider mower with turf tires was helpless. Just checked again at 1pm and ice still in the shade, ground "smeary".

Supposed to be a fairly hard frost again tonight so I will cancel any plans for a trip tomorrow. Maybe Saturday.

Ah well, Got a bit ambitious and cleaned out old files, confirmed one wood order for 3 cords. Hoping to be able to move wood from one stack to another, got about 3 cords yet to go so I can fix some fence.

Hang in there, July is coming

 

[turnkey4099]

Hang in there, July is coming

Didn't come fast enough. Another fail. Late breakfast, frost stillon truck, went out anyhow. Stopped befoe entering field to inspect. Bit smeary but passable and once on sod would be OK. Too bad the wind had risen. Even dressed in long johns I froze out and wa sonly only out there a few minutes. Back home and moved three loads from one pile to another. About 6 or 8 loads to go and I can fix the fence.

Harry K

 

[turnkey4099]

Back on the attack again.

4 hours chopping and piling brush just to get running room when I fall it. Left with the tree almost ready to fall then noticed a big branch going out to the right and resting on the ground, I'll have to to clear that before falling it, I can cut it clear up about 7' from the ground, it doesn't show well in the picture:

Another problem is most of a dead tree leaning against it and propped. I tried pulling it out with the truck but no go, many jerks and didn't gain an inch, there is a big crotch up there with limbs going around both sides of the tree. Even tried pulling it at right angles to the left and gained nothing. Tree will have to be felled with that thing still there. Shouldn't be a problem as the lean is actually going away from the contact pointon the ground.

Big danger of pinching the bar if I try to do and undercut. I will strap it tight to preven barber chair and may do a plunge cut leaving some meat before exiting then come around and do the back cut.

I was going to fall it tomorrow morning but I think I will burn the two big piles of brush instead, one is right where the tree will fall on it. Also doesn't show in the pic.

 

[unclemoustache]

AH, now back to that one. Have they planted up there already, or is that winter wheat?

 

[turnkey4099]

AH, now back to that one. Have they planted up there already, or is that winter wheat?

That's winter wheat, up about 12" already - gonna be a mess cleaning the top junk out of that wheat. They are fertilyzing and spraying now, haven't noticed any spring crops going in yet but they are in the fields working. Very early this year by at least 2 weeks.

Nice truck, now you have to christen it. Mine is 1989 Ford 2x (actually 1x as sthe limited slip no worky anymore) manual and 6. I added another 'beauty mark' to it yesterday. Got the rear bumper married with a sstump to the point I had to cut the stump off to get free. My truck has been washed once since I got it back in the 90s - that was at a HS car wash. The washers were shocked that I even pulled into line.

Harry K

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

That's winter wheat, up about 12" already - gonna be a mess cleaning the top junk out of that wheat. They are fertilyzing and spraying now, haven't noticed any spring crops going in yet but they are in the fields working. Very early this year by at least 2 weeks.

Nice truck, now you have to christen it. Mine is 1989 Ford 2x (actually 1x as sthe limited slip no worky anymore) manual and 6. I added another 'beauty mark' to it yesterday. Got the rear bumper married with a sstump to the point I had to cut the stump off to get free. My truck has been washed once since I got it back in the 90s - that was at a HS car wash. The washers were shocked that I even pulled into line.

Harry K

Real Stories From The Wheatfield's Edges!

good pix there TK... good story line, too... of course... imo, the campfire pix are stellar!!!

 

[turnkey4099]

I forgot to add that I tried 3 times in March to get into that and got stuck every time. One wheel in mud, the other on sod. Had to thumb a ride once back to town to call Mike to rescue it once, managed dto get unstuck twice. It was nice and dry with good traction except for all that green grass.

Picks of a couple good fires coming up tomorrow if nothing comes up.

 

[unclemoustache]

I forgot to add that I tried 3 times in March to get into that and got stuck every time. One wheel in mud, the other on sod. Had to thumb a ride once back to town to call Mike to rescue it once, managed dto get unstuck twice. It was nice and dry with good traction except for all that green grass.

I'll never go back to 2-wheel drive again. After getting my big truck stuck in 1 inch of mud on a flat field, I bought a 4x4, and have never been stuck since. (Well, there was ONE time, but we don't need to go into details. )

 

[turnkey4099]

I'll never go back to 2-wheel drive again. After getting my big truck stuck in 1 inch of mud on a flat field, I bought a 4x4, and have never been stuck since. (Well, there was ONE time, but we don't need to go into details. )

I've wished I had a 4x more times in the past couple years than in all the prior years put together. No fear that the next truck, if any, will be 4x. I don't think anyone even makes a 2x anymore.

 

[turnkey4099]

How o burn brush piles:

Nice, peaceful scene:

Got a good start, those two piles took off so well I lit off three other small ones.

45 minutes later:

Got a bit of an assist from a breeze and the fire spread out through that mess. At one time it was roaring. I was considering calling the fire department but I knew that it wasn't going to do any damage and couldn't spread beyond the limits of the grove. I had speculated before starting the fires as to what would happen if it spread, answer? Nothing except a big help in the cleanup operation.

