Yesterday's work-tickets
I humped water to the twelve newest trees in the Hill and Upper Orchard. I also watered an additional 17 trees that were planted last year. The grass on the orchard floor is turning brown in places.
I tore off one wall of a raised deer-blind and took measurements to prefab a stud-wall and cut some sheet metal.
Ernest T. Bass
Ernest T. Bass was a character in Mayberry RFD who was famous for throwing rocks.
Rocks are a weapon of last resort. They have more range than a stick but are less accurate.
A baseball is almost 3" in diameter weighs about five ounces. A typical rock that is 2-1/4" in diameter will weigh about 8 ounces while one that is 2-1/2" in diameter weighs about 12 ounces and one that is 2-3/4" weighs about 15 ounces.
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| A trained 12 year-old can throw a baseball at 50mph and a distance of 140 feet (Source) and reliably hit a man-sized target at 60 feet. |
One of the items on yesterday's work-ticket list was to watch some Youtube videos and start throwing rocks. Speed is hard to measure but distance is not.
I chucked about twenty rocks. They were all more than five ounces. Size-of-rock is one of the variables I need to sort out.
I have a long way to go to get to the skill level of a 12 year-old. I will never get as good as the rioters who were shattering hospital windows three-stories up during the "peaceful" Black Lives Matter demonstration.
There are always new skills to master.
Today's work-tickets
Go to the gym and dead-lift.
Pull-or-cut weeds for two hours.
Put Chinese Cabbage seedlings outside in partial shade to harden off. Transplant into garden this evening.
Tidy up the front porch.
Trim some of the branches hanging down and obscuring the view out of the living room window.
Cut and split wood for a half hour.
That sounds like a pretty good day to me!
ReplyDeleteBeing able to throw things is one of the things that made human beings what they are. Chimpanzee muscles are attached where to they are for strength in swinging and pulling but they can’t throw things well. Human muscles are attached where they are to allow us to throw. First rocks and sticks but later spears and atlatls. What we lost in leverage, we gained in speed of throwing. When I was a kid walking in the woods with my dog (a long time ago) I would pick up rocks and throw them at trees. Even at my age (let’s just say 60+) I still do it occasionally.
ReplyDeleteThe rock was man's first ranged weapon, and even today is dangerous in the right hand. A railroad surveyor in the NW had a grizzly bear charge him, and killed the bear while remaining unharmed. He was a minor league pitcher and working for the railroad on the off season.
ReplyDeleteThe sling is the extended rock launcher, providing more range and striking power. The tale of David and Goliath is just one example of its effectiveness. Developing accuracy takes time and effort, but is less likely to damage the arm.
I was going to make the same comment as Tweell. Slings have a long history as an effective weapon.
ReplyDeleteThrowing rocks accurately takes practice, lots & lots of practice as rocks are not uniform is size-shape-weight.
ReplyDelete