Buying forest land, implementing solar

[swbluto]

Oh, interesting, foot impact during walking/running is a large cause behind systemic arterial flow increases. Apparently walking/running has a greater impact on systemic artery flow than bicycling due to "foot impact".

if you're riding over bumpy ground, you can still get some significant impact to the feet and spine but it probably won't be synchronized with your heart rate. Still, I think there are beneficial effects to this kind of repeated impact. It has been shown that impact will help strengthen the discs in the spine over time and can make them thicker, reducing the likelihood of nerves getting pinched. If you have a disc that's blown out, impact can be bad if it's above a certain level.

Yes, there likely is. They described it as "pressure waves" which help expand the arteries outward, and any source of impact which produces a pressure wave would do the same thing, regardless if it was during diastole/systole. Of course, with pneumatic tires and possible suspension system, I'm not really sure how the "impulse" compares to walking (The force curve over time; peak force might be higher with walking on solid rubber soles than air-cushioned rubber tires, so, the pressure wave might be at a lower pressure.).

Anyway, just got my air compressor so yippee. I'm going to try filling up my spare tire soon enough, probably tomorrow.

 

[Dauntless]

OK Daunt, what are trying to say, Long post about what?

Dan

Why, ANYTHING! You know as well as I do. Near death experiences with his symptoms, his neighbors, his imagination, ANYTHING, just so it's about to kill him. But not a word. Enough to make you think he really WAS dead.

Impact excercise is a good thing, as long as it's not boxing or the like.

 

[slacker]

nothing wrong with boxing pussy boy.

 

[swbluto]

While the effects of walking on CBF were less dramatic than those caused by running, they were greater than the effects seen during cycling, which involves no foot impact at nall.

Just looking at this again. So walking increases cerebral arterial flow more than bicycling? That's certainly interesting, since bicycling obviously demands a higher energy output(more work) and a significantly higher heart rate. So, walking is generally healthier than bicycling in terms of circulation/blood-flow, who would've thought?

Of course, they mention that running has the greatest impact on artery flow, which is pretty intuitive.

AND, on another topic, I was wondering where I could buy a bottle of flower nectar. Then I realized that honey is probably made directly from nectar, lol, so I already know what nectar tastes like. Anyway, yes, it's pretty good! lol. I was wondering because it seems a LOT of insects and birds feed off of nectar, making me think it was some good stuff, lol. [I just had about 2-3 TBSP of honey, seemed like it was quenching a physiological need I had right now. Probably all the working outside today picked up my appetite.]

Anyway, I just noticed my normal footsteps happen at a rate of 80-90 steps per second, or so it seems, which is just about the same as my walking heart-rate. Isn't that curious? I'd almost suspect the heart synchronizes with ones steps to maximally benefit from the impact pressure waves.

This benefit /seems/ lost at slower walking speeds, but I don't really know what the steps/minute are at slower walking speeds. Could be that it's 70 steps/minute, which would synchronize fine.

 

[Dauntless]

nothing wrong with boxing pussy boy.

So you considered Muhammad Ali's condition of the last several decades of his life to be a good thing. Interesting.

 

[swbluto]

The search for tax deductible investment assets.

The main problem with using Section 179 deductions is that most of the equipment that's allowed to be deducted depreciates in value over time (Due to obsolescence or real depreciation, think things like CNC machines and Hummer H2s.), so it's a relatively poor use of money for investment purposes. This is not true if you're using the equipment to make more money (Which is the intent of the deduction; to deduct capital assets, the equipment that makes you money.), but it's certainly true using the deduction as a way to build up networth.

So, I'm searching for tax deductible capital assets that either keep their value or, ideally, appreciate in value overtime. I really don't want to forcefit a preferred investment asset as a Section 179 deduction, for my justification might not be accepted by the IRS in the case of an audit. (i.e., deducting gold as a consumable.)

I actually wonder... maybe there's an investable asset that does keep its value overtime that can also be used as a consumable business item.

 

[fechter]

I actually wonder... maybe there's an investable asset that does keep its value overtime that can also be used as a consumable business item.

Guns.

 

[swbluto]

I actually wonder... maybe there's an investable asset that does keep its value overtime that can also be used as a consumable business item.

Guns.

Oh, ammo. That's a pretty good idea. Now I just need to justify all my "shooting" as a business expense. I wonder if IRS accepts "Security training", lol.
,
For manufacturing businesses, I would think common consumable raw resources would be tax deductible. Like steel, aluminum, wood, plastics, fiberglass,etc.; and many of those are indexed off of natural-gas/oil, so it might be a pretty good longterm investment. Selling those raw materials though... I'm not sure how/where'd you find buyers, especially for large quantities.

For a jewelry business or similar, I would think gold/silver could be deducted... but I'm unclear on how you'd explain your usage of those materials to the IRS to claim an adequate deduction. They need to be consumed to be usable, and I don't think the IRS accepts the "waste material" method like you could use with other raw materials like wood and steel/aluminum when it comes to gold. I don't think they'd believe you 'wasted' gold, lol.

