When you get to be my age you seldom hear something entirely new....well here's a few words that have never had human lips utter them in this order...and you know how I love lists and haven't done one for a while...
1. "The Milwaukee Brewers have the best record in major league baseball".
2. " I'm so full I can't eat another piece of bacon".
3. " the Mariners are off to a great start".
4. " you guys over at Fish and Game are doing a hell of a good job".
5. " Isn't April 15th a great day ???? ".
6. " poor Geoffry, he had so much potential".
7. " boy honey, that gorgeous new floral pattern valance sure matches our down comforter"....
mmmmmm...... Ya know shortly after moving into Rancho Deluxe here at Mile 14 we had a 'problem' Cottonwood that had to go. This tree was so big and close to our house that I was kinda scared to drop it....So one night I let my old friend Joe who was blowing a good 2.0 Miller Lite heater at the time notch and fall it right across the front lawn. I figured I got a little lucky on that deal so when I went to do the old snaggly birch next to MP's garden and Paulies boat I figured I better call in the experts....you know, an 'ex' is a has been and a 'spirt' is a drip under pressure. My old friend Wally Brown is just the guy, what I call a go to guy.
Right away it's apparent to both of us that we need some lines on this baby to pull it in the proper direction. We need to get up in the tree but poor old Wally's back is so bad he can hardly walk and me still fighting with vertigo up a ladder is the last place I need to be. But ol W.B. has the answer. He's McGivered a 'line gun' which is just a potato gun with an adapter that will shoot a cylinder pulling a light gage wire up and over the high branches. Ya just load your spud, fill the chamber with a good squirt of Aqua Net hair spray,let in enough air for the proper fuel to air mixture, strike a match and walla....wire in the tree, tie a rope to it and pull it back over, tie a loop and pull the tag end through and get ready to pull.
So we get one line nice and tight to my pick up but we want another line to pull towards the river in hopes that we wouldn't drop a really heavy limb on MP's garden moose fence...that would just create even more work and you know how I feel about that deal. So W.B. breaks out 4 heavy metal rings that he built out of Chevy Citation coil springs that he bent together then welded. Anchor a line to a tree, a good tree of course. Then you pass the rope through 4 times from ring to ring and create a reduction gear to pull with and before long we have another line tighter than a high E string ...incredible, now I know how they built the pyramids.
So then I fire up the ol Stihl 'Farm Boss', I just love the name of that tool and with a good notch and back cut that huge rotten Birch tree has been tamed. Just like the blue print. In the second pic you can see why it had to go, rotten in the middle and it was way to close to the house. In fact those birch next to your house will drop sap and help that green mossy stuff grow....but not on my new roof, no sir. Thanks for the assist Wally, it takes a village.
Boy was I glad I had my camera with me at the dump today. a couple things really jumped out at me, things that I guess are sorta unique o Alaska. After years of listening to and being involved in the sport/commercial fishing debate...and you know where I weigh in on that deal. Well I finally found a good use for nets....let's a get a few more f them blue things lined up eh?
I told people years ago that some day the Kenai River will be as famous for it's Eagles as it is it's salmon. Me and our fishing friends just love watching them soar and fish. Right now at Mile 14 they are circling way high on the thermals as they look to mate, it's pretty cool. But this poor guy ain't got it figured, he's not even in the top of the tree like a good 'eagle eyed' bird would be and the plastic bags....yikes....wouldn't ya rather, I mean, c'mon down to Mile 14....we'll leave the light on.
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