Jason closes his journal... Thanks!! I love you!!

[TanksHill]

The tree is located in Wawona. It's a town near the southern end of the park. I think the plaque said the original fell during a storm in 1968 - 1969 . I do think the original drive through tree is in the same forest I remember taking pictures of one on the ground as well.

I think this is the original tunnel tree.


I bet your Dad has a great garden. He will surly be impressed with all your projects.

 

[modern_pioneer]

I hope so, they taught me well...

I wonder if these photos came from a book on Yosemite?

LOL.... In the one photo with the donkey in it, do you see that the Donkey doesn't look so happy about having that bear on his back, ears all tucked back and a stern stand. LOL

 

[modern_pioneer]

Today I finished a couple more SS videos, Chickens and hedge rows. Thats right my girls have hit the big screen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iq2baX4K650

Currently Hedge Rows is loading up and will be posted in a hour or so.

Whats interesting about the videos is the time line as the years pass, they will show how I have improved my way of living more SS or my failures but either way they will help other people with ideas and bad ideas.

I am sure that people will continue to post on them and ask questions or offer advice, which is great.

I welcome your advice as always, I do plan to turn those perch boards 90 degrees as Lori suggested.

Let me know how you like the video and if there is anything you would like to see or how I can improve what I am doing.

 

[TanksHill]

The chicken tractor video looks great!!! I love the fact that others are asking questions. Keep up the great work. G

 

[modern_pioneer]

Thanks....

Hedge rows

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mJrv_TwWTE

 

[freemotion]

LOVE the music on the chicken video!!!! Good luck getting your guineas to live and roost where you want them to!!!

I also really enjoyed the metal details and sign on your coup.

Reminded me of a silly thing from years ago.....one day, at a Bible study, I sketched a little picture of a chicken doing ballet, wrote, "Poultry in motion" as a caption, and dropped it quietly behind my chair so my teenager friend who was sitting behind me would pick it up. She giggled and got in trouble.....I never did it again, didn't want her to get in trouble again, but it sure was worth it, and we shared that giggle again over the years....

Gotta go call her and see if she remembers that.....after watching the hedge row video....

 

[freemotion]

Hedge rows......a friend is supposed to give me some shoots from her raspberries (she weeds them out and tosses them!!!! I just found out....now she will save them for me next time.) and I want to make a set-up like yours. What type of wire do you use, and do I need the type of tightener things you have? They look kinda scary!!!

 

[2dream]

Wow, I leave for a few days and come back to catch up and find out you have been busy makin movies. Before you know it Hollywood will be calling you. Who knows you might be doing the next reality show. How cool would that be.

Great job.

That table is wonderful and so full of memories. I know you are thrilled to to have it. Will you refinish it to preserve the pictures?

I think all business are having to make some tough calls these days. The company I work for is small with only a few employees. When things slow down like that but we know we have work coming our way the boss gave us a choice. Either lay someone off or everyone takes a 1 day cut. We chose to take the 1 day cut so no one was without a job. There have been times we cut back to 3 days a week and we have even taken temporary pay cuts.
I am sure things will pick back up for you. Like us, one day chicken, next day feathers.

 

[modern_pioneer]

Bobbys visit here was very pleasent, and he brought over a few boxes of things that belonged to my Mom. Later this evening I will look through them when I have some private time to myself.

He liked my smokehouse a lot, and mentioned he was going to build a small one for him. I had cooked some of my bacon up for breakfast this morning and saved some for him to taste. When he walked in the house the smell of bacon was still in the air. He said " mmmmm.... now that is some good bacon, what did you smoke it with and how"

Next we went to the pond, shroom patch which he thought was neat, nut orchard, rain barrel, garden, and fruit orchard.

He stopped and taught me how to prune the lower branches of my tomatoe plants, he stated that the amount of energy used to grow those would be better used for the top and main stem of the plant. He also said the the plant would produce better tomatoes.

