Cutting timber for my off grid house

Taking another step

Well this past week has been a crazy one. On Tuesday we hired a local gentleman to come cut down all the tree's. Dad and I had marked 45 tree's. The plan was to let him drop the tree's, and then me go behind him and cut all the limbs and tops out.
 We started cutting at 8:30 Tuesday morning, and by 3:00 we had cut and topped over 50 tree's!!!! I was amazed, and worn out. At that point all I wanted to do was take a shower and go to bed, but just as I got in the house, I got a alert on my phone telling me that a item had sold on my eBay store. Turns out it was a item that I hand forge, and didn't have any in stock. so I had to stay up till 10:00-10:30 forging. I was one tired boy, let me tell ya, I don't even remember coming in the house that night.
 Then we spent yesterday skidding trees up to the building site. All in all we were able to get 16 trees up to the mill.
 I plan on spending today running the sawmill...... but I'm heading out there until it warms up, and I get about 3 more cups of coffee in me.

Finally some snow around here

It's about time we got some snow around here!!! But we also have had to deal with some sever cold weather. 

I had built a shelter for the horses in the back pasture, but on the night when all the snow moved in, there was some extremely high winds. When I checked on them the next morning, the shelter was blown over on it's side, and was frozen to the ground!  

 For about 3-4 day's, the high never got about 9 degree's, and the creek had frozen over thick enough that I was able to walk on it!! I've lived in Kentucky all my life, and I have never seen it get and stay this cold.

Here are some photo's I took around the farm.

View from my bedroom window

2 day's after this photo was taken, this creek was frozen solid

Out feeding the horses

All the snow put a halt on the house building project.   :(

Newest video

Running the Sawmill for the First Time

Well today was a exciting day.

This morning Dad and I got up early so that we could move the sawmill up to the building site, and skid a log up there while the ground was still frozen.

Moving the mill was easy, since it's a portable mill, but moving the log took a little more planning.

 Since we don't have a tractor, or any heavy equipment to skid logs with, I figured my truck would be able to pull them. My truck is a Dodge 1500 4x4 with a 5.2 V8, so I figured that it would have more than enough power to pull the logs, but Dad wasn't all to sure.

 Thankfully though, with the truck in 4 wheel drive low lock, it was able to skid the 10 foot log easily enough. I'm not sure though how many more logs we will skid like that, since it really tears up the ground. I am thinking of building a skid to set the front end of the log on so that it doesn't tear up the ground so bad.

Enough said, here's some pics of today's work.

Yes, I'm still here

Hey there everyone. 
I'm sorry about not posting anything for a long time, but life has thrown a few curve balls at me.
Not sure if I have told yall here on my blog, but about 7 months ago, I quit my job working at the boat shop, and started my own online business. My business name is "Ky Homestead Supply", I have both a eBay and Amazon store, but eBay is where I sell most of my products.
 I know that I posted a video about Quad State, but here are a few photo's I took while there. 

Our Selling Booth

The Camp site

This Dragon was set up next to our booth. It was a amazing piece of work.

I really enjoyed the demonstrations by Brian Brazeal.

Now our camp site was about 100 feet from a vet clinic, where there must have been 20 dogs that wouldn't ever shut up.  After a night of 1 hour sleep, I drank a lot of coffee that day, and then slept in my truck the next night.

You might be a Kentucky red neck if.....

 The next morning, a few men from surrounding camp sites asked me if I was from Kentucky or Tennessee LOL.
Over all I had a great time at Quad State, and hope to go back next year.
 When we got home though, my friend, Dave Custer and I parted way's, after a severe disagreement on how business between us in making hammers should be conducted, but I couldn't agree with the way he conducted his business. It ended in loosing a friend, this saddens me, as I have never lost a friend. 
 In a way though, parting way's with Dave, has been a good thing. It has made me learn more about what a real friend is, and made me a better blacksmith.

Also I ask that you please keep my Dad in your prayers, 2 weeks ago, he suffered a mini stroke behind his left eye, and has lost a good bit of sight. He will go back for a check up on the 31st, and will find out if he can start driving again or not.

SOFA Quadstate

About 2 weeks ago, my good friend Dave Custer, and I went to a blacksmithing conference called Quadstate, in Troy Ohio.
We had a awesome time, and while there, Dave and I competed in a blacksmithing competition.
Here is a video that I just uploaded about the event, and of use competing.

Technology a thief

Please share this with your friends.

Technology a thief?

 This past weekend I have been thinking about how much time I spend on the computer and/or on my phone, and I didn't like the answer I came up with.

Now, I'm not a couch potato by any means, but most of my "off time" (coffee before work, lunch, afternoon coffee break, and at night after supper) I spend on the computer. Mostly on Netflix, youtube, facebook, and a couple of online forums I enjoy.

So technology can be a thief of your time, and talents that take time to practice. I used to be pretty good on the guitar, and could pick a little on the banjo.

Now the other day I decided I wanted to learn how to play a new country song that I had heard on the radio. So after supper, I got on the laptop and found the chords and lyrics on a website. I tried playing along with the song off my phone, but playing chords that I once found easy to play were now almost impossible!!!!

So not only have I allowed technology to steel my time, but also a talent that is somewhat important to me.

I realized all this on thursday evening, so on friday morning I had to go to town to get some cat litter from the store (I had stepped in a bread pan full of used motor oil that I use for tempering knives... what a mess), and while I was in town I decided that it has been far to long since I had read a book cover to cover. So when I got to the library I picked up a book that I have been wanting to read for quite a while. It was "Walden, By Henry David Thoreau", and after reading just a few chapters I realized that I didn't get this book just by chance at this time.

In "Walden" Mr.Thoreau talks about how little a person actually "NEEDS", and how petty technology really is.

I know that some of yall have heard me say this, but for everyone elses benefit, I'm gonna say it again. If most modern day technology is supposed to be "time saving devices", then why don't we have more time to spend with our family and friends?

Please give this some serious thought and share it with your friends.

As for me, well I'm still enjoying the writing of Mr. Thoreau, plan on spending more time with the people I care about, and reacquainting myself with the guitar and banjo.

New Improvement

A "Little" Surprise