my backwoods

[xj35s]

I'm realizing lately how lucky I am to have a go to place. Peaceful and solitary. I build a small fire almost everyday and use it as a timer. When the fire goes out it's time to come home. My dogs are getting old to fast.

Julia my ridgeback is 6 now. Xena is my 50/50 Rottweiler/Great Dane is 3. Big dogs don't live that long and I'll probably lose both very close together.

Here is moose(Xena) being her goofy self.



Today I built a too big of a fire kind of testing out different woods for dampness and burnable. My poor Julia was barely able to walk back. She runs nonstop until she's about exhausted. I will need a new fire pit soon...




I've been setting up and changing my hammock. I haven't done an overnight yet. I'm making an underquilt first. here is the stockpile I have built up today. Some of it will be a reflective wall and a firewood stand. The rest is firewood. I'll be stocking as much as I can each day until snow fall.



you can just see the fire pit between the two far right trees. I made it near the creek so I could pour water on it before leaving. There is no water. major drought here. Worst I've seen in my lifetime. I am supplying water to my neighbors horses and letting them shower here.

[OutdoorEnvy]

That's fortunate to have nice little getaway spot.  short little refreshers are very valuable.  Enjoying a hot cup and looking at the sky from a hammock is a good day.

[Orbean]

That looks like a neat place to hangout. I feel you about the dogs, that is always rough

[madmax]

Cool digs.  We always had Great Danes growing up.  Usually about three at a time.  Uncle Remus lived to be 15 so ya never know.

[xj35s]

Thank you, most of my dog's lived to be between 12 and 15. Our neighbor's Dane was only 8. Don't know what they fed him.

[Dano]

Looks like a nice place you're getting set up, and very cool to be able to have it right on your own place!! 

[Unknown]

You have a creek too? 

I've been thinking about what  I would like in a piece of property. A few things become fantasy quickly, although I have not gone global in my hunt.

Yeah, when I put running surface water on the list.... Stuff gets rare.   

[Sarge]

Very cool place. Most of us have to leave home to "get away" but you don't!

[pap11y]

Great spot..

[crashdive123]

Looks like a great place.  Thanks for taking us along.

[mahaney]

That looks like a great place. That tarp is good coverage. What size is it?

J

[xj35s]

12' ridgeline and 10 feet wide. Check the diy section for the post  $1 ripstop.

Thanks for the nice comments. Here is Xena thinking she can join me. NOPE! She is 150lbs by herself.



Julia can sleep with me but she was running around in poison ivy.










I rode the bike down with just the hammock and a bottle of water for muttley's. You can see the dry creek bed...





There was a magnificent view...

[xj35s]

Now you can see the creek that has been dry all summer.

[Orbean]

Its a great looking place.

[upthecreek]

Very nice! We need some rain around here something terrible.

Creek

[xj35s]

So now I know facebook sharing doesn't work. I guess photobucket from now on.

This large tree was very healthy this summer. It's thin but one of the tallest on my property. Came out with the roots. Sugar maple I believe. Be good firewood next year but it's a shame. I also took pictures of the 90* bent tree. I hope you can see how long the horizontal branches reach.

I trekked a couple miles today with the dogs wearing the extreme cold boots from wilderbeast. I had thin merino wool socks on. They still didn't pull my socks down to my toes and I felt no cold at all. There were no hot spots or pinching. They were a great buy.

[upthecreek]

Be careful when you start cutting on those two. Bought bet ya there is some energy stored on the right angle tree. Sure looks pretty out there.

Creek

[Unknown]

Looks like it goes on forever, nice.

Enjoy! ( like that needs sayin)

[Orbean]

Great pictures

[hayshaker]

wow that's really something' i only have a grove but it still works. i keep a three season camp out back to getaway.
sometimes to just get a nap or to do a lil'bushcrafting, cookout and so on. thanks for sharing the nice photos.

[xj35s]

Thanks. I won't cut the 90 degree bent tee. It's too cool to show people. I will probably pull the tree down some with the John Deer. There is a lot of unsprung force on the trees it fell against. Just relief cutting won't do it here for sure.

I was thinking of cutting a few feet from the roots just to video it standing back up as the weight shifts. Too risky though.

[NewEnglandBushcraft]

Man I love the sight of frosty Hemlocks....they are really beautiful trees .

You are right on about the spring-back in those types of situations...we were warned in our chainsaw class about them. Apparently, a sawyer was seriously injured last year on the Mark Twain when he went to cut through a fallen tree with a large root-wad. It sprung back at him with enough force to send him flying.

[xj35s]

Gotta love how nature takes care of it's own. This tree was 8' high and I could walk under it. It's now almost to the ground and the big branch is splitting, so it's slowly slipping out of the trees it's hung up on. I'll wait for a few more weeks and go out with the saw. I'll just throw some relief notches and wait a little longer.