# Trail maintenance



## injinji (Aug 22, 2020)

My hiking trails are a mess. I've been working on them at my pace, (ie. slow as hell) since the hurricane. A couple three weeks ago the wife and I were walking down near the river house. We ran into a couple who were checking on the readiness of peanuts (way too early) on the adjacent farm. The young man offered to clear the road going into the creek in exchange for sucker fishing rights. He was the 4th or 5th one to offer. But unlike all the others, they got started last week, working on it when they could.

Still kind of rough, but after 22 months, it's clear for walking. Driving too, for those who like that sort of thing.


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## injinji (Aug 22, 2020)

All the things at the creek camp that I was worried the most about came through alright. The pump and outhouse escaped major damage.


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## injinji (Aug 22, 2020)

First sighting of the creek. (it's a lot clearer than this now, but I didn't get any pictures when we walked down there this afternoon)


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## injinji (Aug 22, 2020)

This is the area the sucker set will go in. They have already got most of these trees out of the creek.


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## DCcan (Aug 22, 2020)

Chainsaw and 24 hr campfire while you stay, beat everything green down in your spare time till you get elbow room.
I'd do a big 40-50ft palisade/brush circle around the camp with all the small and medium branches, let nature take it over. It actually doesnt take long to do and that soil looks soft.


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## injinji (Aug 22, 2020)

We got a circle drive going on down to the river. (they lost the road) Everything past the camp is still pretty rough.


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## cannabineer (Aug 22, 2020)

All that makes me think Deep South. What’d I win??


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## injinji (Aug 22, 2020)

DCcan said:


> Chainsaw and 24 hr campfire while you stay, beat everything green down in your spare time till you get elbow room.
> I'd do a big 40-50ft palisade circle around the camp with all the small and medium branches, let nature take it over. It actually doesnt take long to do and that soil looks soft.


It's raining everyday, so now would be the time to burn. Since the hurricane everyone is scared to death of wildfires. Several tons of tender per acre on the ground.

During sucker season (Feb and March) lots of it will get burned by the fisherfolks.


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## DCcan (Aug 22, 2020)

The damage to those trees is just insane when you see where they broke and plucked out of the earth by the roots.
More lightning strikes must be a worry too with fires.


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## injinji (Aug 22, 2020)

cannabineer said:


> All that makes me think Deep South. What’d I win??


I'm in LA. Lower Alabama. (NW Florida)


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## cannabineer (Aug 22, 2020)

injinji said:


> I'm in LA. Lower Alabama. (NW Florida)


Nice


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## injinji (Aug 22, 2020)

DCcan said:


> The damage to those trees is just insane when you see where they broke and were just plucked out of the earth by the roots.


We had 90 minutes of 130 mph winds. Gusts much higher. Just to take off and walk through the woods is impossible.


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## injinji (Aug 22, 2020)

First view of the river. This was yesterday. I trimmed all the side limbs off the red cedar last night on my midnight ramble. I'm saving all of the red cedar that are easy to get to.


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## injinji (Aug 22, 2020)

If you look straight across, you can pretend this is a wild and natural stretch of river. (I would love to charge every one that lives across from me a view tax)


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## injinji (Aug 23, 2020)

We hired the same guys to clear half a mile of power line right of way. (which the power company should have done) They are real cheap. $125 per hour for a man with a chainsaw and one on the bobcat. They did the right of way, and down to the beach at the river house, moved several brush piles, pulled some big cedar logs out of the woods and pulled a leaner up by the roots. 440 bucks.


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## injinji (Sep 8, 2020)

Last couple three days I've been working clearing out the mouth of the creek. Lots of broken cedar, and I'm saving what I can for posts. I'm putting everything that is already in the creek, down the creek. Well, out to the mouth anyway. It will stay there until the next good flood.


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## injinji (Sep 8, 2020)

This is the next bend. Still plenty of cutting and dragging to do.


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## injinji (Sep 11, 2020)

I was back in the creek yesterday morning. Got a little done before I ran out of time.


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## injinji (Sep 11, 2020)

This morning I was working on a completely different section of trail. This is across the slough, where I hired the fellows to cut and pile a few standing dead and move all the downed trees. Still lots of limbs to be picked up. I figured burning would be the best option for the small stuff. So. . . . .


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## oldsilvertip55 (Sep 11, 2020)

LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE gettin stuff cleared out,


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## injinji (Sep 15, 2020)

Dealing with some tropical weather, but able to drag a couple three logs out of the creek this morning. (most of the pile is from the riverhouse land. I've been cutting there for months, but just started on the creek land)


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## injinji (Sep 17, 2020)

Maybe I should have been taking the time to move my other log pile at the river house instead of dragging posts out of the creek.. I tied everything off, but boy will I be pissed if my saw logs float down the river.


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## injinji (Sep 19, 2020)

There was lots of short logs and brush piles the guys were not able to get out of the slough when I hired them to clean up. Since they are all floating, I took the opportunity to get as many of them as I could pushed across the clearing to the piles on the other side. Little brush and weeds will hang it up, so it was a job of work.


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## injinji (Sep 19, 2020)

Yesterday I walked down to the river field. The water was just barely in the back corner of the longleaf pines. Maybe 60-75 yards.


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## injinji (Sep 19, 2020)

It also got in the corner of my camp. Nothing floated off though.



While I was in the area, I scoped out high ground for the hard sided camp I plan on building. (when I catch up with everything else) This wooded area is only a couple three acres, so it's going to be close to the pines on one side or the three trail road on the other. And you have to factor in hurricane damage. Lots of standing dead pines around this area that would have to be cut, but it's near my new camp, my old camp and X marks the spot.


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## injinji (Nov 21, 2020)

I've been steady working, just not taking many pictures. My neighbor helped me get a couple of my tractors going, so you can actually see progress.

