Who needs a gym membership?

[Brent S]

We have talked a lot about being healthy to help us thru any emergency in many posts around here. I have had several people ask me to join a gym with them in the last couple years. I think prepping and a homestead lifestyle is better exercise than a gym anyday! I had to drop a nice white pine due to a lightning strike, and a slight lean towards the house. I got about 2/3's of it split today. I'll finish tonight hopefully and then cart it over to the firewood bins on the fence line of the property. We had an unusually cold winter so I have a lot of restocking to do this summer.

 

[Graynomad]

I agree, it you are into the homesteading lifestyle you certainly don't need to go to the gym as well, and gym time is not productive, quite the reverse as it costs money.

It may be worthwhile if you lead a more sedentary lifestyle, but even then I would suggest a change in lifestyle not a gym membership (if it's practical to do so given your circumstances).

And speaking of fallen trees and firewood, here's my latest effort

This tree feel after we burned off, it was healthy but must have had a hole at the base for the fire to get in. You can see the base round on the left. One of the three big ones is going to be an anvil stump, depending on the height I need.

I did split 2-3 rounds, but that's hard work when green so I'll do these next year I suppose. Looking forward to that

 

[jimLE]

it looks like we'll have a pecan tree come down this summer..on acount it's rotting from the inside out.and with cracks in the trunk..and to top it off.it's leaning towards the street.so i hope it wont come down as someone is going past it..and there'll be loads of grill wood there when it does come down..

 

[Brent S]

I agree, it you are into the homesteading lifestyle you certainly don't need to go to the gym as well, and gym time is not productive, quite the reverse as it costs money.

It may be worthwhile if you lead a more sedentary lifestyle, but even then I would suggest a change in lifestyle not a gym membership (if it's practical to do so given your circumstances).

And speaking of fallen trees and firewood, here's my latest effort

This tree feel after we burned off, it was healthy but must have had a hole at the base for the fire to get in. You can see the base round on the left. One of the three big ones is going to be an anvil stump, depending on the height I need.

I did split 2-3 rounds, but that's hard work when green so I'll do these next year I suppose. Looking forward to that

My arms are feeling it right now. I split for about three hours. I still use a maul and a wedge. The wedge will help split even the tough ones with less effort. Ive thought about getting a gas splitter, but with the carburetor gumming up, and the possibility of fuel becoming scarce, I'll stick to the hand tools.

 

[Brent S]

it looks like we'll have a pecan tree come down this summer..on acount it's rotting from the inside out.and with cracks in the trunk..and to top it off.it's leaning towards the street.so i hope it wont come down as someone is going past it..and there'll be loads of grill wood there when it does come down..

I use all my pruning from the peach and apple trees for smoking and grilling too. Great flavor.

 

[jimLE]

yeah that it is..

 

[psalm 7]

I use all my pruning from the peach and apple trees for smoking and grilling too. Great flavor.

Dude you smoke trees !

Just kidding I make sure I do some kind of physical work every day . At almost 50 I can get out of shape fast .

 

[Brent S]

Dude you smoke trees !

Just kidding I make sure I do some kind of physical work every day . At almost 50 I can get out of shape fast .

I'm definately not in near the shape I was, and I just go a little slower now, but keep plugging along. Keeping yourself in good health is not just good common sense, but may help you stay alive in tough times.

 

[jimLE]

not to mention.that it's a great way to sweat out the impurities that ends up in a persons system during the year...

 

[Brent S]

not to mention.that it's a great way to sweat out the impurities that ends up in a persons system during the year...

I definately sweated some!

 

[Gazrok]

Unfortunately, staying at home doesn't provide enough income for us, so the wife and I both work in the city each work day. On the weekends, we certainly get a workout doing things around the ranch, but not during the week.

 

[psalm 7]

At work being in middle management gives me a little flexability with what I do , once I have my admin stuff done I can get with the employ'es that do some of the most phisical work or start a project that I want done and knock it out . I can spend 3 or 4 hours a day lifting and such . Not to mention on a average day I can walk anywhere from 4 to over 20 miles a day just following up on stuff that has to get done . And thats not exagerating . If its crunch time we are all hands on none stop .

 

[Maverick]

Ok, I'm just lazy I hire my son n law (on the right) and his brother (without pay though beer is free) and an old saw horse to run the equipment for me, cutting up some trees we fell last year on the property

 

[Dani]

Chain saw and splitter are awesome to have around,. . still get a work out though with all the bending and stacking. Homesteading is a definite calorie cutter for sure with all the chores around the home, garden, critters and barns

 

[Brent S]

Ok, I'm just lazy I hire my son n law (on the right) and his brother (without pay though beer is free) and an old saw horse to run the equipment for me, cutting up some trees we fell last year on the property

View attachment 4261
View attachment 4262

Nice toy! I had a timber king. I kept it two or three years and actually made a little money when I sold it. I built my house with it, and have stacks of lumber still. I have a pretty good stack of walnut that I'm looking fowards to making a trestle table and some other furniture with. It's a lot of work, but with the costs of hardwoods now, is well worth it.

