Ever Have One Of Those Days?

[flyboy553]

Had plans yesterday to get out to the woods early so I could take advantage of the only warm day we are going to have in the next week. Well, guess what, Bucky? Not so fast!

No heat in the truck. So into town I go, only 8 miles, and talk to the car parts guy and he talks me in to getting a resistor and put that in. Well, that wasn't it. Back to town to get a new blower, back home again to install it and now I have heat. Great!
Get out to the woods, first skidsteer won't start. No biggie, have another one out there. It won't start either. Guess I will have to do things the hard way dang it. 15 inches of snow is not much fun to wade through carrying rounds out but it is what it is. A sideways glance at those non running skid steers didn't help my mood at all either.

First tree I fell hangs up. Big time. No getting that outta there until I get the skidsteer running. No time for that cuz it is going to get dang cold here and I gotta get some wood cut. So, off to another tree. That one actually makes it all the way to the ground like I know what I am doing! Finally things start to behave normal!

By the end of the day all I have to show for this stressful cuss-filled day is 5/8ths of a cord cut and split and hauled home. Makes a guy wonder why he does it at all. But then again, it's my hobby. Some guys work on cars as a hobby and things don't always go right there, either. I guess.

Hope your days go better than yesterday did for me!

Ted

 

[Swamp Yankee]

Mr. Murphy never takes a vacation.

Often the best you can hope for, he decides to spend more time with someone else so he avoids you.

I've got to go fire up the skidsteer in the landing either today or tomorrow too, not looking forward to it.

Take Care

 

[chucker]

sorry!! you had a bad day yesterday ted! luckily mine was a good day for sure all deliveries! but now the bad day for me is showing it's ugly face fast!! im sold out, with a list of clients wanting more wood faster than I will be able to cut and deliver dead standing red oak???? like you stated snow up to the waz-zo and the danged tractor wont start! cold days ahead ! stay warm friend, and enjoy a real beer on me!

 

[Downer]

For times like these I have an Optima deep cycle battery that I drag out to the woods for my skid steer, use it as a main jumper. That and Rotella T6 synthetic and I've not had any problems in down to -10 so far...

 

[Dirtboy]

Sometimes you eat the bear-sometimes the bear eats you.Better times are sure to come.

 

[Ironworker]

I guess through age and experience once I see one of those days starting to unfold, I stop whatever I'm doing and go get a snack or cup of coffee.

 

[flyboy553]

I guess through age and experience once I see one of those days starting to unfold, I stop whatever I'm doing and go get a snack or cup of coffee.

Normally I would too, but yesterday and part of today are the only time we will be above zero until Thursady next week, so taking a break was not an option!
Ted

 

[Fred Wright]

Dang, Ted... that was a real wipeout for ya. I'm sorry to hear.

If it's any help or consolation, you're not alone. I got up this AM with the intent of hauling some rounds out of the woodlot. Couldn't get the little tractor to start. It cranked but that was it. Figured it was probably frozen somewhere. I rustled up the heat gun and warmed the carb. That got it started.

Before I could load one round I got it stuck in the woodlot. There's an old logging rut back there and I drove right down in it. Wheel weights can be a curse sometimes.

After some colorful language and a lot of prying with a sapling log she came free. I heard a cold beer calling.... drove it right back to the shed and parked it.

Them rounds are gonna wait for another day.

 

[Jim Timber]

Ted, I know having inoperable equipment can be hard on the psyche, so I'd be willing to take one of those skidsteers off your hands so it's failure to start won't ruin another day in the woods for you.

 

[Chris-PA]

I've read through your post several times now, and I just can't see what is so unusual about it. It seems like a perfectly typical day. Could you explain the part that you thought was noteworthy?

I get really nervous when I've got too many things working too well. Like right now for some reason - even the Gravely started right up so I could plow things off yesterday. There's nowhere to go but down and I just know there's gonna be hell to pay soon enough.

 

[andydodgegeek]

Hi Ted, if only you would of had a Fiskars all your troubles would be gone!!! HAHAHA!!! But seriously, me and Sarah will have to come out to your place sometime and help out with the cutting. But not till it warms up a little bit.

 

[flyboy553]

Ted, I know having inoperable equipment can be hard on the psyche, so I'd be willing to take one of those skidsteers off your hands so it's failure to start won't ruin another day in

Sure, Jim, which one ya want? The cat with the grapple bucket or the Case with the snow bucket?

