Autumn Weekends

I had planned to announce last Friday that I won't be posting over the weekends. Unfortunately, I forgot. Homestead work and hunting season means I'm not at home on the weekends, so I won't be posting. As long as we're on the subject of weekend absences, let's examine what happens on an early fall weekend on the homestead.

First, September brings upland hunting season and a new puppy brings training. Unlike many game animals, like Elk, Deer, ducks, geese and Bear,, Grouse and Pheasant can be active through many hours of the day, especially on cool days. Because upland birds are diurnal, they are always most active in the mornings and evenings. That's right after they awake and just before they go to roost. They awaken hungry and thirsty after the lengthening nights and go in search of food and toward a watering hole, so you want to be out in the mornings. During the afternoons upland birds will seek out shade, dust, gravel and more water. They will continue to eat any foods they find on the way, but won't be as active and moving. In the evenings, they are concerned with finding a meal before the night and good cover to roost in and will be more active again.

Second, Fall brings a warning that winter is close at hand. It is a time for last minute preparations and provisions to be made for the homestead. For my homestead, in my climate, that means making certain I don't run out of firewood, my only means of heating my home. In the spring and summer I get into the woods at least once a week to gather what I call my core wood. This is the amount and type of wood I rely most on for heating in the winter. This will amount to up to 12 cords and is composed of seasoned (not green) loads of the better burning species in my area. Such species are Tamarak, Douglas Fir and Lodge Pole Pine. I include a little Cedar at the end of my core wood gathering cycle for kindling and to quickly get a roaring flame going in my fireplace and wood stove. After I've gathered my core wood, I "scrounge" to extend my ability to heat the home into the spring months and to ensure that I don't run out during a cold spell.

When hunting season rolls around I consider my weekends to be doubly blessed. I get to spend the entire day in the woods. In the morning I hunt grouse down many of the old skidding and logging trails. My new puppy still on a length of rope to teach him his range and not to round curves in the road out of my sight. Hunting helps me to put a bit more food on the table and in the freezer, so is an important part to my homesteading plans. In the afternoon I hike back to the logging roads and drive past downed and seasoned species that I wouldn't collect for my core wood. Such species are White Pine, a bit more Cedar if I think I need it, Grand Fir and maybe the occasional Ponderosa Pine. These are quickly sawed and thrown into the bed of the truck. I don't need to fill the entire bed with an entire cord the way I do during the firewood gathering season. By later afternoon I head back to the homestead, dress and clean any game I've bagged, care for the chickens, feed the dogs, look over the gardens, unload the truck, grab some lunch and by the time I've finished grabbing some lunch, I'm ready to load the dogs back into the truck and head back out to an evening hunt. I'm usually back by dark to clean and dress any game, shut in the chickens, cover gardens and grab supper and settle in for the night.

That's an early fall weekend on the homestead. I don't count it as so much work as it sounds. I enjoy the lifestyle, the work is good for the body and the outdoors very pleasing to be in. The weekdays will roll back around soon enough and time for the real work to begin. You can check out the results of that real work by checking back in on this blog and checking out my store at http://northwoodstraders.ecrater.com/