I think I might decide to expand my business's offerings so I can claim more on taxes. Well, plus, to earn more income of course, lol.

Update: 7:07 p.m., just got done with evening work on the back, it's coming along nicely. Estimate I'm about a third done and I'm becoming more productive getting my technique down (And, also getting more productive just simply increasing the available perimeter; greater perimeter -> more trees that can be cut during a perimeter sweep.) so the pace is accelerating. The mosquito suit is quite nice; I leave my pants on and mosquitos don't seem to bit that often (Should apply peremethrin to the jeans), and just wear my mosquito vest with hood and I'm wearing my work gloves and that keeps me pretty well protected from mosquitoes without interfering with my work (When I had the mosquito pants on yesterday, the branches and thorny vines would often catch my legs).

I woke up a little too later this morning and it was a weebit too humid & warm to work in comfort. The humidity died down as the day went on, and it's now down to 45% from 75% this morning, and the difference in comfort levels is noticeable; it seems like the more humid it is at some 70+ degree temperature, the more likely you sweat profusely with the littlest of effort. Seems that drier air tends to "dry you off" more, making it seem like you're less sweaty or not sweating.)

I'm not really sure if it's common in this area for evenings to be less humid than mornings. In recent memory, it doesn't seem like every morning "feels humid".

While I would often curse when the "cold fronts" came in during december/januarary time (Taking it down to uncomfie 20/30 degrees), I"m appreciating the "cold cronts" a bit more during the warmer season, when they bring down daytime temps to the 60s from the 80s. I think I understand the popularity of Bogota, Columbia despite it being 68 degrees year round for a city 2 miles up, it feels just right with that equatorial sun beaming down directly overhead, feeling just pleasantly warm. And, there's a lot less bugs below 70.

80 degree sunny days feel pleasantly warm in the forest, but it's not the kind of weather I'd prefer to do hard physical labor in.

And, I'm wondering about Charleston, SC's humidity. I don't really remember it feeling as humid as it does here sometimes, but maybe that's because coastal humidity is the norm there whereas it seems to be the exception 70 miles inland, at least this time of the year. I've heard stories about the summer; 94 and 100% humidity, feels like 115. I can only hope it's not really that bad in the forest, lol.

 

[swbluto]

Okay, it's now the 27th of April.

And, I slept more than usual yesterday (From 11-3, and 5-9; usually it's 12-4 and 6-8.). The only thing different (AFAIK), is that I had two tacos and a wheat quesadilla last night. And this morning was a little more eventful than normal, feeling unusually slowed down in energy/thought and started getting that upper midback pain that I've known was associated with cardiac issues. And, intermittent split-second "hard to breath" sensations. It's weird how it seems like I have these morning cardiac issues the days following gluten consumption the previous night, I don't really know if it's coincidence or possibly causal. I wouldn't think that it'd be causal with the amounts I consume and the fact I usually down it with something like lemon liquid or red wine, even though much evidence suggests it plays a strong role in these kinds of problem, so I don't really know. I definitely could tell I was running low on bloodsugar, and a watermelon seemed to fix that. Recently started getting that "sweaty chill" sensation while pounding the cucumber, don't know if digestive in origin or cardiac or what. [I haven't felt that sensation for a while.]

Anyway, picked up 4x 55 gallon drums that previously had balasmic vinegar in it. In fact, it still does! Just a little bit... looks like they dumped it out and didn't clean it and just sold it as is, lol, well, at least I know it's clean! Bacteria hates vinegar.

Anyway, with the weather forecast, I think I might take one of these upto Pete's tire shop and get a water fill. Pete's dead and it's actually "Pedro's" tire shop, but I guess they didn't want to change the sign or something. Maybe they don't want to advertise the mexican presence, lol. I want to do that soon enough because, I want a shower, lol. (And, gee, now I'm wondering what happened of that shower tent I bought? Did I ever get it?).

I'm still trying to think of a usable tarp -> screen -> bucket design for rainwater collection. Seems like there should be an easy one with possibly a few easily available parts that I've yet to figure out. I thought I would go to Home Depot and peruse the pipe aisle, but with how I was feeling, I trimmed back my trip to the bare essentials (Groceries).

I see that authentic mexican quesadillas were made with corn back in the day. Well, that does make sense, yes. Maybe I'll have to start making my own mexican grub, just that no fridge makes pico de gallo and its ingredients storage difficult. Quesadillas just don't really taste that good without the "creamy jalapeno sauce" that Taco Bell uses; cheese and chicken tastes a bit bland, and green sauce does little to improve it. I'm guessing the quesadilla needed pico de gallo, which is what qdoba does, which the place I went to yesterday didn't provide. The chicken there tasted like it was cured with salt, as it tasted like corned beef. I guess that might make sense with how long I presume they might store their chicken, given how excited she seemed to be to have a customer. The mexican grocery doesn't really seem to be all that excited to have an order.

Seems like my neighbor is copying me. I said I was going to get a rabbit, and he got rabbit, lol. It looks like I'll need to rip up a part of the forest floor somewhere, embed gridding, replace the soil (or lay down sod) and then let the rabbit run in that area. I would prefer to do this in the same area I intended on staying in. Doing this should also help deter fox attacks, and I might prefer to put the chickens in this area at least during the more vulnerable hours.

