I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay.

[Rahmota]

Okay I have a project I am working on right now. If I believed in omens I would be wondering a bit about this.

I am needing to replace quite a few fenceposts on the farm as over the years I've been lax in keeping the internal fences up. Just the perimeter fence. But if things go well I'll need the internal fences uprated. I also have a few trees in an area I need to clear out. So to kill two birds with one stone and save some money I have been cutting the trees and using them for firewood or fenceposts depending on their quality.

Things where going well until today, aside from the weather. Today was just one total clusterfrak. I cut a tree only to have it fall into the crotch of another tree and get stuck. So grumbling I took the chain saw and started in on that one. Somehow on the backcut the bar bound then kicked loose spinnign backwards. Fortunately the anti-kickback brake on the saw worked very very nicely. I do have a nice cut on my head but at least its still attached.

So this tree when it fell landed against a third tree. So no I have two trees held up by the interlocking branches of three trees. Reset the saw and go to it on the third one. Almost done and the chain spins off the bar and wraps around it. not uncommon when the bar works loose but this is because for some reason some of the teeth on the chain (a practically new one at that only 8 hours on it) snapped off. Great I am in the side woods and didnt think to bring the spare chains so I set the saw aside and resort to the axe.

Get the tree chopped and finally all three of them fall. Fortunately I have a high enough dodge bonus as one fell where I had been standing after it bounced off the tree beside it. Totally wasnt expecting that. Oh well such is the fun of being a lumberjack and I'm okay, so it all works out in the end.....

Okay go to buck the log and then swish thwack I have no axe head just a handle. The handle snapped off right below the head on one swing. Find the head and call it a day for cutting the logs.

Head over to the fencepost site and start putting fenceposts in. That is until the handle for the post hole digger breaks. So thats 3 tools in the space of almost as many hours broken, 2 near death experiences and the project isnt even a 1/4th of the way done. Lovely. I sincerely hope getting a horse is worth all this.....

[Sandman]

All that's left is hitting a large rock and you make your little song at the end.

[Trayol]

I'm surprised you weren't struck by lightning as well. Good luck with the rest of your project.

[Geek King]

Ow. <wince>

Glad you're okay. Here's wishing better luck when you get back to work on it. Nothing more frustrating than starting on a project and having the tools break.

[Saydrah]

What kind of horse are ya getting, and I'll give you my opinion on whether it's worth it... ;) Mostly kidding, but I AM a bit of a hotblood snob, though I can appreciate the occasional chance to relax and play with an ol' push button WP horse.

You should get a goat, too, if you're only getting one horse, so pony will have company. Or a miniature burro.

[Tanasi]

What I would have done is hooked my tractor (via a steel cable or chain) to the first tree and pulled it out of the other.
What kind of trees are you using for fence posts? I prefer cedar or locust. I really prefer crossties over all else.

[Rahmota]

Sandman:Hahaha. Got the joke glad you did I am.

Trayol: Shhhh!!!!!! you! Thats all I need. My family is already making bets on how I'm gonna buy it.

Geek king: yeah I'm better, thanks. I took today and got the handles and everything put back together and hopefully if the weather stays good I'll get back at it.

Saydrah: Well you're in luck. She is a 4 year old Arabian/Walker mix. Pure black and stands about 16 hands high more or less. She's called Midnight Star. Considering how I'm partial to Walkers or Morgans this works out fine.

There is a guy the next county over who raises Arabians and discovered that good fences make good neighbors when his neighbor's walker came over and got freindly with one of his mares. His daughter fell in love with the foal and for the last 4 years has used her (the mare) for a 4-H project. The daughter got tired or somethign and moved onto another horse after getting this one broke for the most part. I was told earlier that the horse wasn't broke at all but you can ride her bareback. She just gets a bit twitchy when you try to use a saddle and all that. But anyhow since the guy can't paper her and didn't want her in the breeding line with his he let us have her for a song and dance ($200 bucks is rather musical) since my wife(2)'s brother is friends with the guy's brother. The horse is young, healthy and has a good attitude so I'm not asking too many questions.

