Day 142 - Yard Glider, Moving Stumps, Box Blade and Ditch Cleaning

It's been another chaotic week of bouncing around between a lot of small tasks. The 2-acre clearing is starting to look a lot better. We got a Yard Glider to help out with moving stuff around. I was mainly interested in it to take a lot of wear and tear off of the tractor when rolling the root balls around, but we found it to be way more useful than I originally thought. It's like a super mobile and flexible trailer. We have been and will be using this Yard Glider a lot.

Yard Glider provided the glider in exchange for organically using it in the videos. I make nothing on their sales. If you'd like to find out more, go to https://yardglider.com/

With the borrowed box blade (Thanks, Ken!), I was able to completely scrape the fire aftermath and do a good initial cleaning. There's still a lot of work to be done before this is lawn-ready, but I don't have a timeline rush on getting the clearing perfect. It will happen a little bit at a time. Getting it to this stage was a lot of work. Standing back to take it all in and think about the transformation so far makes me smile.

The first half of the driveway has trees overhanging, so you (almost) get the feeling of being in a tree tunnel of sorts. Maybe not a full tunnel, but the trees do an excellent job of pushing your focus forward. Around the halfway point of the driveway, the focal point is straight forward into what was a group of vine-damaged and messy, unorganized trees. It was visually distracting having them right in front of an organized group of pines. I took the trees down and set the maple tree aside for me to cut up for the smoker. By removing them, the focal point of the driveway can now be seen from a further distance. As you drive up to the pines, the line of sight starts to get further, expanding how the space feels. As you go through the driveway, your line of sight increases, and the tight feeling of driving through the forest incrementally expands into a greater sense of open space at the clearing where the shop and house will be. I really like how the driveway is turning out. There's something to observe through the entire length of the driveway. It feels more like a mini-journey through the woods rather than a dull driveway with a beginning and an end.

The driveway is crowned to prevent standing water on the driveway. The water hits the ditches and drains toward the culvert. However, it's not perfect. I've noticed a wet spot in the last corner when the water starts to dry in the ditches. So, from there to the culvert needed to be just a touch deeper. Ultimately, I think the culvert needs to be lowered by about 6”, but I don't think I'll tackle that this year. It works enough as it is, but this whole drainage system will need tweaking a few more times before it is finished.

Partners:
LaneShark
- LS3 https://bit.ly/45VAC58
@woodlandmills
- WG24 Stump Grinder https://bit.ly/4dMKHog
- WC68 Wood Chipper https://bit.ly/4dy45VL
#DiscoverTheWoodland
#Woodlandmills
#WoodlandMillsAmbassador

Homestead stuff:
Bad Boy 4035H tractor
Kioti KG4066 grapple
W.R. Long 3rd Function
W.R. Long 3rd Function Continious Flow
Piranha Bar
Chainsaw earmuff helmet https://amzn.to/3XmPsif
Stihl MS250
Husqvarna Rancher 460 https://amzn.to/3AUq9v6
Bad Boy Bandit 550 UTV
UTV mirror https://amzn.to/4dYHeCz
Measuring wheel https://amzn.to/3Z6cATw
Time lapse cameras https://amzn.to/4cMR6hQ
LockNLube grease gun https://amzn.to/4g48UHR
7/32 chainsaw files https://amzn.to/3XoFFIs

Audio/Video:
A Camera https://amzn.to/3yXMlnE
B Camera https://amzn.to/3Z7hpfl
Action cam https://amzn.to/3X7QddE
Cell phone https://amzn.to/3X6OlBV
Audio recorder https://amzn.to/3AFLVTj
Wireless mic https://amzn.to/3X56Fvl

Email: BPo3Homestead@gmail.com