Encourage one another and build one another up. Pray without ceasing. Test everything. Keep what is good. Avoid all evil. -1 Thess 5:11,17,21,22
Wednesday, February 4, 2026
Teachable moments
For reasons known only to herself, Quicksilver wanted to know how to pick up her "snake". That would be the length of chrome-plated chain you see in the image.
So, today in home-school I taught Quicksilver the fundamentals of immobilizing the head of a snake using a broom or other weapon-of-convenience and securely clamping one's hand directly behind the snake's head before picking up the beast.
The kitchen tool we use to flip French Toast is now known as the dispatchula for reasons I do not plan to explain to either Southern Belle or Handsome Hombre.
And no post about snakes and other creepy-crawly animals would be complete without a video of a girl playing "Teensie-weensie Spider..."
Pictures from the wood-lot
The stump of the Black Locust I dropped yesterday
A cut-end of a round showing the high proportion of heartwood-to-sapwood in mature Black Locust
A picture of a Black Locust branch that is 3" in diameter showing two thorns. One immediately to the right of my hand and a second thorn about five inches to the right of that and just-barely in the image
Thorns on a JUVENILE branch. From the standpoint of deer browsing, investing in thorns near ground-level is a good investment.
This was the condition of the job site at the start of my work-day
This is what it looked like after I humped all of the burnable-sized wood uphill and pitched it over the fence.
This is the other side of the fence. The "sticks" are 4' long and the rounds are about 10" in diameter. You can see my sled in the background. I have to move them about 300 yards to get them where they need to be.
They are aggressive on juvenile branches. I added a picture to the text. Not much of an issue on mature trees.
They do have a nasty habit of the tip breaking off below skin level. Maybe 2 or 3mm of length. That is a problem in terms of a source of infection.
They are rarely much longer than 1/2" long on Black Locust and I don't see them as much of a threat to tires. Thorns can be an honest two-to-four-inches long on Honey Locust and can form a big bundle of thorns jutting out of the trunk. Much, much nastier thorns on Honey Locust.
Thanks for the extra photos. I was a tad concerned about actually planting them. But fast coppicable firewood and stout rot resistant fence posts....
Also I notice great to use chopped folage and smaller twigs into compost to improve soil. Tree Fodder also great with Black Locust (no wonder deer love it) and Poplar.
Just religiously wear your helmet when cutting them. The broken-off thorns are only a major threat when they are in your scalp due to not being able to see them and proximity to your brain.
Life is about trade-offs. We make them continuously. We can make informed trade-offs or we can make blind trade-offs.
Play with them for a few years and see if they have a place in your enterprise. If not, replace them with something that is a better fit.
How much trouble is those thorns, Joe? Easy to knock off? Hard on tires?
ReplyDeleteThey are aggressive on juvenile branches. I added a picture to the text. Not much of an issue on mature trees.
DeleteThey do have a nasty habit of the tip breaking off below skin level. Maybe 2 or 3mm of length. That is a problem in terms of a source of infection.
They are rarely much longer than 1/2" long on Black Locust and I don't see them as much of a threat to tires. Thorns can be an honest two-to-four-inches long on Honey Locust and can form a big bundle of thorns jutting out of the trunk. Much, much nastier thorns on Honey Locust.
Thanks for the extra photos. I was a tad concerned about actually planting them. But fast coppicable firewood and stout rot resistant fence posts....
DeleteAlso I notice great to use chopped folage and smaller twigs into compost to improve soil. Tree Fodder also great with Black Locust (no wonder deer love it) and Poplar.
https://www.regenerativefarmersofamerica.com/regenerative-farmers-of-america-blog/trees-for-animal-fodder
Second page has interesting chicken feeding beyond Purina.
Just religiously wear your helmet when cutting them. The broken-off thorns are only a major threat when they are in your scalp due to not being able to see them and proximity to your brain.
DeleteLife is about trade-offs. We make them continuously. We can make informed trade-offs or we can make blind trade-offs.
Play with them for a few years and see if they have a place in your enterprise. If not, replace them with something that is a better fit.
Glad there aren't any of those here. Please keep them down there. ---ken
ReplyDeleteDispatula!!!
ReplyDeleteBwahahahaahah!!!!