Anyway, I was reading online that Oak is very drought resistant.

So, there's pines and oak in this area... oh, so that's telling me that only drought resistant trees do well here... well... I know what that means; I need to prepare for drought conditions. Saw someone plant some trees in the area (Had the stabilizing ropes and all) and it looks like they died fairly soon after (Looked fairly young). I wonder what might have killed them, my guess is insufficient water. My fear is disease. I know only a few trees are drought resistant, and that's particularly true of fruit trees, and if they neglected to water (Which is very possible), that would certainly do it.

And the local Harbor Freight opened up so now I have a harbor freight within 2 miles of one of my possible grocery stores! This is extremely nice. (There's two HEBs in the area, both 25 miles away from me. One happens to be near other stores, like Academy sports, walmart, harbor freight, etc. so It's a good choice for multi-trips. It's a little pricier on certain things, though, and they don't have everything I like, so I don't normally go that one for /only/ groceries.)

One of the Employees in Harbor Freight almost implied I was a thief by his utter of disbelief when I said I was "just looking". That guy can suck it, lol. Hey BOZO, you /just/ opened up so I'm looking around to see what kind of inventory you have in case I might want something in particular in the future, DUH! Jeez, what an idiot.

My impression of harbor freight is they're a little more expensive than walmart on certain things. But, unlike walmart, they're pretty good at concentrating all the "interesting products" in one store.

One guy was walking out with his $120 150psi 6 gallon air compressor as if he snagged a deal. Well, i can tell he hasn't been shopping around; you can get one from Home Depot for $99, and one from Amazon for $89, both high quality with excellent reviews. I think they probably all come from the same manufacturer.

And, it looks like I need to look at Tractor Supply's deals for good pricing on the fencing. Seems like they're 4 ft. 2x4 grid fencing is always "on sale", but the sale periods are always changing (The time I was there was from apr 26-30), so it looks like I'll need to keep track of them. I'll want to put in fencing after I get the back cleared and get the perimeter cleared well enough for fence installation.

Their 7 ft. t-posts were 4.99, 8 ft. t-posts was 5.99 and the 10ft t-posts were 8.99. I think I would want the tallest t-posts along the front and sides near it to give the impression of impenetrability. The rest of the perimeter can have the cheapest shorty ones, I don't really care.

And, I need to pay my real estate taxes sometime soon.

 

[swbluto]

OMG...

Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts ordered from my website. Does anybody want her mailing address? Just kidding, I won't advertise it.

I get a little nervous when a huge political figure orders something from me... because... I just don't know what kind of patrol could come my way, lol. Granted, I've had lots of high profile customers, but still makes me a little edgy.

It's curious it's a different house from the one shown online. Unless there's a second Elizabeth Warren in the city (Plausible), I'm suspecting a second or third or whatever home.

 

[DAND214]

Bluto , I am confused. First you have a paradise of a beautiful forest so no one can see what illegal things you are doing. Now you are cutting it all down? Are you all there? You need to see a real doctor. maybe he/she would give you the needed drugs to help you. Or maybe it's just the food you are or aren't eating. the more I read the more I feel maybe you aren't ok. sick on everything and eating everything most don't eat on a regular basis. So which hos[ital. are you in or should be ?:lol:

Dan

 

[swbluto]

I don't really know what was going on, but I didn't have cocoa that particular morning and I ran out of fresh fruit. So, guessing maybe I didn't have enough carbs until I went grocery shopping and ate those watermelon pieces. I should have went grocery shopping first and then everything else last, lol. [That's really a large maybe, because I did have a banana and two oranges earlier that morning. No antibiotic fats because I ran out of those. All that sugar may have spurred bacteria growth; might have caused a sugar crash.]

Anyhoo, yes, I'm clearing out the back. That's always been the plan, so I can plant my crops. The front 50 feet still has 85% of its foliage, and I'm not planning on clearing that out. The back is partially concealed by the front foliage, but I wouldn't intend on hiding anything "out in the open" in the back that I didn't want stolen.

If anything happens, there's a fire station like 2.5 miles from me which I'm guessing is the "EMT station" that my neighbor is talking about. And, well, that assumes I'm awake and ready to take action should anything happen. This idea of waking up and suddenly collapsing unconscious has crossed my mind, but I try not to worry too much about it. Going to sleep with worry is a bad idea.

Apr 28., wow another "warm and humid" morning as of 9:30. Looked online and it's 77% humidity @ 80F. Looks like 6-7 p.m. is a bit less humid (60%), so I guess I will start my work then. (Working in these kinds of conditions is not hard, per se, but it's a little bit too easy to be drenching sweat.)

And, it looks like Charleston, SC is actually a little bit more humid all day. (Trending at 80% all day) ; Weird, I didn't really notice that. But, then again, maybe that's because I was't ripping out trees from the ground and carrying 100 pounds trees 50 feet at a time. I do actually remember this sensation of humidity, but I don't think I sweated as much because I wasn't /really/ working as hard. (Jogging on flatland doesn't seem to involve that much JOULES in comparison and that is as hard as it got.)

