YOUTUBER

YouTube has become a go to for finding out to fix, repair, learn, etc how to do different things.  It also is an entertainment channel. 

I happened on this channel by Casey Neistat.  This dude has over 6.5 million followers.  His videos somehow captivate and draw you in.  I am sharing this because he did a review of, get this, NIKE Self Lacing Shoes. 

LOGGING

On the farm there are about forty acres of woodland.  It has been seventy years since it has been timbered so I checked with the state department of forestry as to what I should do.  

The regional forester came, walked the property, and then set down with me to discuss the options.  The only option was to clear cut the entire woodlands.  Their reasoning was that some trees could be genetically inferior.  If you have two trees next to each other, one is large and one is small, they could be the same age. Makes sense, but have you seen an area clear cut?  It is the ugliest looking sight and it takes a life time for the forest to regenerate. 

I made the decision to take out the larger trees and let the other trees grow.  A local logger came in and started logging in November.  Here it is February and he still has a month to go before he is complete.  

One load of some nice size trees

Another load of good size trees

This tree will be cut for fencing boards

 Looking at the woodland from the house, it doesn't look like it has been disturbed.  The logger said in another twenty years it could be harvested again.  If it had been clear cut it would be another seventy years to see some mediocre trees.

I will stick with my decision to take out the larger trees and let the other trees grow.



 

Different Energy Levels

Last week Kendall was here for a couple of hours and when I walked into the den, she had a birthday party set up for two of her stuffed animals.  They were Kangaroo which she calls "ROO" and Shamu the whale.

She was very persuasive that I join her for their birthdays.  Of course you can't turn down your granddaughter when she grabs your hand and says "come on Grandy."  She is very imaginative and loves play with her stuffed toys.

Now Micah on the other hand is WIDE OPEN.  He runs, he jumps, he rolls, etc.  He is hardly still.  We visited him this past weekend so I was able to record him to compare the difference to Kendall.

Gotta love these two kids. 

A day in retired life

A bunch of my friends ask what I do now that I don't have a job.  Well, the above video gives you a good look as to just one of the things I do on the farm.  Setting posts in the ground to build fences is a large part of the work this time of year.




I shot this footage with a Go Pro Hero 4 Black mounted to the fender of the tractor.  I used Go Pro Studio to edit and place the shots together.

Music is  " My Fathers Footsteps" by Butch Robbins from the album THE FIFTH CHILD.

2016 SUMMER MISSION TRIP TO WISE, VIRGINIA

In July 2016, the youth and some adults from Dublin United Methodist traveled to Wise, Va.  It was a short drive of two and one-half hours.  The team totaled eighteen.  Four ladies cooked the food for our meals and twelve youth and six adults worked on the project. 

We were assigned to work on a trailer home that had two additions that were placed on the trailer several years ago.  The home was owned by a lady around seventy years of age plus she had taken in her daughter and two grandchildren.

The week prior to us arriving another team of approximately fifty individuals had replaced her roof and had put up T-11 siding.  Our job was to finish painting the outside, install fascia aluminum covers, install soffitts, repair ceilings in three rooms inside the house, and guttering in four and one-half days. 

Ladies that cook and keep us nourished.

   

 

I must say the trip was a great experience for all the individuals.  The youth worked well together and were always asking what they could do next.  If they did not know how to accomplish a task they were willing to learn.  I am proud to have attended this trip with the youth and other adults.  

           

INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION VIEWING EARTH

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to view earth from space.  Now you have the opportunity.  Via You Tube you can view the earth from the space station.  When viewing make sure you watch full screen and you do get the sense you are floating above the earth.

Here is the link to watch live from space.  Enjoy.

GRANDKIDS AND BIRTHDAY

Oh my, another year has pasted.  Another year older and thankfully no debt just birthdays.  My father-in-law always said that when you get to sixty it is a good thing to have birthdays, consider the alternative.

I hope everyone doesn't see me as "Walter" the puppet from Jeff Dunham's show.

Both grandkids were here for a family get together and to give me birthday greetings.  It was a rainy weekend but we did not let that stop us for having fun.  My son-in-laws and I set up some bales of straw and hung targets on them for target practice.  We shot our handguns for about ninety minutes and just enjoyed being together.  We had a range of weapons, Glock 17, 40 cal., Colt revolver 357, Smith and Westin 40 cal, Springfield XDS 45 cal., and a snub nose 38.  We torn up some targets.

Son-in-law Nick and grandson Micah

 

Grandson Micah

Micah and Kendall saying good-bye

Kendall saying bye to Kenyon

Kendall saying bye to Grammaroo

We dined at Preston's on the River for dinner in Fairlawn, VA.  It is owned by Va. Tech and is the restaurant on the Pete Dye Golf Course.  Not an elaborate menu but just enough and the food was good.  Their main restaurant on Tech's campus is much larger and has extensive menu.  

Ah, all is quite now and everyone has left.  We will have to plan another get together in the near future.  The way time is moving in retirement, next year will be here before one can blink an eye.   SLOW DOWN CLOCK!