I found this slab down at the field. Looks to be about 12X10. Plans at the moment are for a garden shed on the slab with an attacked greenhouse over dirt. But that is a ways off. We got signed up for a timber recovery block grant, and we are holding off on doing much of anything until the forester comes out and looks at the woods.


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## injinji (Nov 28, 2020)

I was able to float a lot of cut brush from the slough during the flood. But 4-5 weeks ago I got started moving some of what was left to my burn pile up at the field using the 'bota.


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## injinji (Nov 28, 2020)

Since then I've been picking up smaller limbs and burning in the fire ring.


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## injinji (Nov 28, 2020)

The barn roof is still slowly getting lower, and the boats in there were in jeopardy, so I got started cutting trees a couple three weeks ago to get access.


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## injinji (Nov 28, 2020)

I had to take out the rafters over the boats to get them out. There was also a trailer in the back that had a large section of the wall on it, plus another one outside that had pine logs on three sides of it. Was able to get everything out without damage. Been using the trailers a lot.


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## injinji (Dec 1, 2020)

Hired a guy from work to help out at the river house. We got the decking up on the south end of the house. 



I had hoped to save the frame with some serious scabbing, but I'm thinking we should just start fresh. Lots of rot.


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## injinji (Dec 1, 2020)

A shot of the little boat. I need to stretch a tarp at the sandhill house to put the boats and other stuff from the barn.


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## GrassBurner (Dec 1, 2020)

Lower Alabama!! I've had some good times with folks from LA  Yall sure do know how to party  Glad to see you're on the mend


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## injinji (Dec 1, 2020)

We had our first freeze Monday night, so I gathered the oranges Tuesday morning. Both trees had serious damage from Micheal. I cut out some deadwood and trimmed limbs and cut nearby brush (after I took the pictures).


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## injinji (Dec 1, 2020)

I ran out of time before I got all the oranges, or did much trimming. But this was what was left after I gave Sister a couple dozen. (I gathered a shopping bag full a couple three nights ago as well)


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## injinji (Dec 1, 2020)

I noticed several little orange trees coming up. Didn't have time today, but will dig them up soon.


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## injinji (Dec 1, 2020)

GrassBurner said:


> Lower Alabama!! I've had some good times with folks from LA  Yall sure do know how to party  Glad to see you're on the mend


Thanks for stopping in. I work on this crap everyday, but rarely remember to take pictures.


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## pabloesqobar (Dec 15, 2020)

This, along with grading fire trails will be included in the next Olympics.


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## injinji (Dec 15, 2020)

pabloesqobar said:


> This, along with grading fire trails will be included in the next Olympics.


Funny thing is, the Forestry guys are on the farm this morning plowing fire breaks. I've got most of mine done myself, but Sister hired them to do around her land, and down one side of the river field. They charge $110 an hour with a two hour minimum. Not too bad.


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## injinji (Dec 18, 2020)

I finally got out and walked the newly plowed fire breaks yesterday. All in all, they did pretty good. The two trees are about on the line between Sister's and cousin's land. This was as close as I could get to the river before. (by using a public road and my neighbor's pasture) Now I can walk the last 1/4 mile to the river.


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## injinji (Dec 18, 2020)

I heard cousin was retiring at the end of the year. Maybe he will have time to open up his section of trail along the riverbank. Pre-Micheal this half mile was walkable the whole way.


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## injinji (Dec 18, 2020)

They did the land lines between Sister and the Cousins to the south, her and the Cousins to the east and between the two sets of Cousins themselves. All in all almost three miles of newly opened trail.


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## injinji (Dec 18, 2020)

J&D's beach. This was open already, but now there are three options of getting there instead of one. When the river is low, there is a good drinking spring here.


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## injinji (Dec 23, 2020)

I've been seeing a lot of deer on trail this past week. Like these two on the trail to the creek.


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## injinji (Dec 23, 2020)

But this morning on the trail south of the riverhouse, I came across this doe. It looked like to me she had swam the river, then died. Gut shot with entry and exit wounds on the same side. Only a foot or so of guts hanging out. I got her in the river. but with the roots and her legs, it was a job of work. She was kind of stiff, but not completely.


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## injinji (Dec 26, 2020)

I've been waiting on getting back to the slough for it to dry out (from the flood) enough to mow with the little tractor. We had an inch and a half this week, and there is standing water at both ends. With this being a rainy season, I don't think it going to get that dry anytime soon. So today I walked back there and got started moving some of the stuff that the flood floated off the brush piles. I was just killing time while doing laundry, so I didn't get a lot done.


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## injinji (Dec 26, 2020)

It's not real bad. Most of what floated off the piles actually floated away from the slough because the river was so high. There are a few piles like this that got hung up.


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## injinji (Dec 26, 2020)

The ends are the low spots. There are so many small cypress trees growing back here I won't be able to mow.


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## injinji (Jan 13, 2021)

The slough is getting less dry. Might open up the valve this week and let it fill on up. There is going to be crap floating off the brush piles next flood anyway, so why wait to get it perfect?


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## injinji (Jan 13, 2021)

On the sandhill end of the farm, the damn deer are not making me very happy with their choice of rubbing trees. Last week I found one of the blueberry bushes cut to shreds by the fuckers. It's behind the garden fence.


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## injinji (Jan 22, 2021)

Back before Christmas, my helper and I tore the old deck off the north end of the riverhouse. 




With holiday company and everything it was well into the new year before we got started putting it back up.


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## injinji (Jan 22, 2021)

On Monday when we were working, we heard water running. The pump was spraying water. It being cold, I just tripped the breaker and waited a couple of days until it warmed up. One coupling and one roll of thread tape later I was back in business.


