# Been Digging Lately , Sorta



## logueb (Jun 8, 2012)

Been digging lately, but not for bottles. Although I did find a few by accident.  Well, it all started back last July.  Corporate announced that our plant would close in 2012.  So I started looking for a little piece of land to hunt and fish on during my retirement. 43 years here next month.  Turn 62 next month. So I found a little spot of 17 acres that I could afford and yanked the money out of my 401K (Uncle Sam took 20% of the top). Driving to "The Farm". Land is on the left.


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## logueb (Jun 8, 2012)

The place has a small stream running through the property.


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## logueb (Jun 8, 2012)

Listed on Realty Website as having old pond site.


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## logueb (Jun 8, 2012)

The place was left in a family estate and divided by the heirs.  It appeared to have been neglected for many years.  The old pond dam had sweetgum trees growing inside the pond dam.  Not good for a dam,


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## logueb (Jun 8, 2012)

Nothing to do but crank up the ol chainsaw and go to work.


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## logueb (Jun 8, 2012)

The dam had several huge pine trees that had blown down over the years.


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## Dugout (Jun 8, 2012)

Looks like you have lots of hard work ahead of you.
 But once its done you can live happily ever after. 
 Congratulations on the upcoming retirement!


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## logueb (Jun 8, 2012)

Located the trickle drain near a giant river birch that had roots growing in the rusted out drain.


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## logueb (Jun 8, 2012)

Pulling those logs out by hand with rope and tackle was tough.  I really need a tractor.


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## logueb (Jun 8, 2012)

Finally got all the logs pulled out and stacked to dry.


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## logueb (Jun 8, 2012)

Local power utility will not give me electric service until I cut a 30 foot right-of-way.  Crank up the ol chain saw. Have to open up the road I made.


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## logueb (Jun 8, 2012)

Work all day, then swing a chainsaw to dark.


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## logueb (Jun 8, 2012)

It's going to take a while to clean this mess up.


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## logueb (Jun 8, 2012)

Looks like I will have plenty of firewood next winter.


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## logueb (Jun 8, 2012)

30 foot right-of-way. cleared


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## logueb (Jun 8, 2012)

Son-in-law built me a utility pole.  Had to pay and get a permit, had to have it inspected , but finally got electricity.  Had to pay to have the line run across my property.


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## logueb (Jun 8, 2012)

The next step was to see if the pond would hold water.  Searched the web and found some forums on ponds. "Dig a hole and fill it with water and see how long it takes to drain" was the test.  So I dug a spot and waited for rain.


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## logueb (Jun 8, 2012)

Had a small rain and the hole filled up.


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## logueb (Jun 8, 2012)

Used the clay to increase the size of the dam.  Too many stumps to try to dig out.


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## logueb (Jun 8, 2012)

Slow go with the shovel and wheelbarrow.  Got some leads on a good used tractor.


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## logueb (Jun 8, 2012)

Finally located a used 2210 Yanmar with a Bulldog front end loader.  Borrowed a dirt scoop from a friend.  Let the digging begin!


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## logueb (Jun 8, 2012)

Pond is filled with sand and silt.


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## logueb (Jun 8, 2012)

I'm trying to fix the place for the grandkids to have a place to camp and fish. Son has 7 year old twin girls.  Daughter had twin boys last October.  Trying to level the campsite with all that sand in the pond.


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## logueb (Jun 8, 2012)

Someone had used the road as a dump.  Cleaned up as much as I could.  Sold $90 worth of scrap metal.  Hauled a lot of cans and bottles to the dumpsters.  Also had three flat tires on the tractor from nails and wire[]


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## logueb (Jun 8, 2012)

The dump appeared to be from the 60s and 70s.  I did find 5 ladies though.  Appear to be Aunt Jemima Syrup bottles.


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## logueb (Jun 8, 2012)

Thanks Dugout.  Looks like I may be here to November before I can retire.  Been thinking about building a hunting cabin out of the logs that I cut.  Just an idea.  Practiced on notching logs.


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## logueb (Jun 8, 2012)

The twin girls asks me why I called it "The Farm".  They said Poppy, there are no animals here.  I said sure there are.  There's rabbits, squirrels, turkeys , deer, and beavers.  The beavers are building small dams in the creek below the pond.[].  They chew down the trees and skin the bark off the limbs.


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## Dugout (Jun 8, 2012)

Beavers are a big problem on our creek too.


