# What I've been doing the past 2 days



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

With my husband's illness a lot didn't get done. In the hot humid south vegetation takes off like a rocket when it's not beaten back. So, I've been pulling vines out of trees, cutting down some needless trees. 









Here's the challenge with this first photo. Most of what you see is vining type stuff. I have a Stihl brushcutter that I can switch out to different blades and string trimmer type things. The challenge is what to use. String probably won't work since so much of this is woody. I'm concerned about using any of the other blades, one is a trilobal blade because of the slope.

Maybe I should just burn that area and keep my hose close at hand.










This is my burn area. It was empty yesterday morning. All of what is in the foreground are the vines I pulled out of the trees using either my truck or my zero turn.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Wow, that's a lot of work! Just be careful and don't over stress yourself. I try to plan what I do around the farm step by step because if I get injured, there often is no one here.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I've finally gotten into the habit of keeping my phone in my pocket just in case. Those danged vines are foot grabbers. Yesterday when using the saw blade more than once I hooked my foot on one of those vines. They need to be dealt with before going any further.

Plus I noticed a yellow jacket going into a nest in that area so I'm done for the day in that spot.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

What kind of vines are they?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

It's all kinds. Some are wild grape, some are vines with thorns (those are what I pulled out of the top of the trees) some are some other vine that isn't that tough to deal with.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Some people here harvest the wild grape vines to make wreaths and such and ground pine too. I hate the thorny stuff. Twice this past summer I stepped on thorns that went all the way through my foot. It's my fault for wearing rubber sandals all summer.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Send someone my way if they want about 40 continuous feet of a grape vine. That one I needed my truck for. It even had a tough time, I could feel the tires dig in a couple of time trying to pull the vine out of the tree.

And not only do those thorns puncture feet, one of my mower tires has a slow leak with a puncture on the sidewall. The only thing that could have done it was one of those danged vines.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

I've had some thorn tire punctures too. If you wind that grape vine up like a garden hose while it's green and let it dry, the craft folks will buy it. The same with ground pine and pinecones around here. Melissa is always doing stuff with the craft folk, they even buy horse hair!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I had to use a saw to cut the thing. It looked like a tree trunk until I began to cut it then I realized it was probably a grape vine.


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## Slippy (May 14, 2020)

First off, prayers for your husband @robin416

Second, DANG WOMAN! Your are a working gal aren't ya? 

Mrs Slippy could learn a lesson from you!

Be safe, pace yourself and watch out for snakes.

My very best,


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Thank you, Slippy. It was a rough couple of years. And for a year afterwards I didn't have a lot of interest in doing anything beyond the necessary. 

After killing the big rattlesnake a couple of months ago I refuse to go too deep into the trees after the day begins to warm. 

I'd much rather be out there doing that stuff than doing stuff in the house. I hate having to do stuff in the house. The only time it's acceptable is if the weather keeps me in.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

The snakes need to watch out for Robin! I have stepped on a Woods Rattler up here and when it's warm I don't go too far off the farm without a sharp hoe as a walking stick.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Don't get me wrong, I don't kill every snake I see but being in my mowed from lawn is just not acceptable. And had it not been four feet long chances are pretty high I would have captured it and moved it somewhere it belong. Maybe.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

I only kill the Rattlesnakes and occasionally a Copperhead.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Years ago, I had a brother-in-law who rode his motorcycle to work in Texas. He carried a .38 Smith revolver and a small Coleman plastic cooler. He would shoot rattlesnakes for the grill.


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## Slacker (Sep 3, 2020)

robin416 said:


> Thank you, Slippy. It was a rough couple of years. And for a year afterwards I didn't have a lot of interest in doing anything beyond the necessary.
> 
> After killing the big rattlesnake a couple of months ago I refuse to go too deep into the trees after the day begins to warm.
> 
> ...


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Jump in anywhere you want to. I think you know by now we don't bite. 

Would like to tackle another one. I had a triple trunk something other cut down, I forget what it was now, that was dying and a threat to the house. They left a stump that is close to three feet tall. 