As for a field buddy we're workign on that. There is an amish horse sale coming up in a month that we're goign to go to. What we're hoping to do is get a couple nice riding horses and maybe one draft animal to pull a buggy. Mule, Donkey something. It'll work out. And besides I have a 9 year old daughter who will probably try and turn this horse into a huge pet. So between myself, the wife, and the kids this horse is not goign to be lacking for attention anyhow.

And as for the goats we are going to be getting some of them sometime too. We just have to watch the budget and work things out.

Tanasi: yeah I thought about that. unfortunately the area I'm working is between the perimeter fenceline and the creek. So getting equipment in there is rather problematic. Also i have to try and drop trees a certain direction for the same reason. So all this work is done the old fashioned way. Heck the only power tool I'm using right now is the chain saw. Maybe I've been hanging around the Amish too long.:)

Yeah I'm tryign to use mostly of the Locust but also some Maple, Ash and Cherry are being used too. I'm trying to thin some of the underbrush and stuff out and get the woods cleaned up so that 1 they can be healthy, 2 they can be ridden through, and 3 they can be sustainable. So there is a bit to choose from in all sizes.

*sigh* So much work to be done fixing this place up. It gets so frustrating and tiring sometimes. I kinda regret and get angry at myself for not having been around as much when i was off trying to get the big city job and goign to college and basically turning my back on this place. Mom and stepdad couldnt do everything so a lot of the place just kinda slid. I want to be able to hand this place over to the kids as the shining jewels I knew when i was growing up. *sigh* Oh well it'll work out in the end.

[Der Cute]

Oh, Man...Rah, you had better knock on some wood damn soon or the wood's gonna knock on you!!!

Question - if you have ash, cherry & maple, why aren't you selling that as hardwood for lumber to a mill? Are they not big enough? I'm just drooling here, thinking of the smell of wood...and it's been YEARS since I've done any woodworking. Plus my roomie works for a dozer/demo place, and he cuts trees all the time. All the timberrrrrrrrrr (sorry) around here is pine/fir trees, and they burn in teh stove too quick...

Idea: Call Mike Rowe on Dirty Jobs and have him come over and you get to show him how dirty it can be raising a fence...and you'd get another body to help you :P Or even call Tanasi's sheriff and have those 3 snotlings come over to YOUR ranch and help you to make up for it - cuz I sure as heck don't see Tanasi letting them on his property ever again....

And..why a goat for a horse? The goat speaks Goatese, and the horse speaks Whinnease...so how would they compliment each other? Not like the goat can clean up after the horse....or feed it.. I thought a horse for a horse of course.

But what do I know? I'm a damnyankee citygirl. :P But I know where leather comes from! the leatherites in the woods....

Cutenoob

[Rahmota]

Oh, Man...Rah, you had better knock on some wood damn soon or the wood's gonna knock on you!!!
hehehe yeah. I need to do somethign thats for sure.

Question - if you have ash, cherry & maple, why aren't you selling that as hardwood for lumber to a mill? Well a lot of reasons. Most of them complex and personal and not open for discussion at this juncture in public or private. Sorry nothign personal about your question but we have hit a black card event. :) No hard feelings. Suffice to say I have a vision of what I want to do with this farm and logging companies are not a part of it.

Good ideas indeed. A little hard labor is good for one's soul. Which is why my 12 year old and 10 year old are both learning the ropes so to speak of things. Remember how I said I wasn't using much power equipment to do this? I am using traditional tools as much as possible. Two handed post hole digger, shovels, wood tamper, axe and one handed draw saw for bucking the logs and humping the 8 foot long 4 or so inch thick logs out of the woods by hand to the point where we can load them on the drag behind the tractor. For some reason i am the one who does most of that last job. :D

As for a pasture buddy. horses are very social animals and its not so much what the other animal is as its that there is a companion in the stable/field with them that they can hang out with. Otherwise they can get a bit grumpy shall we say.

the leatherites in the woods....
I thought it was leatherites at the lake and deadites in the woods.....