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## mr.fred (Jun 8, 2012)

Good to see you back around Buster![]-------looks like you have your hands full[8|]. Still digging in the swamp? ~Fred


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## logueb (Jun 8, 2012)

Yeah Dugout, those beavers can be quite a pain. Set some snares but no luck. When I get through with the pond they better look out. 

 No Mr. Fred I have'nt had the time lately to dig in the swamp.  But got the itch to dig real bad. Water level is up and down with these tropical depressions lately.  I started a lot of projects thinking that I would be out by the end of June.  I bought chickens and ducks for the farm.  What was I thinking!!!!A large vegetable garden. Ducks and Chickens together. Got to build a seperate pin.  Mallards testing their wings. Just not enough hours in the day.

 Thanks for looking.


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## OsiaBoyce (Jun 8, 2012)

Way to go Buster,

  I see you are like me in the respect of having your pond  fixed before you get to work on anything else. Built mine before I built my house w/ the reasoning,,,,,,gonna need a place to cool off. That pan on the back is the ticket, and bucket's not a bad thing to have around the house.

 Georgia Power made you cut that r-o-w? Never heard of cutting your own on this side of the river.

 To get rid of those bevers, get a 'conibear' trap. Those are some mean traps as they kill everything they catch.


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## logueb (Jun 9, 2012)

Thanks Pat. Wasn't Georgia Power, was the local Co-Op.  Because it was not my 24/7 residence was the reason they gave.  When they leave the road's right-of-way, the charges begin.  They use to do it for no charge. Just glad to get the power.  Next will be getting the well dug. The drought has all the well diggers busy drilling wells for the farmers. 
 As far as the Conibar trap, I'll let you come set it for me.  That thing can break a man's arm like a dried twig. Couldn't get the man at the hardware store to show me how, so I went with the snares.
 Hope to get the pond finished soon.  Until later, Buster


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## logueb (Jun 12, 2012)

We got 6" of rain in two days.  No more digging in the pond for awhile. Water everywhere.


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## logueb (Jun 12, 2012)

The creek bed in the pond was bone dry Saturday.


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## logueb (Jun 12, 2012)

The small branch below the pond was running over the beaver dam.  Guess them critters will be busy.


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## logueb (Jun 12, 2012)

The beavers chew up a lot of good timber.  A sweetgum with the gum running.


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## logueb (Jun 12, 2012)

It was rainning so hard that the turtles were headed to high ground.  This terrapin was about the size of an army helmet.  Well, maybe I should quit  for a while on this place and go throw some dirt in a dump.[]  Got the urge to find some glass.  Till later.  Buster


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## Stardust (Jun 14, 2012)

Buster `
 Happy Retirement ~ What a DELIGHTFUL story [] I hope you'll keep it updated ~ You are one hard worker. I'll bet those 5 ladies are happy you found them. []
 I love to hear a happy grandfather talk about his clan ~ Enjoy your life on the farm making happy memories ~  stardust   *


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## capsoda (Jun 15, 2012)

Gonna be a nice place when you finish. Congrats on your retirement...not the work really begins!!![sm=lol.gif]


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## madman (Jun 17, 2012)

wow youve been real busy! are you doing all this by yourself????


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## logueb (Jun 18, 2012)

Thanks Star, Warren, and Mike.

 Stardust, The twin 7 year old girls just love the place.  The well digging man is supposed to met me today to begin on the well.  Once I have the well and septic tank in, then I will be able to bring the camper up, If they ever let me leave here.

 Warren,  I know how difficult and time consuming it is to have a relative suffer with Cancer.  Lost my older brother back in March to lung cancer.  He and I were both heavy smokers for 25 or more years, though both of us had quit for many years.  I was planning on taking him to see the farm when he got well enough, but..... Hope your son has  a full recovery.  I pray that it will be God's will.  My brother was my  digging partner for many, many years.  Kinda knocked the wind out of my sails on digging, but hope to get back into it soon.  I still have a lot of work to do on the place, so I'll be busy for some time after retirement.

 Mike,  Yes I've done all the work by myself and some Saturday help from the wife.   My wife said that I should have got somebody to dig it and be done with it.  And miss all that good excerise. I still have what I promised to ship to you, just haven't took the time. So I haven't forgotten.   Are you still digging in the same dump?

