Well, been a busy spring so far. Got a lot happening here on the wood front. The splitter is down for the time being. I had the thing fixed up and got about 3/4-ish of a cord split before it started to act up again. I want to be chipping away at the towering scrounge pile and splitting it all right now but until it’s fixed I figured I’d keep going with felling, bucking and hauling from out back. All the while working to improve access up the hill. Been brush hogging and clearing the young growth and downed branches and such on a now, eight year old logging chute from the crews that came in under the former owners. As of now I’m half way up with the ATV. Just a little more clearing to do before I’m able to tie into a logging road below the base of the top hill that’s remained relatively cleared in the shade of the oaks. Once that happens I’ll finally have access to the upper part of our property - a game changer for just about everything I’ve wanted to do here for the 3 1/2 years that I’ve lived here. Yes... it took that long to bite on an ATV. Wish I did it years ago but you know how it is, money just seems to disappear to all that important life crap that I don’t like to think about like insurance and taxes and home renovations and mortgage... Ugh. Anyways, half way up is an area I call “the first landing.” It’s where the woods open up some under a thinned canopy and the wild grasses start growing under some well aged and healthy shagbark hickory trees. It’s here that we intend to start our silvopasturing practice with goats in the future as the farm grows and expands. Here are a few pictures from the trail clearing. Not as wide as the loggers had it but it’s plenty wide for the ATV and hauling trailer. Once I tie the trail into the logging road I’ll be working up top to clear a couple acres of the downed tree tops and limbs for a future fenced in staging and work area for the goats. Otherwise the intention is to rotate the animals throughout the 12 +/- acres of upper grassed forest land atop the hill during the summer months. Here’s a couple pictures from last week to show you all what I’m working with up there. Believe it or not, much of the oak that’s elevated off the ground is still perfectly burnable - 8 years later! Testament to the awesomeness of oak. I’ll scrounge what I can from the clearing work for use in our fire pit. During the green months it looks like this: It’s still just as beautiful to me as the day I first stepped foot on the land when I was walking it with my realtor. It’s this “upper pasture” that convinced me to buy the property - the house was in bad order. But, in hindsight, after hours and hour and hours of work over the past years, sooooo worth it now that the house is in order. I’ve also been hauling back some wood while working on the access route. One of the last windy days or nights toppled over a seemingly healthy beech. Vertical split in it about ten feet up from the base. Took what I could salvage of the unsplit larger diameter sections for lions mane totems in the mushroom yard and the rest of it was added to the firewood pile. I’ve been super happy with the performance of the lightly used Polar trailer I picked up from a fellow small farmer over in the Farmington valley. Handled the hills, the rocks and the rough ride like a champ when loaded up. Put the fiskars maul to work too and hauled out a few loads of hemlock from a couple wind blowns. Into the pile for next maple sugaring season. Always something to get done around here. The spring ahead looks packed but that’s how we like it. I do love this time of year as much as I prefer the winter months. Garlic survived the winter. Onions are sprouted. Asparagus should pop any day. Wild ramps are appearing. Tomatoes and peppers are 6 weeks into their growth. It’s almost time for a wild turkey dinner (hopefully). And still tons of wood to play with to satisfy the illness we all share.
Woodsman your young, and you have a gorgeous piece of land!! I do not see a tractor for you yet.. I bet you get on soon. Enjoy man your living the dream..
gorgeous country up there Woodsman Nice piece of property for all your hobbies and "addictions". I'll send some of our North Haven wild turkeys up your way! We had a flock of 25 back in November!
If everyone start talking about tractors I’m going to find myself down that pit again... A distant future purchase for sure but that doesn’t mean I haven’t found myself sitting on few and day dreaming. Thought for a long while there I’d bite on a JD 325E. It was priced right with a sale and with enough down, financing was very reasonable. But when I went to look at one, it seemed a little small for what I’d use it for. The wider 4 series seem safer to handle on hills but the price... ouch. I’ve looked at Mahindras. MFs. New Holland’s. All beautiful machines. Buzzsaw, sounds like a nice flock of birds! I like to go out on opening day and then perhaps a handful of times throughout the season if opened doesn’t pan out well. Usually get my spring bird and we have a few nice meals off it. Last year we did grilled breast cutlets with mashed garden potatoes and wild leaks. So good. Make stock out of the carcass, too. Wild turkey and rice soup, oh man...
Beautiful place Woodsman ! Looks like you enjoy being busy, keeps the mind & body healthy. Shame you're gonna run outta firewood in about 250 years though.Great pics too.