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## injinji (Jan 22, 2021)

Since I needed to open up the big valve to lower the water pressure, I laid down a half assed sluice way. I need to clean up the area, put in some posts to hold the tin up and build a box for the first few feet. The valve is just barely cracked open here.


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## injinji (Feb 5, 2021)

Sometimes I get sidetracked. The slough messed around and filled up before I got the last of the brush off the banks. So I've been using a hoe to drag as much as I can to the edge and get it out.


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## injinji (Feb 5, 2021)

But the good news is the slough filled up in just a couple of weeks. The big valve was only opened two turns. Today I eased it back to a turn and a half. Will wait a while and see what the level does. May need to back off a little more.


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## injinji (Feb 5, 2021)

I've spent a couple of hours a day working on the river trail the last week. Chainsaw, handsaw and weedeater. I'm down past the landline between the riverhouse land and the creek land. The picture was from daylight this morning, so my weak ass flash didn't do it justice.


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## injinji (Feb 5, 2021)

Also got the first section of tin in the spillway attached with a splash guard. Still need to bring in one more sheet, trim up some of the worst spots and put in some posts to keep it from getting washed away in the next flood. But all in all, not too bad.


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## injinji (Feb 8, 2021)

Tree fell across the road down at the creek. Will take the tractor to move it. I got a couple hundred yards of trail cleared, but no pictures of that.


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## injinji (Feb 12, 2021)

I worked down at the creek land again. Bushwhacked across the narrow part of the peninsula and worked my way downriver towards where I had started the other day. Found a set of deck/dock steps, asphalt shingles and a ratchet set left from the flood. Speaking of flood, the river is forecast to rise 5-6 feet by Monday. I'm going to try to get back in there and get the tools before it gets that high.


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## injinji (Feb 13, 2021)

I worked on the river trail again, going north from where I stopped at before. I made it to where I had got going south the other day (where the tool kit was). So now I just have one stretch left to clear. Looking on Google Maps it looks to be a couple hundred yards at the most. 

The river is coming up pretty quick.


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## injinji (Feb 13, 2021)

Note to self. (I turned off big valve going to the slough last night. Looks like the river will flow in in the next couple of days) Don't forget to turn it back on after the river has gone down.


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## injinji (Feb 18, 2021)

For most of the week it looked like the river would stay out of the slough. The initial forecast was lowered by almost 3 feet. But a couple days ago it was raised back to just above flood stage. We went down to the riverhouse a little before dark, and it's just started flowing over the dam. The crest has been moved back to Sunday, about 2 3/4 feet higher than now. We didn't get much rain (here or directly to the north of us) today, so maybe they will lower the forecast again.


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## injinji (Feb 18, 2021)

I just watched a video from my cross the river neighbor. She had to drive through 50 yards of water to get to her house. My driveway is getting boggy, but the slough has not run over it yet. And we are planning to raise the driveway a couple of feet. My dirt man and I differ on the need for a culvert. He thinks we don't need it, but if I spend a ton of money on dirt work, I don't want it washed away.


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## injinji (Feb 19, 2021)

Last night on my midnight ramble, I headed out going east, but the rain started within 1/4 mile. I turned back toward the house, but the rain stopped, so I went on down to the river on the newly plowed fire break. (we had a really bad thunderstorm Monday night/ Tuesday morning, blowing down several trees) I ended up moving a lot of limbs from across the trail. One was too big without a saw, but I cleared up the rest of them.

Walking sans headlamp on a cloudy overcast night is sublime. Except for discussions you have with yourself about the intricacies of the American immigration policies vis-a-vis Cuba.


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## injinji (Mar 1, 2021)

The river just got down low enough I could cross over without wading. Now the forecast calls for it to go back up 3 feet in the next couple three days. So I'll be wading again.


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## injinji (Mar 1, 2021)

On a sad note, I lost my helper today. He moved back up north to be near his kid. I wish now I had worked him more while he was here.


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## injinji (Apr 9, 2021)

I finally got the lawn mower down to the riverhouse. Mowed one round on the trail down to the beach. Need to finish it up. Time is in short supply.


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## injinji (Apr 9, 2021)

Yesterday, today and tomorrow are good transplanting days. I have several trays of the flint Indian corn to do something with, so I decided to plant some at the pond. Been a while since I drove in. I had to move a few blowdowns. The pond is way up, so my corn planting was limited to the edge of the woods.


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## injinji (May 18, 2021)

My neighbor gave us a deal on clearing the 20 acres of broken longleaf pines behind the house. 500 bucks an acre compared to the $2-3K everyone was asking right after the hurricane. We waited until we had heard from the recovery block grant that we had been approved. Counting what I own jointly with Sister, we signed up about 160 acres. Not sure how much we will get from the grant, but it will be welcome. I'll start replanting this coming winter. All I've lost is 22 years of growth and $10K for the clearing. Plus the cost of seedlings and planting.


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## StonedGardener (May 18, 2021)

injinji said:


> My hiking trails are a mess. I've been working on them at my pace, (ie. slow as hell) since the hurricane. A couple three weeks ago the wife and I were walking down near the river house. We ran into a couple who were checking on the readiness of peanuts (way too early) on the adjacent farm. The young man offered to clear the road going into the creek in exchange for sucker fishing rights. He was the 4th or 5th one to offer. But unlike all the others, they got started last week, working on it when they could.
> 
> Still kind of rough, but after 22 months, it's clear for walking. Driving too, for those who like that sort of thing.
> 
> View attachment 4661739


Good post......man, those suckers are one ugly fish....never heard of " sucker fishing rights". Never ate one, hear they are good, like carp.


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## injinji (May 18, 2021)

StonedGardener said:


> Good post......man, those suckers are one ugly fish....never heard of " sucker fishing rights". Never ate one, hear they are good, like carp.


In the old days (1970's) most of the land around was owned by timber companies or other absentee land owners. Most locals would sucker fish on a spot of creek they didn't own. Later on hunting leases changed all that, and everyone is scrambling to find a spot to fish.

Suckers are real boney. You have to gash them (slice down to the backbone every 1/4 inch. It helps to have the fish very cold when gashing) and fry the bones crisp or they are a pain to eat. Not too bad though.

Again this spring the creek was too high to fish. This is 3-4 years in a row we couldn't fish.


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## StonedGardener (May 18, 2021)

I much rather have a bass on my flyrod, but if hungry enough............


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## injinji (May 19, 2021)

StonedGardener said:


> I much rather have a bass on my flyrod, but if hungry enough............


It's the social aspect of catching them. It's mainly for the kids. Not sure if you have ever caught fish by hand, but it's a trip. You make a pen with wire, trap them as they go upstream to spawn, then the kids get in the creek and catch them. When we do get to fish, more go in the garden than in the frying pan. They make great plant food.


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## MICHI-CAN (May 19, 2021)

StonedGardener said:


> I much rather have a bass on my flyrod, but if hungry enough............


Wish I could introduce you to steelhead in a real river. LOL.


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## StonedGardener (May 19, 2021)

injinji said:


> It's the social aspect of catching them. It's mainly for the kids. Not sure if you have ever caught fish by hand, but it's a trip. You make a pen with wire, trap them as they go upstream to spawn, then the kids get in the creek and catch them. When we do get to fish, more go in the garden than in the frying pan. They make great plant food.


We use to "finger"fish all the time when younger...A real rush when you sneak up and snatch it! We always had kids, when little, catch carpvwith corn.....they would get freaked out when you pull that "dragon faced" beast


MICHI-CAN said:


> Wish I could introduce you to steelhead in a real river. LOL.


Heard they are a blast! Haven't fished a river in a long time, just the lake I'm on and the small streams in the upper elevations( have wonderful brook trout.).


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## MICHI-CAN (May 19, 2021)

StonedGardener said:


> We use to "finger"fish all the time when younger...A real rush when you sneak up and snatch it! We always had kids, when little, catch carpvwith corn.....they would get freaked out when you pull that "dragon faced" beast
> 
> Heard they are a blast! Haven't fished a river in a long time, just the lake I'm on and the small streams in the upper elevations( have wonderful brook trout.).


Brookies are myths unless you are willing to hike a fair distance through natural growths of misery and can accurately present your bait in a 6-8' tunnel by means of pulling the hook, bending the rod and sling shoting.
Love the trout. Wish my kid had a desire to learn my fun.

Just a coho, steelhead and jack king salmon from easy water. LOL.


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## StonedGardener (May 20, 2021)

MICHI-CAN said:


> Brookies are myths unless you are willing to hike a fair distance through natural growths of misery and can accurately present your bait in a 6-8' tunnel by means of pulling the hook, bending the rod and sling shoting.
> Love the trout. Wish my kid had a desire to learn my fun.
> 
> Just a coho, steelhead and jack king salmon from easy water. LOL. View attachment 4904838View attachment 4904841View attachment 4904843


My wife brought me home 3 bookies for Sunday brunch for years.......fishing " Wildcat Hollow"........middle of nowwhere......lots of Wildcats too.......when they get blabbing (sounds like someone killing babies) the hounds cower......oh those bookies, eat them like a piece of corn on the cob.


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## Roy O'Bannon (May 20, 2021)

MICHI-CAN said:


> Brookies are myths unless you are willing to hike a fair distance through natural growths of misery and can accurately present your bait in a 6-8' tunnel by means of pulling the hook, bending the rod and sling shoting.


Have you read "how to shoot a canoe" by any chance? 
Srry, I meant "A fine and pleasant misery"


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## Roy O'Bannon (May 21, 2021)

Here, your comment made me think of the way this guy writes. Read these when I was a kid.





A Fine and Pleasant Misery: Patrick F. McManus: 9780805000320: Amazon.com: Books


A Fine and Pleasant Misery [Patrick F. McManus] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. A Fine and Pleasant Misery



www.amazon.com


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## StonedGardener (May 21, 2021)

Roy O'Bannon said:


> Here, your comment made me think of the way this guy writes. Read these when I was a kid.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Great choice of authors for this. Some funny shit happens out there!


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## injinji (May 23, 2021)

The guys took the weekend off, but I was real happy with the amount they have got done. Also talked to the forestry folks about burning. They have eased the restrictions so that it is now possible for landowners to burn without the special accreditation (that I don't have). But it is weather related. You have to call on the day to find out if there is no burning, only accredited burning, or burning for landowners. With as many piles as we have, it will take several days to finish it.


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## injinji (May 24, 2021)

Sister, Cousin Johnny and his wife helped down at the creek land this morning. Got stuff done. Including dragging out these two cedar posts. 

This is the old deck. First time I've seen it since the hurricane. Steps going down to the river are in pretty good shape. Huge cypress tree across the dock down at river level.


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## MICHI-CAN (May 24, 2021)

injinji said:


> Sister, Cousin Johnny and his wife helped down at the creek land this morning. Got stuff done. Including dragging out these two cedar posts.
> View attachment 4908427
> This is the old deck. First time I've seen it since the hurricane. Steps going down to the river are in pretty good shape. Huge cypress tree across the dock down at river level.
> 
> View attachment 4908428


Looks like my deck this year. LOL. I see some envy worthy lumber in natures wake. Hope you can rough mill before buying. A thought and a nod as I wish. My water feature is a sprinkler or dog. 

Enjoy and just more than you want to at a time. Peace.


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## injinji (May 24, 2021)

MICHI-CAN said:


> Looks like my deck this year. LOL. I see some envy worthy lumber in natures wake. Hope you can rough mill before buying. A thought and a nod as I wish. My water feature is a sprinkler or dog.
> 
> Enjoy and just more than you want to at a time. Peace.


I've got a big pile of cedar logs, but most of them will be posts. The local millwrights say that any cedar that broke in the hurricane will splinter when the saw hits it. I do have a cousin with a saw mill, but he's in his 70's, and we both have way more than we can take care of. Plus it is hard ass work running a saw mill. As far as actual work goes, most days about 2-3 hours is all I'm good for. Hard to get a lot done that way.


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## injinji (May 24, 2021)

injinji said:


> . . . . . . . . Steps going down to the river are in pretty good shape. Huge cypress tree across the dock down at river level.


 The wife and I went back down after supper for our walk. Took a couple more pictures. The down cypress was not huge. Not really even big. I was listening to Sister and she must have been talking about the other tree on the dock.


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## injinji (May 25, 2021)

We signed the paperwork for the block grant. (actually we e-signed. No paper involved) In rough numbers we will get $11K for the 20 acres of longleaf, and $45K for 65 acres of hardwood. I knew what the different ages and types were bringing, but I hadn't done the math. Much better than I was thinking. We will be paying out maybe $11K for clearing and then a grand a year or so for seedlings when replanting.

We should find out in a few days what the timber Sister and I own together will pay.


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## injinji (May 25, 2021)

The crazy thing is we bought the riverhouse after the hurricane, but it was illegible for the grant. That part of it was about $16K. It will help with all we have spent down there.


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## Metasynth (May 25, 2021)

So, you named yourself after a pair of toe socks?


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## injinji (May 26, 2021)

Metasynth said:


> So, you named yourself after a pair of toe socks?


Yes. I use them as liners under my Darn Tough's, but the toe socks are more photogenic.


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## Metasynth (May 26, 2021)

injinji said:


> Yes. I use them as liners under my Darn Tough's, but the toe socks are more photogenic.


Uh...socks on socks? I have no words...


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## injinji (May 26, 2021)

All the dead trees are down and they are working on getting the piles in shape now.


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## injinji (May 26, 2021)

Metasynth said:


> Uh...socks on socks? I have no words...


Also no blisters. Most hiking blisters are caused by the sock and foot rubbing. This way sock rubs on sock.


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## Metasynth (May 26, 2021)

injinji said:


> Also no blisters. Most hiking blisters are caused by the sock and foot rubbing. This way sock rubs on sock.


Both injinji and darn tough are good enough to prevent blisters on their own...lol. Probably #1 and #2 in the hiking sock world at the moment. (Darn tough being #1)

Do you have a lot of blister problems?


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## injinji (May 26, 2021)

Metasynth said:


> Both injinji and darn tough are good enough to prevent blisters on their own...lol. Probably #1 and #2 in the hiking sock world at the moment. (Darn tough being #1)
> 
> Do you have a lot of blister problems?


I don't do enough long mile days anymore to worry about it. Life gets in the way of my hiking. And the no questions asked return policy of darn tough does make me think twice about putting too many miles on the toe socks. They cost about the same, but do not have a free returns policy.


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## injinji (Jun 5, 2021)

The last time the river got up into the slough, I turned down the flow of water. The next day there was a leak in the pipe stem going from the well head to the valve. The well is about 50 years old and it had just flaked off a section of rust. I had to turn off the pump and adjust the flow going into the slough to get pressure up at the house. 

Tuesday afternoon Cousin Johnny helped me patch it. We used the flex seal paste, cork and rubber gaskets all held in place with hose clamps. For two days I kept the valve wide open to let it cure. Then the slough was getting close to the right level, so I eased off it a little. So far so good.



The hole was to the left, right up against the valve.


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## injinji (Jun 5, 2021)

While we working on the patch, we drained the tank to let more air in. We found out the air flow valve thing was broke, so we put in a new one. Now I have 35psi and even with the valve running into the slough, the pump was only running when I turned on water up at the house.


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## injinji (Jun 14, 2021)

I burned 5 test piles this morning. They did alright. I used the handheld blower to get them going. My neighbor who is going to help me has a PTO blower that hooks to his tractor. That will be a big help. I got a little bit of a "sun burn" from standing too close to the fire with the blower. All in all, I'm pleased with how they burned.

This was a couple of hours ago.


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## injinji (Jun 14, 2021)

Not too bad.


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## injinji (Jun 14, 2021)

I cut up a little spot for gardening three disc widths wide. Will be planting some corn or something else tall. With the trees gone, there is a clear view of the road from the back yard and vice versa.


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## StonedGardener (Jun 14, 2021)

injinji said:


> Sister, Cousin Johnny and his wife helped down at the creek land this morning. Got stuff done. Including dragging out these two cedar posts.
> View attachment 4908427
> This is the old deck. First time I've seen it since the hurricane. Steps going down to the river are in pretty good shape. Huge cypress tree across the dock down at river level.
> 
> View attachment 4908428


Beautiful logs, I love cedar,it's beautifully colored. Resin extraction from pines turns into a party.....cedar resin is hot in design. I extract pine tar and oil from resin rich parts. Bushcraft is a blast.


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## injinji (Jun 15, 2021)

I burned 15 piles today. 


We had a thunderstorm after lunch. The wind picked up the rest of the afternoon. Two piles were kind of close to woods and they did cause me some concern. But even when it was blowing the worst, no sparks were flying. And the wind did make for a better, faster burn than yesterday.


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## StonedGardener (Jun 15, 2021)

injinji said:


> I burned 15 piles today.
> 
> View attachment 4924225
> We had a thunderstorm after lunch. The wind picked up the rest of the afternoon. Two piles were kind of close to woods and they did cause me some concern. But even when it was blowing the worst, no sparks were flying. And the wind did make for a better, faster burn than yesterday.
> ...


