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SE Ohio
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# Posted: 5 Sep 2016 07:26pm
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Just back from a great weekend...
"Installed" our new cabin security setup- Our pound pup! His first cabin trip was a blast. No fence, no problem! He ranged far and wide, and came home with dirt on his nose, probably digging up chipmunk intruders. By this morning he could barely move... We've had him a month, and he's working out fine. No trespassers and no accidents.
Boys found a large orange spider (see photo). Huge (Trump-like sound) egg sack. I had to move it from the kid's playhouse to a nearby tree.
We are off grid, but we have our own "internet". A set of World Book encyclopedias is great when the kids ask a question. I can still look at these for hours on end. These can be had cheaply these days, I paid $5 for the set from the local library. We have almost as many old comic books.
Weekend went by so fast. Still cleaning up...
Big Ol Spider
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Improved cabin security
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Off grid internet
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SE Ohio
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# Posted: 18 Apr 2017 01:35pm
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It's been a while since I've posted. Many cabin trips, so little spare time to write-
Two weeks ago I got a bite on my arm, at first I though mosquito. It turned red and swelled more than normal for a mosquito. I was worried it may have been a lyme-bearing tick, but symptoms weren't same. I did have burning eyes and a headache, but that sometimes comes with pollen allergies. One eye got so blurry I went to the eye doctor after returning to full-time home, and they said, "yeah, you've got some minor retina issues going, call us if it gets worse". I didn't put it all together until my boys found a black widow spider on our next cabin trip. Now I've connected all the dots... Still have some aches but mostly over the bite. It has set me back a few weeks on running, so I'll have extra work to do before summer triathlon/duathlons. I guess I'll just keep sleeping in for a while 
My rain barrel tubing went brittle from uv exposure, and I couldn't find the old tubing that 1) fit my downspout strainer and 2) lasted several years. Decided to hard-plumb, and got my 13 year old to help with it! The rigid PVC will flex a bit as the barrels settle from the extra weight. I didn't bond anything so I can make adjustments if necessary- The horizontal portion is level in an attempt to fill two barrels equally. Will see how this holds up.
We keep adding a bit of landscaping here and there. Brought some extra flox from full-time home, as they were ovegrowing sidewalk. Was told they'll do fine in clay soil and partial sun. If not we'll chalk another one down to experience. Will add more flox and see how long before they fill in. Also have hostas coming up on same hillside.
We keep patrolling the local streams looking for flat pathway stones. Have a dry path all around cabin, working to make path wider. Now if I could just get the kids and dog to avoid the mud...
Visited the McArthur antique shop, found out it is closing and building has to be empty by end of April. If you need an antique iron, they have plenty... Picked up an unrepairable antique clock, just to help owner empty the place. I guess it'll get a quartz movement.
Weather was great for Easter weekend. Nice break from the daily grind.
SE Ohio
Black Widow
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Spider bite two weeks old
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Plumbing rain barrels
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Flox
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VC_fan
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# Posted: 18 Apr 2017 08:04pm
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I have seen some nasty wolf spiders but didn't know we had black widows. Glad you're recovering and it's probably good it was you instead of one of your kids.
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buckybuck
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# Posted: 18 Apr 2017 09:58pm
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Yeah, tough break there.
Black widow. Yet nother species to add to my list of Vinton County varmints that might cause me harm. After spotting a golf ball-sized wolf spider on the wall in our cabin last fall, my wife says she doubts she'll be spending another night there.
I didn't know until last year that wolf spider eyes glowed back at you when you shined a flashlight at them. All these years staying at my cabin, when I took a walk outside at night, I had thought the hundreds of points of lights I saw was dew glistening on the grass; now I know it's wolf spiders staring back at me. Aughhh!
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VC_YamahaRider
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# Posted: 19 Apr 2017 10:14am - Edited by: VC_YamahaRider
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Wow...that is scary. I didn't know there were black widow spiders in Ohio.
I was at my Cabin in VC this past weekend and had a close encounter with a black racer snake which I had never heard of before but supposedly they are the official reptile of Ohio. They are prevalent in southern and eastern Ohio. It was spooked by one of my relatives and it moved super fast down a hill right towards me and then found a pile of brush to hide under. They are harmless. About 3 feet long and skinny.
