A World On A String

[Jericho Mile]

Later in the Day

Later in the Day

Yes...that garlic is coming along and does look uniform at this stage. I don't know how many are actually there...but I'd say maybe a couple hundred. I'll count them at harvest. They grow great in that bed. I love the things...gives me something to grow in the winter months. All my gardening friends up here are dying to get their gardens started..but me..well...mine just roll all year long.



^ 100% Jaundice fresh screen bubble hash. Another Brick in the Wall. Has that menthol affect...almost so sweet smelling it irritated my eyes when I got a waft out of the bubble bag...while screening. dry this into powder...over my fireplace.

Jaundice = Bogbubble X Chem DD



^ The trim from buds like these are what that made that hash. Jaundice f2 expression #1 on the top....Jaundice f2 expression #2 on the bottom. The differences in the flowers are obvious here. Jaundice is going in two different structure directions. Both produce well for hash making....umm...yup...true that.



^ J1 flower



^J2 flower


* The wind picked up again..but the storm has blown away. See if I can get motivated to run...my snoring dog is making me lazy..and I need to clean out the fireplace..get it ready for tonight. Shit yes...it got up into the mid 50's. I could go to sleep right now.

 

[Jericho Mile]

That's a pretty good stand of garlic, looks like it could be one type. I put in a variety last November and they came up well. Potatoes are a little slower than the garlic. Processing trees is a lot of work, been doing that the last month. Several hundred year old oak and Ponderosa pines, along with smaller trees. Probably fifteen full truck loads of wood and then more than fifteen loads of branches that are less than 2 inches in diameter. at least its not getting hauled very far, maybe a city block. Sounds like you'll have fun with your next race, despite its difficulties.

I cut mostly Oak...my preference in Oak is California Live Oak..but I'll go higher up and cut Black Oak when the trees present themselves. I too..cut Ponderosa/Jeffery (I really think we have a hybrid of the two growing here)....nothing against pine fires in the morning. Lately I've been burning a bunch of well cured Manzanita...which for quick heat....is hard to beat.

fuck yes. Unless you've processed your own firewood year after year..it's hard to really understand the greatness of old man Stihl inventing the chainsaw. I can't imagine cutting all this wood without a chainsaw. The old days must have been really hard. It's no wonder all the natives headed to the desert during the winter. Smart move.

as it is..spring for me..is the best time to cut. There's no competition and I can get in and harvest the stuff I've kept mum about for a year. My wife and I are a team. We swoop in on logs and make them disappear. In...out...done deal....grab a bunch of landscaping rocks along the way

 

[unclefishstick]

All these riders I've met...one of which is a professionally ranked female (she's racing in New Zealand at the moment) have had serious injuries and most of them are 15-20 yrs younger than me...although one dude is in his 40's. Broken legs and shoulders mostly. There's a segment on Red Bull TV showing the Pine Valley jumps. That's one of their spots. steep downhill into big downhill jumps. They get sick air.

cool peoples. They always cheer me...and I always go as hard as I can when I come up on them. Having a pack of talented riders chasing me down Noble Canyon...for as long as I can keep in front of them...is a rush. It happened to me just a couple runs ago. Sometimes I'll go run Noble Canyon on the weekend just to run with the mountain bikers. There's only a few downhill sections where I can stay in front...and it's because there are rocky uphills in the downhills. I run as fast as I can...full out charging...hearing the clanging chains and suspended rubber tires crunching over rocks behind me

* I'd get a bike just to ride up steep paved roads. I'd be about the climbing.

that is where the sugar is...at the top of hills...you dont get any unless you ride up under your own power...but top of the hill sugar is oh so sweet!

