Land projects 2024

I was able to get acouple of hours in before the storm. High winds brought snow with it and hit fast. I wish this phone took better pics. It doesn't actually show ground clutter. I got around 70 trees cut. I can barely walk through it . Remember mostly 1-3 in zipped down with a few bigger dead ones as well.
One pic , the last one , was before I started. The others after. There is so many many more to cut in that spot.
Ps. May look at first glance like many more in there than there is. I cut them at a 2-3 foot hieght to save my back.

 

I mentioned I'm cutting all the dead trees I can on our place. These pics show why, this tree just barely missed me a couple of weeks ago. No wind sunny sky, I walked past and heard the crack with no tree to hide behind and just barely enough time to rush forward tucking my head and covering my face. It exploded when it hit and bounced toward me. The back part of my foot would be where I was when it landed.
To say this has shaken me is an understatement. The resounding BOOM and cracking as the trunk hit with top exploding will always be with me. Thankfully I was walking alone.

 

Today's was a walk A J and do another section of tip overs and bark peeling for a quicker cut tomorrow. That is if son didn't take my saw with him. Some pics of that area.
As you can see especially if you zoom pics the ground clutter is wild and will be worse. Now you know I maintain brush pile fences and also several ground blinds,which are not small. I will also do a few tight high piles to hing over with live bad trees. No a burn is not possible here. Not even going through hoops with the DEC, Fire and state.

Any suggestions? What you can see is just a scant part of what's actually under snow and last years leaf fall. I do wish I had a chipper.

 

That would be a huge undertaking to get rid of all of that. I would personally just cut them down and let them lay. Looks like Mother Nature is taking care of the thinning of the woods…. too bad you can’t get it logged

 

Ma nature did some and I have spent the last several years pushing down all the dead ones I can. Now cutting with many many large ones that need to be dropped as well. diseases and bugs. That area really doesn't have logging timber in it. A few very nice oak, a couple of good cherry. The maple are well under the diameter I'd OK for a cut. It also has a surprising number of electrical strikes. Surprising because I mostly see that up on the ridge. It's definately going to be an open lot once I get all the dead stuff down.

 

Today on our walk / pick up in woods I found 3 fresh beds and a super high way deer trail up through area I just worked. It went entire wideth right up through area in first picks . That would be upper ash cut.

Woods were "crying" pretty hard today in the winds...very eerie sounding to be honest

 

Yesterday was a GREAT DAY weather wise. Today , absolutely frigid with snow and winds.
I got a start on the garden due to that season starting. I also finally got the two ends of green house pulled and stapled down. Nextxt week I start some of my spring crops.
Any ways I start back up in the woods tomorrow. Temps are going back up making work at least comfortable. I've scouted out plants to stansplant around the place. Mostly pine and spruce and berry bushes and vines. Then there is the bamboo. Yest clumping bamboo that doesn't spread and stays green all winter long. Also I found a big area of crown vetch that is spreading by seed. It has started a bunch on baby plant plugs I'm going to transplant.

 

Topped all the VERY thorny american plum today. What a PITA mess. I have a lot of clean up still to get done. Opened up lots of morning sun to green house and garden

 

The demonic mess I'm cleaning up. May as well have planted buck thorn these wild plum are just as bad

 

This is what happens after a cutting, last years cut. Sorry on pic dog nail cracked my lens. Hhmm ppl. That don't listen.

 

Today I checked wind damage. I managed to see just one area due to ground cluter cleaning for spring planting of pines and clumping bamboo. I had lost 3 beech. One with a trunk as big around as my dbl door fridge and two others with 12-16 inch diameters. All trees that were on my cut list.

 

I finally got cleared to do some work! Have to go slow and be careful

 

Enjoyand be careful, lets see progress pics please

 

Today I got the trees I dropped across trail measured and cut to make raised beds over rock berms in the garden. One bed will be over a high berm next to fencing for sweet potatoes to climb. Another will for planting potatoes. I have two towers filled that will be emptied into that bed withleaf litter and 4 year old wood chips and peat. I also have two composts bins that need higher sides.
Cleared a run away path for a rather large ash that needs cutting. Dead long enough that the bark easily peeled off. Those do ,ake me a tad nervous and highly cautious.
Dropped over hang big limbs in an area that I've dropped many trees to get even more sun to thr ground.

 

Went and blew off the leaves on a couple existing clover plots and one other area. Will over seed soon

 

Spent the day clearing a fence line and starting a new food plot project for 2024. Transition area between ag fields, clearing all the brush and junk trees. Going to strip plant a spring/summer mix and then overseed in September for a fall/winter.

 

Holy cow winds are ripping our place up! We have another wind event tonight through Monday afternoon bringing 3+ inches of wet snow with it.

 

Productive day on the farm with my "helper". Finished clearing the section of woods for my food plot.

 

Best kind of helper , other than grandsons.

 

So between new dog and broken Gator things have been semi on hold. Hubby found a new mechanic for both that and the bulldozer that needs a general look over and maintenance. Gator gets picked up next week.
The morning dog run/ training has given me time to do my annual spring rock picking. Now this is vital on trails due to living on shale. See hard freeze heaving bring up all the glacial remnants. The shale in this that is not in the massive sheets just a few inches below ground, breaks and heave it on it's side. This shale creates " axe heads " everywhere. They also create spear heads. All of these I reference as "tire poppers ", " paw destroyers ", " boot rippers ".
This morning I think I got most of the worst of these pulled. I also got some old stacked wood moved so I can widen an in Woods berry patch plot.