The Massey

[MarkDarvin]

Actually I’m a fan of winter. Might feel different if I lived in North Dakota though.

Winter in ND was brutal last season. Seemed like the roads going out of town were closed every weekend for ten weeks straight. They were for damn sure at least 6 of those 10, cause I had to cancel plans to leave three different times. The fourth time I went between blizzards, and ended up not being able to get back 48 hours later than planned.

 

[KSQ2]

Drove in the driveway this morning at 7:30, after driving all night. The yard is toast! First time in while we’ve come back from a summer vacation and the yard looks exactly like it did when we left almost 2 weeks ago, except it’s all brown now. Had a great time in CO, will post some pics soon; hard to come home to this heat for sure. Middle of 13 days in triple digits, with another 8 forecasted until it dips all the way down to 93 for a high.

 

[KSQ2]

Vacation photo dump. We were in SW CO, near Silverton. It was so tough leaving to come back to the desert/oven. Average high during our stay was 76, and lows were in the lower 40s, and it rained some almost every day!







These are especially for dogghr. The new tires came in handy…

 

[catscratch]

Looks like you're putting that Jeep to good use!

 

[KSQ2]

Though I was pretty wiped out from the drive home, I went to water trees at the Massey last night, I knew it would be pretty rough over there. Here's a few pics...
The pears planted last year were suffering. The crabapples planted 2 years ago are hanging tough. One of the kieffers…

The oaks planted on the hillside and barnyard this spring are toast…

Interestingly, the oaks planted into the reclaimed farm ground are doing ok. This was production last year. It had beans no-tilled into wheat, the beans did nothing in the drought last summer/fall. All the wheat was volunteer with Asian rye in it. I already had it marked off, so it didn’t get sprayed in preparation for corn. The wheat/Asian rye combo completely snuffed out all weed growth, as a result, the oaks have had no competition for moisture. I watered these oaks and they should be fine unless the drought goes into late September, when I refuse to regularly go that close to the cover.

Swamp white oak…

Foodplot is toast, everything established is dormant, except johnson grass

I could count on two hands the buckwheat seeds thrown a month ago that germinated.

The neighbor's beans to the north, no-tilled into wheat stubble about 4 weeks ago are almost nonexistent.

I took this pic on our hillside, it’s not a wet spot normally prone to big cracks.

 

[dogghr]

Man what a trip and am really envious of the Jeep pics. Especially since I traded for new GC and still have the wimpy tires on it. Plus there were no hemis available in the east at the time and I have the 3.6 which is fine.
Sorry for your drought. Been there before and it can be depressing.


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[KSQ2]

Man what a trip and am really envious of the Jeep pics. Especially since I traded for new GC and still have the wimpy tires on it. Plus there were no hemis available in the east at the time and I have the 3.6 which is fine.
Sorry for your drought. Been there before and it can be depressing.


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If you looked close at the back of our jeep, it has a sticker that says "2.5L Low Output".
After building our FSJ and getting nowhere close to the investment when we sold it, I promised the Mrs. I'd never build one again. We stole this TJ seven years ago, because the fella we bought it from said no one wanted a 4 cylinder Jeep.....their loss! It really performs well with 4.88 gears and a terra low transfer case. I will say the transfer case is a pain in CO where you have to stay in 4 low the whole time because of the grades. Its weakness is the planetary gears, you can't take it above 3rd gear and only go up to 2750 rpm in 3rd. But on the obstacles it does very well.
You really need to get out to CO sometime, it's absolutely worth the trip!

 

[dogghr]

I have done some sections of CO and UT on rented crap. Amazing country.
Do you fallow the TAT people?? I’m thinking of doing off road motorcycles on parts of it w a buddy. It’s Also 4wd rated. I’m no young pup so still debating. I follow the TAT group on SM and have learned a lot about the east/west route.
Cool rig you have and like most hobbies you seldom recoup your investment. I’ve offered to give my golf clubs away on the course several times as an example. Lol


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[KSQ2]

I have done some sections of CO and UT on rented crap. Amazing country.
Do you fallow the TAT people?? I’m thinking of doing off road motorcycles on parts of it w a buddy. It’s Also 4wd rated. I’m no young pup so still debating. I follow the TAT group on SM and have learned a lot about the east/west route.
Cool rig you have and like most hobbies you seldom recoup your investment. I’ve offered to give my golf clubs away on the course several times as an example. Lol


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I'm not familiar with that group, I have a good buddy who probably is though. He and his family do a lot of back country traveling throughout the west. They pull an off-road tent trailer and will camp pretty much wherever as they travel, that's not our cup of tea at this time. One day we'll sell the motorhome and go back to pulling a small trailer, I hope to do that with a 70 series landcruiser. Maybe then?