How do you ignite those piles, I'm seeing black smoke......that is quite the campfire to start..........just curious......?


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## injinji (Jun 15, 2021)

StonedGardener said:


> How do you ignite those piles, I'm seeing black smoke......that is quite the campfire to start..........just curious......?


You mix a pint of gas per gallon of diesel, then use as little of it as possible. Yesterday I used about three gallons to do 5 piles. When I did the math on how much that was going to cost, I figured I had to use less. Today I spent a little more time stacking smaller limbs over the newspaper, and used 3 soup cans of fuel per pile. The trick is to hit it with the leaf blower once it's burning. It does the blow torch effect. Really heats up in a hurry.


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## injinji (Jun 15, 2021)

My neighbor stopped by on his way home from work. He repiled until it was too dark to see. Glad he came by. Now they will mostly be burned up by morning.


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## StonedGardener (Jun 15, 2021)

injinji said:


> You mix a pint of gas per gallon of diesel, then use as little of it as possible. Yesterday I used about three gallons to do 5 piles. When I did the math on how much that was going to cost, I figured I had to use less. Today I spent a little more time stacking smaller limbs over the newspaper, and used 3 soup cans of fuel per pile. The trick is to hit it with the leaf blower once it's burning. It does the blow torch effect. Really heats up in a hurry.


Now this is very,very wrong, but nothing works like a touch of petrol and an old car tire. That's bad, well maybe in an emergency it's not very, very bad.


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## StonedGardener (Jun 15, 2021)

StonedGardener said:


> Now this is very,very wrong, but nothing works like a touch of petrol and an old car tire. That's bad, well maybe in an emergency it's not very, very bad.





StonedGardener said:


> Now this is very,very wrong, but nothing works like a touch of petrol and an old car tire. That's bad, well maybe in an emergency it's not very, very bad.


That f'ing diesel is super foul shit , one truck can stink up a square mile,


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## injinji (Jun 16, 2021)

StonedGardener said:


> That f'ing diesel is super foul shit , one truck can stink up a square mile,


I refined my method today. Burned 27 piles and used just over 2 gallons of fuel mix. The trick is applying the leaf blower at the right time.


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## injinji (Jun 16, 2021)

My old shooting house came through the hurricane in good shape. Just the front and back walls and the roof got a little damage.


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## injinji (Jun 16, 2021)

Two more 25 pile days and I'll be done with it.


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## StonedGardener (Jun 16, 2021)

injinji said:


> I refined my method today. Burned 27 piles and used just over 2 gallons of fuel mix. The trick is applying the leaf blower at the right time.


The new age bellowd


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## StonedGardener (Jun 16, 2021)

Bellows ! ......notbellowd.


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## injinji (Jun 18, 2021)

Burned 16 piles today. Wind shifted on me and an ember lit a standing dead oak in the fence row. Lots of fuel removal then waiting around watching for falling fire. I cleared all the leaves and limbs and let everything that had caught fire burn. That's mostly burned out now. I'll pour water on it before I go to bed.

The piles burned good though. No problem with any of them.


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## StonedGardener (Jun 18, 2021)

injinji said:


> Burned 16 piles today. Wind shifted on me and an ember lit a standing dead oak in the fence row. Lots of fuel removal then waiting around watching for falling fire. I cleared all the leaves and limbs and let everything that had caught fire burn. That's mostly burned out now. I'll pour water on it before I go to bed.
> 
> The piles burned good though. No problem with any of them.


Surprised your not an arsonist (that's a joke.).


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## injinji (Jun 19, 2021)

StonedGardener said:


> Surprised your not an arsonist (that's a joke.).


This is my first time burning this kind of piles. I grow longleaf pines, so I'm used to burning them every three to four years. And pastures are burned off every year. But I've never had this amount of debris to get rid of before. There is so much fuel on the ground due to the hurricane it's really scary when you get fire outside the lines. It burned a few bushes but I caught it in time to get it stopped. If it had got going it could have burned 1/4 mile of that fence row and might have got across the road into Sister's pines.

I soaked it all down last night, but this morning when I checked on it, there was still coals under the ashes. I poured about 20 gallons more water on the tree and the ground around it.


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## StonedGardener (Jun 19, 2021)

injinji said:


> This is my first time burning this kind of piles. I grow longleaf pines, so I'm used to burning them every three to four years. And pastures are burned off every year. But I've never had this amount of debris to get rid of before. There is so much fuel on the ground due to the hurricane it's really scary when you get fire outside the lines. It burned a few bushes but I caught it in time to get it stopped. If it had got going it could have burned 1/4 mile of that fence row and might have got across the road into Sister's pines.
> 
> I soaked it all down last night, but this morning when I checked on it, there was still coals under the ashes. I poured about 20 gallons more water on the tree and the ground around it.


That's a shit-ton of work ! Work hard , play hard dude ! FLAME ON...


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## injinji (Jun 24, 2021)

We had four hours of really bad thunderstorm last night. The river was flowing into the slough this morning when I got up. But tonight after work we went down and the driveway was still not underwater. The level is 18.7 now, with the crest just slightly higher in the next 12-18 hours.


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## injinji (Jun 26, 2021)

I'm pretty sure there is a pot of gold down at J & D's beach.


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## injinji (Jun 26, 2021)

The river has fell 1.8' since the crest, but the slough started getting in the driveway yesterday. I turned down the flow of water, even though I said I wasn't going to do it next flood. The patch on the well seemed to be holding.


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## injinji (Jun 28, 2021)

My neighbor had a scheduling issue with his helper, so he spent most of the day repiling the burnt piles and moving the ones too close to the woods to burn. They piled the remains of 2-3 piles into 1, then I set them afire.


