SPRING CLEANING-FEEL THE BURN

There is a technique for taking care of all the brush that accumulates over the winter. We gather it all into a big pile. The crawler bucket is convenient for transporting it and then pressing down on it to compact the pile.

 After lifting the pile to put all of this year's cardboard underneath, it gets soaked with accelerant and lit.

 Then the pile is lowered on top of the burning cardboard. The compacted twigs and branches provide enough gaps for the air to flow allowing oxygen to fuel the fire.

 The blaze grows quickly so it is supervised. The local call center was informed of the burn so that if someone called them they would know not to automatically send the fire department! They'll be informed when we are done also.

We get quite a blaze. It is good that we choose a morning after a couple of days of rain. The air is still and there is dew on the ground.

To ensure a complete burn we have to push the brush back into a pile several times. There is a way to do this

I guess it's time to start the lawn work!!

TRACTOR SHOWS

It is almost that time of year again. The tractor shows are a great way to teach young people how things got done before everything was prefabricated or manufactured prior to purchase. Homes and barns were built from the trees as they were cleared to create fields for farming.

These old steam tractors were put to multiple uses. They weren't just farm equipment, they were the powerhouse of most hard labor. Here they provide the power to run the old wood saw, cutting large trees into boards.

People worked together to get the job done. You've heard of an old-fashioned Amish barn raising but that is how most farms operated in older times. It was necessary for the survival of the community.

These guys are proud of their old equipment and enjoy displaying them and discussing them. You can wander through these fields of tractors and see the progression of improvements as each make and model go forward in years.

Even earlier construction equipment built by the same manufacturers are on display. This crawler is fun to ride on! Because it is on tracks it turns like a tank. The bucket can be used to dig, haul or lift heavy objects.

For even more fun they can be made 'hot' for extreme pulling. Competitions are held for everything from kids on lawnmowers to these superbuilt tractors to see who can pull the weight the furthest. Of course, the weight is adjusted to the class that is competing.

The shows we attend have many vendors of food, merchandise, flea market stuff. One show has lumberjack competitions while the other features a cider press and apple butter making, both of which are available for purchase and well worth it. It is a great way for the family to spend time in the country, in the sun and learn a few things at the same time. Hope to see you there!

BLUE ANGELS

The US Navy's Blue Angels

This bird is getting ready to fly.

We saw them in Latrobe PA. I had never seen anything like it. They flew in tight formations and even upside down.

There were six planes in all.

Seeing them all together was breathtaking.

But when they flew at each other and had to flip sideways to pass, I held my breath, absolutely incredible! Travelling at over 650 miles per hour, they were there and gone. Loud and Proud!!!

THE RIGHT TOOL - TREES

It is amazing what you can achieve if you have

The Right Tool For The Job

 What do you do when you discover that Mother Nature has decided to relocate a large part of a tree....

 Through the roof of your shed? First, be grateful it hit the beat-up bucket truck instead of the classic Ranchero. Then you plan on how to remove it and restore things to normal. Get estimates for the insurance and wait...wait...wait.
After approval, the tree guys come out and trim off the upper branches so that the branch (huge for a branch) can be brought down from the bottom. It was a series of cutting the bottom, lowering, cutting the bottom, lowering, until finally the tree was removed.

  Then you make the most of the situation. The makings for a nice bonfire.

 And enough firewood to get through a winter or two!
The right tools for the job? A chainsaw and a crawler with chains. More importantly, patience and ingenuity!

THOSE CRAZY ANIMALS

Taking the day off from writing, but I thought I'd share some of the things I've collected because everyday deserves a smile.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bet you chuckled at least once!!