And, there seems to be a large berry tree down the road. Looks like the tree version of those small black berry plants on the side of the road. These berries look interesting, because they edible, and the bark of the tree is definitely darkish/brownish/reddish color, in contrast to the white/gray bark of the Oak Trees(?) in the area. The leaves are especially large on the berry tree. I wonder what it is because I thought blackberries happened on bushes?

I'm still not very positive, but maybe it's a mulberry tree. It appears to be a "White Mulberry" tree.

http://www.naturehills.com/white-mulberry

White mullbery is well liked in iran and its fruit is desired by all folks. It taste very sweet and can be made into jams, preservative, and it makes akiller ice cream falvour. It is also good fro drying. many iranian eat the dried fruit by mixing it with raisen, nuts and other dried good.

Cool.

 

[fechter]

If you're out working in the heat, it's easy to run out of salt. That will really make you feel sick. Too much salt causes high blood pressure (so they say), and not enough salt causes all sorts of problems. And "salt" includes potassium and sodium chloride.

I remember running out of salt after hiking in the desert for a few hours. I drank plenty of water, but when your electrolyte levels drop to a certain point, the nervous system starts to malfunction and you feel like real crap. It took about a day to get back to normal.

How does that mosquito suit work? Back when I had to deal with skeeters, I wanted to make something like that but I figured it would be pretty useless if the netting lies against your skin. Their little stingers can reach right through the net. Seems like it needs some kind of spacer to keep the net away from the skin. I had a design for a spacer layer made of monofilament nylon coiled up like springs and woven together. Sort of like a little chain-link fence.

 

[swbluto]

If you're out working in the heat, it's easy to run out of salt. That will really make you feel sick. Too much salt causes high blood pressure (so they say), and not enough salt causes all sorts of problems. And "salt" includes potassium and sodium chloride.

Yep, I started to think this is what was happening. I have this slight sweat on my skin the entire day and I noticed that salty things were pretty delicious this morning, so I think I'm going to start focusing more on ensuring adequate salt intake for the weather. Something a bit more appropriate than "2000mg/day" guidelines.

How does that mosquito suit work? Back when I had to deal with skeeters, I wanted to make something like that but I figured it would be pretty useless if the netting lies against your skin. Their little stingers can reach right through the net. Seems like it needs some kind of spacer to keep the net away from the skin. I had a design for a spacer layer made of monofilament nylon coiled up like springs and woven together. Sort of like a little chain-link fence.

It works pretty well, I don't really know why it doesn't stick to my skin (It certainly doesn't stick to sweat), but it doesn't, so mosquitos don't really have the opportunity. If I were standing still for many many minutes and a mosquito was probing me, I'm guessing they'd eventually find opportunity somewhere... but I wouldn't know from experience... I'm not usually standing still outside.

It does appear the suit will rest on the knee when sitting, so the knee might be vulnerable.

Anyway, with this slightly sweaty skin, it seems I'm getting staph aureus rashes on my arms. Man, I really need to get this water barrel going, I just haven't figured out how to load 400 pound 55 gallon drum barrels full of water into my van, lol. I'm guessing I could benefit from a ramp and then pray to god I can muster the strength to push the barrel up the ramp, lol. I wonder if I could get a 4x8 working as a ramp? Maybe I'd need to add ribbing(studs) to the 4x8 for strength.

As far as maneuvering a barrel on my property, lol, that barrel better roll and not get stuck in the ditch, lol.

Anyway, going to setup the mosquito screen box soon enough... once the wasps start to go away...

Once I get the mosquito box going, I can then use my air compressor to try to mount the spare tire. I could also potentially take a shower inside the box, but it's in public view (Not that anyone is going down this road 99% of the time), so precautions might be warranted.

 

[swbluto]

If you're out working in the heat, it's easy to run out of salt. That will really make you feel sick. Too much salt causes high blood pressure (so they say), and not enough salt causes all sorts of problems.

I could share my thoughts on what underlies high blood pressure, but I won't share it here. I'm feeling pretty confident, though, that salt isn't one of them, at least not in the vast majority of cases. Maybe in a few cases.

It's interesting that sweet peas, a vegetable starch, has a pretty strong resemblance in taste/texture to sweet potatos, at least the canned stuff. I'm OK with eating canned peas because peas don't get a lot of pesticide exposure unlike spinach.

Also, I found out that corn doesn't have detectable pesticide exposure unlike wheat. Makes sense, since it's protected by the husk.

To my surprise, commercial honey has glyposphate in it.

Apparently you need to ascertain that the 3 mile radius around a bee hive doesn't have flowering plants that have been contaminated by pesticides, like round-up, to ensure the honey doesn't have glyphophate. That's a tall order for any beekeeper who doesn't put their hive in the center of their 6 mile by 6 mile property.

I think I might trust local honey a bit more since it doesn't seem like commercial crops are common here, with all the pesticides that go with it. This Iowa based honey that I purchased, however, I suspect they have much commercial crops up there. I think they grow corn?