 

[redlaser]

I cut mostly Oak...my preference in Oak is California Live Oak..but I'll go higher up and cut Black Oak when the trees present themselves. I too..cut Ponderosa/Jeffery (I really think we have a hybrid of the two growing here)....nothing against pine fires in the morning. Lately I've been burning a bunch of well cured Manzanita...which for quick heat....is hard to beat.

fuck yes. Unless you've processed your own firewood year after year..it's hard to really understand the greatness of old man Stihl inventing the chainsaw. I can't imagine cutting all this wood without a chainsaw. The old days must have been really hard. It's no wonder all the natives headed to the desert during the winter. Smart move.

as it is..spring for me..is the best time to cut. There's no competition and I can get in and harvest the stuff I've kept mum about for a year. My wife and I are a team. We swoop in on logs and make them disappear. In...out...done deal....grab a bunch of landscaping rocks along the way

Nice to have someone moving it while your cutting, makes it go so much easier. I keep manzanita too, hot stuff. Hate to waste anything that needs to be cut, that's really the only reason the pine gets burned. Plus there is a lot of it. We have the Live oak plus some black and blue oak. Trying to clear an old road that was put in to clear the trees 160+ years ago, some of the trees have poison oak growing up them close to thirty feet tall. keep a quart size of Technu for that stuff, works better than anything else I've found.

 

[Jericho Mile]

Nice to have someone moving it while your cutting, makes it go so much easier. I keep manzanita too, hot stuff. Hate to waste anything that needs to be cut, that's really the only reason the pine gets burned. Plus there is a lot of it. We have the Live oak plus some black and blue oak. Trying to clear an old road that was put in to clear the trees 160+ years ago, some of the trees have poison oak growing up them close to thirty feet tall. keep a quart size of Technu for that stuff, works better than anything else I've found.

You speak of poison oak. You then...speak of truth. Anyone who brings up poison oak..definitely spends time in the woods. I have a book on the subject. That shit is everywhere in our drainages. Agree that Technu is the best stuff...but nothing works 100%. I don't get it that bad..but christ...I've seen lots of people who get it way bad. We used to send them down to a clinic to get shots. They couldn't sleep..eyes swelled shut..clothes covered in oak...juts suffering.

Us crew guys used to take pictures and make fun of them....but it did render them mostly useless. I've spent days in burning drainages...whose bottoms were just blanketed in that shit. Sucked having to breathe the smoke.

I cut on private land...and where the Forest Service gives me permits. There's plenty of dead and down....drought and bug kill.

* running with the wife this morning...then going to cut some more wood.

 

[Jericho Mile]

Two a day Juices

Two a day Juices

.....so I be shitting green. I load the juicer with greens.

Got more wood cut...got 8 and 11 mile runs in between all the labor.

expecting rain in a little while. getting cold/windy/overcast

that's about it. be training over the weekend

 

[redlaser]

You speak of poison oak. You then...speak of truth. Anyone who brings up poison oak..definitely spends time in the woods. I have a book on the subject. That shit is everywhere in our drainages. Agree that Technu is the best stuff...but nothing works 100%. I don't get it that bad..but christ...I've seen lots of people who get it way bad. We used to send them down to a clinic to get shots. They couldn't sleep..eyes swelled shut..clothes covered in oak...juts suffering.

Us crew guys used to take pictures and make fun of them....but it did render them mostly useless. I've spent days in burning drainages...whose bottoms were just blanketed in that shit. Sucked having to breathe the smoke.

I cut on private land...and where the Forest Service gives me permits. There's plenty of dead and down....drought and bug kill.

* running with the wife this morning...then going to cut some more wood.

Had poison ivy or oak as a kid and got about 75% covered but never had my eyes shut, although I can imagine it, would make you want to jump out of your skin. Now it only gets out of hand if its not treated the first day or its on gloves or coats that get re-used. Technu needs to be re applied for sure and still misses a bit it seems. Thought it's invented use was interesting, washing radiated dust off. We have a lot of bark beetle damaged pines that need to be taken out as well. Running on top of cutting wood will probably keep you in decent shape, I'll bet you sleep fairly sound.

 

[Crusader Rabbit]

Such misery... I intentionally moved to a location that doesn't have poison oak or ivy.

 

[Jericho Mile]

it's like this..and it's like that

it's like this..and it's like that

...my wood cutting binge has been sidetracked. Circumstances have pushed me off into a rocking binge



^ I have once -in- a- generation access to freshly blown up granite. It is a Mecca of granite boulders that I'll never have access to again. I could not ever be so fortunate.

