Pretty Strong Wind/Thunder Storm

[HunterGKS]

From about 09:00 until about 10:00, a storm blew right over my property.
It took down my apple tree & a large white pine on the north end of my
east windbreak. The apple tree was blown over & the pine snapped off
about 15’ up. I’ll be able to take care of the apple tree & part of the
pine but I may need some help with the pine as it is pretty good sized.

There are also a lot of smaller branches down some of which I’ll need
to clean up in the morning before I can get the truck out. They fell all
over my parking area & driveway. My 4-wheeler trailer was also moved
about 30’.

Luckily, I didn’t have any damage to the house but it looks like the deer
will have to find another area to get their nightly snacks.

[HunterGKS]

I got all the downed branches picked up from the yard, driveway, & parking area using the pilot method.
I think I'm going to hook up my large trailer to the 4-wheeler to haul it all back to the rip-rap pile. Not
sure when I'll do it as it is already 76 with the humidity at 91%, too damned humid to spend much time
working outside. I also looked at both downed trees to decide how to cut them up. The apple won't be
too bad but, with the way the pine fell, it could be a problem. Time will tell.

I'm surprised that the shepherds crook hasn't broken off yet. It has been bent over several times during
storms. I got 1.7" of rain yesterday.

[Tail Feathers]

My four wheeler trailer has set out back through three hurricanes and never moved. That must have been one heckuva blow to move yours and do all that!

[HunterGKS]

My four wheeler trailer has set out back through three hurricanes and never moved. That must have been one heckuva blow to move yours and do all that!

My trailer has been rolled during several storms, The tail gate is up but it is not solid. The wind could have hit
the fenders & pushed it. There were a lot of trees downed in my general vicinity.

Plymouth is about 20 miles east of me & they may have had a tornado go through. Several travel trailers & mobile homes
were flipped as well as other damage.

[HunterGKS]

Day 1 Clean-Up

I fired up the chainsaw after lunch & started to cut up & pile the apple tree.
The temp was 86, with a feels like of 94 & the humidity at 67. I worked for
about 30 minutes before taking a 1 hour cool-down & water break. I went
back out for another 30 minutes of sawing & piling before taking another
water break. It took me 15 more minutes to finish piling up the cut branches
& trunk. It’s a good thing it didn’t take any longer, not sure I would have
made it but I am done for the day!!!! There was a time when I would have
done it all in 1 session but that time is long ago & far away.

The knee held up real well but I did have to be careful where I put my feet.
The apples are pretty hard & the last thing I needed was to step on 1, twist
the knee, & head to the ER.

Not sure when I’ll get it moved. Tomorrow looks like t-storms all afternoon
but Sat looks like it might be a good day with temps starting in the low 60s
& getting into the high 78s by mid-afternoon.

[OLE RASPY]

George I hate ya lost a fruit tree for the animals. Take it easy. My dad is as old as y’all are and sometimes I wonder why he can’t do it either. But I realize with old age it comes harder. I know that now. Took me sometime to realize. But I do now and that’s what matters. Take your breaks and be safe. I’m 40 and still got it in me when it needs be but I realize now the hot is getting to me at work as I get older. But anywho.
Hey I wouldn’t move nothing. I’d torch that pile where it sit George. Maybe even wait till it burns down and put a grate over it and grill me some meat. Apple wood.

[HunterGKS]

George I hate ya lost a fruit tree for the animals. Take it easy. My dad is as old as y’all are and sometimes I wonder why he can’t do it either. But I realize with old age it comes harder. I know that now. Took me sometime to realize. But I do now and that’s what matters. Take your breaks and be safe. I’m 40 and still got it in me when it needs be but I realize now the hot is getting to me at work as I get older. But anywho.
Hey I wouldn’t move nothing. I’d torch that pile where it sit George. Maybe even wait till it burns down and put a grate over it and grill me some meat. Apple wood.

I plan to move the apple tree tomorrow morning but, as you said, will take my time & try to avoid damaging myself.
My BIL is coming over Mon. morning with a fork life to help cut up & move the pine with a lot less manual labor.

I can't burn it for 2 reasons:

1. It's too green & would have to sit for at least 6 months to dry out & I don't want that brush pile there for that long.

2. I can't legally burn it as it's too close to the neighbors property. They have some pretty strict burn laws here.

I may save a chunk or 2 & making smoke ships from them.

[OLE RASPY]

I understand. Good deal.

[HunterGKS]

Day 2 Clean-Up

I had planned on starting at 07:00 this morning but just couldn’t get going. I finally made it out at 08:15
with a temp & feels like at 67 & humidity of 84 with a slight breeze. There was also a slight breeze.

I had moved 3 trailer loads & was almost done but, at 09:20, I decided I needed a water & back break.
The knee is doing real well. It was 72, feels like 71, with the humidity at 74 but I was soaking wet.

I went back out at 09:45, got the last of the apple tree moved, & started on the stump. I cut several
of the larger roots, hooked up a cable to the stump & 4-wheeler, & tried to pull it out. Didn’t work.
Dug around the stump & tried from a different angle. Still wouldn’t pull out. Dug some more & tried
pulling a couple of more times with no success. My BIL is coming over Monday with a piece of equipment
to remove the pine tree. Hopefully we can get the stump out with it.

