Drove to Kalispell this morning early for daughter’s bf. I found this og warn front bumper and warn 8403 (precourser to 8274) winch. This is straight, complete and zero dents for his 69 Ford highboy. He negotiated the deal, I grabbed it and paid for it. These are very hard to come by and he’s been looking for awhile. I’ve been actively looking for him over last 3 months.





I picked up three of these pantry box cabinets on last trip to Spokane at HD. Our cabin lacks useable storage so these will go on one wall in her kitchen. We have a short storage cabinet these will replace. As such I’m having to glue the veneer on opposing ends prior to the wife unit staining them. Good wintertime shop work.


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Technically, yesterday morning. The middle daughter w/ the 6.5 Grendel AR build (needs a heavier buffer I believe btw) in tow along with her Welder BF and I climbed this mountain. Him and I scouted it the day prior mid day and found a ton of deer & elk sign near the top at the end of a fire rd.

It was (guessing) a fire area from maybe 10 ish years ago so relatively open for the area. However, a lot of dead fall to climb over and a very steep climb up about a mile I’d recon thru at times heavy 6’ tall brush. There is an old fire service road the wraps up to the top but the road is gated by the kings men and to park at the gate was a good mile or two west of this top.

So we arrived a little before daylight and dropped them off then head about 3/4 mile up the road and parked. The idea was they were going to get to the end of that road where we saw a lot of sign and set up ( me being the old guy thinking they should get there b4 me ). Plan was for me to come up back side, over the top and push anything up there down.

It worked in theory, I pushed what we believe was a large elk down past them about 60 yards in heavy brush. We both heard it but no one put eyes on it.

All in all a good morning, once I met up with them a couple hours into this hunt my daughter decided to head back to truck with me ( pretty sure she slid half way down mountain behind me, lol) while bf went down another way we had come up day prior.


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I have the same auger, only have the 12” bit but used it again today then put it on a skid and tarp’d it (technically ky flag over it) for the winter.

I’ve been using these https://www.midwestpermacolumn.com/product/pc4600 and am very happy with them.

JR, typically you drop the table and rotate the head 180 for transport due to them being so top heavy. Saves on having to man handle the motor too. 

Actual hard bound book is KJV along with Doauy-Rheims (latter mainly due to having Macahabees)

Much appreciated boss

Smoking deal on the bridgeport

In preparation for setting propane tank early next week I decided to get the wainscoting up where the gas line will be coming into the shop (top pic, front left corner of building). There will also be a wall heater exhaust and intake in the area for the lower ceiling shop area. In order to get tank filled, the propane company has to have a working appliance hooked up to the tank in order to check line for leaks due to liability issues.

Once I started I just kept at it. Temps were right at freezing all day and overcast w/o rain.

In all this metal goes up fairly quick with the exception of pulling the clear wrap from all the trim pieces. If you haven’t had this joy in your life I highly suggest you try it.

Down side is it tripes the install time. Mental note to myself to use another supplier next time who doesn’t do this painful wrapping.


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Mud….

State of shop build today, all 5 posts set. I don’t recommend doing those by yourself.









Insurance company needed pictures to verify they were actually insuring a shop I guess.


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Well, back at it again today. Quite a bit of rain forecast over next ten days however no freezing temps it appears.

I broke out the auger and tried my best to bore holes in the correct spot. I’m batting .333 in that regards as two of the holes for the perma columns are off to a side hard. However, the columns are plumb and in the correct spot. I hand mixed five of the 60# bags of crete per hole. As of the end of today I have 3 of the 5 columns set for the rear rv lean to.


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Charles, every report I see on the BRICS replacing reserve currency is years if not decades off. With that said the government deficit spending is driving inflation, Powell lacks the balls to call them out unfortunately. Inflation will come back with a vengeance soon I believe.

I personally think WWIII has already started, most just aren’t aware yet nor has it went hot. It’s coming….. This Israel thing isn’t going away and that guy from LA who was just elected speaker is a war hawk I read who named Iran/Russia/China as new axis of evil. Our house is far from in order and we’re importing bad guys across the southern border likes it’s our job.

We’re in trouble no matter which way you slice it. Get your personal house in order, think local and good local people will matter in the times ahead. Get yourself and those you care about out of the large cities sooner than later.

Well, oem’s lasted 5.5 years and this cold snap wiped them out. Thought it started a little weak once last week. Neighbor was in town and grabbed me two new units from City Parts (independent Oreilley) super start 850 cca with 3 year warranty on them. Old ones were only 750 cca Supposedly these are American made in one of two plants here yet and they pro rate them. $380 out the door.