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## injinji (Jul 2, 2021)

The first of July is when the state's pine tree nursery starts taking orders. Last year I sent my order in September and they were out of trees. So I got it in the mail this morning. I requested two shipments of 2K improved long leaf seedlings to be delivered two weeks apart in January. Cost of 95 per plus 10 for shipping. So some quick math would show that my order came to 420.


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## injinji (Jul 2, 2021)

A couple of three days ago we saw a car down at the graveyard, so we rode by to see who it was. I didn't stop, but it was some of Cousin Steve's people from Rome GA. They brought fresh flowers and did a little weedeating around his grave. It did make me feel a little bad, so I got down there with the mower and trimmer this morning. But the first thing I had to use was the handsaw. The parking area hadn't been cut since the hurricane, and there was at least a dozen oak seedlings that had came up. One was chest high so I decided it would be a good shade tree at some point in the future.



I didn't get started cleaning under the existing shade tree. Lots of that is huckleberry and a few blueberry, so I'm thinking about just cutting the rest and leaving it to grow. But I'll most likely just cut it all.


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## StonedGardener (Jul 4, 2021)

injinji said:


> I'm pretty sure there is a pot of gold down at J & D's beach.
> 
> View attachment 4931510


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## StonedGardener (Jul 4, 2021)

How about some golden pot instead...


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## StonedGardener (Jul 4, 2021)

Working outdoors has many challenges, it beatsthe hell out of sitting in a cubicle all damn day .


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## injinji (Jul 7, 2021)

The river is on the way up again. 16.5 now. A crest of 18.7 is predicted for Friday. It may get over the driveway if it gets a little higher than predicted, but my gardens should be alright.


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## injinji (Jul 8, 2021)

The river crested tonight. A foot lower than the new prediction, which was a foot lower than the previous one. Crossing my fingers it sticks.


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## injinji (Jul 9, 2021)

Just got an email from the lady working our block grant application with a question on mine and Sister's shared lands. So it shouldn't be too much longer. Once approved the check will come in 6-8 weeks.


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## injinji (Jul 10, 2021)

I burned a couple of piles today. Between the lack of wind and how wet the wood was, it was a son of a bitch to get going. A little thunderstorm finally kicked up some wind and got it going good. It takes at least a couple gallons of fuel mix per pile. More would have been nice, but I ran out, and I didn't want to leave the fires to go get more. I will run to the store tomorrow or Monday before I burn again. Although I will repile these in the morning and they will burn on.


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## injinji (Aug 18, 2021)

Fred was more of a pain in the ass than I figured he would be. Trees across the driveway and the road. I was lucky enough to get to walk home in the worst of it.


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## injinji (Sep 29, 2021)

The river is down to 14.18 and falling 0.03' (.36") per hour. The slough is almost down to where I like it, so I will have to adjust the flow from the well in the next couple of days. It's been turned down for over a month now.

We have had a week with no rain. I burned a few piles and they did much better. Only have 8-10 piles left. Hope to finish them off in the next couple weeks.


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## xtsho (Sep 29, 2021)

injinji said:


> The river is down to 14.18 and falling 0.03' (.36") per hour. The slough is almost down to where I like it, so I will have to adjust the flow from the well in the next couple of days. It's been turned down for over a month now.
> 
> We have had a week with no rain. I burned a few piles and they did much better. Only have 8-10 piles left. Hope to finish them off in the next couple weeks.


Sounds like you stay busy.


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## injinji (Sep 29, 2021)

xtsho said:


> Sounds like you stay busy.


Kind of sort of, but not really. Most days I'm lucky if I do 3-4 hours of real work. And I'm not making much progress on catching up at that rate. But I get in my nap (most) every afternoon, and 3-5 miles walked a night. You have to have your priorities.


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## injinji (Oct 8, 2021)

We've had rain for a few days now, but there was almost two dry weeks. Last week one of the piles I had lit the week before started back up and burned. I lit a couple more the next day. Most of them actually burned with only a gallon or two of fuel mix.


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## injinji (Oct 13, 2021)

I have hog damage down at the riverhouse. The wife's firecracker plants were mostly rooted up. Most of the little cypress trees too. The citrus in pots were turned over and covered up, but with a little digging I was able to find all of them. I'll have to kill them if I see them.


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## injinji (Oct 13, 2021)

I wanted to mention this before I forgot it. A couple three weeks ago there were glow worms down by the riverhouse driveway. Not a lot. Maybe 50-75. The only other time I have ever seen them was down at the old river camp. That night there were thousands of them. At the time I was using a cot with a tarp and netting setup. I got up in the night to go pee and it looked like the stars were down on the ground. They are about a quarter inch long, and would light up just like a firefly.


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## injinji (Oct 16, 2021)

Last night I opened up the valve to the slough a little. Water level was about 6 inches lower than I like. 

River is still dropping. About 12 feet.


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## injinji (Oct 23, 2021)

I've been burning fresh piles about once a week. The neighbor's helper put in a few hours combining burnt piles. There had been lots of dirt in the piles and he did a good job of getting rid of most of it. 

Even with the lower humidity and higher winds, it still takes a couple three days for them to all burn up. I've been doing more up close work, so much smokier. Two days this week when I burned, I ate my meals on the back deck due to smell. Then after dark, I washed my cloths at the riverhouse.


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## injinji (Nov 5, 2021)

I just got back from a few days on a trail I didn't have to maintain. But I was wishing I had grabbed my folding saw after the first few miles. Since Micheal took down most of the big trees, underbrush and vines have taken over. But I only took pictures of the good bits.


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## injinji (Nov 5, 2021)

This was the first trip for my new pack, tent and trekking poles. Glad to report all did pretty good. I did have to pack the tent wet everyday, then spread it out when I stopped for lunch.

My new ultra tight hiking gear. Naturehikes 60l backpack, Meir branded Lanshan 2 tent and Cascade Mountain Tech carbon/cork trekking poles. About 250 bucks for the lot.


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## injinji (Nov 5, 2021)

First pitch was stressful, as this was my first time with a trekking pole tent. Ground was not level at the first spot I tried, so I ended up moving to a better location.


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## injinji (Nov 5, 2021)

This tent would not be good for stealth camping. Not quite dark and you can already see how reflective it is.


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## injinji (Nov 10, 2021)

Got the raw material for a new stove.


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## injinji (Dec 11, 2021)

I mowed the trails down at the creek land, and some of the firebreaks at the riverfield. Also worked on the trail from the riverhouse to the creek with handsaw and nippers. It was late in the day, so everyone was home across the river. I need to get down there during the day so I can pile the limbs at river level so the next flood will take it away. The powers that be are pressing everyone to make sure nothing you cut ends up in the water. And I'm trying to do exactly that.


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## injinji (Dec 11, 2021)

The flock of turkeys have been coming across the road onto our land about everyday since gun season started. I was down at the old river camp picking oranges the other night, and scared some of them off the roost.


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## injinji (Dec 11, 2021)

Last night I saw a couple of dozen glow worms down at the creek. I'm saying glow worms and not firefly's because all of the light was on the ground, none in the trees. Anyway, it's crazy that they are hatching in December.


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## injinji (Dec 14, 2021)

The two orange trees at the old river camp have large sections that has died from hurricane damage. All the limbs that had the bark stripped are dead now. Only about two dozen fruit on the trees this year. I really need to get some trees past the 2 year mark, where I usually let them die from neglect.


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## injinji (Dec 14, 2021)

The wife and I went down to the river to walk just before sunset. We saw the turkeys again.


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## injinji (Jan 4, 2022)

The last two weeks I have been doing a little mowing with the small bushhog down at the river field. I got most of the firebreaks clear. Although there are several trees down that were too big for me to push with the mower. I'm guessing they were from Hurricane Fred.


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## injinji (Jan 4, 2022)

This week I have been using the big bushhog here on the sandhill behind the house. I have 2K longleaf seedlings coming in Thursday afternoon. I have enough mowed to get them planted, but I'll go ahead and work on it again tomorrow.


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## injinji (Jan 8, 2022)

I got a few trees planted Thursday, but rain chased me. Cousin Johnny helped yesterday and today. All together we have planted just about 1000 seedlings. I have to work Monday through Wednesday, so time is going to be an issue before it's all said and done.


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## injinji (Jan 18, 2022)

It took eight days in all to wrap up the tree planting. Johnny helped five of those days. We had a real good soaking rain, so feel pretty good about their chances.

I got a few rows flagged this morning. Will be starting to come back toward the house with the new trees. But I got enough of the other end of the field mowed so we will have room to finish them out that way.


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## injinji (Jan 28, 2022)

I got the last of the longleaf seedlings planted this afternoon. I had about 55-60 leftover trees so I planted skips between the garden and the graveyard, I had done 30 there from the first go-round, so all but 85-90 of the 4000 trees went into the field. Next year I will put some down at the river-field.


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## injinji (Mar 13, 2022)

I saw the first boat on the river for this year. Not really fishing, just riding. That is the worst thing about the riverhouse. I'll be working in the yard talking to myself, and a boatful of folks drift by.


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## injinji (Mar 22, 2022)

injinji said:


> I saw the first boat on the river for this year. Not really fishing, just riding. That is the worst thing about the riverhouse. I'll be working in the yard talking to myself, and a boatful of folks drift by.


The next day I saw my second boat. Man and wife riding, making a big ass wake both ways. Luckily it was when the river was still low.


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## injinji (Mar 22, 2022)

A couple three nights ago we got between 8 and 10 inches of rain. The river got up to 17.77 at the gauge, but it must have been higher at the riverhouse. The slough doesn't fill up until 18. 3 or something like that usually. But it did fill up and just barely covered the driveway. The river went down, but rain from up in Dothan is just getting here, so it's back above 17.8 now, with a forecasted crest of 22.5. I'm not down there, so I don't know if it's in the slough yet or not.

Rain coming around daylight. Shouldn't be but an inch or two this go round.


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## injinji (Jul 13, 2022)

Once again there were no longleaf seedlings to order from Andrew's, the nursery the div of forestry uses. That's two of the last three years they ran out before I could get my order in. I doubled checked with the block grant recovery folks, and they said it was alright to plant other varieties, so I've ordered 8K slash (over five different delivery dates, since I'm dibbling them in) There were other places that had the lonfleaf, but they had a 10K min order. The slash are 80 bucks including delivery, compared to 110 for longleaf. You do plant a few more slash per acre.


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## injinji (Oct 20, 2022)

injinji said:


> Once again there were no longleaf seedlings to order from Andrew's, the nursery the div of forestry uses. That's two of the last three years they ran out before I could get my order in. I doubled checked with the block grant recovery folks, and they said it was alright to plant other varieties, so I've ordered 8K slash (over five different delivery dates, since I'm dibbling them in) There were other places that had the lonfleaf, but they had a 10K min order. The slash are 80 bucks including delivery, compared to 110 for longleaf. You do plant a few more slash per acre.


There has been a couple of updates on this situation. When they returned the check, they said to call and see if there had been any orders cancelled. We called them about a month ago, and all they had was sand pines. But a week later they called back and my order of slash is back on. We redid the order form and sent them a new check.


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## injinji (Oct 20, 2022)

I wrapped up cutting the far reaches of the yard today. 



I worked on the back trail to the graveyard too. The wife and I have been walking after lunch since it's cooler. Yesterday we say a bald eagle. He flew from the back yard as we were getting back to the house. He passed right by us, about 20 feet high. Pretty damn cool.


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