Making it thrugh another year, '24-'25

[Old Greenhorn]

If there is ice or it's slick, absolutely Pete! But right now it's soft snow which is more like sand than anything. We haven't had any warming except from the sun which only thaws and refreezes a very thing crust, not worth worrying about. I keep a bag on the backseat in the truck that has all my 'possibles' like wedges extra gloves, marking tape and paint, screnches, etc. In that bag is also my Yaxtrax which work great. My next trip out I think I may switch to my husky chainsaw boots which are huge and awkward, but have screws in the soles for traction. They weigh a ton and are size 15 (I wear 11), I feel like a clown walking around in them.

[Peter Drouin]

my husky chainsaw boots which are huge and awkward, but have screws in the soles for traction. They weigh a ton 

I almost got some at Windy Ridge the last time I was there. [logging store]  I use a pullover rubber creepers over my leather boots from LL Bean. 
I often wear them when I have a saw in my hand in the winter.

[SwampDonkey]

I always wear chainsaw boots with chaulk bottoms when I'm chainsawing. I wear them all summer running a clearing saw as well. Keep my but off the ground. Hard soled work boots are the worst for woods work, if you don't want your knees or hips for long. The first slippery spruce root that takes you down will have you rethink this.  I know several older guys than me that only wore leather boots in the woods, they can barely walk now.

[Old Greenhorn]

Well I like these Yax Trax. They are a bit of a pain to put on sometimes in the snow, but they work well. If you walk on dry concrete they don't hurt your feet at all.


I got those I think, on a suggestion from Nebraska a few years back.

[doc henderson]

Tom looks like you fell on the ice and broke you lower leg.  I would try to straighten it out and go to the ED.  make a splint out of some newspaper or magazines.

[Peter Drouin]

Tom looks like you fell on the ice and broke you lower leg.  I would try to straighten it out and go to the ED.  make a splint out of some newspaper or magazines.

[Old Greenhorn]

All good. I just happen to be very flexible .

[SawyerTed]

Thank goodness you are flexible!  I had a Joe Thiesman-like injury flashback!  No thanks to @doc henderson!  

[WV Sawmiller]

   When he's not sawing mushroom logs, working on his box trailer, abusing stringed instruments, or fabricating custom wood pieces for thankless customers he moonlights as Mr. Fantastic, the stretchy guy on The Fantastic Four.

    I used to wear those Yaktraks in Bagram in Afghanistan as we had problems with ice all over the camp. Using big river rocks for dust abatement instead of crushed gravel was an even bigger problem causing year round ankle injuries.

[Resonator]

Worth their weight in gold on a slick ice day, anything to help prevent falling down. I wear the lesser price stretchy rubber ones with carbide cleats over my shoes, can slip them on-off as needed. Only caution if you have to climb on machinery with metal steps/hard floors, your feet can slide on them.

[Nebraska]

 Thankfully I haven't gotten my set out so far this winter. Got  4 or so inches of fluffy dry snow last night.  I'm sure they come in handy on that shale you work on around the mill. 

[SwampDonkey]

So far, I been doing well with my LL Bean winter boots. We haven't had any ice storms and no constant freeze and thaw cycles. They are pretty good on patches of sanded ice along the road side. I had a pair of expensive leather work boots with Vibrum soles one time. The sole was too hard, and when you stepped on frozen packed snow with those your feet were going everywhere. I couldn't wear those cursed things in winter. They were insulated to. That was 30 years ago and they was $300 back then. They were comfy boots, but no good in winter. 

[GRANITEstateMP]

All good. I just happen to be very flexible .

Pre-season Mushroom Log Special!

Get a FREE 20min 1 on 1 Yoga Session with "Gumby Tom the Mushroom Log Man" with every 150 logs purchased and prepaid!

Spaces are limited.  Limit, 1 per household.  Bring your own yoga mat. Offer expires 2/25/25.  No flash photography.  

[SawyerTed]

Ugh!  Spandex yoga/mushroom logging?  Eeewwww! 

[Old Greenhorn]

Ted, I have no idea how you made the leap from Granite's post to spandex. Both were pretty funny though.
 Yeah um, no spandex here... ever.

[SawyerTed]

Apparently it's a tragic flaw in my imagination...    

[Old Greenhorn]

Yeah, our minds can be a terrible thing sometimes. Like you I have little control over where mine goes either.  For instance, after reading your post, somehow my mind went here:

[Nebraska]

Did Hayseed Dixie have a version of that?
Either way I enjoyed it. 