It appears Iowa's primary crops are apples, and I definitely know they apply pesticides to those things.

 

[swbluto]

Just shook the 25 foot tall white mulberry tree I discovered today (I was about to chop its branch off to clear out the road, until I realized it was a berry tree, lol.) and a couple ripe ones fell. I ate the berries and they tasted like a sweet tart. Wow, finding an edible fruit tree in the area, that's pretty cool. Makes me want to find all the edible fruit trees in the area, lol.

This particular berry tree seems to be an everbearing type of sorts, since the berries are at different stages of ripeness. But, then again, that might be fairly common for fruit trees. It just that it made me think it didn't really have a "picking season" since it seems like there'd always be a couple ripe berries at any one time during the sunny season.

And, the white fuzzy catepillar, seems like his season "ordinarily" starts in June (Native to Canada), but it started in April here. It's curious, I would see a bunch of green worms silking down from the branches in february-april, and now I'm seeing a bunch of white fuzzy catepillars silking down from the branches since the middle of April.

Kind of makes me suspect the tiny green guys turned into these white fuzzy catepillars.

And, I just set up the "Mosquito free zone". Looks like a couple insects found the inside of the zone, so I'm going to need an electric zapper to go after them.

First impressions, the bottom of it needs to be weighted. Wow, the slightest breeze just picks the bottom up, opening the 'box' to any insect that happens to be lucky enough to fly right in. Other than that, looks like it'll be useful.

 

[swbluto]

Okay, well, first verified the church where trash was to be delivered. Definitely didn't see "Saturday Hours" in action (Unless the operation was happening in the catholic church's grave yard? There were two trucks there with two guys doing something.), but I did verify the existence of three possible churches, which is a good sign. I'll come back on Tuesday with trash in tow as Tuesday seems to be a definite thing (Or maybe I'll confirm it first... they are close enough... 15 minutes away).

I also first went to the local hardware store, found their hole saw sets a bit too expensive, checked out walmart, their hole saw sets were not complete enough for my uses, and finally landed at Home Depot which is a full 25 miles away and got the Hole Saw set I needed along with a couple of parts to get this thing working.

In particular, I got a 2"->1.5" reducer and some kind of 2" something to put into the 2" side (I intend on pushing the hole of the tarp into the two inch side of the reducer and securing it with the 2" pipe something; I would've have just got a 2" pipe, but they were a bit too expensive. 2 ft for $5.70 vs 10 ft for $7. Methinks = rip off, so I looked for a suitable cheap part and found one for 99 cents.) and I got glue suitable for attaching the PVC pipe reducer to the ABS cap on top of the IBC tank. I'm going to hook up my drill and get this rain water collection project going, but not right now because it's threatening to rain. (I still need to get a large tarp for the IBC tank... hmm.... I guess I will try to hook up the 55 gallon drum, though I should get a special part to hook into the screw cap threads directly; seems like it's standard plumbing dimensions? I guess I will get the tarp on Monday when I do my midweek grocery shopping.)

And, I got the 55 gallon barrel filled with about 50 gallons of water. Paid the local tire dude $10 for the 50 gallons. Cheaper then the culligan man, but still pretty damn expensive for tap water, so I'm thinking I really need to get this rainwater collector going soon enough (Within a week). The 400 pound 55 gallon drum is resting in the back of my van, and I figure I'm going to tap it with a siphon when I need water, lol. I was thinking I was going to use my 2x4 plywood to ramp it out, but eh... I'll just leave it in there for now, lol.

And, after reading a paper on the role of fine particles and how they aggregate at arthersclerotic lesions and aggrevate the inflammatory response, I decided that my generator exhaust is probably not that healthy to breath in 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. So, I'm thinking about getting a catalytic converter for my generator... Like this...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Civic-96-97-98-99-00-Honda-CAT-High-flow-Racing-Catalytic-Converter-/321012354017?fits=Make%3AHonda&hash=item4abdd3cbe1:g:KZIAAOSw2ENW7xqv&vxp=mtr

I just need to ensure the bolt pattern matches (Seems like it might? I don't know, it seems those two holes are like 2" apart on my generator, not 4" like in this listing's picture.)

There's a bunch of specialty cats, but they have a "request a quote" feature meaning I'm not willing to pay whatever they're asking. It's not a question of "Can you afford it", it's more a matter of "I don't want to."; paying more than I absolutely have to is a waste of money. But, I'm not really sure what I will need to hook up a cat to my generator...

Some kind of welder and pipe...

I could, actually, create a plastic part for connecting it all together but ... I'm just not sure if it's wise to use plastic with exhaust gases, lol. It melts at around 375F and becomes soft at 225F.

In particular, I'm thinking of my roommate who said his middle school friend came in one day and said his father died of a heart attack. He was in his 40s. Granted, I know nothing about his lifestyle and diet, but I'm thinking if he pushed a lawn mower a lot (Maybe he didn't; perhaps he road them a lot), he should have got enough exercise. So, I'm thinking he possibly succumbed to exhaust gases. And, thinking about what's been happening here lately, maybe I got some exhaust gas issues going on that I need to address. And, I have other "toxic fine particle" issues going on, I'm just hoping that my airflow through the RV should be enough to minimize it. And, I'm just hoping it's not really as toxic as I suspect it could be.