No way can I tackle anything like you just did anymore. Especially now that I don't have a tractor to do all the heavy work. 

You've got to laugh at people who think they can move to the country and all is easy and quite. The never ending, don't bother making plans for the day stuff that pops up is mind blowing at times. 

And about the time I have all the deadfall up there's another tropical storm heading our way.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Poultry Judge said:


> Years ago, I had a brother-in-law who rode his motorcycle to work in Texas. He carried a .38 Smith revolver and a small Coleman plastic cooler. He would shoot rattlesnakes for the grill.


I refuse to like your post because, just ick. I'm sitting here eating a dish of ice cream and now I'm not sure I want to finish it because ick.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

That's okay Robin, you know I will always like your posts! Rattlesnake on the grill isn't too bad, very mild, if cooked properly. It does need to be soaked in salt water or brine overnight though.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

You guys make it sound like you get almost caught up with the farm work. I never even get close from season to season!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

PJ, you've got to be kidding. You know just because a large job got done that right behind it is a whole list of other things that need to be done. I really need to work on my bird building but that might be on hold this week because of rain. I still have a lot of work on the edge of the woods to finish.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

It keeps you from the devil's mischief!


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

And when is a farm coop ever finished?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Poultry Judge said:


> And when is a farm coop ever finished?


Good point.


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## Slacker (Sep 3, 2020)

robin416 said:


> Jump in anywhere you want to. I think you know by now we don't bite.
> 
> Would like to tackle another one. I had a triple trunk something other cut down, I forget what it was now, that was dying and a threat to the house. They left a stump that is close to three feet tall.
> 
> ...


Here's one that I tackled several years ago in front of the house. A 120 year old Beech tree that had died and was hanging over the front of the house. Rented a 35 foot lift to top it and then used a 20" Stihl Farm Boss to do the rest. The wood burned real nice in the fire place.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Slacker said:


> Here's one that I tackled several years ago in front of the house. A 120 year old Beech tree that had died and was hanging over the front of the house. Rented a 35 foot lift to top it and then used a 20" Stihl Farm Boss to do the rest. The wood burned real nice in the fire place.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Very much like the one they took down outside of my house. Except someone else did it. Even my hubs wouldn't have tackled one that large. At least not one that was or could jeopardize the house.

That sounds like the same saw hubs had. I hated that saw. I used it once when a tree was blocking our drive. It was just to bloody big for me to handle without fear.


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## Slacker (Sep 3, 2020)

robin416 said:


> Very much like the one they took down outside of my house. Except someone else did it. Even my hubs wouldn't have tackled one that large. At least not one that was or could jeopardize the house.
> 
> That sounds like the same saw hubs had. I hated that saw. I used it once when a tree was blocking our drive. It was just to bloody big for me to handle without fear.


Yeah, it's a big bulky saw to use when topping but is great for slicing up the logs.
Actually the last large limb I cut off fell on the roof but we were cutting it down just before we were going to re-roof the house so it did not matter. Cutting trees down is very stress full......but splitting the logs for firewood with a axe is what I can do all day long. Kind of like hitting a golf ball with a driver as hard as you can. Just me I guess. LOL


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I kind of sort of can understand the log splitting thing. With the smaller saw we had I did most of the log cutting and splitting. But do it all day? I don't think so. When I started to get tired I'd quit because I knew the ax was going to end up somewhere I didn't need it. 

Chances are high today is an indoor day. Humidity is really high so the rain is probably knocking on my door.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Slacker said:


> Yeah, it's a big bulky saw to use when topping but is great for slicing up the logs.
> Actually the last large limb I cut off fell on the roof but we were cutting it down just before we were going to re-roof the house so it did not matter. Cutting trees down is very stress full......but splitting the logs for firewood with a axe is what I can do all day long. Kind of like hitting a golf ball with a driver as hard as you can. Just me I guess. LOL


It is indeed very stressful.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

It's supposed to be 68 and sunny today, I'm trying to prioritize what I need to do based on the temp. It got down to 35 last night.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

ouch, 35. We don't see temps like that very often anymore. 

I just checked, rain is popping up all over the place so I'm confined pretty much to the house today. Maybe I'll read instead of doing inside stuff.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

I tried to cut and paste the October show list:


Dayton Fancy Feather Club Fall Show- Dayton, OH - October 3-4, 2020
Tulsa State Fair - Tulsa, OK - September 4, 2020 - Jr Show Only
Mississippi State Fair  - Jackson, MS - October 7-19, 2020 - 4H Show Only
Utah Fancy Poultry Association Fall Show - Farmington, UT - October 8-10, 2020
Beaver Pigeon and Bantam Poultry Show - Beaver Dam, WI - October 10, 2020
Newcastle Poultry Show - Newcastle, OK - October 10, 2020
Northern Nevada Poultry Fanciers Association Show - Reno, NV - October 10, 2020
Texas All Game Bantam Club - "The All Game Show" - Newcastle, OK - October 11, 2020
Alabama Bantam Club Fall Show - Clanton, AL - October 16-17, 2020
Central Indiana Poultry Show - Lebanon, IN - October 17, 2020
Heart of Dixie Poultry Club Fall Double Show - Fort Payne, AL - October 24, 2020
Abilene Poultry Association Fall Show - Abiline, TX - October 24, 2020
Apache County Poultry Show - St Johns, AZ - October 24-25, 2020
Ontario Poultry Breeders Show - Milton, Ontario - October 24-25, 2020
Wisconsin Bird & Game Breeder Fall Show - Fond du lac, WI - October 31, 2020


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Slacker said:


> Here's one that I tackled several years ago in front of the house. A 120 year old Beech tree that had died and was hanging over the front of the house. Rented a 35 foot lift to top it and then used a 20" Stihl Farm Boss to do the rest. The wood burned real nice in the fire place.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That's a lot of work! They always look like less work when they are still standing.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Here is the tentative November list of shows. I don't know, I think it's extremely optimistic.

FL - North Florida Fair November 5-15, 2020
UT - Cache Valley Classic November 7, 2020
OK - Canadian Valley Poultry Club Mega Superbowl of Poultry Show November 7, 2020
WA - NW Serama Club SCNA Semi Nationals November 7, 2020
NC - Old English Game Bantam Club of NC -Old English Jamboree November 7, 2020
MA - Boston Poultry Expo Cancelled for 2020
AR - Heart of the Ozarks Poultry Club Show November 7-8, 2020
MN - North Star Classic Show and Sale Cancelled for 2020
TN - Something to Crow About Fall Poultry Show November 14, 2020
TN - Lawrence Co. Poultry Club "Davy Crockett Classic" November 14, 2020
IL - Jacksonville Area Pigeon Club Annual All Breed Show November 14, 2020
OH - Ohio National Poultry Show Cancelled for 2020-November 13-14, 2021
PA - White Rose Pigeon Association Winter Old and Young Bird Show November 15, 2020
WA - The Stevenson Poultry Classic Cancelled for 2020
VA - Virginia Poultry Breeders Association Fall Show Cancelled for 2020
OK - Red River Shootout Cancelled for 2020
LA - Pelican State Classic November 21, 2020
MS - The South Mississippi Standard November 21, 2020
KY - Appalachian Classic November 21, 2020
SC - Anderson Poultry Club Fall Classic November 21, 2020
TX - Comanche Crossroads November 21-22, 2020
IA - The Masters Cup November 21-22, 2020
NE - Nebraska State Poultry Association Cancelled for 2020
MA - New England Bantam Club Fall Show Cancelled for 2020
KS - Heart of America, Kansas Mini Mega Show November 28, 2020
OK - South Central Poultry Club November 28, 2020
WI - Watertown Pigeon Club Annual Winter Show November 28, 2020
CT - Faircount Pigeon & Dove Show November 28, 2020
NC - Forsyth Fowl Fanciers Fall Show November 28, 2020
GA - Carpet City Bantam Club Show November 28, 2020
CO - Colorado Poultry Association Fall Show No Show in 2020
NJ - The Bayshore Variety Pigeon Club All Age Show November 9, 2019
OK - The Oki! Poultry Show November 16, 2019
NY - Nassau Suffolk Pigeon Fanciers Club Long Island Classic Open Show November 16, 2019
FL - AgFest Youth Poultry Show November 16, 2019
IA - Tri-State Pigeon Club Show November 16, 2019
MI - Michigan Pigeon Club Annual Winter Show November 16, 2019
OR - Clatsop County 4-H Small Animal Round-up November 16, 2019
AZ - Tucson Poultry, Pigeon & Fancy Fowl Show November 23-24, 2019
IL - Red Hill Bantam Club November 30, 2019
CA - Gold Rush Fowl Association and Amador Youth Poultry Show


