Jack Edmondson

This time of year, it is not a bowhunter.  It is a poacher.  (unless your state has some really late seasons.)  Call the game warden and let him know what you found.  Someone is hunting out of season.  He will help you keep an eye out in the area.

Jack Sato wrote: ...and looking online has been daunting,

The Leatherwall

Jack, get to know these folks.  Have not been a member in a bunch of years, but it is how I got my start.

This is a japanese spokeshave:

Sorry I missed this earlier.  One of my favorite hobbies.  I have an aquaintance in New England that likes to make his arrow shafts out of white pine.  The grain is straight, the wood is easy to work without log dry times.  He uses them when he wants cheap sacrificial arrows for roving the woods in the winter.  He has good success I am told recovering the shafts in the sping when the thaw occurs.

Ash is one of the primary shaft materials.  Heavy hard hitting almost unbreakable.  Takes a while to straighten if the grain is not cooperative; but they last forever, just keep burnishing until they are straight.  

Hickory makes a decent shaft.  I have purchased staves from a bowyer in N.E. that were extremely straight grain.  If not, a good heat treat will work.

If you are going to do bowyer work, as stated before, a draw knife is essential.  A spokeshave would be next, but look into the japanese type that Dean Torges recommends; and not the black handled red bodied ones commercially available.  I have given more of those away than I have ever successfully completed a bow with.  If you are working whitewood bows to start the cutting tools will be your primary tool.  If you are going with Osage, ipe, or elm a selection of cabinet scrappers will be your primary tools.  Cabinet scrappers are a joy work with, once you learn to roll a burr, but they are for slow controlled wood working.  A lot of folks will say a rasp, but really they don't remove as much wood as a cutter and leave a lot of finish work to do when done.  The 'cheese grater' style rasp would be the one you want if you go that route.  Don't use the farrier type.  it just tears up the grain mostly.

Feel free to shoot me a PM if you ever want to 'chat'.  I have not made a bow in a couple of year, as my focus has become permaculture; but started making my own bows aroud the 2000's.  Is "the leatherwall" still up and running on the internet?  It was a fantastic support group back in the day.  Lots of support out there online still I am sure.

Happy shavings!

Jay Angler wrote:I've been reading The Secret World of Weather by Tristan Gooley.


In summary, this is a great book to read, contains lots of very useful info about weather, but it takes some hard work and practice to achieve mastery!

Jay, thank you for the author recommendation.  

Just a heads up for anyone interested over at Abebooks.com the author Jay references has several "natural observation" books for less than $10 US.  (2/17/26)  I plan to snag one.  It seems he published on everything from observice 'tree sign' to navigation to 'water sign'.  

Anne,

Thank you for putting your time and knowledge out there for everyone.  That certainly deserves an 'apple'.  I wish I could attend but time zones and schedules don't mesh.  it would be great if it could be recorded and put up on a service somewhere for future reference.

Best wishes on your webinar, I hope it reaches a wide audience.

Anne,

how do you access the internet?  Do you have wifi?  A quick internet search tells me an Iphone 6 is wifi capable.  If you use your iphone to make a call while you are on the internet then you don't use your phone service or your minutes...so free.

Look in your 'settings' icon for wifi.  find your router name and log in like your computer does.  Once you are connected you will no longer send and recieve via phone service.

I spent some time volunteering at and even on the board of directors for a food bank.  I would not do the board group again.  Still volunteer in community  shelters and donate to food banks.

I will offer this.  Most of the people I encountered in food banks were not people unwilling to work, but who had limited options to work.  Yes, there were some on other programs designed for assistance.  Most were not.  It is easier to go to Walmart and swipe a SNAP card for exactly what you selected from the shelf than go and pick up some staples at the food bank.  Most people at the food bank were working people whom just could not get ends to meet or keep them tied together when they could.  Working poor is the more common demographic at the food bank.  (Cerainly some overlap with single parent households using WIC and other programs)

What I wish I could have achieved at the food bank was making the fresh food you describe the norm and not the off the shelf, boxed, pre-packaged "food" that is a large part of the Western diet.  I was in a minority on that and a few other opinions, so bowed out of my role.  However, if you have an outlet that is willing to do 'real food', then I would strongly encourage you to pursue the opportunity.  I would suggest you explore the organizations you want to help to see if they actually see it as help.  Volunteer 'on the front line' to get a measure of the clientele, and also the need.  1 or 2 afternoons working with the group will give you a good idea of how you fit into their plan.  

And thank you.  The world needs more people whom will "do for others".  The need is certainly there.  There are abuses.  But volunteering should be for you, first and foremost.  (feed your soul.)  Then you will find the right need that you can fill for others.

no shade against vetch.  I just don't have experience with it (yet.)  However vetch is in the mix I posted from Green Cover seed.  

ceral rye will be done by may (in kansas) and something else will have to take its place.  I suggested it combined with winter clover as it is reported to give the highest tonnage forage for a cool season green manure.  It is not perennial so perhaps a bad suggestion.  Sainfoin and alfalfa may be your best perennials mixed with cool and warm season clovers as reseeders.  

I don't know how red river crabgrass does in your area.  It will go in zone 6.  I don't know how productive it would be in the winter, but gives a lot of good tonnage in summer.  

Red River Crabgrass is commonly found throughout Nebraska, south and east to the Gulf and Atlantic coasts. Red River is adapted to many soil types, but will grow best on sandy and clay loam soils that have good drainage. Great for revitalizing pastures, Crabgrass can be utilized as both hay and grazing. This variety of crabgrass will produce highly digestible forage and high crude protein content. Non-GMO.

Planting Rate: 5-8 lbs per acre

Planting Date: Spring, Summer & Early Fall

Planting Methods:  Ideal pH 6.0-7.0. Seed must be placed in a depth range on the soil surface up to no more than ½ inch deep. Best planted on a very good fine, firm, freshly finished seedbed by broadcast and drag or shallow no-till drill after soil temperatures are 65 and rising. Easy double cropping with cool season annual grasses and legumes.

Care: Graze when grass reaches 6-8 inches. Best known for its ability to spread and regrow after grazing, if allowed to go to seed will germinate as a volunteer forage the following year.

A repeating muti season green manure may be the holy grail for permaculture.   I will be interested to see what solutions you find.

For your zone, I would pick cereal rye and clover.  If you had longer growing seasons sunn hemp and sorgham sudan grass.  If you are looking at perenials don't forget alfalfa.  

Green cover seeds has an over winter and a cool season soil builder mix he may want to check out.  Good diversity, low cost.  keeps roots in the ground from fall to spring.  overwinter mix

I have one and use it regularly.  Slow, but orders of magnatide easier and faster than swinging a maul.  My only complaint is (like most imported tools) is a lack of parts to service.  Mine has developed a leak in the pressure seal.  I will have to break the cylider down and go into NAPA and match up a seal, rather than having a part number or ability to order a part from a service/support team.

I would recommend to anyone who hates to swing a maul; but does not want to invest in a motorized hydraulic splitter.