Here it is, the first day of 2003.
ElectricAl and I were thinking about a few Forestry Forum members we met this last year. 8)
This summer we needed some real nice Cedar (Iowa has lousy Cedar). Bibbyman's favorite sawyer Mary sawed the order for us. ElectricAl slipped down to their compound in July to pick it up. Nice folks and nice operation.
(https://forestryforum.com/images/YaBBImages/userpics/marystuff.jpg)
(https://forestryforum.com/images/YaBBImages/userpics/EasyChair.JPG)
In September, the Arkansawyer helped us out by sawing and delivering 8 - 8x8x21' White Oak beams for a new house down our road. Normally 21' stock is not a problem to get, except this time. The beams were delivered less than two weeks before the dry wallers were scheduled. :o
Arkansawyer could be very serious about business, then a minute later have us laughing at his humor.
Here I am with Arkansawyer, having homemade pizza after the delivery.
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To finish out the year HorseLogger stopped by in December to pick up a dust collector he needed for the 4 head moulder he is setting up. Horselogger's approach to low impact logging is a refreshing thought. His attention to detail and stewardship to the land comes from his walk with the Lord.
(https://forestryforum.com/images/YaBBImages/userpics/HorseLogger%20and%20ElectricAl.JPG)
Grainy digital photos don't do HorseLogger or ElectricAl justice. :(
Linda
Every one here makes a person feel like real freinds even if you haven't met them. Grate place to spend time. :D
Aren't they all just great! Like one great big happy family! :)
Linda
You know, when Al came down to get the cedar, we took right off talking about this and that like we were next door neighbors that see each other a couple times a week. Pretty much the same when Arkansawyer stopped by on his swing back from Al and Linda's place – except it was like being on 78 instead of 33-1/3. It was like that up at the Wood-Mizer anniversary party last summer when a bunch of us got together.
Mary and I are really tied down here at the sawmill right now but we'd like to make some arrangements so we could get away and take a little tour and visit some of our new old friends.
It is a great place to hang out and meet new people with forestry interests. Happy new year to everyone. Saki
There are so many things besides forestry/logging/sawmilling that we as a group have in common------a person who loves the forest just naturally enjoys nature and seeing beautiful country. Seems to make person more apt to appreciate the one who created it all too. Guns and hunting are a natural interest for the ones who like the forest as well.
I'm not sure how come you all have such a weird sense of humor though.
It was a real privelage for me to meet Whitepe and Rick this fall. I'm looking forward to seeing them again (in MO.) and have plans to meet a few other members in 2003. There are a whack of members that I hope to eventually shake hands with.
Noble
So true are the friends I have made and wished I could spend more time with each. Last April a bunch of us met at the WM open house in Mt Vernon MO. We had a quite a time. When Bibbyman, Haytrader and I went to each lunch with our wives and some more friends we just about empited the place. FF had a booth at the WM party in June and I met several people to include Jeff who owns no orange paint. ;D
To drive 600 miles and step out of the truck and met some one for the first time and feel like long time friends is a pleasure.
To you and yours a Happy and Blessed New Year.
ARKANSAWYER
In 2002 I got to meet, as near as I can remember. (Tom you don't count. I came to Florida in 01) :)
Bibbyman and Mary
Arkansawyer and wife
Macurtis (What the heck happened to mike??)
Whitepe and Becky
Rick Schmalzried
Woodman
Cedar Eater and wife
Corley5 and Dee and Zack 8)
Kevin (See post where is kevin and follow instructions)
Kevin_C
Jack Pilon
Anthony Witherspoon
Stamp (Nah she don't count)
I think I met other members at Wood-Mizer but didn't know it.
Ravioli Kid!
I know there are more.
In each case it was not like meeting someone new.(Except Arky, cause ya'll aint never seen nothin like him before ;)) but like meeting an old friend.
Noble has suggested a get together at some point and offered his area. There is never going to be a good spot for all of us, but I figure heck, I better mention his offer in public so there is a record and he is on the hook if thats where it should be. :)
I do hope this can happen someday. It would be as one of my good friends likes to say (The one that don't count) TOO COOL!!
Hey I know how to get to Mozory. 8)
It would be a long drive for me but I would try and make it. That is depending on when it was. Anyone going to Harrisburg, Penn this spring?
I'm in Harrisburg every day. I work there. Are you talking about the Farm Show next week or the expo in June.
I'll be at the Farm Show on Friday afternoon. I'll be at the American Chestnut Foundation booth. Now if I only had some Forestry Forum material to hand out. :D
The Form is like going down to the general store and talking to your friends and neighbors only its all over the county . ;)
Ron will they let you put up our poster?
Tell'em like it is, RMay. :)
I'm only going to be there for a few hours. The show lasts for over a week. Besides, I'm not that well connected yet. :D I guess I could wear some FF underwear.
This show will attract well over 1/2 million people. A lot are suburban people that will walk through cow flops. But, quite a few farmers go there to show off their produce and livestock. They even have a Christmas tree division.
FF underwear! :D :D :D
This I've gotta see! :D :D
On second thought..............Maybe not!! :-/ I wouldn't want to encourage a FF underwear modeling show. :-[ That could be a bad thing! :o :o
Linda
Actually they are pretty cool, Linda. They were modeled after me and Charlie and you just gotta click on the FF store and look at a pair. ::)
Linda your fine thread has taken a turn south. :D
I for one promise to travel to Harrisburg to see it if Ron promises to work the chestnut booth wearing only a pair of Forestry Forum Boxers and a shirt.