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

All of these shows are supposed to be in person? I went to the Davy Crockett website, they said their Fall show is cancelled and that they'll let them know about the Spring show.

So, something isn't right with what they are reporting.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

These were supposedly current as of a week ago. I think it is extremely optimistic. I saw on Youtube, the Kentucky Gamefowl Breeders did their annual gathering but I'm predicting a bunch of shows will be cancelled for the Fall.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

What's the story on the diesel lawn ornament?


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

If your group is planning a show, I think you are supposed to list it ninety days out.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

The diesel lawn ornament is shoved in the barn behind some other tractors now. It's in a place where I can start disassembling the top end of the motor. I'm in a place in the season where I could use it right now but I have two other tractors with loaders.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Poultry Judge said:


> The diesel lawn ornament is shoved in the barn behind some other tractors now. It's in a place where I can start disassembling the top end of the motor. I'm in a place in the season where I could use it right now but I have two other tractors with loaders.


So, you've gotten past the idea it might be fouled injectors?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Poultry Judge said:


> If your group is planning a show, I think you are supposed to list it ninety days out.


I was incorrect on DCCS being cancelled. They now have a Spring show that was cancelled, they're showing the November show as still being scheduled. I noticed it's now a one day show and not two like it used to be.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

robin416 said:


> I was incorrect on DCCS being cancelled. They now have a Spring show that was cancelled, they're showing the November show as still being scheduled. I noticed it's now a one day show and not two like it used to be.


I just have a bad feeling about this Fall.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

robin416 said:


> So, you've gotten past the idea it might be fouled injectors?


I had one injector stuck open three weeks ago. My actual fear is a broken piston ring or something physically broken in the valve train that is preventing the motor from turning.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Poultry Judge said:


> I had one injector stuck open three weeks ago. My actual fear is a broken piston ring or something physically broken in the valve train that is preventing the motor from turning.


Oh wow, I didn't know it wasn't turning over at all.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Poultry Judge said:


> I just have a bad feeling about this Fall.


If I was still the show secretary for DCCS they could count me out. Think about it, most of the people putting on these shows are over 50.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Absolutely.


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## Slippy (May 14, 2020)

I tell people that work is never done when you have land, livestock and loved ones!

Something always needs Cut, Cleaned, Fixed, Dragged, or Killed...


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Today is another day this week that things have to be put on hold while I drive into the city. I hate having to go into the city. And we all know that means those things Slippy mentioned are pushed back yet another day.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

You've got to prioritize your " Cut Cleaned, Fixed, Dragged, or Killed" !


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

robin416 said:


> Today is another day this week that things have to be put on hold while I drive into the city. I hate having to go into the city. And we all know that means those things Slippy mentioned are pushed back yet another day.


I'm getting so curmudgeonly that I try to limit my travel to about a day a week. As I get older, I don't really like to leave the farm much.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I've been like that for years. I just don't want to go if I can avoid it. Even if I had not concrete plans for work here I avoid the city as much as I can. More because sometimes I really want to hurt some of those with really poor driving techniques. 

Don't approach a green light and hit your brakes! Just don't do that. I'm seeing it more and more. And don't get in the fast lane and then not do the speed limit. I can usually intimidate someone to move over since it's usually a car driver and I'm in a truck. But for pete's sake, if you're afraid to go the speed limit then move over.


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