Nickel Farm

I discovered a woodpecker trapped in the garage this morning. He was beating himself up against a window so I opened the garage door and away he flew to freedom. He apparently loves freedom as much as I do.

Worked on updating my journal earlier today, took a nap, and, about 3:00 pm, went to cut wood. I am frustrated with my chainsaw because after it gets warmed up, it will stop and is very hard to re-start. So, I have to busy myself with breaking small branches off the trees I plan to harvest, cleaning up the site (I like to leave campgrounds and work sites cleaner than I found them), dragging cut logs to the trailer, etc. while the saw cools down. I did manage to cut down two 13” dead trees using the notching technique I learned in the Forest Service. It’s probably the “little boy” part of me but I really relish the loud crashing noise that occurs when a 45’long tree finally goes down. Yes, I feel just a little “Bunyanesque” out there felling timber. All I need now is a big blue ox to drag the logs to my trailer!

Went to my own chapel this morning and viewed the Stake Conference proceedings on video.  I have been reading a book called, “The Rebirth of America” by the Arthur S. DeMoss Foundation.  It contrasts America’s Yesterday when the republic was founded on Christian principles, and America Today wherein porn, homosexuality, abortion, major media, and public education are destroying our beloved country.  I am determined to do what I can to preserve our inspired Constitution and the freedoms it guarantees.

Took a nice nap late today prior to attending a fireside in a nearby town.  Almost hit a deer coming home.  Yes, they’re cute but they can do serious damage to the front end of a vehicle.

Got up early and dragged the chain-link fence around the front of my house and into the walipini area with my car. I had to accomplish this task while the ground was still frozen to avoid getting stuck. Interesting day. I hauled four loads of concrete to the dump in my utility trailer. Part of the time I would be chipping up the pieces of concrete which had frozen to the ground and, later in the day, I would be sliding around on slushy ground trying to avoid getting stuck! On thing for sure: I got plenty of exercise today.

I met a man at the he dump whose wife had insisted that he discard a couple of boxes of stoneware dishes. I happily took them off his hands before they got dashed on the ground. Another fellow was throwing a couple of glass windows away, which will make good glazing for some temporary grow boxes. I snapped them up as well. You see, I don’t have a wife to tell me I can’t bring things home from the dump so I do.

I showered and went to a church meeting tonight but left early because I couldn’t hear very well and couldn’t stay awake after my arduous day. So, when they asked the congregation to stand up for a rest break, I arose, then kept on trucking right out the door.

Spent a good part of the day sawing up some of the logs I hauled Wednesday. I have great respect for the danger of a chainsaw so take great precaution when handling it. Late in the day, I took down about a hundred feet of chain-link fence along the western boundary in preparation for grading in the spring. I also needed to get access to the pile of broken concrete I plan to haul to the dump tomorrow.

I took my load of wood around to the back and heard and felt a loud crunch as I was backing up to the concrete porch I use for sawing. One of the extra long pieces I hadn’t cut off last night had rammed the porch, pushing the log through the flimsy plywood front panel of my trailer. Oh well, the trailer was already pretty ugly anyway. Still works fine.

While drinking my customary quart of water before eating breakfast, I am catching up on my journal. I noticed a strong chemical odor in the room, which, at fist, I thought was coming from the burning wood. Wrong! It was my wet work gloves starting to burn on the stove where I had placed them to dry out. Probably toxic fumes I am breathing – aghhhhh!

Later in the day, I continued my wood gathering project. I worked into the dark and hauled a whole trailer load of wood home. I parked the loaded trailer in my driveway for the night.

Hooray, only one month until spring!  Spent the day gathering firewood on a neighbor’s lot.  He had a lot of dead quakies (quaking aspen) that he wanted removed so I started the project this morning.  As I was standing there in the snow, with the sun on my back and a chainsaw in my hand, I thought, “this is GREAT, I love my life.  I am doing exactly what I wish to be doing at this very moment”.  I took a chance on getting stuck by pulling my trusty utility trailer through some deeper snow in order to get closer to the fifteen-foot long logs I had cut up.  They stuck way out of my seven foot long trailer but the front wheel drive on my little red Camry got me out to pavement just fine.

I am desperately in need if firewood.  Visited a fellow down the street who has some dead aspens he wants removed from his brother’s lot.  Loaned a book entitled “Love is Letting Go of Fear” by Gerald Jampolsky, M.D. to a new lady friend down the street.

When I awoke this morning, the weather was clear but had turned cloudy by 10:00.  Since I left my large tarp at home, I am hoping to get back home before having to patch my small ones together to protect my large load from rain and/or snow.  Left the city about 4:00 and arrived home just as it was getting dark.  Since a winter storm was imminent, I enlisted the help of two beer-drinking neighbors to get the beastly couches into the house tonight.  They are good people and are always ready to help.

Awoke to 3” of snow this morning and it snowed most of the day.  It was great!  Had an enjoyable time at church and determined to shovel my neighbor’s walk and driveway across the street afterwards.  Turns out someone beat me to the task and here I was, all bundled up and ready for action.  So, I found a couple of other neighbors whose walks needed shoveling and set to work.  One of those neighbors was one of the guys who had brought my couches in the house last night.  It felt good to return the favor and create good feelings in the neighborhood.