Author Archives: John S. Quarterman

Boat rack, cherry logs, child labor 2024-11-27

After I chainsawed a cherry tree off the corncrib and dropped some cherry logs on the boat rack, I screwed it back together almost straight.

[Rebuilt boat rack almost straight]
Rebuilt boat rack almost straight

We used child labor to roll out the resulting cherry logs. Continue reading →

Chainsawing cherry tree off corn crib roof 2024-11-17

Yet another clearing task after Hurricane Helene: get that cherry tree off the corn crib roof.

[Sawing from the top --Gretchen Quarterman]
Sawing from the top –Gretchen Quarterman

It was a nice Prunus serotina, but it would not survive like that, and we could not leave it to cause more damage during the next big storm. Continue reading →

Swayback shack roof 2024-11-10

Here is our 8×16-foot roof extension to our firewood shelter, the swayback shack.

[Swayback shack roof extension]
Swayback shack roof extension

This is steel roofing that was on my niece’s house before Hurricane Helene poked holes in it. You can see a few of the holes, but they won’t leak, because we put them on top of solid pieces of steel.

So, more room for the massive amounts of firewood we’re accumulating by sawing deadfalls off of driveways and woods paths.

-jsq

Cypress Swamp with dogs after Hurricane Helene 2024-11-11

Our cypress swamp doesn’t look too bad at the west end, after Hurricane Helene.

[Deadfall, west end]
Deadfall, west end

But some of it is quite bad. Continue reading →

Mouse PEX 2024-11-03

Update 2024-11-11: Fixing hot water line 2024-11-08.

Why does the well pump run in the night?

Why is the water hot immediately at the outside sink?

[Gnawed]
Gnawed

A mouse gnawed through the duct tape at the end of the PVC pipe around this hot water PEX tube, and gnawed a hole in the tube.

[Label]
Label

We had to dig it up, but it’s easy to fix.

Wrapping it in aluminum foil this time.

-jsq

Turtle in driveway 2024-10-31

Stopped pretty quick to avoid this turtle.

[Left]
Left

Not sure what kind of turtle. I’m guessing river cooter or pond slider. I’m leaning towards pond slider, Trachemys scripta scripta, due to the vertical thickness of the shell. Continue reading →

Removing large pine deadfall 2024-10-27

This slash pine was almost 100 years old when Hurricane Helene toppled it across our back driveway.

[Movie: Logging chain (11M)]
Movie: Logging chain (11M)

Here’s a video clip:
https://youtu.be/wqOaL1NYwBk Continue reading →