Thursday, January 27, 2011

GOD Has Blessed Me To Live Close To Heaven!

It is such a blessing to live where I live.  Cades Cove has nothing that I don't have and every time I go there and there are not many people there I think that this is what HEAVEN is going to be like.  So peaceful!

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Weekend Hunt

James enjoyed his hunt but we didn't see an "eight pointer" like we were looking for.  He was so glad Abby came to hunt so he could go with her.  He was hoping Jay could be here so he could see him.  He really loves them.  
Nathan had a friend, Scott,  from Kentucky visiting with us.  He had a big buck dodge his bullet Friday morning, Nathan saw an eight pointer but he said it was just smaller than what he wanted to shoot.  Abby saw a coyote but couldn't get a shot at it.  We saw several does.  Saturday morning we saw several does again and Nathan saw another small buck. We had a good time in the woods!  Scott, being from Kentucky, saw his first armodillo.  We shot one so he could see how ugly they are.
The treestand where the deer was missed has gotten hot.  Saturday evening Doug got in it but he shot two armodillos so he left and went to another stand.  Sometime soon after that Pawpaw showed up and got in it.  He didn't know Doug had been down there shooting.  He was disappointed.  It will probably be a while before that deer will be in that field again.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Tree Planting

Today I had two crews planting trees for me and my brother.  They were planting Longleaf Pines for me and Loblolly Pines for my brother.  They planted about 140 acres today.  These are working people.  Their foreman and I talked about how most Americans don't really want to work, I didn't say all but most.  If you have never tried to plant trees you should and you would have a greater respect for these guys.  They will plant between 3000 and 4000 trees per person a day.  The best I have ever been able to do is 1000.  I told the foreman he would fire me because I would be too slow, he just laughed.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Prescribed Burn

I tried to burn piles of logging slash last Friday and Saturday, I tried again and also tried to burn 41 acres but it was all with limited success.  There was just too much snow left over in the piles and on the firelanes and north side of the hills.  Now there is more rain and possible snow coming and my tree planters might show up anyday.  I may just have to plant without a complete burn.  Since I am planting longleaf I might have to burn with in the next two years while the trees are young.  This is one of the advantages of longleaf pines. 

This past year we are seeing lots more deer in areas where we have longleaf pines growing.  This is one of the reasons for planting this 41 acres in longleaf pines along with their resistance to fire.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

American Farm Bureau Meeting

                                 Picture was made from our motel floor.
This weekend we were in Atlanta on the 22nd floor at the Omni/CNN Hotel Complex.  We were at the American Farm Bureau National meeting held at the World Congress Center.  We had to leave early due to the snow and ice coming in but I am glad we got out from over there because some were not able to leave.  There was the Ag Connect World Equipment and Trade Show that we enjoyed.  The Farm Bureau session we were able to attend was very good.  It started on Sunday morning with a worship service then was followed by a business session.  It made me proud to be the Clay County Farmers Federation President and small part of an industry that in 2010 had a $40 billion trade surplus, not "Made in China".  The meeting next year will be in Hawaii.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Pawpaw Had a Good Last Day of 2010 Hunting


Daddy killed this 12 pointer the last day of 2010.  19.5 inches wide with very simetrical points.  Doug also got a bobcat that morning.  I had to be away but I think they had a good day of hunting.  You should hear the stories.  This makes two good bucks for Daddy this year.  If you will let them grow they will get big.  We are not to shoot anything smaller than an eight pointer but sometimes some get trigger happy and slip up.  Let the little ones go and this is what the results will be!