Entropy

Relax in southern comfort on the east bank of the Mississippi. You're just around the corner from Beale Street and Sun Records. Watch the ducks, throw back a few and tell us what's on your mind.
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mediatechnology
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Re: Entropy

Post by mediatechnology »

The tree guy was able to cut all that with his bucket truck parked on the paved side road
Excellent. Best way all-around.

My ex-neighbor used to have an uncle who was a free-lance cable tech by day and bucket truck branch cutter on the weekends.
His cable clients didn't like paying him for weekends unless they had to so he kept that truck working at least 6 days a week.

You remind me of that cedar stump that I need ground out.
The more its' hollowness is exposed the more I realize that I did the right thing by taking it out.
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JR.
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Re: Entropy

Post by JR. »

mediatechnology wrote: Sun Apr 21, 2019 2:41 pm
The tree guy was able to cut all that with his bucket truck parked on the paved side road
Excellent. Best way all-around.
This guy demonstrated his professionalism, and serious equipment. I saved hundreds of dollars by offering to clear the branches myself, but he had to remove the one tree trunk he dropped... Today I found about 20+ feet of that tree trunk mixed in with the branches... Since it was the middle/top of the tree it was not much bigger than the big branches I have been clearing, but he will hear about it next time we talk.
My ex-neighbor used to have an uncle who was a free-lance cable tech by day and bucket truck branch cutter on the weekends.
His cable clients didn't like paying him for weekends unless they had to so he kept that truck working at least 6 days a week.
There was a guy with one of those cute, cable height bucket trucks looking at the old (dying) cottonwood next to the store behind me...
You remind me of that cedar stump that I need ground out.
when my tree guy came to quote my job he had his stump grinder hitched up behind his truck... I think I'll let the pine stump rot...
The more its' hollowness is exposed the more I realize that I did the right thing by taking it out.
I am experiencing some (perhaps) interesting self-inspection... I realize I am too cheap to pay somebody else ($500) to clean up these branches, but I would never in a million years labor this hard for somebody else for only $500... funny how that works out. :lol:

After 2+ full days of making sawdust and smoke, I am just over half done... I actually feel good from the extra exercise. My arthritis anti-inflammatory meds (Naproxen Sodium) are keeping my back from aching...a good thing.

It's down hill from here... I have a pile of big wood over by the burn pile so I'll stoke it up tonight so it will still be going tomorrow...

JR
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mediatechnology
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Re: Entropy

Post by mediatechnology »

They're clearing out the underbrush in a vacant lot two doors down to build.
Since the lot is heavily-sloped and very dense they had to clear before they can develop a floor plan.
A few years ago the previous owner had a crew do a full topo survey but there's nothing like getting in there and figuring out how to develop the site and save as many old-growth trees as possible.

I listened to a wood-chipper run most all day yesterday.
Thought about you and your brush.

Between that project and the construction crew in the creek bed downstream building a retaining wall it's been pretty busy here.
We hear back-alerts beginning about 07:15 6 days a week.

Its still far more peaceful however than the concrete jungle of North Dallas. Uhg......
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JR.
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Re: Entropy

Post by JR. »

These days I'm less of a fan of old ass trees... but I do like my "mature" pecan trees that will be getting more sun light this summer. Maybe the fertilizer spikes I set last fall will also pay some dividends. One of the few (only) good things about my wet yard is that pecan trees need lots of water.

Tree cover can absorb a lot of summer heat, and reduce the severity of wind, but keep big stuff away from the casa... in fact don't plant small stuff too close either because big trees were small trees once. I'll be dust before my recent crop of fruit trees grow large enough to do any harm.

I got a late start this morning catching up on a few chores I let slip, and my fire almost expired overnight because I was a little sloppy when I stoked it around midnight... all good, it came back to life with a little TLC. I generally don't even fire up my chain saw until mid day... I can keep myself occupied all morning with the loper trimming small branches. Big wood is better left for later in the day so I have plenty to burn over night (not running short of either anytime soon).

