Marlowe
Gold Member
Story time:
I suppose I haven't to date properly introduced myself. I've just been here whining about my little tractor breaking down, begging for help. Good news! The little fellow is doing as good as can be expected.
Oh yeah, back to that introduction. Tom Marlowe here. Father of four, husband of one, proud grandpa, and currently prepping my lot for the new homestead. Most of my kids and the grand have only known one home. I've been here twenty eight years now, but the wife and I want that mature American dream; a house with some acreage.
Last August, we purchased three acres in a development. About a dozen lots, all purchased so far by other folks sharing our dream. The good news is that so far our lot has doubled in price. The bad news is that I had to take a year off, after I started clearing the lot, for other issues. Now i'm back at it, with a vengeance.
About six weeks ago the wife and I visited our abandoned lot. It was completely overgrown, again. Last year I started clearing and had a pretty fair start at it. But letting one go for that long mean we had to start over again. Worse yet, the last time out I felled some trees. I didn't remember how many. I think they grew some others while on the ground. Now I had trees on the ground surrounded by briars and brambles, tall grass, small trees, and just generally a pain.
I also purchased Westvaco land. In these parts that means that the land had been planted with pines, harvested, and replanted. The logging operation left the land heavily rutted and generously sprinkled with very short stumps. Talk about a pain to clear! Try bush hogging that type terrain, and don't forget about all those trees and limbs hiding in that heavy underbrush.
I've made progress. So far I have the area where the drive will come into the lot cleared, and the area where the house and attached garage will go. Those pesky stumps finally met there match this weekend. A good buddy of mine, through a network of friends, procured a backhoe for me. A big old industrial John Deere. It was my first experience with a hydrostat drive. Kinda' neat once you get used to it. Funny thing though, after driving it all day today, I got in my old truck and turned on the turn signal to back up. Anybody know what causes that? /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
When I arrived at the lot with that John Deere backhoe those stumps knew they were in for it. Some of them hopped right out of the ground and gave up right then and there. Others reguired big ole holes in the ground and lots of persuasion. All in all, about thirty five stumps so far have bit the dust, and I have Monday off with my new found love. That ought to just about do it for the stumps that are really in my way.
Maybe next weekend I can start digging the footers for the new house. I can barely contain myself. If you folks would like, I'll keep you posted.
Tom
I suppose I haven't to date properly introduced myself. I've just been here whining about my little tractor breaking down, begging for help. Good news! The little fellow is doing as good as can be expected.
Oh yeah, back to that introduction. Tom Marlowe here. Father of four, husband of one, proud grandpa, and currently prepping my lot for the new homestead. Most of my kids and the grand have only known one home. I've been here twenty eight years now, but the wife and I want that mature American dream; a house with some acreage.
Last August, we purchased three acres in a development. About a dozen lots, all purchased so far by other folks sharing our dream. The good news is that so far our lot has doubled in price. The bad news is that I had to take a year off, after I started clearing the lot, for other issues. Now i'm back at it, with a vengeance.
About six weeks ago the wife and I visited our abandoned lot. It was completely overgrown, again. Last year I started clearing and had a pretty fair start at it. But letting one go for that long mean we had to start over again. Worse yet, the last time out I felled some trees. I didn't remember how many. I think they grew some others while on the ground. Now I had trees on the ground surrounded by briars and brambles, tall grass, small trees, and just generally a pain.
I also purchased Westvaco land. In these parts that means that the land had been planted with pines, harvested, and replanted. The logging operation left the land heavily rutted and generously sprinkled with very short stumps. Talk about a pain to clear! Try bush hogging that type terrain, and don't forget about all those trees and limbs hiding in that heavy underbrush.
I've made progress. So far I have the area where the drive will come into the lot cleared, and the area where the house and attached garage will go. Those pesky stumps finally met there match this weekend. A good buddy of mine, through a network of friends, procured a backhoe for me. A big old industrial John Deere. It was my first experience with a hydrostat drive. Kinda' neat once you get used to it. Funny thing though, after driving it all day today, I got in my old truck and turned on the turn signal to back up. Anybody know what causes that? /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
When I arrived at the lot with that John Deere backhoe those stumps knew they were in for it. Some of them hopped right out of the ground and gave up right then and there. Others reguired big ole holes in the ground and lots of persuasion. All in all, about thirty five stumps so far have bit the dust, and I have Monday off with my new found love. That ought to just about do it for the stumps that are really in my way.
Maybe next weekend I can start digging the footers for the new house. I can barely contain myself. If you folks would like, I'll keep you posted.
Tom
