Author Archives: John S. Quarterman

Deadfalls everywhere 2024-10-21

Walk anywhere, take chainsaws.

We hadn’t finished cleaning up from Hurricane Idalia, more than a year ago. Hurricane Helene was ten times worse.

At least the dogs get some amusement out of climbing logs.

[Most woods paths are like this, or worse]
Most woods paths are like this, or worse

Continue reading →

Little House Survived Hurricane Helene 2024-10-20

A bright spot. It survived Hurricane Helene: the Little House the Three Stooges Built in the Woods.

[Beyond tree roots]
Beyond tree roots

Trees north and south of it blew west and missed it. Continue reading →

Large pine, small chainsaw 2024-10-15

That one almost caught me when it sprang up four feet.

[26-inch pine with 18-inch chainsaw]
26-inch pine with 18-inch chainsaw

That EGO 18-inch electric chainsaw will gnaw through big stuff eventually.

That slash pine tree was pushing 100 years old until Hurricane Helene. Continue reading →

Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS after sunset 2024-10-14

The 80,000-year comet.

[Venus in trees on left, with Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, 8:09:55 PM, 2024-10-14]
Venus in trees on left, with Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, 8:09:55 PM, 2024-10-14

It was quite visible to the naked eye, an hour and 10 minutes after sunset, despite the bright waxing gibbous moon behind us.

All taken with a Galaxy S10+, night mode, 5-second exposure. Continue reading →

Finding Gretchen’s Sycamore Tree after Hurricane Helene

We raised this tree from knee-high, so we wanted to see how it was doing after Hurricane Helene.

[Finding Gretchen's Sycamore Tree after Hurricane Helene with chainsaw and dogs 2024-10-12]
Finding Gretchen’s Sycamore Tree after Hurricane Helene with chainsaw and dogs 2024-10-12

After I chainsawed through many yards of fallen trees, bushes, and vines, we found it battered but still standing.

Blondie and Honeybun were almost as happy as Gretchen to see it.

Here is a video playlist:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLk2OxkA4UvwnPsm5_5P9lTV26Mqd-SWR&si=1HpY-Z3kg72Izfyx

gq

[The tree with the afternoon sun, 16:59:15]
The tree with the afternoon sun, 16:59:15

jsq

[Movie: Gretchen comes to her tree, 17:40:09]
Movie: Gretchen comes to her tree, 17:40:09

PP

[Movie: Big pine on path to the pond, 17:43:40]
Movie: Big pine on path to the pond, 17:43:40

DFSP

[Deadfall on south path, 17:55:46]
Deadfall on south path, 17:55:46

-jsq

Clyattville High School Pioneer, 1951-5

Does anybody want these Clyattville High School annuals?

[Pioneer '55]
Pioneer ’55

They’re pretty musty, but still completely legible. The ’55 one has many inscriptions in it. Continue reading →

Pearson Tribune subscription 1947-08-30

My mother subscribed to the Pearson Tribune, August 30, 1947, 77 years ago.

It cost $2.00.

[Pearson Tribune Subscription Receipt]
Pearson Tribune Subscription Receipt

Notice the address is just “Ray City Georgia”.

No rural route or anything was needed to deliver.

Also, the address for the same house now and since the 1960s is Hahira 31632.

Why Pearson? She grew up there, and had only married and moved to the farm a few years before.

-jsq

Fire in wood stove 2024-10-12

It was 53 F this morning.

So cold after Hurricane Milton, that I lit a fire in the wood stove, using deadfall from Hurricane Helene.

[Movie: fire in wood stove (5.8M)]
Movie: fire in wood stove (5.8M)

Here’s a video:
https://youtu.be/JKSSZLMf6lw

-jsq

Tree on corn crib 2024-09-30

Turns out we do have one tree on one roof after Hurricane Helene.

[Tree on corn crib]
Tree on corn crib

Fortunately, it did not break through the corn crib roof.

[River and Blondie under the roots]
River and Blondie under the roots

The dogs think the tree roots are a great cool play place.

-jsq

Small saw and little dogs on a log 2024-10-03

Small saw path, or big saw path?

Small saw, she said.

[16-inch Ego electric chainsaw on water oak deadfall]
16-inch Ego electric chainsaw on water oak deadfall

In her defense, we did saw a bunch of smaller stuff before we came to this deadfall. And that EGO 16-inch electric chainsaw will saw bigger logs than that. But I prefer the bigger saw for that sort of thing.

Meanwhile, on another log, the pale dogs were doing their circus act. Continue reading →