J-birds place

[j-bird]

Nice looking planting job!! That's really thinking out of the box with a get it done attitude. I couldn't wear flip flops on the tractor though; would expect them to get caught on a pedal or something as I was coming off the tractor. It was probably a fluke thing but a friend of mine who probably had "jumped" off his tractor a million times had a flip flop get caught as he dismounted the tractor and he went down pretty hard. He recooped OK but it wasn't overnight.

The only incident I have had with my flip-flops is that when the tractor gets wet (ran, dew, splashed water), I once went to get up out of the seat and my foot slipped and I smashed 2 toes right into the pedal supports....I didn't break anything but man did it smart. I had some colorful language when that happened. My other option would be my mucks....and man would those leave an interesting tan line! My kids make fun of the way I dress as it is....considering I once got mistaken as a homeless man once.

 

[j-bird]

Busy weekend Jbird, flip flops and all! Your place always looks great.

Thank you. Most folks in the area go to the race (Indy 500) or the various activities surrounding it....but Memorial day is my weekend for plotting. This year was a bit odd as I am typically behind the production farmers....this year I was well ahead of many...because of the rain.

 

[j-bird]

Nice looking planting job!! That's really thinking out of the box with a get it done attitude. I couldn't wear flip flops on the tractor though; would expect them to get caught on a pedal or something as I was coming off the tractor. It was probably a fluke thing but a friend of mine who probably had "jumped" off his tractor a million times had a flip flop get caught as he dismounted the tractor and he went down pretty hard. He recooped OK but it wasn't overnight.

As for the planting...I have done this several times and it works pretty well. It's not normally this wet, but it worked. I have a 2 row planter, but it's just a PITA to have to change equipment. I still use it for corn, but beans don't care. I need to invest in a packer of some sort, but for now I just use the weight of the tractor in my favor. I pack even after I run the planter just to help keep the critters for eating the seed....but with the planter I just follow the row. Where there is a will there is a way.

 

[Chainsaw]

As for the planting...I have done this several times and it works pretty well. It's not normally this wet, but it worked. I have a 2 row planter, but it's just a PITA to have to change equipment. I still use it for corn, but beans don't care. I need to invest in a packer of some sort, but for now I just use the weight of the tractor in my favor. I pack even after I run the planter just to help keep the critters for eating the seed....but with the planter I just follow the row. Where there is a will there is a way.

You're right j-bird,
Getting stuff done is more a matter of attitude than anything. I really like that bean system and think I might give it a try here.

 

[j-bird]

You're right j-bird,
Getting stuff done is more a matter of attitude than anything. I really like that bean system and think I might give it a try here.

I will say I have a loam type soil with very little clay....so try at your own risk. Soil conditions and the like will play a part in the success I am sure. I just show the backwards way I do things...and in the end...the deer don't care.

 

[j-bird]

well, I needed a change of perspective.... It sure isn't "corn field" Indiana....It's Murrell's Inlet, SC Got an offshore/inshore fishing outing scheduled later in the week....chasing some mackerel.... It's a tough life this week...such tough choices....Beach, pool, inlet, and best of all the kids are old enough to do their own thing...so my only worry is if I'm gonna run out of cold beer by the end of the day...and we buy enough beer and ice to hedge that worry!!!!

View right out front...


View of the inlet....


The the view off the back....

 

[farmhunter]

Been to that area quite a bit - Love the SC shore and feel of the area. Shrimp too!!

 

[j-bird]

I was walking the beach last night and ran into a fellow habitat nut... Fella's name was Buddy, he was from Georgia (I had to focus on what he was saying as his accent was a bit heavy). He was telling me that he manages some large properties in Georgia and mostly restores trout streams there. 2 of the places he manages had produced state record Rainbow and Brook trout. He was fishing the surf and we talked for at least an hour about all sort of different critter hunting and fishing....

Also talked to a guy at the marina who had come in with 2 fish (a king mackerel and a flounder) - we talked while he cleaned his fish. Learned a few things then as well. Got a lesson on the difference between a king and a spanish mackerel and why they cut the eyes out of the fish heads when they discard them into the water (makes the heads sink).

Glad to see folks who appreciate the outdoors and treat others with the same passion like a lost pal.

 

[gut_pile]

I hope you have a crap trap hanging off of that dock somewhere

 

[j-bird]

I hope you have a crap trap hanging off of that dock somewhere

No "Crap trap"!!!! no craB trap either....

 

[j-bird]

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]

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.

 

[j-bird]

I try to keep these to a minimum and if the powers at be feel this is not allowed - that is fine.

My middle daughter Jenna suffers from a condition in which her pain sensory system/nerves between her foot and her brain no longer communicate properly. Her condition is called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. What this means is her brain senses extreme pain in her foot constantly, even though no real pain exists. Its a terrible thing to see in your child. At one time we wondered if Jenna would ever walk unassisted again. We also see the impact such a condition has on the mental well being.

As part of her therapy we encourage her to talk to others about this condition and try to help others. As such Jenna started an instagram page where she shares her story and tries to help others. Her instagram page was nominated for an award. As many of these go, it's based on getting votes. if you feel comfortable supporting Jenna in providing a vote I would appreciate it and I know she would as well. To vote requires an e-mail address and I am not sure what they do with that, so I understand if you wish not to participate.
https://awards.wegohealth.com/nominees/18366

 

[catscratch]

Just last week I was thinking of your daughter and was going to send you a PM to see how things were going. I hope posting and talking with others does her well. I'll put my vote in for sure and wish you guys the best in this part of her journey. If I remember right she is about the same age as my oldest. It would tear me up to see him in pain like that.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

 

[j-bird]

Just last week I was thinking of your daughter and was going to send you a PM to see how things were going. I hope posting and talking with others does her well. I'll put my vote in for sure and wish you guys the best in this part of her journey. If I remember right she is about the same age as my oldest. It would tear me up to see him in pain like that.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

She was hospitalized earlier this year with an epidural and heavy PT for a week (I about died when I seen what that bill was before insurance kicked in - anybody that says hospitals are about healing and not money are liars). Since then she continues with additional physical and emotional therapy. She however did reach her goal of going to prom (the pic on the site) and wearing"fancy" shoes in the process. She is doing better than ever before but certainly has her set-backs. She uses social media to reach others with her condition to both gain some support when she needs it and to give others support as well. She finds that kids and teenagers relate to her better because of her age vs adults....I think we have all been there at one time or another. She is working on her drivers license (she is a bit behind) as well as trying to find a college to attend with better weather than Indiana (the cold, damp and barometric pressure changes all affect her condition) that won't cause us to go broke!

 

[j-bird]

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.

 

[j-bird]

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 going to 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!

 

[dogghr]

Well that sux. I've been hung up before on what looked like pretty good dirt. At least you can get it pulled out, but man to mess up one of your infamous flip flops , now that hurts. Good luck, like your shooting house plan.

 

[Mennoniteman]

I feel your pain.

 

[j-bird]

Well that sux. I've been hung up before on what looked like pretty good dirt. At least you can get it pulled out, but man to mess up one of your infamous flip flops , now that hurts. Good luck, like your shooting house plan.

My son has nicknamed the gravity wagon project "the battle wagon"..... You listen to him you would think we are building some sort of tank or mobile fortress....like the deer are attacking us!

My flip-flop blow out was the last straw....I am so glad my trail cam in that area didn't catch any of the action.... When the flip-flop blew....I ripped it off and threw it at the tractor like an old woman throwing a shoe! I was a cursing and throwing things, and making rude gestures, calling it names....all to something without ears! Yep....somethings that happen in the woods are meant to stay in the woods!