Hi Ted, if only you would of had a Fiskars all your troubles would be gone!!! HAHAHA!!! But seriously, me and Sarah will have to come out to your place sometime and help out with the cutting. But not till it warms up a little bit.

Hey that would be fun! And be sure to leave that Fiskars in the truck. Hate to see it get scuffed up on the con of me! lol A GTG would be fun but I don't think it would be right, because I sell firewood and having help making it doesn't seem right to me.

Ted

Edited to clean up quotes

 

[cnice_37]

Got about 9" yesterday and wanted to try out my new (to me) 3pt snow blower. Little 3 cylinder diesel never been a problem before, wouldn't start, single digit temps. Grrrrrr.... I walked over to the old F250 I constantly contemplate selling, wiped off some snow, kicked the gas, and started she did. So cuss words were minimal and a plowing I went. Good to have options I guess.

Later I got the Kubota started, but now I want a heater.

Tomorrow is looking like a cutting day hopefully.

 

[Jim Timber]

I'll take the Cat. Wouldn't want you to have to shovel or anything.

 

[Bushmans]

Musta been in the air. I got to the woodlot at the designated time set by my cutting partners and I.
I walked around, took some pics, checked almost every tree that needed to be cut.
Still no one shows. I finish my coffee, gas up the saw, put on my chaps......killing as much time as possible because I didn't want to start cutting down trees alone. Finally an hour after start time I start, I had one tree loaded in the truck before he even got there. The other guy was leaving on a trip so he opted out.
Usually we all gang up and knock 'em down and drag 'em out. Then its an all out bucking fest and loading.
So anyways the wind was blowing pretty good so no big trees came down, I only cut little ones. Took forever to get loaded. Almost 4 hours. Partner had a hang over so he was all willy nilly.
Get home around 2 for lunch and walked in the house to a sink full of dishes !
Went out to split and stack and smashed my pinky on a round.
Had about 12 rounds to split and ran out of daylight and we have 14 inches of snow coming.
Snowmobile won't start.
Came in from splitting and had to cook dinner because wife and kid were not gonna be home till later. ( I usually cook anyways but I thought because I busted butt all day....)
So then I went into the garage and opened the fridge which is where i normally keep my beer and..............it was there so everything is fine now!
Life is full of surprises.
Smile and crack a beer!

 

[Jakers]

i call days like that... wait for it.... WINTER!!!! all my things around home have been fighting me tooth and nail since we got snow shortly after turkey day.

winter always brings out the weakness in anything. its made to weed out the people that cant deal with a little (or a lot of) challenge in life. by the time winter is over all your equipment is in tip top shape and reliable again so you wont have any problems with it until next... WINTER

Hang in there Ted. it'll warm up in 4-5 months if we are lucky

 

[nk14zp]

I'll take the Cat. Wouldn't want you to have to shovel or anything.

And I'll take the case.


I think you did well to get over half a cord out under those conditions.

 

[Milkweed Seed]

**** happens, if it was easy.... Every skirtboy would be out cuttin too.

 

[lmbrman]

I used to let that kind of a day get to me, but now I just smile at the frustration and take my time, try not to get hurt or break something expensive. Maybe call it a day if need be. Glad you are OK, enjoy the cold. I plan to enjoy it in front of the fire next few days. Guy I log with threw in the towel for a few days, hydraulic hose bill this month was $1800, mostly from the cold temps. At least my bad days don't usually cost much.

stay warm-

dave

 

[Festus]

For me, 2013 was "one of those years". I broke 2 ribs in late August. Blew through most of my vacation mostly sitting in a recliner. Had to take some time off unpaid also. Besides that, the weather sucked. There wasn't much of a summer. Only got out in the pontoon boat once, and that was a cold day. Only got out in my kayak 3 times. Had a few days off over the holidays, but I had a bad cold/flu so I sat home and kept the dogs company. My old truck is sitting outside with 3 broken brake lines. Bleeders won't come out, so it'll need new brake cylinders too. It's been too darn cold to work on it most of the time. Yesterday wasn't bad, but I had to put a new front wheel bearing and hub on the wife's go to work car. Good thing I got at it too, the outer bearing race was in pieces. I hope to get at the truck pretty soon, but I only use it for hauling wood and coyote hunting during the winter. It doesn't fit in my garage very well, and as a truck mechanic, I'm not always thrilled to dig into more mechanical problems when I get home. Other then weekends, when I'm home, it's dark out, but it beats my Saturn Ion with my little trailer for getting wood, so I better get at it soon.