Doggone it got cold fast!

Well, it seems like not very long ago it was fall and the evenings were cool and the days sunny, and then BAM! Last night we have a -5 F windchill and today a balmy 22 F out there.

Anyway, winter has come to Ramey Ridge and the girls have taken to bundling up a bit more. In the off-time however, especially when the workers come to visit, they decide to create modern art with their hair. John and Scott at least appeared to be amused.

We had a nice evening and then I drug the fellas up the hill for some bone-chilling fire wood cutting on the clear cut. It might be a while before they come back, but I hope they can soon. By the way, I had better restock my extra-strength Tylenol if I plan to haul many more oak logs.

Other than that, the kids spend their time clowning whenever I am not working them like pack mules.

A day off school Monday and a late start Tuesday bought this guy a 10 hour work day on Sunday to make it up. Gotta love it.
Hope everyone is staying warm and at least attempting to have a holly-jolly.
Good tip: Never assume a brand new chain saw blade is installed on the new bar in the correct direction even if is straight out of a new package. It might just make you look like an idiot...

December has arrived

The first week after Thanksgiving is our "gun" season and I tried to make an honest effort to get out. I remain deerless, maybe it's just not meant to be this year.
This is Matt and Angel, my neighbors, cuddled up in a tree stand. It was her first time out, I think she enjoyed herself.....
This picture of the house was taken this morning as I pulled out. We got enough snow for school to be delayed two hours. Hopefully it stays through the winter. The kids will have the sleds out this afternoon I am sure.
PJ is getting into the spirit of the hunt; playing with some mini buck antlers from a "culled" deer last year. She tried to put them onto the dog and the cats, none were very appreciative.
I spent yesterday cleaning out my shop and getting the ping pongtable back out. It's my winter time cardio program and I have to get practiced up to beat dad again in a few weeks. The workers come Friday night, my folks the following weekend, Heather the following weekend, and Brice a few days later. Thats a lot of trips to Columbus, but it's all for a good cause.
Hope all is well with everyone and don't be afraid to climb that tree like Zacheous. Sometimes thats what it takes to see above the noise and tumult.

Thanksgiving

Well, November has come and gone and with it plenty of happenings around the farm. Early on I got a sweet picture of my two old Fords parked up at one of my gas wells. The grey one is a 1939 9N (converted to 12 volt) and the red one is the 1952 8N (still a 6 volt) I have shown you previously. I thought the pose was cool enough to share. Floyd and Peggy (my in-laws) came for a couple weeks for Thanksgiving and Elena's birthday (she turned 9). It was nice to have someone help me with the cooking since everyone knows I can't cook squat. We fried a 13# turkey and I slow roasted an 8# spiral-cut ham over charcoal for about 3 hours. Then I made my first ever sweet potato pie. it actually turned out pretty good. Peggy helped out with all the important stuff like mashed potatoes and gravy. By Sunday we had no leftovers and I have officially gained my "holiday weight" and they aren't even over yet.
I chose my christmas present with some difficulty, but finally opted on the new guitar. It is a Seagull Coastline GT in Sunburst color and I am pretty excited about it.
Also, there is a picture from the old days when we lived in NY of Heather, Ryann, and Elena when they were small. Thought that was kind of neat.
Brice gets here in about 3 weeks and he and I have decided to do the bachelor thing together. We had so much fun getting in trouble in the old days we might as well try it out again.
The cabin picture was taken from a view I have never seen until now since all the leaves have fallen. As you can see, snow is falling and although it doesn't look "cozy" yet, it gives you an idea of what it might look like with a light in the window and smoke trailing out of the chimney. Can't wait to take the girls up there and relax this next summer. Hope everybody is having a fantastic winter. Spend as much of it as you can with friends and fam.
A thought from Wednesday night meeting yesterday: God never takes something bad away from our lives without replacing it with something good.

A special week

I wanted to make a post this week concerning the events from the past that are on my mind. To start off, Oct. 30th, 2009, Jess harvested her first and only deer with her bow. Her second family from elk camp made this terrific plaque for her tree. On the 1st anniversary of the event, I climbed the ladder and hung the plaque in its rightful place. Jess' ashes are buried just a few feet away under an Azalea bush, the only bush in the forest, I might add, that remains green to this day. This place will obviously always mean something special to me.
Today would have been our 12th wedding anniversary, Nov 10, 1998. I am beginning to be able to look back and smile on memories of those years and pray that those experiences have made me better and stronger. I took yesterday off from work and spent an entire day in the woods where I belong, just relaxing and reminiscing. I watched the sunrise and the sunset, both beautiful from Ramey Ridge. I came off the hill and the girls and I cooked Big Red Smokies over the firepit they built for me last Saturday. I thought it was a nice way to end the day. Jess always loved the campfire.
Lastly I included "the View From the Tractor" picture because it is a new way of thinking I have discovered. Just the thought that sometimes you have to sit back and take it all in stride, the tractor only goes so fast. And sometimes when you take 'er easy and focus, the view is pretty nice.

