Fall is coming on fast

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Aklogcabin

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Jun 17, 2021
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Or probably I'm getting slower. That time of year when things that have to get done need to happen. For me replacing our pellet wood stove with a toyo fuel oil stove order up 500 gallon of fuel. Get the garden cleaned up. Beautiful wife put up n froze 40 pounds of chopped zucchini for bread yesterday. Lots of herbs to dry cabbage n such.. We have the rabbits so still feeding freezer meat and buying a dozen bales of hay and a dozen bags rabbit pellets. Rake up dried leaves for forage to make it to next year. Cut firewood for the garage, at least I still have that wood stove n the one at the cabin so only a few cords. Shore up some outbuildings so the 5' of snow doesn't cave them in. Build a new snow plow truck. Fix the roof n chimney for the house furnace. We have 3 separate heating systems for redundancy. Redeck the 18' snogo trailer. Hopefully put up some more fish n game.
Few repairs on the rigs. But mostly I guess I need to take time to enjoy the world around me including my family n friends. And all the projects are fun for me .
It's also that time of year where it will rain till it snows so working outside in funner.
But then it will be all snowy in about a month, no leaves lots of dark. Should probably take a break but I have a bunch of snogos to go through. Freight to sled to the cabin, .?! .
Yep the most blessed man in the world
 
At my 2,700 foot elevation we are at best 2 weeks from winter and it’s below freezing most mornings now. I just finished my summer projects on Wednesday, and those projects were lengthy. The harvests were decent given the unusually cold summer and all my construction projects were completed and work items were tucked away for winter. We have more firewood stashed away than we have ever had after the wife figured out a more efficient way to stack them in the sheds adding about 2 more chords.

I am always afraid that I will miss my mark and not have my summer projects done before winter like what happened two years ago, but this years worries we’re all for not. But a lot of 16 hour days the last two weeks to get everything done and the weather was most cooperative.

Yesterday we took to day off to go fishing for trout and caught a good bunch. One 20 inches. We got back too late for dinner last night, so trout is what’s for dinner to tonight. Today will be another day to relax a bit.

Tomorrow I start my winter prep activities. Tire changeovers, getting the two plows and the big old Bercomac snowblower mounted, winter tools set up and configuring workspace for winter activities. Maybe also pick some cranberries which are at their peak now. Really only about 2-3 days worth of work, so I will goof off a bit over the next two weeks and get a few more fishing trips and maybe a moose hunt with my only neighbor on the mountain. I have hit the age where the fishing and the hunting license are free, so I am going to enjoy this luxury.

This late Alaskan fall is my favorite time of year and I will enjoy it while it lasts! I have never seen such vibrant colors as are on display this year!
 
Thanks akJohn I was wondering what it was like you're way.
You have mention cranberries. I wanna be out getting highbush. The woods smell fantastic.
I think I'm one of those guys who just always stays kinda ready but never caught up. Leaves the Christmas lights up.
Then the day it snows I run around n throw everything I might need over winter under a roof. Mad dash time
 
Are there many grouse around ?
Not where I live. In all of my (almost) 49 years, I have seen exactly one in Iowa. We got lots of ducks, geese, pheasants, and doves, but grouse, partridge, and quail are pretty thin. Actually quail do exist here, but I might only see one every few years. South and east of Des Moines there are more...
 
KIMG0964.JPG


Leaves are starting to turn here...
 
Are there many grouse around ?

Yes. Grouse and ptarmigan are in decent numbers. Also pretty good snowshoe hare numbers. So the typical predators are in good numbers too.
 
Yep.

In my next of the woods first frost is usually in October, first real cold arround Halloween.

But the end of september any 'summer like' weather is gone and its nine months of wearing a coat ahead.

I got the firewood taken care of this spring. But I have a subaru engine to pull and rebuild ahead of me still before winter, and all the stuff I want to get done, but probably won't because unlike my usual condition, I have something resembling a regular job this fall that pays too well to ignore but damn, its really cutting into my work time.
 
I was laying in bed last night when I remembered I didn't harvest our herbs. Parsley, sage, basil, dill n a few others. And a freeze was forecast for 20 degrees. Well it got to 29 so we'll see what's left. Work all summer to have good herbs n they get hammered in one night.
I do want to go get some highbush cranberries now though. The frost should set the sugars
 
I was laying in bed last night when I remembered I didn't harvest our herbs. Parsley, sage, basil, dill n a few others. And a freeze was forecast for 20 degrees. Well it got to 29 so we'll see what's left. Work all summer to have good herbs n they get hammered in one night.
I do want to go get some highbush cranberries now though. The frost should set the sugars

It hit 26 degrees here last night. We pretty much had everything we wanted to have harvested tucked away by yesterday.