JR

PS: Wore out one pair of work gloves so far. I have a second pair handy already broken in. I should be more careful about picking up burning logs. Not good when there are holes in the fingers of the glove, and that is how you make holes in the fingers. :lol:
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JR.
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Re: Entropy

Post by JR. »

Now almost a full week later I finally got my yard clear...
DSCF0156.JPG
You can see how much sunlight the yard is now getting... I already see a change in some of the grass (it likes it). :D

Put the last of the tree limbs on my burn pile that has been going 24x7 since i got it relit saturday... the 2.5" rain storm put it out but that didn't thwart me.
DSCF0157.JPG
Rain forecast again for tomorrow, so I mowed today while yard was dry.

I really need some rest and relaxation so officially declare a 4-day weekend starting right now... :lol: This last week has been brutal, but I would do it again to save $500... I wouldn't do it for somebody else to earn $500, but to save my $500 is all good. 8-)

Besides trashing two pair of work gloves my very old wheel barrow is failing from humping around heavy logs... Steel pan is tearing around one of the attachment bolts, where it is rusted and weak. I can buy a new steel pan for $21,,, problem is truck shipment will cost a bunch more than that. Time to try big washers (another entropy adventure or not). :lol: Image
Picture from 2013 after I fixed it last time.

JR
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billshurv
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Re: Entropy

Post by billshurv »

No ride on lawnmower with trailer? Call yourself an American :P
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JR.
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Re: Entropy

Post by JR. »

billshurv wrote: Thu Apr 25, 2019 5:11 am No ride on lawnmower with trailer? Call yourself an American :P
I joked that I was the last man in MS to buy a zero turn mower
ferris-is600zb2544-zero-turn-mower.html.jpg
ferris-is600zb2544-zero-turn-mower.html.jpg (9.12 KiB) Viewed 2928 times
I could pull a mobile home with that sucker. At 44" it is probably more than I need, and routinely tears up my soft ground if I turn too sharply. Why own a zero turn if you don't cut donuts out of your yard?

I would buy a new wheelbarrow before a trailer, but will try a simple flat washer repair first.

I need to do my weekly food shopping before the thunderstorms hit... Forecast to start right about now. :roll:

JR
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billshurv
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Re: Entropy

Post by billshurv »

I used to have a snapper when I had an orchard. Not zero turn but remarkably indestructable.
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JR.
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Re: Entropy

Post by JR. »

billshurv wrote: Thu Apr 25, 2019 8:24 am I used to have a snapper when I had an orchard. Not zero turn but remarkably indestructable.
I've owned a couple snappers over the years and pretty solid. I had one major failure where the differential locked up in the middle of my yard... Lately it was minor failures (straws) that broke the camels back... Ethanol caused fuel systems leaks so bad, I had to add a petcock to turn off the fuel between uses (this was after replacing the carburetor with a new one at least once). Then exposed wiring for the safety shut off interlok switches would kill or make it hard to start from grass/dirt shunting the kill switch magneto winding.

I kept the old snapper for mowing close to my rain ditch where the heavy mower could slip and get stuck in the mud. The last straw was an oil leak in my carport. Some young family man, with his little kid in his truck, pulled into my drive way and asked me if I would sell him the snapper... I said no but I would give it to him. :lol: I had him back his pick up truck against one of my rain ditch banks, and drove the old snapper up onto his truck.

If i sold it too him, I would feel guilty about the sundry faults, but free was a good price for both of us. 8-)

JR
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JR.
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Re: Entropy

Post by JR. »

The wheelbarrow is old and tired but I already have some big washers reinforcing the rusted pan on far side.
DSCF0158.JPG
The front one was failing so now all better... I had to hacksaw the old bolt in half to remove, and both carriage bolts on the near side are rusted and won't unthread. So hacksaw is indicated for both of them too...

This will likely out last me now... so good enough.

JR
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