Blood on the trail

Well, we have a few success stories already this year. Three bucks off the ridge behind the house, Joe's first archery buck (forked horn), Erik's first archery buck (eight point) taken last Friday, and Billy's big eight taken just on Monday morning. Glad someone is having some fun. Congratulations boys!

Lively daughters

October hasn't been too shabby for the girls either. As usual they are goofy acting and fun-lovin. Paige hiding underneath the neighbor baby's bouncy toy, Ryann and Elena trying on some new headgear, I told them they looked completely natural, and Ryann showing off my new 55 gallon feeders that she stayed up late one night to help me build. I haven't a new solo picture of Elena, but if any of you know her, you know she is the goofiest of them all.

October is here

In celebration of October, the following things have occured. Arlen finally gets in the woods again, a fire is finally started in my homemade wood stove in the shop, the living room is re-arranged for the first time since we moved in two years ago, and my awesome car, Sput, gets yet another $15 paint job (for better aerodynamics). I love October, a good combination of some of my favorite things.

Beautiful birds

Sorry for the picture quality, but we got all the birds in the run and they love it. Open the door first thing in the morning and its like a chicken explosion coming out of there. No eggs yet, they are still getting used to their nesting boxes. Those white-faced evil lookingbirds are my guineas, they roost right on the fence railing most nights. I have ten of them and they just roam around the yard eating spiders, ticks, and any other annoyance you can think of. They even fly after wasps and catch them in the air. Pretty awesome birds, I think I like them more than dogs.

Bird house

Several weeks ago I finished the chicken coop that houses 50 chickens and 10 guinea birds whenever they decide to come and go. The chickens are just reaching maturity, we will be thinning the rooster population soon. We should have enough eggs to share with the whole valley and still bring some into work. And looky there, another nice tan layer in late September. Sorry upstate NY, Ohio is where the sun shines hahaha.

New do's and new stands

Well, had a nice weekend in Ohio, every day in the eighties.....LOVE IT! We spent a few hours in the woods putting up my new tree stand, I think I have eleven up now. The ladies from meeting thought the girls should get their hair done "professionally" so after Wednesday night meeting, they all went to the garage and came back looking better than I could do and all smiles so that's good. Another shot of Heather trying to be a redneck, she's not doing too bad.

What's on my mind?

Wel, it is hunting season and although I haven't been out much, my camera suer has. Not too many "giant" deer theis year, but so far several nice ones. These are the most recent, in fact one was within a few hours of me crawling up the tree haha. Then my trail cam caught a rather unruly character coming down the trail in that last one, thought you should see what ohio hunting looks like. Not a pretty sight. Hope everyone has a fantastic season, and do your children a favor, get them in the woods, they'll appreciate it when they grow up.

Bucks 2010

These are the latest from the back hill, early September I believe. Not very old, but the body size and antler development is outstanding. The young one should be a stud in a couple years. The older, well, he might decorate my wall and my freezer. Love these Ahia (Ohio) deer. Opening day, Saturday, a couple of baby bucks came to visit, a spike and a forked horn, but I decided that proper deer management called for at least three more years of respiratory and cardiac function for them. No sense killing for blood. Good luck to all you meat gatherers out there, have a fun, ethical year. One shot, one kill.

Here she is

Well, I guess it's time to share with everybody else what's been on my mind lately. I'd like everyone to meet Heather Ballestero, classy lassy from upstate New York. I don't know how much refinement we'll have to shave off to get her to come down to Southern Ohio standards, but she thinks she might be willing to try. As for now, she's a college student doing the veterinary tech thing up home. I hope everybody gets to meet her someday. "We'll drive until the city lights dissolve into a country sky just me and you..."

Sputter, "Sput" for short

Well, tough times call for drastic measures. I calculated I could save $300 a month on gas when I made this purchase and the car would pay for itself in less than 3 months. It's a 1991 Metro with 66 million miles HAH and a 55 HP 3 cyl, engine. $15 for paint and SHAZAM! New car, watch out Vinton County ladies, new wheels in town. Wait wait wait, Vinton County ladies won't fit in this thing, oh well, at least my kids think it's the coolest new thing.

New Beginnings

Well, today is Sept. 8th, Jessi’s birthday, she would have been 31 years old. These past months have passed agonizingly slow for me as I have been doing everything in my power to make time pass. I understand a lot of people out there are trying to do the opposite, to hang onto every moment and every memory, but it hurts too bad for me to do that. I will always have beautiful memories of Jess and our life together, but the time has come for me to move on to the next chapter. I chose this date a while back as a goal to work toward, a date that I could put some closure into my life. From this day forward, my mourning period is over and I will smile when I think of Jess instead of cry. I will always feel the pain, but I will use it to make me stronger.

The girls and I have instituted a plan that seems to work on a day to day basis. We all understand what needs to get done and it is working well. As far as a social life, ha, that’s non-existent, but I feel closer to my girls than ever before. After all, they are all I have left of Jessi.

I hope this finds everyone well and if a tear forms in the corner of your eye it is dried by someone you love. Thank you to everyone who has been such a support to my family. We’ll move on from here allowing God to lead.

Y’all take care.