Anyway, so I've observed that dancing seems to be some kind of mating ritual. Interesting, but knowing what I know now about "feet impact" and "pressure waves which expand the arteries", I'm suspecting that dancing is really a way to expand the bloodvessels, getting those blood vessels primed for sex, since much dancing involves pounding the floor with your feet. If sex and orgasm is known to trigger heart attacks and cardiac events along those lines, I would think that expanding the blood vessels prior could only be advantageous, not only in terms of performance and concupiscence, but also in terms of improving mortality risks.

Anyway, I was thinking about the frontloader approach and I realized it would be somewhat difficult selectively clearing out the back with the frontloader without creating a noticeable hole in the foliage to the back. Whereas with my approach, there's no noticeable hole at all. I think once I cut the large trees down and let the sun in, the back will be somewhat easy to see during the midday with the sun shining down, at least front the right front (Of course, if I find that a problem, I could just block the view from that angle.)

And YEAH BABY. Looks like tomorrow's going to be a cool day so I could be working on the backyard all day and get much done. YAY!

 

[Dauntless]

Okay, well, first verified the church where trash was to be delivered. Definitely didn't see "Saturday Hours" in action . . .

That would be Synagogues and Seventh Day Adventists on Saturday, you go to a Catholic Church on Sunday.

 

[swbluto]

Oh cool, yeah, I wasn't looking for Religious Service hours, I was looking for Trash Service hours, lol.

Anyway, just had a cool idea for increasing ground foliage. Just tranplant some trees, plenty of the suckers around here to transplant, lol. I could probably make use of Harbor freights farm jack to rip the trees out of the ground with the roots intact. This way I can thicken it to help decrease visibility from certain vulnerable angles.

And, I'll probably need to get that going just to rip out the existing "small roots" from the ground. I mean, I could use the pulaski, but if I were getting the farmjack eventually anyway for transplanting trees, it's better to use the farmjack than the pulaski.

And, just went to work outside for 20 minutes, making one sweep of cuts, and yep, this is definitely the weather for work. 61F and 60% humidity. I'm experiencing literally no sweating, as compared to the profuse sweating at 80F and 70% humidity.

Today is definitely looking like a "Work all day" kind of day (73F @30% humidity this afternoon, yeah!), now I just need to get my body to comply, lol. I.e., not getting offkilter and a little hazy, etc. Oh well, I'm taking 10-20 minute breaks for now.

I found the loppers are a bit more effective if you can push on both arms, as opposed to push-pull like I usually do. Useful for the thicker hardwoods that become incredibly tough towards the core.

If I were getting the farmjack anyway to rip out the roots, the question becomes is cutting the trees kind of pointless?

I wouldn't say so, because many of the trees need to be cut to access the trunks with the farmjack, anyway.

And, I'm entirely unsure how I'd grip the smooth thinner tree trunks with the farm jack. Thinking maybe I need some kind of rubber implement to grip it.

Maybe those black rubber strips with the hooks would work? I don't have any, but I have a feeling I know where to find them.

 

[Dauntless]

Oh cool, yeah, I wasn't looking for Religious Service hours, I was looking for Trash Service hours, lol.

All the same to me.

 

[swbluto]

Cool.

Okay, I've identified an "in the woods" location to put the shed with minimal impact to the surroundings, in particular, little to no impact to the shade-providing trees. This is important, because it is being positioned there for the benefits of the "cooler woods" and shade. That can't be understated in this area! lol. With summer fast approaching, this will likely become critical for survival, lol. I have until the end of may to get this implemented.

For the foundation, I think I'm going to join two 8x4s using a bunch of 8 ft. 2x4 studs (Probably 4 of them?). I don't think I'll need leveling sand, but if it was necessary to level it, I could probably adjust the corners of the foundation individually by putting something underneath them (Maybe concrete ston).

Anyway, I'm evaluating the idea now.

And, just verified no conflict with extension of the current driveway. Looks like I could pull this off.

When the leaves fall, there could be issue with there being more exposure to sun, but the temps & humidity shouldn't be that bad when that happens, so probably not an issue (Much of the shade is being provided by the leaves of nearby trees.).

The intended use of the shed will be a place to sleep, do computer work and put a few boxes to clear out the van (To make the entire back of the van usable).

That's assuming I can adequately seal it from bugs, which I'm assuming I could, somehow. Will have to evaluate individual shed designs.

The RV is fine for sleeping, but if I could move my bed out of there, I could devote more of the RV to storage and have more space to deploy my equipment and I could physically separate myself from harmful air. (It's not really a good place for a dog with all the wiring.)

For the evening, I started working on the driveway. Man, today's been a nice day for working outside. Looks like tomorrow morning will be a winner as well, though it appears it'll likely heat up quickly in the afternoon. But, that shouldn't be a problem because I find I'm too tired from morning work to work in the afternoon, lol. (I'm usually tired in the afternoon anyway, some kind of demand for a midafternoon nap.)

https://www.treehugger.com/health/7-surprising-benefits-afternoon-nap.html

Looks like afternoon naps are good for me, lol.

1. Provides a memory boost

In one study, participants who napped regularly for 10-, 20-, and 30-minute periods improved their performance on cognitive tests of memory and vigilance conducted in the subsequent two and a half hours. While those who napped more than 20 minutes suffered from grogginess, the 10-minute nappers experienced an immediate boost in performance. Other studies have shown similar findings.
2. Lowers blood pressure

A study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that the “siesta habit” is associated with a 37 percent reduction in coronary mortality, possibly because of reduced cardiovascular stress associated with daytime sleep. While they admit that they don’t know whether the benefit came from the nap itself, a reclined position, or merely just the expectation of a nap, they concluded that this decrease in blood pressure may be why lower coronary mortality has been found in those who take naps.
3. Calms your nerves

A University of Berkeley study found that a 90-minute nap can potentially keep you calm. When study participants were shown faces that expressed anger, fear and happiness at noon, and then again at 6:00 p.m. They found that the subjects were significantly more upset by angry and fearful faces later in the day; but not if they had a 90-minute lunchtime nap in which they experienced REM sleep.
4. Improves alertness

Well it's not much of a surprise here, but nonetheless, the National Sleep Foundation reports that a NASA study on sleepy military pilots and astronauts found that a 40-minute nap improved performance by 34 percent and alertness 100 percent. While you may not be driving a rocket ship, the foundation recommends a quick nap before driving your car to reduce the risk of a drowsy driving car crash.
5. Enhances creativity

The mind loves a nap. Daytime sleep can, “enhance creative thinking, boost cognitive processing, improve memory recall and generally clear out the cobwebs," James Maas and Rebecca Robbins, co-founders of Sleep for Success, wrote in The New York Times.
6. Boosts willpower

Things can be tough when you’re tired, especially when it comes to matters of willpower which is often highest in the morning when the brain is fresh. As Psychology Today reports, when you’re sleep deprived, your brain has an especially hard time ignoring distractions and controlling impulses. Their advice? “A mid-day “power nap” can reverse the usual willpower drain from morning to night,” adding that a nap can reduce stress, improve mood, and restore focus.
7. It’s better than coffee

Researchers have found that while longer naps may cause grogginess, they also get in some good REM sleep which is where complex learning and perceptual skills are benefitted. In one experiment, sleep scientist Sara Mednick and her team directly compared caffeine intake (200mg) with napping (60–90 minutes) and placebo on three distinct memory processes: declarative verbal memory, procedural motor skills, and perceptual learning. Overall, the nap improved performance across all three different learning areas, while caffeine impaired (or at least did not benefit) performance.

 

[Dauntless]

So if youre going to cut down all these trees and build a shed, you should make your own lumber. Boy I can't help but dream of doing that with my eucalyptus tree that I gotta cut down.

I thin of some of the home lumber mills in the back of 'Popular Science.'

http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/chainsaw-mill-zmaz80jazraw

http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/one-man-sawmill-zmaz82sozgoe

 

[swbluto]

Oh, well, that's pretty interesting. I didn't even think of that as being possible, thinking that was the domain of those huge lumber yards.

I could definitely construct quite the frame from the trees on my property. I could even make the frame for a small house, I bet.

Will definitely look more into this. Seeing that there's "saw mills" and "band saws" on Amazon, and I'm trying to figure out what I could use. Seems like it depends on the size of tree or something.

I'm not really an expert in this, but it looks like this and this would make for good, relatively easy to NOT fudge up kind of boards?

The mill itself.

https://www.amazon.com/Granberg-Chain-Mill-Model-G777/dp/B000AMFY90/ref=pd_bxgy_86_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B000AMFY90&pd_rd_r=GSKTX0HYRVAZ604XA0M0&pd_rd_w=AvVq0&pd_rd_wg=ZLUPS&psc=1&refRID=GSKTX0HYRVAZ604XA0M0

Guides that appear to help create perfect perfect square or rectangular logs from a round log. (I would think you could then easily create custom planks/studs from the rectangular logs?)

https://www.amazon.com/Granberg-Slabbing-Brackets-International/dp/B0044U22W6/ref=pd_bxgy_86_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B0044U22W6&pd_rd_r=9BX57QABPREZ2DJQC70K&pd_rd_w=FzJ4E&pd_rd_wg=8YIn4&psc=1&refRID=9BX57QABPREZ2DJQC70K

And, how important is a "ripping chain"? Could I just use the chain that came with my electric chainsaw or is that highly ill advised?

https://www.amazon.com/WoodlandPRO-Ripping-Chain-38RP-60-Drive/dp/B00PQY637Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1493611075&sr=1-1&keywords=16+inch+ripping+chain

Looks like a 16 inch ripping chain that'd work with my electric chainsaw, bills itself as a "ripping chain" and it's shown as being purchased frequently in combo with the mill, so it's a good sign this would work.

