new toys

[300wtby]

ok, i went and did it, i bought some new toys, could'nt pass up a good deal, my son had a football game in a neighboring town about 50 miles away,so i took the extra time to visit the feed stores, and i found this farm force boxblade and landscape rake both six footers, on clearence sale, bought them both for 700 and change, about the same as a heavy landpride 5' box.

i dont know why everyone says these are lite duty boxes, they weigh a shade over 500lbs for the six footer, almost 100lbs per foot, i myself would say its a medium duty box, when i get done changing the open pin into a captured pin,the only thing i dont like about it, makes it harder to get on and off. it'll be as good as any for my needs, but i new the welder would be getting a new job before i bought the box.

anyway heres some pics of my parking area, i wish i would have taken a before pic, but i didnt think i was going to do this much the first time i used it, it was just to much fun, mostly becuase i have never used either of these pieces of equip. before.

im still not done with the parking area still have about a foot and a half to go to make it level,still siding the house,(rain permitting) only took a break to play with tractor in the rain.

oh, the landscape rake was indispensible for getting the big base rock out, that is what the tractors sitting on.....chris

 

[BizDoc]

Chris:

Very nice looking area, great job. is this for parking? Looks like it would make a nice lawn.

 

[Dmace]

Cool Pics!

That definitely looks like a good little field to grow something.

I am thinking I might need a rake to clean up the rocks in my yard...

 

[300wtby]

Chris:

Very nice looking area, great job. is this for parking? Looks like it would make a nice lawn.

thanks bizdoc, yes it is for parking and a small portion will be for small lawn and flower bed....

dmace, any suggestions on what i should grow?

i could not have made this area look so smooth with just the box scraper, (well maybe, but it would have took longer) the rake is nice becuase it pulls the bigger rocks out and puts them where you can get at them, just rake them to one side,scoop them up and then try to find somewhere else to use them

 

[Dmace]

I am no farmer, but depending on the soils you could have a nice little crop of fruits or vegetables. I plan on planting some apple trees in a little 300 sq ft area in my backyard. It doesn't seem too difficult and the deer love them.

 

[300wtby]

my wife has a garden every year, she has a pretty good green thumb,and we have 4 apple and a couple of plum trees, plenty of apple sauce around here.

i was thinking maybe of something to make a little extra cash, to fuel my tractor addiction.

christmas trees come to mind but its a long time between profits and everyone does it around here.

lets see in three or four years ill be able to cut them, and there will be all these stumps that have to be removed, before i could put in another plot, kinda sounds like a backhoe will be needed for that kinda work.

i have to go talk to the wife now....chris

 

[Highbeam]

Isn't the Willapa Valley up here in the NW? It soudns very familiar and your pictures show salmon. Our local cash crops are pumpkins and corn. Both are frequently sold at roadside stands and both are easy to grow. Other decent crops are blue berries, raspberries, and cherries. I really like to grow strawberries and tomatoes since the flavor is head and shoulders above store bought.

 

[300wtby]

Isn't the Willapa Valley up here in the NW? It soudns very familiar and your pictures show salmon.]

yeah im right down the road from you aways,hwy 6 between chehalis and raymond.

the better half grew some pumpkins this year for the kids dont know if we are ready for that venture yet,

she says she would like to know how to make them taller, if you know any tricks, do tell......chris

 

[Highbeam]

I'll be passing down your way this weekend when I race the Rimrock Grandprix just over white pass on teh lakebed. Those pumpkins look to be of the squash variety. Perhaps try a jack-o-lantern variety next year that is bred to grow rounder. They look nice though and you could still do some nice carvings with the kids. Maybe even stack two of them and make a big jacko.