When he looked at my grapes, he doesn't think the soil is right for them, told me to side dress them 3 feet away with some potassium. That will help the rooting system and plant this year.

We retuned back to the side deck, drank some tea and chatted about our lives and general stuff. I asked about going Salmon fishing with me this fall, he really would enjoy going and spending the weekend together.

Generally speaking, he is one of those simple kind souls type of people. You know the type of people don't have any bad will towards people? I don't have any memories of him being violent towards us kids, him and Mom got into a few times, but she could hold her own. My mom left my real dad due to his violent attitude and he had beaten her a few times, once when I was about 5 y/o and I still remember parts of it.

I think when she came home to PA, kids under her arms, she was looking for a new start. I and my sister lived with my Grandpa for 4 months at that time, while mom was looking for work. She'd call a couple times a week and come home to visit with us every other week. Thats when she met Bobby and we became a family.

Not around his current wife, but as we walked around he spoke of Mom with pleasant memories and mentioned how he missed her. He said that she had a huge positive impact on his life and he was happy just to have spent 11 years with her. Just after he said that, I thanked him for helping to raise me and being such a good role model, a real man to respect and look up to (compared in contrast to my real father). He mentioned that him and mom were very demanding parents and expected to much from us kids. (we worked most of the time during the week on the farm, up early at 0500 to feed and water, home to clean pens, milk the goats, and evening feeding) I reminded him just then of how I have turned out and raising my own son.

With respect, looking at my whole life, I have done pretty good, and I have a good heart, though I do have short comings from time to time, less as I get older so I am noticing. I think its heart felt wisdom and having my little piece of earth I call a farm where I can plant and harvest and feel a sense of pride.

Those ghosts of war will always be with me, but with time, and love of my current life now, they seem to fade further away every month. I do have those moments where I judge myself for the bad things I did during that time in my life. I signed up to do the job, and I did my job as directed. I think this is the only way to look at it, I can't really deal with it because I can't change what has been done. The only thing I can do now is to be a good man, husband and father. Raise my children with the same love my mom and bobby did for us.

Right now I feel like I just had a soul makeover today.

 

[modern_pioneer]

So we go to the park for a BBQ, and time spent playing games with the kids, DS turn 13 yesterday. All went well, but perhaps my short comings weren't so short.

His daughter ran around his arm as he "paddled" her, he couldn't hold her to do it so he forced her to hold still and hit her two more times to her bum. I didn't like what I saw, but also careful not to cross any parenting lines, so I didn't say anything. DW was stressed, and stated she was going to go over to speak with him, I asked her to wait a few minutes and I would be going over myself.

His daughter was maybe 2 1/2, DW says maybe two because she was wearing huggies. Than he started his filthy mouth again at the park ranger, after he left, the park ranger noted what a nice grill he had. It was MFs this and that and ASKholes to and from.

Stressed myself, supposed to be a family BBQ out day, DD asked me if I was going to go over and talk to that man. I told her no, but I was watching him.

This little guy, maybe 24 months, stumbled and grabbed the net to keep from falling. Loser grabbed him and started to whip/paddle/spank him, whatever you call it. Lifted him off the ground by one arm and threatened and cussed him, than he hit the little guy. But still I didn't say anything.

Losers daughter had picked a dandelion flower to give to him, he was so into this badminton game with a friend, when she offered the flower to him, he struck her with a backhand.

Folks, that was it.... I had a short coming today....

I don't care, whats a kicking? If a fist to cuffs doesn't matter, I'll walk away from it. But if it matters you better expect a good ole pounding, and I won't stop till I am ready.

So as you know I have a big mouth and had something to say. I guess he didn't agree with what I had to say, and he decided to put his hands on me. I met him more than half way and gave him a learning lesson.

DW was worried, DS BBQ was ruined, DD saved the day... quote from dd "thanks for helping those kids they have a mean daddy, your okay aren't you? DS, all big and proud, told the officers it was him.....

Sure hope his wife learns something new.....