[Saydrah]

Saydrah: Well you're in luck. She is a 4 year old Arabian/Walker mix. Pure black and stands about 16 hands high more or less. She's called Midnight Star. Considering how I'm partial to Walkers or Morgans this works out fine.

There is a guy the next county over who raises Arabians and discovered that good fences make good neighbors when his neighbor's walker came over and got freindly with one of his mares. His daughter fell in love with the foal and for the last 4 years has used her (the mare) for a 4-H project. The daughter got tired or somethign and moved onto another horse after getting this one broke for the most part. I was told earlier that the horse wasn't broke at all but you can ride her bareback. She just gets a bit twitchy when you try to use a saddle and all that. But anyhow since the guy can't paper her and didn't want her in the breeding line with his he let us have her for a song and dance ($200 bucks is rather musical) since my wife(2)'s brother is friends with the guy's brother. The horse is young, healthy and has a good attitude so I'm not asking too many questions.

As for a field buddy we're workign on that. There is an amish horse sale coming up in a month that we're goign to go to. What we're hoping to do is get a couple nice riding horses and maybe one draft animal to pull a buggy. Mule, Donkey something. It'll work out. And besides I have a 9 year old daughter who will probably try and turn this horse into a huge pet. So between myself, the wife, and the kids this horse is not goign to be lacking for attention anyhow.

And as for the goats we are going to be getting some of them sometime too. We just have to watch the budget and work things out.


Make sure you check any of the draft animals for ringbone. It's worth paying for a vet to come with you and give an opinion if you can convince one you trust to come along and take a look- if not, take at least one experienced horseperson outside the family (thus immune to daughter's pleading for the one with the long blonde mane). Amish draft animals tend to be very well trained but quite prone to soundness issues because of the heavy use, particularly ringbone in Belgians and Belgian crosses. Mules are quite nice, as long as you're prepared to be outsmarted regularly.

'Grats on the Arab/Walker- that'll be a fun one to get working under saddle. Wonder how many gaits she's got, when you count the Arab gaits? (Sideways canter, tranter, backwards bobble... they are much more lateral than most horses!) Post pictures when she arrives! I adore gaited horses, though I haven't ridden too many walkers- a few, but more NSH and Missouri Fox Trotters. NSH is definitely a favorite of mine, after playing with a rescue mare who was never trained for dressage but performed third level maneuvers her first time under saddle after several years out of work. Any out of shape, 18 year old horse that throws a canter pirouette at me out of the blue, well, count me impressed (and wondering what button I pushed to get that...)

[Shabo]

My horse is best friends with our alpaca. It's cute. We got the alpaca for free, I think, since we adopted him from a rescue home. He doesn't care for men though (and I am pretty sure that my little brother had a lot to do with that...)

We also have sheep, but our sheep are terrified of the horse and alpaca and won't go near them. Goats tend to be a bit more, uh, "strong" in their personality, so I could see them working fine with a horse. Just don't get Angora goats. They have more the personality of a sheep.

[Princess-Snake]

When I first saw the title, I thought I was going to be hearing about how you've suddenly picked up the love of high heels. Thank God I was wrong. Glad you're okay. And have fun with the horses.

[Rahmota]

Cutenoob: Before I respond to anyone else I want to apologize if i came off sounding rude to you in my last comments about the woods. Ever since I took over this farm after mother died there have been some "helpful" people wanting to make "suggestions" about how and what I should do. Both inside and outside the family. You unfortunately happened to hit too close to that zone. I am sorry and should have been a bit more diplomatic lookign at it from the perspective of a day later.