I'm not really sure if this mill would benefit from "rails", or it that's what that "slabbing bracket" is. Someone mentions the need for rails in the Mill's reviews to get a good even cut.

Thinking about this vs. a bandsaw... it does seem like the cut would be a little thicker than a flat blade. I'm not sure if that's really a big deal; I'm guessing it'd mean potentially less boards being created from a rectangular log, so probably why it's not a good idea for BIG lumbermills. But for people like me using it for personal uses, it's probably an acceptable tradeoff (Since the trees would otherwise be turned into firewood).

And, I have some large oak that could be used to make some serious boards. I know that shit is expensive in the store.

Anyway, thinking about an 8x8x8 box. What kind of plywood costs?

Two 4x8 per side * 6 sides = twelve 4x8s

At $25 each, that's $300 for the plywood.

I bet with the use of a bandsaw, I could squeeze out 3/4 inch thick pieces from rectangular logs, and that could serve the same purpose as plywood for covering up a side. But, I would have to seal up the gaps between the boards and that might not be cost-effective as compared to buying plywood. I'm not sure what that would entail.

An appropriately sized rectangular log (Obtained from the chainsaw mill) seems like it could be used with this "mini" bandsaw to create 3/4" thick planks. I could be wrong.

http://www.harborfreight.com/13-hp-9-in-benchtop-band-saw-60500.html

OK, so the "rails" are definitely not the same as the "Slabber brackets".

[youtube]UOOzWli0rmU[/youtube]

And here's one in use.

 

[fechter]

Hauling water around is kind of a PITA. Since your water table is so close to the surface, it seems like you could easily drill a well and use solar to pump water up. Might not be drinkable, but if the well is deep enough, water should be at least good enough for washing. Good idea to get water tested first.

There are some cheap DIY ways to drill a well
http://www.drillyourownwell.com/

You might be able to rent a drill from a tool rental place


Or just save up some money and pay a professional to drill it.

 

[swbluto]

I'm collecting rainwater. With 45 inches of rain, 4 inches a month on average, there's plenty of opportunity for Heaven's tears.

From the Heavens, Life giving water, Nectar of the Gods.

And that reminds me, I need to pick up a large tarp. Maybe tonight because I have to gather my trash tomorrow. and I could use a large tarp to keep the animals out of my trash bags. Then I can do trash delivery on Thursday.

As for the rail, I found someone of youtube who made their own rails from wood and then I found someone on the Northern Tools site who did this.

I use and added dogs to a narrow but rigid 8' ladder as the rail guide for the initial and following cuts for a very smooth operation

Pretty sweet. I've been looking for a ladder to get, anyhoo, so this will potentially help my choice in purchasing a ladder, lol. This would be substantially cheaper than the official rail kit online.

Anyway, I'm still going to need to evaulate the potential for lumber on my property before pursuing this. Just cool to get all my ducks in order well beforehand, so there's no waiting around for something I missed.

I would think an oiled hardwood ladder would also be possible to use for the rails, since one guy used custom wooden rails, though I would think that aluminum would slide easiest.

And, seeing how amazon's wood ladders are 6 feet tall, looks like I would have to make my own.

And, a nail gun would be preferred for a project like this. Might as well pick one up while I'm picking up wood.

What the heck? Framing nailers are $200???

Well, it looks like you can order cheaper ones online ($120), like on the home depot site, but all the framing nailers I see don't seem to go beyond 3.5" nail. Oh, that's a bummer, I was hoping for something that would join a 4"x4" piece of wood with another 4"x4" piece of wood using 6" nails.

Well, looks like they do exist, the Bostitch Bigberta can shoot upto 6" and it only costs $1500, wow. If you can accept 5" nails, you can get one for only $600, lol

Well, looks like I have a 20% OFF coupon for HF and they have a somewhat reputable nailer for $80. Yep, this is looking like an attractive possibility.

Except, one of their coupon advertisements had it advertised for $59 ONE TIME, and the coupon only brings it down to $64. Man, what a rip off, kind of implies they mark everything up by at least 20% (Except for the "exclude" items in the coupon, I would assume.).

And I've just determined that the PowRyte 28 degree nailer is identical to the HF 28 degree nailer, other than the color scheme.

The differences seem to be... PowRyte has...

Dry-fire lockout feature extends motor life and prevents missing nails

And they advertise it's good upto 3.5, as opposed to HF 3.25, but when you check out on HF's site, they recommend upto 3.5" nails for use with the 28 degree nailer, making me think it's also good upto 3.5.

I don't really see anyone complaining about missing nails, though, on the HF one except when it just completely fails.

Okay, well, I've determined this milling thing and projects based on it is going to be a longterm project. No need to start it right away. The current high priorites are backyard/driveway then fence/shed. Once I get the shed erected and operational, then it's possible to go get a dog.

With the wood, I might consider getting a larger strucvture framed and paneled. But, I was watching this one guys vidoes, and he said that the wood needs about 2-4 years to dry out to be stable enough for use, and I don't think I have that kind of patience, lol. (Granted, I'm sure I would come up with project ideas by the time the wood "dries out".).