I hit it for 3 truck loads yesterday evening. 5-75 pound boulders. Today I divided those up into 3 piles...logistically placed in areas where they'll be used. For as long as this Mecca lasts..I'm attacking it with a vengeance. I need an unbelievable amount of such rocks. hit it for all I'm worth



^ The on going process of building a pyramid. This is only the top 1/4...and still not anywhere near a conclusion...but I'm slamming away at the rocking. It's rather an obsessive state of mind I get in to be able to work multiple days rocking the hillside. Nothing easy here. I have to pace myself through the days..just like pacing out long runs. It's an endurance game that's been going on for a lot of years. Me and my hill

Ever move tons and tons of boulders...by yourself...by hand? I couldn't accurately tell you how many tons I've moved. Many.

I go up and down the hill...toting boulders...balancing along ledges..footing over rocks. This landscaping is floating over a jackpot of oak and pine logs. I designed it to slowly decompose...compress and mold to the hillside. It's actually a false hill face...well.....not so much now...as..over the last few years it has evolved and doing what it's supposed to...moving and sinking down. Growing strawberries up the face...

cross training. I'm under 2 wks until the Old Goat 50 Mile race. I have a mountain of granite to pull from...an unbelievable mountain of it...so much so...that if I took 100 truck loads...you'd not be able to even see where I'd gotten them from. It is vast. Vast and heavy...and on flat ground!!!!!!!!!!....back the truck up to the mountainous pile..and load

so...juicing....stretching...running...and moving rocks all over the fucking place.

Lately I've been feeling really strong..shit's coming together

 

[unclefishstick]

just watched that doc about the barkley runs last night...looks epic....

 

[Jericho Mile]

just watched that doc about the barkley runs last night...looks epic....

Thats a tough one. Invitation only.

 

[unclefishstick]

the guys who finished looked pretty wiped out,it was funny watching them cram down food during the stops between laps,just a non stop binge of cup of noodles and ensure and bananas....

 

[Madjag]

...my wood cutting binge has been sidetracked. Circumstances have pushed me off into a rocking binge

View Image

^ I have once -in- a- generation access to freshly blown up granite. It is a Mecca of granite boulders that I'll never have access to again. I could not ever be so fortunate.

I hit it for 3 truck loads yesterday evening. 5-75 pound boulders. Today I divided those up into 3 piles...logistically placed in areas where they'll be used. For as long as this Mecca lasts..I'm attacking it with a vengeance. I need an unbelievable amount of such rocks. hit it for all I'm worth

View Image

^ The on going process of building a pyramid. This is only the top 1/4...and still not anywhere near a conclusion...but I'm slamming away at the rocking. It's rather an obsessive state of mind I get in to be able to work multiple days rocking the hillside. Nothing easy here. I have to pace myself through the days..just like pacing out long runs. It's an endurance game that's been going on for a lot of years. Me and my hill

Ever move tons and tons of boulders...by yourself...by hand? I couldn't accurately tell you how many tons I've moved. Many.

I go up and down the hill...toting boulders...balancing along ledges..footing over rocks. This landscaping is floating over a jackpot of oak and pine logs. I designed it to slowly decompose...compress and mold to the hillside. It's actually a false hill face...well.....not so much now...as..over the last few years it has evolved and doing what it's supposed to...moving and sinking down. Growing strawberries up the face...

cross training. I'm under 2 wks until the Old Goat 50 Mile race. I have a mountain of granite to pull from...an unbelievable mountain of it...so much so...that if I took 100 truck loads...you'd not be able to even see where I'd gotten them from. It is vast. Vast and heavy...and on flat ground!!!!!!!!!!....back the truck up to the mountainous pile..and load

so...juicing....stretching...running...and moving rocks all over the fucking place.

Lately I've been feeling really strong..shit's coming together

Score, score, score.....rocks, chunks, boulders, flagstone, and fieldstone. It makes my world go round, too. Dudeski, how is that you and I...