Saydrah: Good advice. The sale is a pretty old one and most of the folks there are pretty honest and all. One of the joys of dealign with the amish over some other people. But yeah they do work their animals and all so they need to be checked out if they are old enough to have been worked. Of course they also take great care of them as they have to depend on them so much. so its a double edged blade but yeah we'll definately see about making sure we dont get a bum philly or whatever the appropiate phrase is.The BIL(2) works with horses some too so we'll be bringing him. We'll get it figured out tween the three of us (me, wife(2) and BIL(2)) and anyone else we can pick up along the way, it'll work out. But we'll definately talk to the vet we have in the area about any suggestions she can make.

as for Mules I can talk to my mother in law so it shouldnt be too much different.:lol:

And yeah the kids are not going to be coming to the sale either. The only reason they met Midnight so far was to see how they would react to each other. Sort of a test to make sure she wouldn't freak out (she didn't, my daughter actually got to sit on her back) and that the kids wouldnt freak out either.

And don't worry there will be several photos available here and at the B-log. You may even get to see me as well. As for the gaits. We'll figure that one out as well.

Shabo: Cool.
The goats are going to be used for an income source so we where flipping between alpacas as there is a place we can sell the hair to (they weave it and turn it into thread and all) and good milkers.
Goats tend to be a bit more, uh, "strong" in their personality Strong? thats kind of an understatement get a stubborn enough old goat and they make mules look like pushovers. I've dealt with goats before. Growing up the neighbor had goats and I would go work with them for some extra folding and they had this billy that would butt you into the next kingdom if you let him.

Princess: nah I'm not good with heels.:p We will thanks.

[Saydrah]

Female goats are lovely- and their milk is great! But boy goats- well, I like them, but the bruises they'll give you in the spring are spectacular.

[PuckishOne]

Another plug for goats: Lawnmower? We don't need no steenkin' lawnmower! :)

Good luck with everything, Rahmota. Let us know how it all turns out - and be careful!

[DesignFox]

oooh good luck with everything! Want to adopt me? I love horsies. :D (just kidding)

I lease a horse, but more than anything I want my own... and I want to see it everyday or damn near everyday. My SO will tell you that I don't give up. Everytime there's a question of what I want it's, "Can I have a horse?!?" :lol:

There are some not benefits to living here. Mainly it's that horses are insanely expensive to keep, and that's why I don't own one directly. :cry: (someday ;))

Seriously, best of luck with the farm. It sounds like a lot of hard work and excitement. I hope everything works out the way you want it to!

(btw, I love that Python sketch- my friends and I performed it in high school)

[Rahmota]

Saydrah: heheh. yep one reason I developed such good dodge bonuses.

Puckish: hhe yep. Goats make excellent lawnmowers if you dont mind a few of the less pleasant aspects of your mower like maybe it turning on you or having an attitude or thinking its funny to get loose and nibble on the laundry on the line or the flower garden........ And thanks.

Designfox: Sure why not. Yeah its got its ups and downs. And I'm sure it'll all work out in the end. For you too. A person just has to have a goal and stick to it.

heheh. yeah its even funnier in the original german ;)
======================================
Okay the posts have all been cut so the dangerous part is pretty much done for now. And this time with no more fuss or drama. I did wind up having to get a bit physical with one or two when they got caught in the crowns of the next tree over but a bit of leverage and they fell.

So now all I need to do is get the posts in the ground, which is right now a very sloppy soupy clay mix that is sooo lovely to try and work with. If the weather holds out though by the end of the month we should have the field fenced in and ready for the star to arrive.

[wolfie]

You should get a goat, too, if you're only getting one horse, so pony will have company. Or a miniature burro.

Based on my knowledge of Spanish etymology, would a miniature burro be a burrito?

:bounce:

[gunsage]

Well, if I've learned anything from Harvest Moon and Rune Factory, you have to make sure you hold the axe above your head until it flashes, then release. Sometimes you have to do this multiple times if the axe hasn't been upgraded and/or you have a low logging skill. Also, don't forget to hold R to run!


































...

Yeah, I got nothing. :shrug: