mini random catch up

Christmas party. We found the Filipinas.

Still cold.

Nearly daily routine.

I knocked together a cable spool stand.

Not really a "What is it?", but a "Why is it?". Too short for posts, too long for firewood.

nothing for 2 weeks, now 2 in one day

Sun shining this AM. Cristina looking outside, "Ooh, the sun is shining, is it warm outside?". I check the temp, "It's 21°, babe". Her face falls.

Another Cristina story: I caught her staring at the neighbor's cattle. She asks, "How do they know how many cows they have?". I realized visions of sirloins and t-bones were dancing in her head. I pointed out the number tags in the ears. Her reply, "Hmmmm". I'm gonna' have to watch her...

I am an official Okie now. I believe many times your DL picture is used as a mug shot, so I was working on the appropriate look. It bothers me when people are smiling in a mug shot.

Snoopy is the shoe thief. Proof.

The big pond partially frozen over.

The little pond completely frozen over (and high).

Look what I did a few days ago. Hindsight really is 20-20. What was I thinking? A 4400 lb. truck with maybe a thousand pounds of firewood, and I drive it across a field that has been rained on for days. 2-wheel drive, street tires. I've tried to move it every day since it got stuck, figuring each day the ground would be more solid. Rain on the way Friday, so today was my last chance to move it (without heavy equipment) until spring/summer.

Hi-lift jack. Really scary. Started to tilt. Snapping, popping sounds. I jammed some planks under the tires and lowered it.

Success! I moved it 8' before it stuck again. Not pictured: I did the whole thing again twice more and made it to firm(er) ground. Had to off-load most of the firewood. I may just leave it there; I feel like I've carried this batch of wood more than I carried the boys when they were babies.

I dug out the beaver's dam again this AM. You may be asking (like Ben did) why are you doing this? See the next picture...

Here is why: Grandpa Wayne built the little house very near the edge of the pond. The water table is very high of course near the pond. I believe that if the water gets too high outside, water is forced up through a crack in the foundation inside the house. THAT is why I fight the angry beaver. Today I only had to shovel mud away from the dam. My hope is that the beaver is suffering from hypothermia and is too weak to move trees.

I installed gas line in the little house yesterday. You may ask, "But Blake, what do you know about installing gas line?"  Absolutely nuthin' (say it again).

Today I will install a 220v line for the new dryer location. "But Blake, what do you know about installing electric line?".....

A dead tree I started cutting yesterday.

I took off the limbs, but I think my chainsaw is too small for the main trunk. I have a 16" bar, but this thing is massive.

2 weeks catch up (sorry)

I don't know what happened, felt too busy to blog. Here you go...

Thanksgiving Feast

Food coma

Grandpa took us to the "Ringold Cafe", in Ringold, OK

F

C

Cold weather is really here. It has been in the 20s most nights, highs in the 30s. I read in the paper that there were mid-teen temps recorded a couple of nights.

Sleet pellets. Nick won't hardly wear a beanie, says it make his head itch.

Cutting firewood. This pine fell across the fence last spring. The county road crew cut it back so cars could pass. Now we are finishing the job.

Supply better now. Still need more, and need to split.

Swinging the "Monster Maul". 36" steel bar with a 12lb. (5.5 kilo) steel wedge on the end. It's hell to swing (or even lift) but it explodes wood.

I leveled the propane tank. (An animal had dug out a den under one end and the tank dropped into the hole)

Drained the water heater. Several pounds of sediment came out.

We went to Texarkana Home Depot and Lowe's and bought supplies.

Use #3 for my flamethrower: space-heater! I run it for 3-4 minutes and temp goes up maybe 10° in the house.

More floor cleaning. Cristina is removing the old tile adhesive. Back-breaking job.

Skunk in the dog barn

My daily battle with the beaver. I pulled out all this wood from his dam at the big pond spillway. He had the water level up maybe 6". I pull a few logs out every morning now.

Water flowing out of the pond

Trail cam on the lane down to the little house

Skunks and dogs coexisting, sharing dinner.

Yesterday Cristina made 6 dozen choc. chip cookies. Jar level dropped by 25% in about an hour.