Need advice regarding a "city boy" coming to rural property

[plowhog]

A fire is a must. ... If you have a pond, see if the fish are biting.

Good ideas Eddie thank you. I will plan a nightly fire at the fire pit. The fire pit could use rebuilding, and since it is a small project maybe I will add that to the list of possibilities.

We had a turtle show up at our pond last year. Good size- 8 to 10 inch I'd say. Maybe I could give him a camera and put him on turtle patrol. The thing can be pretty elusive when it wants to.

These are all good ideas ... exposure to things not possible in a big city.

 

[kenmbz]

Good ideas Eddie thank you. I will plan a nightly fire at the fire pit. The fire pit could use rebuilding, and since it is a small project maybe I will add that to the list of possibilities.

We had a turtle show up at our pond last year. Good size- 8 to 10 inch I'd say. Maybe I could give him a camera and put him on turtle patrol. The thing can be pretty elusive when it wants to.

These are all good ideas ... exposure to things not possible in a big city.

Hope it's not a snapping turtle . if so just make sure he keeps a few feet away.
Those snappers are always fun and remind me of baby godzillas
Firepit idea sound great, achievable and somewhat quick payoff.

 

[plowhog]

Pretty sure it is this ..

How Fast Do Red Eared Slider Turtles Grow? - Turtles Pet

Red Eared Slider Turtles grow between 1/2 inch to 1 inch each year until they reach maturity at 6 to 8 years old; this is when growth slows down significantly or stops altogether. As long as proper diet and housing requirements are met, these turtles should reach full size by 10-12 years old.

turtlespet.com

 

[Bansil]

When is this happening? I forgot

Fire pit is good safe bet.

 

[plowhog]

When is this happening?

Hopefully last week in May. If not then, last week in June. Good weather for hard work before it gets too hot!

 

[Torvy]

15 year old boy...maybe a 15 year old girl?

 

[5030]

I invited a 15 year old "city boy" male relative to spend a week at our rural CA ranch property. He accepted-- aaaahhh, now what?

I would like to make it a good visit for all. Expose him to things not possible in the city environment he has always been in. So I am seeking input on what sort of activities I could involve him in?

Initial thoughts are:
- safe operation around rural land and equipment
- bucking and splitting firewood
- operating a chain saw
- milling lumber on a sawmill
- running a laser level to check gradient in a pipeline

And if I didn't mention it .... safe operation around rural land and equipment. He is a total greenhorn in the country ...

Ideas?

Tell him to stay home....lol

 

[etpm]

Lotsa folks here shoot. And shooting is indeed fun. Besides the practical uses, hunting , etc. of course. One of the reasons I bought the piece of land that we live on now was the ability to shoot legally. I like target shooting and learned to shoot when I was ten years old. All that said, before even mentioning guns to the kid the parents need to be asked first. We have a new step grandson who is 15 years old. I would like to teach him how to handle firearms, especially since it looks like he is going to be living on the 5 acres adjacent to our property and he will hear me target shooting this summer. His mom doesn't like guns though. My wife and I spoke to her about her son learning gun safety from me and she is against it for now. Not the safety part in particular, but just plain handling guns. We must respect her wishes. However, she has no problem with me putting him in the tractor seat. So at least I get to teach the kid how to drive a tractor.
Eric

 

[HawkinsHollow]

I don't have much more to add than has already been said. Good on you for having him out and trying to make it the best experience for him. I am really interested in hearing the outcome. My vote is that he is going to have the time of his life and tell all his friends about it.

 

[Jstpssng]

And shooting is indeed fun

I used to fire 2 mags (20 rounds) through my MarkII every day after work, and Saturdays. On Sunday I'd do two cylinders in my .357. Then Covid hit with the ammo shortage and I got out of the habit. Last summer my neighbor built a road down past my back corner and although I have a backstop, I still won't throw ammo when there's a road 400 feet down target.

This spring I plan to set up a range for my recurve instead. While it's a different kind of shooting, throwing an arrow instinctively is an art I hope to master.


But I still miss my back yard range.