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Reads Alot
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# Posted: 27 Oct 2017 08:48pm
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enjoying reading all these stories! if you can get activated charcoal, or save some ashes from a wood stove burn of hardwood, you can mix that up with water. put some on bite every day and let dry. at the first sign of a bite, drink about 4 ounces of water with 2 scoops of the charcoal/ash.
very good detox for just this.
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SE Ohio
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# Posted: 12 Mar 2019 02:02pm
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I paid a quick day visit the cabin last Saturday and found a tree fallen on neighbor's cabin. It was supposed to rain heavily later that day and he lived hours away. Being a fan of the old Red Green tv show, I had the handyman's secret weapon: duct tape. Tape held the tarp in place just fine. Neighbor arrived next day and had no water damage!
I wasn't there to see how they tackled the tree. Their pin was to use a winch.
I also had a tree across the driveway upon arrival. I was able to dispatch with handsaw ( I dont keep a chainsaw there). Never a shortage of firewood! My firewood pile runneth over...
Fallen timber
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Near peak
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Large hole
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Handymans secret weapon
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SE Ohio
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# Posted: 13 Feb 2020 08:13pm - Edited by: SE Ohio
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It's been a while since I've written anything... Not through lack of trying, more that when I've used my phone to give an update it chokes and I lose everything and don't wanna retype. Finally got my laptop back together so I'm trying again.
We've had our share of windstorms the past few months. During Thanksgiving weekend a tree fell on my longwire radio antenna. I had made it so that one end (the easy to put up end) was put up with much weaker rope (more like string). When the tree toppled, it took down BOTH ends. Sigh. One end was a real chore to re-raise, but it's back up, finally, during January. Antenna allows my Transoceanic radio some great world-wide reception. Never know what I'll find.
Another windstorm dropped a tree top on my patio "couch". It's bent all to heck. I'll see what I can do to straighten at some point. Not a winter prioritiy, just a reminder that I've gotta keep an eye on the trees, especially the ones near the ridge top where the wind really catches.
Lot's of fallen wood cut and split. Meanwhile I have more firewood than I can use. I'm hauling some to full time house.
I've found that all the big city shops will now only repair Stihl saws. I've replaced the fuel lines and cleaned the carb. Carb adjusted some, still stalls some when idling, but I'm not shelling out Stihl $$$ until I have to...
My kids really enjoy the 60's-70's comic books I keep hauling to cabin. These can be hard to find, but they get hours of enjoyment. Makes up for lack of internet.
My neighbor has a shed where he used to store a mower. I used to borrow his mower to clean up the center strip and edges of the gravel driveway. He's decided to take mower home, so I've now purchased a beater mower. I'll keep it under my cabin with enough parts removed that my thief won't take it...
Looking forward to spring.
SE Ohio
Smashed furniture
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Trusty manual hydraulic splitter
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Much firewood
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Smawgunner
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# Posted: 13 Feb 2020 09:04pm
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Yeah, the ash are falling left and right in Athens county. How do you like that log splitter?
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SE Ohio
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# Posted: 14 Feb 2020 08:04am
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Smawgunner,
The Harbor Freight splitter was a great buy. It can only handle 18†long logs, and they suggest 6†dia max. I’ve split 2 foot diameter logs with it. It is safe enough that my kids have used it (supervised) since age 3. It does a good job on knotted logs that won’t hand split.
Bigger than 6 inch diameter
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SE Ohio
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# Posted: 8 Mar 2022 09:55am
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It has been a while…
Have started a switchback trail down one of my steep hills. Going straight down a clay hillside covered with leaves is challenging, and messy…
I’ve taken some fallen logs and angled them across the hillside, attempting a 20% grade or less. Have supported these logs on uphill side of existing trees. Then I use a mattock, shovel and rake to cut into the hillside and back fill logs on both sides, packed. The trail is angled slightly up into the hill so water drains over the log instead of washing down the path. Clear as mud?
You can see the rope I had used for support going straight down the hill. New path has much less grade… It was a few hours of work!
SE Ohio
Trail cribbing started
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Looking down path
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