[Old Greenhorn]

I don't know who hayseed is, but a lot of folks have covered that tune. I like what 2Cellos does with it, very intense, but I thought that version might be too much for this crowd. Then again, of I was thinking of the audience, I might have posted this one:

[aigheadish]

I've only tried it once or twice but spandex under your normal pants, in the cold, with socks over the spandex is a beautiful thing. When it hits October or November I wear pajama pants under my real pants and pull my socks over the bottoms, it's incredible, but I assume most the guys here wear long johns. I find pajama pants much comfier. 

[Old Greenhorn]

That may have been a little more than we needed to know Austin.  But whatever works.  I like lined jeans and have more than a few pairs. What I hate about jeans is they get wet easy and don't dry easy but for general work, they are pretty good and in a cool shop they are great. But if I have to kneel in the snow, as when I take a tree, they soak that water right up. If it's serious cold (which I try to avoid) getting jeans wet is not a workable situation, so I go for the heavier duty stuff that will discourage water, like wool or snow pants. Sometimes saw chaps wil bee enough to keep the knees dry.
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2 days ago (Tues.) I got a text from a machine tool salesman I worked with for almost 40 years. After I retired we remined good friends and he repeatedly said we had to get together for lunch and he wanted to see my shop and operation. we had a few close calls where it almost happened, but his business demands got in the way. This time we set up lunch for Wednesday and he invited along one of my former co-workers who is still on the job. On the day of, he also invited one of his long time buddies who is a hobby woodworker and had an interest in my shop. SO we had a nice lunch, talked very little about machines and more about retirement and of all things, teaching the next generation. My buddy is still trying to get me to take a job with one of the community colleges in neighboring counties. He got another flat "NO".
 S0 two of these guys could have retired years ago, but are too tied into the businesses. My co-worker is 59 and trying to figure out a plan because just like I did, he hates his current situation. He is pretty jealous that I got out at just the right time, he says. Then they turned to me and asked what it's like and I told them.  I have ben feeling down lately because the last year hasn't been great, but these guys were a bit envious and made me fell pretty good about my choice.  As we were leaving Bill and his crew showed up for lunch and I introduced everyone.
 My co-worker had to get back to work, but the other guys came back to my shop for a short tour and discussion, then I loaded them in my truck and took them down to the sawmill and gave them a tour of Bill's shop and grounds. Bill's guys were filling in the afternoon doing firewood and testing out the new bag system. It is working like a charm! Then I took them up in the back woods showed them some of my marked trees, Bill's trommel and screener setup, and we got stuck on the slick ice and snow.  It took a little effort, but I drove out of it after sliding around trying to find a proper line. All good. They were impressed with everything, especially the towering piles of logs.
 Now both these guys make a lot of money and have VERY nice homes in the metropolitan area, but neither of those things were ever life goals for me. It was kind of interesting at our parting that they both mentioned how they thought I had it made with a sweet setup for retirement and was living their dream. In some odd kind of way it made me feel pretty good.
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So with that in my mind I resolved that since the forecast was off and we got pitiful little snow and I thought I would go out this morning and grab a couple more trees. That is until I stepped outside and felt that fine rain coming down. That would be no fun. It was that kind of sneaky rain that seems like nothing but after an hours or so in it, you suddenly realize your are soaked. So it was a reading morning (almost half way through the current large book), then after lunch I got out and cleared the slop as best I could because it's going to freeze up and stay that way for a week or more. Worked out perfect, after I got done plowing and shoveling, the sun peaked out for a while and melted what was left on the walks and driveway, but I have some puddles here and there that could not drain. Temp says it's 33 now, but the crunch and firmness tells me it's a bit colder, at least on the ground. Tomorrow I'll have to hit problem spots with some salt or planer chips for traction. It won't break 30 tomorrow, so I will get back in and take some more trees. It should be clear, but they are calling for some strong winds. None of the trees I have in mind have any nearby hazards, so if they go wrong I can still work with that, even if they hang. I gotta start pushing more, I only have 3% of my logs cut.
 Tomorrow is another day.

[Peter Drouin]

I man can have all the $$ in the world. But, if you are not happy what good is it?  I'm looking forward to retirement. At 70 it's time. I know I will miss the mill and my good customers.
 They don't want me to retire.   
I still have a complete woodworking shop if I want to work with wood.  I was going to fill my building with lumber before the mill went away. 10,000  --15,000bf or so should do it.
I'm getting calls already when I,m going to open.
The Hot Rod is coming along without too much of a fight.

Be happy before you die.
I wish Ann was here for this.

[doc henderson]

You know @aigheadish , without a picture, it did not happen...  Well thats OK.   

[SawyerTed]

YIKES!  What is this thread coming to?!?

Yoga, Spandex and PJ photos!?!?  

Is this that kind of forum?  

I'm concerned!  

[Old Greenhorn]

Me thinks he doth protest too much.