I decided that enough was enough at 11:00 with the temp & feels like at 76 & the humidity at 58. It sure
felt hotter & more humid. Don’t plan on doing much more the rest of the weekend but I do feel a cooking
need coming on.

[soiltester]

Hook that stump to yer' pick up and throw er' into 4WD !!!! Thats what I do

[HunterGKS]

Hook that stump to yer' pick up and throw er' into 4WD !!!! Thats what I do

DANG IT, CHARLIE!!!! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!!!! I WASN'T GOING TO DO ANYTHING ELSE TODAY!!!!

I hadn’t planned on doing anything else today but, as I was chillaxin in front of the TV ABOUT 13:30,
the stump keep popping into my head. I knew that, if I didn’t at least try to pull the stump, it would
bug me all weekend so I tossed the snatch cable into the truck & pulled up to the stump. I wrapped
the cable around the stump & ran it to the left front hook on the truck. I tried to pull it in 4-wheel hit
but no go. Shifted to 4-wheel low & it still wouldn’t pull. I pulled up close to the stump, put the truck
in reverse, hit the gas, & out popped the stump.

I got most of the dirt off the stump & filled the hole. It will take some more work but that’s for another
day. NOW I AM DONE FOR THE DAY!!!!

The last 2 pics are what we will be working on Monday.

[soiltester]

I believe U' gits' and atta' Jorge fer' today!!

Well "shoot"

If you'd have done that to start with, you would have slept peaceful tonight, knowing you had it handled and ready to knock sod and soil back into where the stump was!!


MMMMM, Is this yer' 1st Rodeo with yer' pick um' truck??

[HunterGKS]

Day 3 Clean-up

The plan moving forward is for my B-I-L, Jay Scott to bring over a piece of equipment in Sept.
to move the trunk & large sections of the pine tree. With that in mind, I went out Sunday
evening & cut a lot of branches from the trunk to making it easier to get the equipment closer.
I spent about 30 minutes cutting with the idea to get out early this morning, move what I had
cut, & cut/move more branches.

For whatever reason, I couldn’t get started this morning & didn’t get out until about 09:20.
It wasn’t too hot & the fog helped but it was still pretty humid. Between cutting, loading, &
unloading, I handled 2 trailer loads in about an hour before the humidity sent me to the AC &
a couple of bottles of ice cold water,

After a 30 min break, I headed back out & spent the next 45 mins, cutting, loading, & unloading
the trailer once more. I also cut some of the larger limbs into pieces & stacked them in
preparation for September. I decided that I had cut all the branches/limbs I could safely cut &
it was time to stop. The fog had burned off & the heat was starting to rise along with the humidity.
I decided to call it a day so: “IT’S A DAY!!”

[HunterGKS]

Day 4 Clean-up

I have a hard time ignoring work that I know needs to be done so I went out & spent about
an hour doing a little more clean-up work. There is a large limb on the far side of the log
that I started to cut. When the log started to shift, I decided that, for safety reasons, it
was time to stop.

I’ve done all I can do safely for the time being so I’ll just have patience.

[soiltester]

Nutin' good done in a hurry!!

To bad it's pine and not a good burning wood, cause' at least you could have gotten warm 3 times and enjoyed it the most the 3rd time

I'll bet ya' got pine tar all over ya'!!

[HunterGKS]

Nutin' good done in a hurry!!

To bad it's pine and not a good burning wood, cause' at least you could have gotten warm 3 times and enjoyed it the most the 3rd time

I'll bet ya' got pine tar all over ya'!!

Surprisingly enough, no pine tar/pitch at all.

[HunterGKS]

Day 5 Clean-up


As I mowed the yard this morning, I passed the remains of the white pine that had snapped off a few weeks ago.
With each pass, I thought to myself, self I thought: “You need to do something with that log.” This even though
I said I wouldn’t do anything more with it!!

To use the lyrics from a Luke Bryan song:

“Yeah, what any old country boy'd do
I did it again, I did it again
I done, done it again, I did it again “

After mowing, I broke out the chain saw & finish cutting up the log. I cut 2 notches on top so the chain guide
wouldn’t bind up when the log started to sag. I finished the cuts from the bottom & cut the remaining log from
the top. I also cut a lot of the limbs into manageable lengths. All that is left is hauling everything back to the
rip-rap pile. That will have to wait until I get the 4-wheeler repaired.

I may have to take my chain saw to my Sister’s & have her lock it up so I’m not tempted to fell & cut up the
dead pine in the same wind break.

[soiltester]

Aw, keep it up .. nutin' but "fear and air", stoppin' ya'
I ainta' tellin' ya', all I've been cuttin' up down here!!

Keep up the cleanin' till' it's done

[OLE RASPY]

What’s wrong with your four wheeler George.

[HunterGKS]

What’s wrong with your four wheeler George.

I rode back to the woods behind the house Monday. It did start when I
went to leave & died as soon as I turned the handle bars. I have checked
all I can & will be taking it in as soon as the shop has space. It's some kind
of electrical problem, I think.