I'm looking forward to this contract year (as a high school science teacher). Would I rather be on the property clearing the build site? Would I rather be pulling out deadfall and Widowmakers on our 10Ha woodlot? Would I rather be maintaining the tractor/ATV trails with my Sthil saws & cutters? Would I rather be … Continue reading Another year of stand-up philosophy!
And now. And now, we clean up…
...after 2 weeks in the bush, it's time to clean up our kit. Important culinary safety note = (Dairy Queen [Chicken Strips + Fries + medium-sized Blizzard with Skor bits]) + (Brunswick Smoked Sardines) + (Brunswick Tomato-Basil Sardines) + (PBJ-on-unsalted-crackers) = gastric woe until 01:00 EST. PN should really know better, eh.
4 weeks of harvesting, logging, and chipping…
…leads to a roughed-in build site! See the attached images, eh. Revision: Ah. So THAT’S how one inserts images. Oy. After 4 weeks of forestry, TS & PN roughed out the future build-site. PN & TS’s build-site is on the other side of the rock outcrop (that is on the left side of the image). … Continue reading 4 weeks of harvesting, logging, and chipping…
Hardwood is…
…well, hard. A grove of slow-growing oak, maple, and ironwood (yes, that’s a real Ontario tree [I’m using this tree atlas to identify my plants])… are challenging me. I thought I would be able to sharpen my saw’s chain every 3 days. Nope. The chain skates on the media! Daily sharpening. Daily! I won’t be … Continue reading Hardwood is…
Juvenile rattlesnake said…
…hey! Back off. So we did. 4 hummingbirds found our forest feeder and are now having a turf war over the bloody thing. A humourus 12 minute description of our feathered fiends (not friends). And a safety PSA for Mountain Trout Camp. 🤨 Lumber update: I’m chopping straight lengths of oak & maple (~5-6’ blocks) … Continue reading Juvenile rattlesnake said…
TS – 1 … Black Bear – 0
TS had her first black bear encounter this afternoon (at about 3 p.m.). I was splitting firewood up at the parking lot. TS was shredding branches (~150-200m away from me). While I was banging logs apart, I heard someone swear(?) and started blasting on our canned-air horn. A lot. I hopped on the ATV and … Continue reading TS – 1 … Black Bear – 0
I had to be reminded…
…that green branches and fresh leaves play holy hell with small chippers & shredders. I blocked up the mechanism 3 times before I walked away from it in disgust (TS is more savvy than me about the unit… I end up jamming branches and stuff into the hopper… and look like Wile E. Coyote on … Continue reading I had to be reminded…
Reminder – if you need accommodations RIGHT NOW…
…consider giving Mountain Trout Camp your business. Here’s a review link to help you decide whether MTC is a good fit for you or not. In other current events, we’re collecting a lot of logs (for what…? Meh, no idea). Check out this review of Mountain Trout Camp on Tripadvisor: https://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowUserReviews-g2242172-d2091211-r848239082-Mountain_Trout_Camp-Miller_Lake_Bruce_County_Ontario.html
Tomorrow… we chip!
TS & I were able to get back into the zone while clearing the build-site. Yesterday, TS was able to rough-out the new ATV trail from the build-site to her soil-operation. Me? I just smashed and crashed my way hither-and-dither using our Polaris! I strung a trail-line from our starting point to the soil-operation. This … Continue reading Tomorrow… we chip!
Lush, heavy rain, and cooler than our last woodlot work-session.
Today will be an indoor session at Mountain Trout Camp (MTC). I’m looking forward to finding out how MS’s wolf-pack enjoy the canine treats (test version 1 and 2). TS wanted to ensure MS received the perishable chocolate-peanut-butter-banana-upside-down cake (as it’s still in its pan). Our recently-purchased deep-cycle battery has been trickle-charging since yesterday evening … Continue reading Lush, heavy rain, and cooler than our last woodlot work-session.
Preparing to return…
...to the bush. I'm optimistic we learned a few lessons from our last session. We'll have to DIY our own bush-buggy-platform for the wood chipper. King City Trailers gave us good advice, had SOME stock, but couldn't sell us a ready-made option. Still, I'd recommend them to you. Meh... we're planning on pushing another ATV … Continue reading Preparing to return…
Test Kitchen. PN’s observations!
Yes yes. I know. There’s no building yet. When we go active, expect fanfare.
Healing & reflecting & planning!
Today, TS and I will review my notes about last week’s wild wonderful woodlot work-session. Pedagogical PMI charts? Yep. Critically review what DIDN’T help us? Oh yeah. Organize & reprioritize our actions for next month? Hell yes!
We’re recovering from…
…bug bites, nicks and scratches, sprains/strains/soreness, poor sleeping arrangements, and a wee bit of heat exhaustion. Oh woodlot… PN & TS will spend our holidays merrily toiling away on you!
Anybody have a portable sawmill?
I’m (PN) a self-proclaimed weekend warrior, gentleman forester, and a (safety-conscious) goofball with a chainsaw. I don’t want to chop these up for firewood. Can it be milled? I don’t expect anything sellable or fancy.
I only have 6GB of media storage, so I’ll add/remove items as our efforts progress. PN.
Bruce Trail – Map 4 – Ball’s Falls to Fifth & Victoria
Today, I hiked the final 2.75 kilometres of the Bruce Trail, I needed to complete the Niagara Club. (When we attempted to finish the Niagara Club …Bruce Trail – Map 4 – Ball’s Falls to Fifth & Victoria
Black Woman Takes On Historic Hike Of The Underground Railroad In Canada
Source: Thomas Barwick / Getty 20-year-old Detroit native Zwena Gray has embarked on a six-week, 559-mile-long hike through the full length of Bruce …Black Woman Takes On Historic Hike Of The Underground Railroad In Canada
Bruce Trail Here We Come!
Big news! My mom and I are officially doing a Bruce Trail end-to-end in summer 2022! Some of you likely knew that this was an adventure we were …Bruce Trail Here We Come!
A Complete Guide to Hiking the Bruce Trail
By Lauren Yakiwchuk Lush green forests on The Bruce Trail The Bruce Trail is a 900km hiking trail that connects Niagara and Tobermory in Ontario, …A Complete Guide to Hiking the Bruce Trail
BCB&B, neemtree, bdb, and blog 