At the height of the fun, this leaner that I want to fall was spouting 4' flames from every crotch all the way up to the top. The fire did me a big favor, that one branch going out to the right would have been right over my head and was partially broken, it burned off and fell.

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

I forgot to add that I tried 3 times in March to get into that and got stuck every time. One wheel in mud, the other on sod. Had to thumb a ride once back to town to call Mike to rescue it once, managed dto get unstuck twice. It was nice and dry with good traction except for all that green grass. Picks of a couple good fires coming up tomorrow if nothing comes up.

>I forgot to add that I tried 3 times in March to get into that and got stuck every time.

dang! sounds brutal!!

>managed to get unstuck twice.

never once, in my entire life... have I ever gotten stuck or been with others who had... that I enjoyed it!

snow, sand, soft soil, mud, dirt? no! not once!!

more pix campfires, sounds good!

 

[turnkey4099]

It's down. Did a bit of picking up around the various burn piles - not much it wasa very clean burn session. Had to cut and move some heavy branches to give running room.

Grabbed the 441 with 32" bar wondering if I was going to be able to pull it. I had some trouble pulling the 361 first couiple times this spring. Not a problem except it took about 6 pulls to fire. Strapped it to prevent barber chair, plunge cut and left about 4" of meat, then did the back cut normally. Almost all the way through before it surrendered.

Stump. rather scary to see how little was left of the hinge...almost nothing.

Not much extended into the field and Von showed with his Utility tractor with forks, did all the cleanup in the field and moved some heavy limbs over onto the sod.

Tree hit right next to a brush pile that didn't quite ignite yesterday but did have some hot stuff sticking into it. I proceeded to pile more brush there and it came alive. Von usted the tractor to move swing the entire log away from the fire. That is an impressive UT. I keep forgetting to note the make and model...next time.

Left after 3 1/2 hours of good exercise with the log all brushed out. Had planned to buck it back aways but the first cut was through a badly shattered tip and of course the bar jammed. Dropped power head and used the 192T to cut teh bar chain loose. Too tired to remount and cut so I quit.

 

[turnkey4099]

Almost everything cleaned up. Von showed up today with has big tractor. Pulled several old logs laying across the ditch over to this side. Now I am left with this problem:

DBH is 20-24" range.

I'll try cutting it just to the left of the old stump and hope it comes all the way down. If not, I'll have Von use that tractor to pull it down

 

[jasper89]

d) about 25,000 miles per second!!!

as in brutally violent!!

Pretty sure it's 24,000 feet per second.

At any rate, pretty impressive stuff.

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

Pretty sure it's 24,000 feet per second. At any rate, pretty impressive stuff.

wikipedia: The gasses expand at an explosive velocity of 8,092 m/s (26,550 ft/s).

Wikipedia on C-4 confirms your post. not sure why, I just remember it as 25K mps... maybe the docu was in err... or maybe I just heard it wrong... lol, who me? or maybe it was nuclear!!... dynamite or nuclear... all about the same to me, no place to be! well, for long...

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

Almost everything cleaned up. Von showed up today with has big tractor. Pulled several old logs laying across the ditch over to this side. Now I am left with this problem:

DBH is 20-24" range.

I'll try cutting it just to the left of the old stump and hope it comes all the way down. If not, I'll have Von use that tractor to pull it down

pretty country, pretty cool pix, sunny and warm in eastern Washington... pretty cool thread...

 

[turnkey4099]

It's down!

Fell just like I hoped. Back tomorrow to buck it up. Nice size, 25" bar just does clear. Should be 3/4 to 1 cord in it. Butt cut shows good wood and the top also looks good so it is a good start for the year's harvest. I need about 6 cord to cover orders and my use.

Post 1 has the start of cleaning up this mess. Have one more problem child after this one, The tree behind that on is a "hoop" with the brushy top solidly grounded. Guess I will start on the brushy end and see what happens.

 

[ropensaddle]

It's down!

Fell just like I hoped. Back tomorrow to buck it up. Nice size, 25" bar just does clear. Should be 3/4 to 1 cord in it. Butt cut shows good wood and the top also looks good so it is a good start for the year's harvest. I need about 6 cord to cover orders and my use.

Post 1 has the start of cleaning up this mess. Have one more problem child after this one, The tree behind that on is a "hoop" with the brushy top solidly grounded. Guess I will start on the brushy end and see what happens.

Should get tad over cord nice stick

 

[turnkey4099]

Put in 4 hours today brushign it out and starting the bucking:

Tops down to that crotch was dead and thus not much good. I cut them into 12" chunks for "Mike" who uses them in a small shop stove.

Nice to see that the burned black bark peels off in sheets

That leaves the next problem child:

I'll probably start on the brushy end and see if it comes down easy. If not I haven't figured just how to get it down. That much of a lean spells "hazard"

 

[unclemoustache]

Any barberchair that one does won't be much - it's touching the ground already. The only thing I'd worry about is pinching the saw when you try and finish the cut - looks like it will hold itself in place pretty well.