 Thanks again for looking.  Buster


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## Stardust (Jun 19, 2012)

Buster ~

 My granddaughter is 7 also. What a fun age x's 2 for you. [] Then I have a little boy who is 5 they make me so  H A P P Y ~ 

 Now listen to your wife, don't over do it...You want to be able to enjoy yourself there. []

 Keep on posting pics though, it's so nice to watch your progress.

 Also, sorry about the loss of your brother...Maybe he'll give you a sign that he's there with you in spirit at the farm.

 star ~


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## logueb (Jun 20, 2012)

Thanks Star.  Well the well diggers showed up yesterday. Started drilling, hit water at 40 feet, went into some type of underground cavern, river or something at 80 feet.  I was wanting 120 feet or more but as long as I get a well with good water that does not dry up in droughts I will be satisfied.


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## logueb (Jun 20, 2012)

Meanwhile........Back at home.  The chickens need feeding........ Bought 24 biddies (What was I thinking.....) 6 Rhode Island Reds (Straight run) 6 New Hampshire Reds (pullets) 6 Golden Comets (straight run) 2 Silver laced Wyandottes, and 4 Dominique (domminickers). I figured that they would be 75% roosters on the straight run biddies, but so far I can only identify two that are definitely roosters.


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## logueb (Jun 20, 2012)

Lost one domminicker, but the other three are always early to the roost.


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## logueb (Jun 20, 2012)

Silver Laced Wyandotte.


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## logueb (Jun 20, 2012)

Eight ducks....What was I thinking.   They are wanting their kiddie swimming pool water changed.  The 5 mallards are testing out thier wings.  They get about three feet off the ground.


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## logueb (Jun 20, 2012)

On to the garden.  Squash need picking.  Trying to go organic gardening as much as possible.


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## logueb (Jun 20, 2012)

Squash making like crazy because of the rain.


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## logueb (Jun 20, 2012)

I had some wire baskets left over because I didn't plant as many tomatoes as I usually do.  Letting the cucumbers climb.  Keeps them from running all over the place.


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## logueb (Jun 20, 2012)

Need to pull weeds out of the watermellon patch.


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## logueb (Jun 20, 2012)

Need to add more mulch to the pea and bean patch, but the Blue Lake snapbeans need picking.  Grass needs cutting.  Tomorrow is another day.  Have to be at work at 6:00AM.  Done bored you folks enough for one day.  Thanks for looking. Hope to be back digging bottles soon.  Buster


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## Stardust (Jun 21, 2012)

Wow Buster,
 What a Blessed life you live....
 My grand kids have chickens...they are so cute. Their chicks that were suppose to females turned out to roosters. :  (  So, they had to find a new home and get new ones. The kids carry the chickens all around. lol [] I raised a chicken a long time ago. Hatched it from an egg. Back when I was a camp director of a nature camp program for kids. Your woods makes me think of the good old days there. We had it good back then. I worked there and my kids all got to go to camp for free. I even got to bring their cousins one at a time each year. We sure had lots of happy memories there. I love the woods and nature. I grew up in the woods as a kid myself. That is where I started digging up bottles. So seeing all your pics is bringing up happy memories for me. 

 Well, thanks for the update....[] I'll keep checking in on this story. Thanks again for your update.  stardust


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## logueb (Jun 25, 2012)

The well is dug, just waiting on the pump to be put in.  Decided to clean up some more of the dump by the road that goes to the dam.  Years ago people thought nothing about finding rural areas to dump trash on, sometimes it was not even on their land.  There are better laws in place now for illegal dumping. Well I made a few finds that brought back memories from my childhood.  This appears to be a lever action BB gun.  My brother an I shot many a bb with our Daisy pump bb guns.  Still have mine in the storage building somewhere.


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## logueb (Jun 25, 2012)

Old Spice bottle.  This thing brings back memories.  This was the only after shave lotion that my step-dad would use.  This bottle still had the plug and there was a litte left inside.  You never forget the smell of Old spice.


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## logueb (Jun 25, 2012)

Noticed this bird at the edge of the pond looking for tadpoles.  It appears to be a Lesser Bittern heron.  Very small for a heron. This thing has a long neck but keeps it retracted for some reason.


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## logueb (Jun 25, 2012)

Stalking its prey


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## logueb (Jun 25, 2012)

Seconds after it strikes.  The neck stretches out to strike. Then it retracts.


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