 

[Graynomad]

Just today I was having a beer with my neighbour and we realised we are both looking for a cant hook.

 

[Brent S]

Just today I was having a beer with my neighbour and we realised we are both looking for a cant hook.

I have two wooden handled ones, had never seen those metal ones before. At my age, I need all the leverage I can get help with.

 

[Maverick]

I have two wooden handled ones, had never seen those metal ones before. At my age, I need all the leverage I can get help with.

I prefer the wooden handle cant's, the metal are fine except during the winter, they get damn cold and slick..

The kids are making the wooden fences to put around the property, the wife would feel better when they kids go riding in the field in low light given that barb wire fences are hard to see, I was out voted, this is one of the fences that was already put up, as you can see, they got a long ways to go. I'll provide the equipment, but it was their vote it's their job A friend of the kids wondering what he just got himself into looking down the property in the mean time, I'll just set at the house here in town and enjoy my coffee.

 

[psalm 7]

I saw someone run through a barbed wire fence on a dirt bike . He got up shirt tore up and bleeding and said who put that d**n'ed fence there .

 

[Maverick]

I saw someone run through a barbed wire fence on a dirt bike . He got up shirt tore up and bleeding and said who put that d**n'ed fence there .

The horses keep the kids away from the barb wire while riding though they ride the quads more often, I thought it would have been cheaper and less sweat also less maintenance just to place reflectors on the fence poles *sigh There project

 

[jimLE]

the one thing i love about barbed wire.is it'll at least slow down intruders,at least some what dureing the day..then there's the yells screams and certain words you'd hear on a dark night..

 

[Clyde]

We have talked a lot about being healthy to help us thru any emergency in many posts around here. I have had several people ask me to join a gym with them in the last couple years. I think prepping and a homestead lifestyle is better exercise than a gym anyday! I had to drop a nice white pine due to a lightning strike, and a slight lean towards the house. I got about 2/3's of it split today. I'll finish tonight hopefully and then cart it over to the firewood bins on the fence line of the property. We had an unusually cold winter so I have a lot of restocking to do this summer.View attachment 4239

First off... I agree. Homestead living is far healthier. The settlers didn't run down to their local 24 Hour Fitness!
Second... That is beautiful property you have there! Yes, I am jealous. I am in a stucco & cement jungle!

 

[Brent S]

First off... I agree. Homestead living is far healthier. The settlers didn't run down to their local 24 Hour Fitness!
Second... That is beautiful property you have there! Yes, I am jealous. I am in a stucco & cement jungle!

I had to work in a concrete jungle for twenty years before I decided to throw in the towel and make the move here. It also took some adjusting to a slower pace of life. I kind of wish I had done it much sooner. Now instead of how to make more money I look for ways to need less of it.

 

[Gazrok]

Some bright colored tied ribbon at intervals along the fence can help visibility too. We have to do it for our border's dumb horses that can't seem to tell where the electric wire is. For our horses, we never needed the electric, but hers aren't fully trained.

instead of how to make more money I look for ways to need less of it.

That....is a brilliant quote.

 

[Maverick]

Some bright colored tied ribbon at intervals along the fence can help visibility too. We have to do it for our border's dumb horses that can't seem to tell where the electric wire is. For our horses, we never needed the electric, but hers aren't fully trained.

The hills are rolling hills, doing 25-30mph in a quad one would be upon the wire before they knew it, the reflectors on a pole 10' above the wire would show up at a distance under headlights unlike ribbons but the kids wanted to make a project out of it, the place is going to be theirs when I'm gone so I give them some leeway as long as it's worth the effort, good experience for them plus a whole lot cheaper making the timber to use and as Brent said above timber is expensive if one had to purchase it.

 

[NCHydrangea]

Great work!!! Beautiful views, too!! I'm afraid we'd be in bad shape if I had to split a lot of wood at one time. I live in the city so I did join a gym, but it was at work and only a one time fee of $10. We're thinking of getting a manual log splitter like this
http://www.harborfreight.com/10-ton-hydraulic-log-splitter-62291.html

The reviews are pretty good and a coupon brings the price down. I'm sure some of y'all could make one of these in an afternoon, but we don't have to room for a lot a cool equipment.

 

[Brent S]

Great work!!! Beautiful views, too!! I'm afraid we'd be in bad shape if I had to split a lot of wood at one time. I live in the city so I did join a gym, but it was at work and only a one time fee of $10. We're thinking of getting a manual log splitter like this
http://www.harborfreight.com/10-ton-hydraulic-log-splitter-62291.html

The reviews are pretty good and a coupon brings the price down. I'm sure some of y'all could make one of these in an afternoon, but we don't have to room for a lot a cool equipment.

They will work, but slowly. I use a star wedge and a sledge hammer some. You don't have to swing it really hard, just keep tapping it in until it splits. Either way, by hand or a Manuel splitter, I think not having to rely on gas or electricity is smart. Not to mention the exercise benefits.
Great price on that splitter though. I really like Harbour freight for a lot of things.