When I build my dry-stack rock walls I move every rock at least 3 times. Sometimes 4 times. Once at the source, be it a rock yard or out in nature, picking it up and putting it in my van or truck. The second time is unloading it in my yard. The third time is to place it, if, and only if, I unloaded it to the place I am actually building. Otherwise, I pick it up again and take it to where I am building. That makes 4 times.

3 tons = 6,000 lbs.
3 x 6,000 lbs. = 18,000 lbs (9 tons).
Don't even multiple the 4th time......

I find myself looking for places to use rocks and I believe it is because my body loves the essential work involved and the pain/pleasure of all that lifting, moving, and placing.

Lovely. Glad you have a project for your down time..hahahaha....

 

[Jericho Mile]

the guys who finished looked pretty wiped out,it was funny watching them cram down food during the stops between laps,just a non stop binge of cup of noodles and ensure and bananas....

After we talked last night...I went and found the documentary on NetFlix ..smoked a bunch of hash...and watched it.

I've raced with one of the dudes that's in it....the young dude with long hair...wearing the trucker hat..who dropped out on the fourth loop (he came back the next year and finished I believe)....

but yeah that race is unique....

my wife asked me if I was interested. Of course.

 

[Jericho Mile]

Score, score, score.....rocks, chunks, boulders, flagstone, and fieldstone. It makes my world go round, too. Dudeski, how is that you and I...

When I build my dry-stack rock walls I move every rock at least 3 times. Sometimes 4 times. Once at the source, be it a rock yard or out in nature, picking it up and putting it in my van or truck. The second time is unloading it in my yard. The third time is to place it, if, and only if, I unloaded it to the place I am actually building. Otherwise, I pick it up again and take it to where I am building. That makes 4 times.

3 tons = 6,000 lbs.
3 x 6,000 lbs. = 18,000 lbs (9 tons).
Don't even multiple the 4th time......

I find myself looking for places to use rocks and I believe it is because my body loves the essential work involved and the pain/pleasure of all that lifting, moving, and placing.

Lovely. Glad you have a project for your down time..hahahaha....

I LOVE doing this kind of work. I wish only..that I could show you, dudes how the hill looked before I started. I took out a flight of stairs...several trees..and moved a lot of existing top soil. then:

cut and intertwined the logs (which was very heavy work...also time consuming)....brought in 20 tons of decomposing granite and 18 tons of granite boulder. I paid to have that brought to me...think it ended up being 3 different 10 yard trucks (one brought a trailer)..at 3 different times..weeks apart..to give me time to get the deliveries moved because the landing area needed to be kept clear for the new loads.

All these rocks and DG are being brought in from above so:

I have to unload my pick up truck by carrying the rocks down the hill a little ways..and then throwing them off into a bowl I have set up as my landing area. I also unload my firewood there...so it's an area that is constantly being filled up with material...then cleared out so more can come in. Always in motion.

Now...I'm setting up to spread the rocking down the backyard hill (the house is in the middle of the pyramid)...which at this time...has limited amounts of supporting...but will eventually...look like the front piece. It's a big and long piece...and all the rocks have to be brought down. Some days..on this project...that's all I do...lift and move rocks to where they will be needed. Just in that one picture I showed you...I'd estimate that I need at least another 20 tons of rock to get it all supported and covered. There shouldn't be many of the logs exposed when it's done.

* Every time I hear the explosions...every time I hear the equipment running..see the trucks hauling out the boulders..I become ecstatic. I can not believe my good fortune. They are way behind schedule on the roadway they are widening...hurrying to shave off the side of a mountain...which is made up of all granite.

The workers knock off around 4:30.....giving me a few hours to collect up my loads. Doesn't take me long to load a 1/2 ton truck up...short drive...unload...rinse repeat. When I get it home....that's where to real work starts.

I've handled each rock that is in this project...probably at least...4 or 5 times by the time they are actually in place.

** I find this work...along with wood cutting...great for managing body form and staying strong. I stretch in the mornings and in the evenings...otherwise...I might become hobbled and bent backed. I have to contort my body into all kinds of angles and forms to get the rocks into place. Humping bigger (50+ pound rocks) up or down or side slope the hill works about every part of the human body. Makes me tired by the end of the day. Some days I'm also getting in 7-10 mile trail runs.