Just click on the Forestry Forum Store at the bottom of the page. Boxer shorts - just $14.99 8)
They even have hats! $12.99 :)
Maybe I'll have to send off for a sweatshirt to give some advertising.
Woodman has one of the hats. They are O.K. but I would wait for the real thing.
Just a note folks, I don't make any money off that thing. I set it up to send any profit to log a load for kids and it was a bust and I never took the link off. The stuff does seem to be pretty good but pricey.
'From July 2001 it's Tom, Charlie and Forestry Forum Underwear (https://forestryforum.com/cgi-bin/board/YaBB.pl?board=changes;action=display;num=996060389;start=1) :D
Nice! 8) I was relieved to see that they are boxers! I can't imagine if they were...............................never mind!
Maybe we should change the subject before anyone else gets any ideas.
Sorry Jeff! :-[ :( :'( I won't ever do it again! :-X
Let's head back north now okay!
X
Sheesh :o I finally find some time to add to this thread and it has degraded into this ??? Well I'll try and turn it back home ;D I am glad you made a post like this Linda as I had been meaning to make the same point. This past summer, I had the privledge of spending a lot of time with forum member DonP from Virginia.( I think you missed him on your list Jeff ! )He is a log home builder that travels out to this area to work ( used to) Being able to meet him and work with him , and the incredible amount of time and energy he spent on my family as we built our own shop and house this last year was a huge blessing. If it was not for the Forestry Forum I would not have met him! During the long building process, I did very little sawing, and no logging ( for 10 months :-[) Being able to check in on the forum in the morning and night was one of the ways I kept "in touch" and motivated about the line of work I am in.I did not add much as I was usually to wiped out, but reading every one elses contributions helped me get through. The recent visit I had with Elecric Al and Linda was a blessing to me also, as it is always great to see other like minded folks and there response to the sawmilling life. And yes we even got to grumble and co-misserate about the down side of what we do, but even a little of that helps as you realize that we all go through a lot of the same stresses, but the common bond is the wood business and that is the tie that binds, and makes visiting with folks you've never met like a visit with old friends. So... I have meant to say this before and thanks to Linda starting this post, Thank you Jeff B for all the work you put into this site , And to all who contribute, for giving me an intresting place to charge my batteries!
DonP !! That's why I wrote the line "I know there are more" I was having one of them moments where I knew I was forgetting someone or someones.
Don and I got to spend a little time together at Logging congress in Madison Wisconsin. He came up from Horseloggers on a day trip. Horselogger had some other things to do and was not able to come along so I missed him. Don's visit that day was actually the high point of logging congress for me. He came up to the MFRA booth and said "Hi Jeff". I know I had a befuddled look on my face trying to figure out who he was. He let me squirm just the right amount of time and then said "Don P". We stuck our hands out and instantly the "do I know this guy?" turned into a comfortable familiarity.
We walked around the displays and talked as friends. I was sorry I had the responsibility of the MFRA booth that day because it really shortened our visit.
I worked for a gentleman one time who described a friend as a lone white oak in a sunbeaten pasture, I loved the description.
When Horselogger walked onto my jobsite I was pouring my heart out just like to an old friend inside of about five minutes. We had a trying year and it was always with a grin that I would hear Horselogger's diesel turn the corner onto our road. I knew at least for a little while we would sit under that oak.
Jeff I was real tempted to get a room in Madison and hang out awhile, in that big a crowd I know just how a deer in the headlights feels. I let the meaningless pulls of life drag me back toward work. You know, how many people in their last days do you hear say "I wish I had spent more time at work"?
On my way back from Madison I swung by Horselogger's project and got there at almost dark, I had missed them. So I scrawled a note on a joist and moseyed on back toward my job about 45 minutes away. I pulled in to get gas at the town between us and when I tried to restart my truck...nothing... the starter had decided that it was done, its an automatic. Who comes driving by? Horselogger, coming to town pick up a pizza for Amy's birthday. He runs me home and I return the favor by making him late getting home on an important day. I told my wife what had happened and she let me know that I was sending Amy flowers...now I've never been a real flowery kinda guy so I sent her some work instead. :D Hope they grow big and tall.
From my line of work we've been on the road alot. I've joked that if you need to know where a parts house is I've probably broken down there and know the way. I've told Michelle to take comfort in the fact that no matter where she is there is more than likely a friend within a day that would come in a pinch. On several occasions we've rolled into a former clients yard to spend the night, or a week, on a moments notice needing time and a place. I feel that same way about the folks here and hope to have an opportunity to meet more of you.
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Had my first "in person" meeting saturday. Met Ken "Hawby" Hawblitz at his house south of me and watched him with his woodmizer cut up a log. I took my brother in law and his boy, along with my son and we all had a great couple hours. The boys liked the noise of the saw, but quickly discovered eating icicles was more interesting. Ken answered my questions, showed us how the mill worked, showed us the ole family farm, and even let me run a couple passes with the mill. I can't think of many people who would let some guy show up at their house who they have never seen before and have at the controls of one of their most expensive toys. Must be some extra special people on here. We talked like fellas do, about tools, saw, mills, work and women. With varying degrees of emotions on all topics. I imagine we coud have spent all day goofing off and yacking away on one topic after the next but the boys get restless and we hit the road before wearing out our welcome. With all those flashing "trees" in MI I am looking forward to some great road trips and meeting some great people. Thanks again for the time and hospitality Ken, and I look forward to our next visit. JB