My woodshed is stacked pretty deep this year! Forecast calls for 4 inches of snow Monday/Tuesday, so today I will be walking our long driveway picking up the rocks that grew on the driveway over the course of the summer.
 

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It hit 26 degrees here last night. We pretty much had everything we wanted to have harvested tucked away by yesterday.

My woodshed is stacked pretty deep this year! Forecast calls for 4 inches of snow Monday/Tuesday, so today I will be walking our long driveway picking up the rocks that grew on the driveway over the course of the summer.
What a beautiful picture🙂👍! We have a lot of firewood stacked and ready! Will be another month before we cut more, still a lot of snakes about! Upper 90's today, 100+ tomorrow, but a 'cold' front Tuesday morning. Lower 80's a couple days next week⛄! Climate prediction center says we will have above average temps here in Texas.
 
It hit 26 degrees here last night. We pretty much had everything we wanted to have harvested tucked away by yesterday.

My woodshed is stacked pretty deep this year! Forecast calls for 4 inches of snow Monday/Tuesday, so today I will be walking our long driveway picking up the rocks that grew on the driveway over the course of the summer.


Right on man, good for you. I wish I was. Although I was scoping out trees yesterday. And beautiful wife has been cutting wood with her dad so just need to go get that.
The cabin should have some around, my kids cut some up for me. I do enjoy going out n getting firewood at the cabin, 3'-5' of snow, cold , dark, well kinda dark lots of moonlight and cutting firewood out in the middle of nowhere when the northern lights are out is downright enjoyable ! As you are aware lots of dead standing spruce around so dry wood.
 
Well fiddlesticks, fall is officially over! Already 6 inches on the ground and it’s still coming down hard.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM AKDT
THIS EVENING...

* WHAT...Snow expected. Total snow accumulations of 4 to 8
inches.

* WHERE...Along and south of the xxx Highway, along the
xxx Highway from xxx south and along the
Xxx Highway.

* WHEN...From 7 PM Monday to 10 PM AKDT Tuesday.

* IMPACTS...Plan on slippery road conditions and reduced
visibilities.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Cold air continues to work in across the
area. Snow is expected to continue throughout the day today
before gradually tapering off from west to east this evening.

Slow down and use caution while traveling.

For the latest road conditions call 5 1 1 or visit
511.alaska.gov.
 
Thanks for the report Akjohn. I suspect the creeks are flooding pretty good too. Maybe we'll have good riding early. This has to be a win right, it's all good

We ended up getting 14 inches yesterday with more snow forecasted everyday through Saturday. Fortunately I pulled all my plows and chains out of my lower shed this past weekend and had one plow mounted before the snow hit. I still need to mount my Bercomac snowblower, but it’s too early to use that with all the rocks associated with early snow.

For kicks and grins, I will get a short ride in today on my sled. Certainly need a lot more snow for any real ride.
 
You went for a ride, jeesh you can rub it in. We got dust in the valley. Gotta get the studded tires out. I keep a set of summer n winter tires. When the studs wear out I pop them n run them out as summer tires.
Time to pick up the hoses though, maybe gotta pressure was some equipment before putting up for winter.
Well that's the plan anyhows
 
The cold fall rains are here. The temp dropped from 71 this morning to the 50s this afternoon and it started pouring. We definitely need the moisture because we're back under a drought advisory, but the farmers are in the middle of harvest and two days off for the ground to dry up isn't in their plans...
 
12 degrees this morning. Put new rear brakes on my 90 F-250. Front brakes this morning.
Need to get er ready for the winter. Oil n lubricate. Check differentials.
. Going to put a snow plow on er. I have a western from a 68 chevy. And a new rebuild kit for the pump.
Thinking about removing the front bumper. I have a piece of 4" steel pipe for the new bumper. Figure I'll make plates that extend out from the frame. And weld them to the pipe. Attach the pump to the pipe. I have the framework from the older plow to adapt to my newest truck.
Need to get this done because the lumber place has a couple hundred boards that they called n said come get them. And get them installed on the new house I'm building.
The studded tires are in good shape. Need to get the snogo trailer redecked. Will haul 4 snogos easier. I'll fab a nice ramp. Need new tires on the trailer. Studded for the winter. Actually just kinda leave them on. Kinda. New paint next year. Gotta get ready to load up n head out to our remote cabin. And spend some time there. Work n play kinda thing. Mostly get away a bit
Gotta get the studded tires on beautiful wifes rig n daughters car. Oil changes.
Oh yeah almost forgot the most important. Get the happy lights up.
Move the rabbits into the greenhouse after we clean the greenhouse and built a hay storage place. Gotta try n keep the hay away from the moose who just kinda hang around trying to figure out how to eat the hay.
Just another fall yeeeee haaaaa
 
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