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Weds night was first frost of the year for us, so it was that time again.


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Sweet, glad the move is over. I here Co is getting as bad as Kali?

Downtown Denver is reminiscent of Portland, the taxes are crazy. We went to Walmart one evening so wife could get supplies to make 200+ cupcakes for wedding along with the cake. The only bags they had were reuseable $$$ bags. Colorado now charges 10 cents per plastic bag but Walmart doesn’t give you that option or even have paper bags. The shop property taxes just jumped again. It’s nuts…..

Made it home late last night with final load, just shy of 18 hours. It’s official shop is out of Colorado! We even beat the winter weather that is finally settling in here between Colorado and Montana. I was able to get items which could freeze unloaded and in heated machine shop and then trailer in big shop which had me working until midnight. First frost came around 5am today.

Then today was build and ship parts then start trying to get organized. Started first fire of the season this evening. I think all of that calls for a big pour of some bourbon…..




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Yup, hauling costs are tough. The thing you need to factor is time. Do you have it because speaking from experience 5 yards at a time takes awhile……

Ken, I recon 500 resonates with you as it most likely is your gf’s weight…….


10mm, it’s a favorite of mechanics don’t act like you’re not aware!

Forget the mill, if you need bring a portable guy in and pay him to cut the timber on sight. You don’t have the time and milling logs is time consuming and labor intensive. You already have a barn to stack and dry it in. If you want a mill down the road to continue with kids homes etc do it then when more time and help is present.

Sell the big house, get it on the market sooner than later. Sell or put into storage what you don’t need. By doing this it forces your hand and time tables. If you’re set on doing this pull the trigger. God will work the rest out for you two, yup there’s only two of you so that makes this easier.

My 2 cents from a guy who pulled the trigger little over a year ago and is taking final load north this coming week.

Nice job Charles 


Have you float tested the tractor yet? 

Everyone is a critic……

Plenty of grizzlies dropped with a 10mm & more rounds can’t hurt unless you shoot your buddy in the shoulder during the mayhem. Which happened over in whitefish last month. Two hunters scouting ended up between a momma grizzly and her cub at 15’. They got her put down in the ruckus but one ended up with a friendly fire wound.

From all the recent accounts I’m hearing the bell is a good idea and trying not to startle them. The wife typically carries the bear spray when we’re out.

Quote from: stlaser on October 12, 2023, 07:08:35 PM

Don, get a Marlin 45-70 guide gun and a bfr in same caliber….. then we can twin when you’re out here.

I carry a Glock 29 in 10mm which is what all the hunters up here carry with Buffalo bore hard cast bear loads (sorry Charles nobody is carrying a sw 500). Get a good chest rig and then whatever for camp. I like 45-70 but that 12ga is good if not better. We have a bear every sq mile up here.

I love a 45-70! But want the pistol to carry the same caliber for commonality of loads. I already carry a 12 gauge with slugs and buckshot which I feel would get the job done.

Bfr in 45-70……..

https://www.magnumresearch.com/bfr-biggest-finest-revolver/

Yes we do, cat scat on neighbor bear lot. Same lot the wife saw a good sized black bear on in august.

At dusk tonight we didn’t have outside lights for cabin on yet. One dog had to do his business and was dancing by front door. I grab leash and pistol and hurry out front door to see a bobcat sized black animal at end of our new wrap around driveway. It turns and runs but instead of running low and in a straight line it’s booping down the road. I come in scratching my head. Tell wife maybe it was a wolverine and she’s like no way? So I google wolverine running videos. The link below is the same speed and style this animal was moving. How cool is that!?!


https://www.storyblocks.com/video/stock/wolverine-running-over-frozen-water-in-the-forest-h8xwdduulixvzh6w0


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Sean,  make the leap to onboard air.  A compressor, 5 gal tank and a few solenoids and you can air up and down with the push of a button from the cab.

Happy to point you to parts I used to build my own.

Bonus is having a Milton coupler at the hitch to use to run tools


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Charles, while I agree & should probably bite the bullet it’s not gunna happen for some time. Too many irons in the fire and already own that 12v portable unit.

I bought the better half a new kitchen stove, we had looked at it several weeks ago on clearance. High end almost $5k stove for about 65% off. I called last night and they still had it (because it’s ford red!) and so that just opened up a can of worms. New countertops and back splash now too……..

Yes sir, almost as hot as black locust (had quite a bit of that in Indiana). The two main ones up here are red fir and tamarack aka larch.

We have a wedding in less than two weeks. Just trying to get a few things accomplished here yet. I’m sure it will be here when we return.