Rocking is the essence of the life. So many lessons to learn and metaphors to be found. It's animal work. Grunt...Lift...Grind..Break...Smash..Dig....Drop...rearrange and do it again

*** next week I'll have to force myself to stop working on this. I have to get some rest before the race. I don't want to go into the Old Goat 50M with a tired body. That would not be so good.

 

[unclefishstick]

After we talked last night...I went and found the documentary on NetFlix ..smoked a bunch of hash...and watched it.

I've raced with one of the dudes that's in it....the young dude with long hair...wearing the trucker hat..who dropped out on the fourth loop (he came back the next year and finished I believe)....

but yeah that race is unique....

my wife asked me if I was interested. Of course.

somehow i thought it might peak your interest...seems to be a common theme in the realm of endurance sports,the purposeful suffer fest...something you know from the outset is going to be a test beyond the simple physical aspect...


my first thought on seeing your landscaping was it would be a gnarly climb on a bike!

 

[Madjag]

Caught my ring finger under a 90 lb rock that I was settling into place. I lifted one corner and walked it to drop in place a bit further. Unfortunately there was a bump underneath that filled the space where my finger should have had room.

First time that I've not just ripped skin, but burst it. The 2" inch drop was enough to blow the side of my finger out so the blood could escape. Holy shit, it comes with the job, but man I was running in place yelling until my mind said ice, ice, ice. I ran to the frig dripping blood through the kitchen, opened the freezer, and no ice. No freaking ice!

My karma was good though because there were two popsicles. I slammed them over the finger like a hot dog in a bun. Kept it there until the pops totally were a melting mess. That cold relief saved my ass.

 

[Jericho Mile]

somehow i thought it might peak your interest...seems to be a common theme in the realm of endurance sports,the purposeful suffer fest...something you know from the outset is going to be a test beyond the simple physical aspect...


my first thought on seeing your landscaping was it would be a gnarly climb on a bike!

That's funny. I often start my runs by going up and down that hill a bunch of times. I've actually spent close to an hour just bouncing up and down it and stretching out. I stretch out a lot on the rocks. Kind of like a little climbing wall....you can stretch into some crazy positions.

Once I connect the backyard landscaping to the front yard landscaping I'll have over a 75 foot long climb...with two hills...and a 33' elevation change....and several different routes to take. My compound training program. Pull up and dip bars....hills..some free weights in the yard..and lots of heavy rocks to carry if I feel I need to run with weight.

 

[Jericho Mile]

Caught my ring finger under a 90 lb rock that I was settling into place. I lifted one corner and walked it to drop in place a bit further. Unfortunately there was a bump underneath that filled the space where my finger should have had room.

First time that I've not just ripped skin, but burst it. The 2" inch drop was enough to blow the side of my finger out so the blood could escape. Holy shit, it comes with the job, but man I was running in place yelling until my mind said ice, ice, ice. I ran to the frig dripping blood through the kitchen, opened the freezer, and no ice. No freaking ice!

My karma was good though because there were two popsicles. I slammed them over the finger like a hot dog in a bun. Kept it there until the pops totally were a melting mess. That cold relief saved my ass.

Ouch! I don't even want to think about doing that. I've come close so many times I can't count. That sucks.

The other day I had to jump out of the way of a minor landslide while collecting rocks off the mound. They've been pushing them up...forming the pile..with a big front loader...so the rocks are not settled at all. Some are big enough to crush me to death.

* I worked a little (couple hours) on the landscaping this morning...but started getting too involved so..

headed out a little after 1:00 and got just under 10 miles of hill climbing in..feeling really good...ran strong..but

I'm not feeling like loading any rocks today. I'm going to kick it...give myself a rest.

 

[unclefishstick]

you would need to do all sorts of crazy trials bike type of stuff to get up that...all sorts of bunny hops and side hops...even what you would consider the easiest line up would no doubt be a serious challenge on a bike...hiking trails generally make crappy riding trail but riding trails make great hiking trails aside from their propensity to weave and bob for no apparent reason..