Winter cleaning around here is a lot like Spring cleaning inside, only colder :) One of the reasons I kinda look forward to Winter each year is I make about a thousand times more progress on cleaning up the overgrown, tangled spots and junk that has accumulated over the last 100 years. Honestly there has been so much stuff left out there in the pasture I am afraid to brush hog it yet until I have had a chance to totally clear and search it completely.
I really should have been doing this a month ago but as you know I had another large project thrown on me so I put off my traditional late Fall and early Winter cleaning for a bit. Today's target after feeding the sheep and splitting a load of firewood were three broken and crushed round bale feeders and a huge old metal water tank. Each had been run over and crushed by the idiot my Mother was attached to and of course just left out there to rust.
It seemed like pretty good conditions to do it today but two of the items (one hay feeder and the water tank) were still frozen so hard to the ground they might as well have been buried. I tried prying em up with the tractor but only managed to lift the front wheels off the ground. They didn't budge an inch. Oh well two of the four ain't a bad start. The bolts holding em together are so completely rusted I will never get them removed so later this week I will drag out the Sawzall and see if I can cut them into sections small enough to load up and take in for scrap.
This Winter cleaning is prep work for the fairly large fencing project I have on tap to start as soon as weather permits. I am planning on moving both ram paddocks to the East side of the barn for better protection from the wind and to free up an area I eventually plan on putting in an awning for parking all the tractor implements under and a concrete slab for an air compressor and sand blasting unit in the barn.
I also plan on fencing out about 3 acres from the horse pasture for the ewes and lambs which will then give them two 3 acre plots to graze on during the Spring and Summer plus a smaller back lot behind the barn. This way I can rotate them around.
It's a pretty ambitious fencing project for my typical one man show around here and may require me to scale back on the garden size this year.
Anyway it all starts with clearing the old junk out of the pasture so today I took the first step. I guess we will see if I can get this project finished before Spring comes around this year.
Keep Prepping Everyone!!!
Looks like it can be refurbished. You might try Kroil Penetrating oil on the bolts, best stuff I've found for rusty old bolts.
ReplyDeleteBest,
Dan
Dan - I swiped that pic of a good one. The ones I drug up have at least one section on each that is beyond repair and they are different sizes so I can't mix n match.
DeleteMy camera fogged up so bad when I went to take a pic I just gave up.
I was wondering what was wrong with it.
DeleteThere is one that is exactly like the pic but green and one whole sheet metal section/side has been busted out and creased with the tac welds gone. The other is heavier tube affair and the side section that holds it together has been completely busted off. If I was a welder I could make em serviceable again maybe but I have since purchased two good ones anyway so they would just be extras.
DeleteYou are so productive. I just sat at a desk and clicked a mouse most of the day...
ReplyDeleteTB - And made infinitely more money than I did I would imagine :)
DeleteAnytime you want to bring your tractor & head south is fine by us. I have a bed waiting & food will also be provided.
ReplyDeleteDFW - That wind was cold today. Heading South sounds kinda appealing at times like that :)
DeleteGood luck at lest its a start. Maybe the weather will get warmer for you this weekend. They are telling us Sat. should be like 34, so it should be 44 there..??
ReplyDeleteRob - Some sources are saying as high as 60 for us by Saturday. We will see. If it warms up that much I got some bee stuff that needs to be taken care of though.
DeletePP,
ReplyDeleteWe're expecting warmer weather this weekend, maybe you'll have the same and it will help? I love having the winter roll through on the property, this way we can actually see how many branches, and trees need cutting or removing without all the leaves hanging around. There's plenty of work still needs doing, and eventually it will get done before spring planting.......if not there's next winter right??
Sandy - The cold weather is great for finding stuff out in the field that you couldn't see in the Summer. That and no snakes makes it my favorite time for getting rid of old crap like this.
DeleteYa we are suppose to warm up by Friday. It would be welcomed.
I completely understand the concern about running a bush hog through there. The front 15 acres of our hunting property was a auto scrapyard for about 40 years and we've pulled about 10 cars worth of parts out of there, and that is after the EPA "inspected" it and gave the approval that it was cleaned up, nevermind the 2 whole cars sitting in the bottoms about 30 foot from the creek that you can see from the main building. Every time we go out we have to walk the road and pick up everything that has washed out of the ground since the last time. And putting in food plots is kind of like playing russian roulette, so far we've only broke 2 tillers.
ReplyDeleteRugby - Ouch. Luckily I don't have anything like that to deal with. Mostly just stuff my Mom's ex made into a problem by running over. He is an idiot when on that tractor and doesn't pay attention to anything.
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