 

[Native Hunter]

That looks like a really fun vacation. Glad you guys had such a good time.

 

[KSQ2]

Pulled the first card of 2022 yesterday from our little house plot. If we get some rain relief this next week, I’ll set a few more cameras up.
These first 2 pics show the difference two weeks make when it’s dry; this plot was hanging in better than our others.


Here’s a pic I took of the plot when I picked up the card.

Now for the deer, here’s a better pic of the 2 showing the most potential. I haven’t looked close enough to see if we have past pics of them. The ten shouldn’t be too hard to spot with the leaned out brows.

I’m REALLY hoping these next two pics aren’t the same deer. We had high hopes for this heavy eight last year.


This next deer looks like he’s really putting on some inches. Unique for sure, he could turn into something pretty special in a year or two.

 

[Mennoniteman]

Pulled the first card of 2022 yesterday from our little house plot. If we get some rain relief this next week, I’ll set a few more cameras up.
These first 2 pics show the difference two weeks make when it’s dry; this plot was hanging in better than our others.
View attachment 24167
View attachment 24168
Here’s a pic I took of the plot when I picked up the card.
View attachment 24169
Now for the deer, here’s a better pic of the the 2 showing the most potential. I haven’t looked close enough to see if we have past pics of them. The ten shouldn’t be too hard to spot with the leaned out brows.
View attachment 24170
I’m REALLY hoping these next two pics aren’t the same deer. We had high hopes for this heavy eight last year.
View attachment 24171
View attachment 24172
This next deer looks like he’s really putting on some inches. Unique for sure, he could turn into something pretty special in a year or two.
View attachment 24173
View attachment 24174

You've got some very good bucks coming along there. It's a shame about the dry spell and the dead plots. Would irrigation on a half acre clover plot be an option there for dry summers?

 

[KSQ2]

You've got some very good bucks coming along there. It's a shame about the dry spell and the dead plots. Would irrigation on a half acre clover plot be an option there for dry summers?

Irrigation isn’t an option, none of the plots are near plumbing. Very hopeful for the drought to break this week, we’ll see what happens. There’s still plenty of time to get some prep done, if everything would wake back up.

 

[T-Max]

Can you please go kill that johnson grass?

 

[KSQ2]

Can you please go kill that johnson grass?

Oh it will get a dose soon, just waiting for rain to wake up the rest of the grass.

 

[KSQ2]

Got a little rain this morning, hopefully the beginning of MUCH more to come the next few days. Took advantage of the cool 90 degree temps to run a camera to the back plot on the Massey.
This plot gets a break from the late afternoon and evening sun, the clover tried hard to hang in there, but appears to about dormant.

Still plenty of browsing going on and lots of sign in the plot.

The burr oaks are trying hard to have a crop, time will tell?

The neighbors corn is also struggling. I opened one of the husks on an interior stalk and found the ear was the size of small cucumber, about 5” long. At least it was filled out and drying, there will be something to harvest.

 

[George]

Pulled the first card of 2022 yesterday from our little house plot. If we get some rain relief this next week, I’ll set a few more cameras up.
These first 2 pics show the difference two weeks make when it’s dry; this plot was hanging in better than our others.
View attachment 24167
View attachment 24168
Here’s a pic I took of the plot when I picked up the card.
View attachment 24169
Now for the deer, here’s a better pic of the 2 showing the most potential. I haven’t looked close enough to see if we have past pics of them. The ten shouldn’t be too hard to spot with the leaned out brows.
View attachment 24170
I’m REALLY hoping these next two pics aren’t the same deer. We had high hopes for this heavy eight last year.
View attachment 24171
View attachment 24172
This next deer looks like he’s really putting on some inches. Unique for sure, he could turn into something pretty special in a year or two.
View attachment 24173
View attachment 24174

You don't think the nice 8 in velvet is your heavy 8 from last year?

G

 

[KSQ2]

You don't think the nice 8 in velvet is your heavy 8 from last year?

G

Not sure, but I think it might be a 9 I chased for most of last season, then he disappeared the beginning of rifle season. I thought he’d been shot.

 

[KSQ2]

This rain and heat to follow should wake up the neighbor’s beans. Going to set up a camera here in a little bit IN THE RAIN. Can’t wait to get soaked!

 

[KSQ2]

I don’t think I could ever get tired of rain. Ended up with an inch, was hoping for more, but there’s still a chance tomorrow.
The neighbor’s beans should like it, hopefully this fellas compatriots still in the ground will join him soon. 4 of the 7 days next week in the 100s isn’t going to help though. Beans like it warm, but that’s ridiculous!