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The Ironhorse Ranch

5K views 75 replies 37 participants last post by  Crookster 
#1 ·
Well, we went and bought the farm!

We closed this week on 15 acres in the country just outside of Hempstead, mostly woods, a few acres of hay meadow, a big pond and even a creek running across the back. About an hour's drive for the kids and grandkids. Only 4 miles to a farm supply and the Walmart in town.

I suspect this is going to really cut into our 20-30K a year bike riding habit for a bit! Probably start spending more hours on a tractor than the bike. At least until we get a place built, the house in town sold and retired. The goal for all that is 2 years. The wife and our boys think we can do it that quick, but I have my doubts.

The property is west of town, on a road that dead ends into the river. Only cows and deer living between us and the river. Paved blacktop except the last 1/2 mile which is good, County maintained gravel, so sorta bike friendly to the front gate.

You can see one neighbor if you stand in the right place in the hay meadow. Their house is through the woods, across the creek, up the hill and across a 40 acre field. On the other side, our "next door neighbor" is about a 1/2 mile away, the other side of another field. You have to be on that side of the property and near the back fence to see their house.

Here is the "ag exemption" hay field. (My share of the 2016 taxes at closing was 75 cents, three dang quarters! Ha!)


The "road" down below the pond needs a little tending to. 4X4 might make it.


Home site? Thinking the "front porch" looks across the pond with woods and the creek past that. Done right, we will own everything We can see from the porch and have solid woods behind the house back up to the road.


The lower end of the pond. Hay field is over yonder.


The pond goes on around to the left. So far I have not found a place to stand and see the entire pond from one spot.


Supposed to be good sized fish in the pond. When I get electricity I'll get a pump running to aerate and help clear the water. It is a bit dark now because of all the fall leaves.

So, maybe in a couple years I can do a gathering like Glen (Glockjock). Big meadow for parking and plenty of trees to swing MisterK. Fishing in the pond. The berm down below the pond is a perfect backstop for the gun range - as per the previous owner.

Going shopping for my Christmas present now. Wonder how big of a tractor she is going to let me have!

Need to get electric run in from 1/2 mile down the road. Need a well and septic. Then level a spot to park the RV. Then ...

I think I just jumped of a dang cliff. Maybe y'all should pray for me to have a safe landing. Ha.

The wife and daughter-in-law are drawing up plans for a barndominium style home. For some reason there is a hot tub penciled in off to one side. I'm like, "Girls, there is already a swimmin' hole right there!"

More as it develops into a real project.


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#71 ·
I have also committed to never getting of my bike while the propeller shaft is still spinning! So far ... :wink2:

Years ago I used one of my winch trucks to recover my father-in-laws 4X4 tractor after he dismounted while it was still going. He was mowing the back pasture with one of our boys on his knee, bumped a tree and they were attacked by a swarm of hornets! He bailed, used his hat to swat the swarm off my little one and run like heck. As I recall, the little one had 2 stings. Papa John had 32 stings about his head and ended up in the ER.

When I got there 2 hours later the tractor was still running, sitting on the undercarriage, dug in as deep as it would go, nose up to a tree and not a mark on it.

That night I took a flash light and a 12-gauge out and removed that nest from the tree, 3 quick shots and run fast!

Seriously, I do hear you and Rail and appreciate the pointers, education. They will get due consideration.
 
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#72 ·
Boy, this place is cutting into our riding time. My wife is almost complaining about not at least riding the bike up to the ranch, but every time we go, something requires the truck.

This weekend our son took the truck, wife and grandkids to go buy trees. Huh? We bought all this land covered in trees and we're buying more? We have not identified any pecans yet, so they came home with a couple of pecan tress to plant next to the front gate and three different fruit trees.

We did find some big walnut trees this weekend, on the other side of the creek. We have owned this place two months now and still have not explored all of it.

Cleared enough to start trying to decide exactly where to build. Every time somebody walks out there the barn stakes get moved! I think we can squeeze it in and only take out one good tree.



Had to come down off the tractor when everybody got all excited about this critter swimming across the pond. Got close and he hissed like he was bad stuff! But once shoveled up, he flopped over and played dead. Ha! Good little hognose was dispatched back over to the creek bottom.




Then the son goes up on the top end of the pond and hooks this! 21", 6 pounds!



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#73 ·
Looking good !!
 
#74 ·
The flail mower looks like a Rhino or an old Ford. (newer ones were New Holland). The cover for the front u-joint on the drive shaft is attached to the tractor, and articulates upward to allow room for you to attach the drive shaft. Lots of guys remove them because they don'allow quite enough room. In your pic, the rear of the shaft is covered but the front u-joint is exposed. That one should be covered by the shield on the back of the tractor. On top of that, get a sleeved drive shaft as others have suggested. Tractor Supply has 'em pretty reasonably priced.

Shiv

(An open shaft on an auger grabbed a guy's pants leg at my son's place last week - after he had been warned several times. Removed most of hi calf muscle!)
 
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