Stressless's 2024-2025 season journal

[Stressless]

All the old structures on the farm are in need of some kind of serious maintenance. The old outhouse was smashed in by a half a sugar maple tree that fell 2 years ago. For whatever reason, the trunk was in a full flush of oyster mushrooms just when I planned to start the project.

My dad, brother and I built the ol'outhouse, aptly named Mt. Doom by the kids, in '97.

Sierra when the current shed was the cabin. No running water, no electric.

So the outhouse, sugar maple and brush all needed to go. Mooch rolled up for chunk of time and this was the #1 priory outside cutting and spraying the plots. Mooch had a couple hours on a mini-hoe so we got one and got busy.

J

Just noticed the difference in my pants, DCU's in the '97 pic after Southern Watch deployment to Qatar and the last of my OCP's from Afghanistan...

Chris came down and pitched in. LoL an Army Arty guy and Marine Fighter pilot on two different levels, funny banter! Debarked some black locust side bucks.

We got the hole dug, foundation and frame done, me and Mrs got it to IOC with the walls, roof and seating. I didn't notice in the plan the front overhang was only about 4". I scabbed some extra length on to provide some cover when getting in and out. I also changed the planned roof to 2 sheets of translucent FRP, which gave me 8' to work with.

It's IOC and the door is done. Just trim then hang the door, calk some wood gaps and add a silicone dab to each screw head that qent thru the FRP. The black locust bucks are 3x thru rebarred into the ground 1 1/2" and 4 x 16" lag screwed into the frame. T1-11 soaked up 2 gallons of water sealer.

A welcome remodel and I think Dad and Bill would love to have a in the new loo.

 

[Stressless]

Had to get some more good-hearted care for mom lined up, so spent a lil time up in TOO.

Last time up I had a 20+" cherry splt and we got the one part that split down but I needed to get the rest on the dirt before I had the MilRay team in to finish the work behind the barn.

Put a nice 3" hinge on it, said a lil prayer and backcut it. It fell just like it was supposed to.

Got the outhouse project done.

Got about 2500sqft matted and graveled via MilRay excavation with a fine young man I've had do some work about every year.

They do a great job and the owner Caleb is a virtuoso with every piece of gear.

Had a problem on the O&G lease road that crossed an area on an old bench that needed addressed as well. The guys got after it and it turned out well enough I set a new stand yesterday for a N wind, "Shaggy" in a 20+" shag bark hickory. Love those trees but man what a pain getting the linemans strap up with all the shags but got it up, lanes cleared, licking branch and camera.

On the bench on the lease road Bill or Dad planted a pear tree 25 years ago or so. It has since been completely shaded, I got the bench cleaned up, left the pear and think there's room for another 7 med fruit trees, planning 3 or 4 crabapple and looking for recommendations on the other 3 or 4 fruit trees. Will plant later this fall when dormant.

The pear tree with sunlight hitting it for the first time in 10-15 years...

Put a field fescue grass blend on the road, had some of my legume blend and tillage radish left so put that on the more open areas as well as the grass. I dint have time to lime so not expecting much. The newly turned areas usually have a 5.0-5.3 pH.

On top of the bench is BackPad plot, moved some spoil around to get the incline on the O&G road better. The big black locust is a standout up there now.

Big shag bark with Shaggy stand in the center of the pic.

Earlier in this trip I replaced all the licking branches across the farm had two fail last season, vines break, when the bucks are being aggressive so trying to get in front of that.

I had some decent buck's roaming around in velvet but with the commotion across the farm I don't expect to see much for a couple weeks after it calms back down.

Plots are all dry, farm didn't get but .04" of rain 🌧 last week when that storm went thru. Put the oats out in front of it and I think all I did was was feed the critters with it. Regardless the plots are doing well and rye goes in in a month.

 

[Stressless]

First hard horned walked in front of a cell cam.

Got a notification and beamed in... fun yesterday afternoon. Nice up and commer and plots doing what they can with the drought going on in my area.