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

[plowhog]

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?

 

[ultrarunner]

Depends on aptitude…

My my then 12 year old nephew when they moved to the farm was city and video games…

I had him on the backhoe in no time and he said controls are a lot video games… not a connection I would have made.

Is he interested in animals, equipment, construction, nature, etc?

I always start with the no one gets hurt talk and if you don’t know ask…

Nephew was digging out stumps and loved it…

 

[scootr]

Shooting some targets or good ole fashion cans. Riding horses. Or off roading in anything. Fishing. Watching wildlife. Driving a truck or tractor.
The list goes on

 

[plowhog]

Watching wildlife.

I could put him in charge of swapping memory cards from trail cams.

 

[scootr]

I could put him in charge of swapping memory cards from trail cams.

Oh crap uncle!
Introduce him to the neighbors country daughter

 

[ruffdog]

If he wants to work...fine. He might rather have some quality time with you, like fishing or watching critters. Just try to keep it somewhat enjoyable for him.

 

[2manyrocks]

Not so sure about the chainsaw (risk) or splitting firewood (also risky if its a hydraulic splitter).

What interests him?

 

[scootr]

Not so sure about the chainsaw (risk) or splitting firewood (also risky if its a hydraulic splitter).

What interests him?

Probably skateboards and video games like all young kids lol.
Not saying that's bad but urban exposure is pretty limited.
Make sure to hike or do something that wears his arse out so he's tired at night.

 

[MossRoad]

Camping and sleeping outside.

 

[ponytug]

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?

We try to engage city visitors in well defined projects that they can make observable progress on, and preferably finish, while they are with us.

I have spent a number of years doing this with 12-18 year olds, who were generally quite responsible, but I would comment that common sense is NOT common in my experience. I would hesitate to make any specific recommendations without knowing / seeing the person in question. In my experience, inexperienced folks get in trouble from what they don't know, and what they don't pay attention to.

Running a laser level, sure, and using with laser safety glasses.

Chainsaws would be really low on my list until I have a really good read on their common sense and hand eye coordination. Not too wild about splitting wood either, unless you operate the power tools and he bucks splits.

Milling as in sawing wood? Or milling as in running through a shaper/planer? Both high risk in my book, but one riskier than the other, and neither would be on my short list.

To me it is all about the individual, and then about the risks.

All the best,

Peter

 

[ultrarunner]

Know a kid helping grandpa milling lumber and a plank he was feeding kicked back striking the boy in the head killing him...

Had the boy been tall in stature or grown the plank would not have hit the head.

At the Christmas tree farm only 18 year old with training and safety equipment allowed to use chain saws and even switching to battery saws didn't change the rules.

It's great to have someone interested in teaching the young man.

My brother loved the dairy operation but it was the last place I wanted to be as for me it was all about mowing and bringing in the hay... best summers ever.

 

[paulsharvey]

Man, your over thinking it. Do some relaxed fishing during the day, and have a fire in the evening. Maybe do some target shooting, and all that. Maybe have him do some chores, but enjoy the efforts; ie gather, cut, split wood, for that fire.

Looks like Cali had open all year season, without bag limits on Jack rabbits.

 

[plowhog]

Camping and sleeping outside.

Here's a pix from a trail camera where I might have him swapping memory cards.

Another pix, same camera, also included her cub. Same camera, a pix with momma bear and two cubs. And a pix of two coyotes chasing a bear.

A couple of nights ago we had two cougars the size of the one in the picture in the front yard at 9:30pm.

So what I am saying: If he camps out in this area I need to make sure he has a good camera!

 

[MossRoad]

Nice!

 

[plowhog]

I would hesitate to make any specific recommendations without knowing / seeing the person in question.

That makes a lot of sense. I'm trying to build a list I will have in the "back pocket." As I learn more about his capabilities, I can pull appropriate things from the list to do.

The sawmill is a manual bandsaw mill. Anything with a spinning blade is a risk but I'd rate it on the low side of the scale. Lots of physical labor involved-- his mom tells me he can bench press 300# pounds at age 15-- so this might be a way to wear him out.

 

[CliffordK]

I agree with several of the comments. Safety needs to be number 1. You will have to judge the kid's maturity.

My shop rule is the ten finger rule. If you begin the day with 10 fingers, you must end the day with 10 fingers. I don't hover, just make sure they're using tools correctly.

If you do decide to use a chainsaw...
It is hard to hurt oneself with the Black and Decker Alligator saw, and it actually does pretty good with stuff up to about 4" or so.
For a "normal" saw, perhaps go with 16" or smaller, and get him a pair of chainsaw chaps.

Now, you can't hover all the time. Teach safe techniques, and let him have fun.

Do some of your daily chores. If you use a tractor, teach him where to walk, where not to walk, pinch spots, crush spots, etc. That will be with him for the rest of his life.

Old stick shift farm pickup? 4 wheelers? 3 wheelers? Feed animals, set irrigation, etc. Castrate calves. Yep, that is part of life.

Have fun.

I go to auctions from time to time. I don't know if they laugh at me when I take the long way around a tractor or loader. But, there is a reason that is ingrained into my consciousness.

 

[plowhog]

4 wheelers?

I am positive he will enjoy the Polaris side by side.

 

[etpm]

Let him drive the tractor. It would be fun and he will be able to tell his friends back in the city that he got to drive a tractor. I love letting kids drive the tractor. Constantly supervised, in low gear. Kids love it.
Eric

 

[ultrarunner]

I taught all the kids to drive my F150 with stick shift around age 12 to 13 at the farm.

Being 4wd and in low range they got an easy intro into clutch throttle coordination.

Some of the nieces later had boyfriends that couldn’t drive a stick…

One was away at University and she drive a friends stick home… out of about a dozen people she was the only one that could drive as her friend had a cast on.

 

[milkman636]

Here's a pix from a trail camera where I might have him swapping memory cards.

Another pix, same camera, also included her cub. Same camera, a pix with momma bear and two cubs. And a pix of two coyotes chasing a bear.

A couple of nights ago we had two cougars the size of the one in the picture in the front yard at 9:30pm.

So what I am saying: If he camps out in this area I need to make sure he has a good camera!

I think I'd want a camera with a pretty powerful flash.....and capable of taking multiple pictures before requiring reload.