Isn't the Willapa Valley up here in the NW? It soudns very familiar and your pictures show salmon.]

yeah im right down the road from you aways,hwy 6 between chehalis and raymond.

the better half grew some pumpkins this year for the kids dont know if we are ready for that venture yet,

she says she would like to know how to make them taller, if you know any tricks, do tell......chris

 

[300wtby]

you'll have to fill me in on the rimrock grandprix ? what are you racing?

i go over to little naches a couple of times every year, dirt bike riding, nothing serious just for fun, maybe a poker run or something, to old for the crazy stuff anymore, still have to make a living ya know. broken bones dont make me any money! and im in between bikes right now, just sold my xr 600 looking for something alot lighter get tired of picking a 300lb bike up all the time. well most the time

thanks for the info on the pumk's, ill tell her that theres some different varietys out there and to read the lables,

thanks for the feedback and good luck in your race........chris

 

[450EXC]

Standard rules apply here, we would like pictures.......of the RimRock.

 

[Highbeam]

The rimrock grandprix is an off-road motorcycle race on and around the dry lake bed of rimrock lake which is just on the east side of the cascades. The lake is created by a dam and the reservoir iis used for irrigation in the summer. They drain it each fall creating opportunities for good white water rafting as well as a big lake bed for cool races. It is about an 8 mile loop with plenty of terrain changes including wide open lake bed, rock gardens, twisty stump fields, skinny bridges, and woods.

I ride an XR400 which I usually use in the enduro events around the puget sound. The "go as fast as you can" type races usually don't appeal to me since that is how you get hurt but this race is really cool and unique. The XR weighs 300 lbs which is double my weight but it is my fourth XR and my second big one, XR500 before. On the lake, you can actually pin the throttle for quite some time but you need to keep a close eye out for those little eroded channels, the ones that you hit at 50 mph with a major compression.

I attached a photo from the race flyer, neither are of me. There are a few rock outcroppings but not many. The lakebed flats are super fast with long sweeping curves that you can really haul butt on. I am finally old enough to be a veteran, meaning I am now competing against the old guys instead of 18 year old kids. I'm not a pro or anything, just have lots of fun and try and beat my buddies. The only other race I do is the desert 100 in Odessa, which is a sage type desert and an annual spring tradition, people die in that race. Lots of helicopter evacs too.

The only injury I have gotten at these events was suring an ironman 80 mile poker run in Odessa while putzing along and my bars crossed up and pitched me into a bank. Seperated my collar bone from my shoulder. Owee. The injuries can happen even if you aren't in a hurry. My tractor has hurt me much worse.

 

[300wtby]

The only other race I do is the desert 100 in Odessa, which is a sage type desert and an annual spring tradition, people die in that race. Lots of helicopter evacs to

cool, good luck, my brother rides at odessa almost every year, lots of carnage, they got 34th place in the team event this year said they would have placed higher but had a flat that slowed them down, and his teammate got lost for a spell, (wrong turn)

im sure you know about stumpjumpers web site, pretty good pics of the race on there....chris

 

[Highbeam]

Oh yeah, we've been riding the D100 and/or the ironman poker run for several years. It used to be in Vantage. Odessa is much better. I've been turned around a couple of times out there myself and my main goal is to finish the 100 miles. I'll never win of course but it is a great time.

We're going back out there to Odessa on October 20th for the night poker run. Oooooh, the desert at night in fall should be cool.

 

[300wtby]

sounds like good times, makes me want to start looking for a bike again, nah,
sold the last one becuase i wasnt using it enough, thats my problem to many hobbies and no time to do any of them, heading out in the morning for muzzleloader elk-n-deer ,boy has a football game at 1400,salmon are biting in the river, hard to find time to get any sleep ....chris

 

[TBDonnelly]

sold the last one becuase i wasnt using it enough, thats my problem to many hobbies and no time to do any of them, heading out in the morning for muzzleloader elk-n-deer ,boy has a football game at 1400,salmon are biting in the river, hard to find time to get any sleep ....chris

.....and it looks like you're having way to much fun 'workin' that tractor. There oughta be a law.

Don

 

[300wtby]

.....and it looks like you're having way to much fun 'workin' that tractor. There oughta be a law.

Don

oh! did i forget tractoring in my list of hobbies? must be getting a case of that ol zimer's or whatever you call it. ......