# growing old enough to be wise



## hounddawg (Sep 11, 2016)

what a lark, i'm no smarter just older, no down hill slide just a cliff straight down, DO NOT get me wrong i thank God for every morning i awake, every day i survive, and i give thanks for every second i get to spend with my kin folk, but man no body told me how many body aches and how slow i have become, took me 3 days to remove one side of my old 4 acre stud lot, now i will start back turning that lot into a bull lot, Dexter's are the worlds natural smallest cattle from the mountains of Ireland, all other small miniature cattle are man made/man bred tiny miniatures, Dexter's are not miniatures just naturally small. my stud lot was 4 acres 5 strand gaucho barb wire, steel T-posts every 8 feet, the problem is the Dexter's are so small a ladies man bull can go straight through that wire, so my new fence the bottom strand will be 12 inches off the ground, all other bard wire strands will be 8 inches apart in order to keep my ladies man Bull at home, he has 10 head counting him and calves (momma cows) when they are all bred then he heads to my neighbors land which has a massive charolay bull i an i mean huge, my bull is 4 years old and around 36 or so inches tall, that's full grown, that charolay would kill him in less then 10 seconds, my fences are top grade for a poor boy 6',6" T-post every 8 feet with strands 1 foot apart, will hold any thing but goats, on the front and one side i will add 2 more strands down low, the back fence is woven wire so I'll add many t-posts, but the remaining side i have pulled up, it joins my barn lot i'm going to move it to cut the bull pen down to 3 acres and more or less doubling my barn lot, in front of my barn is a 2 acer hay lot, the other side of my barn is a 6 acer pasture, and behind is a 1 acre feed lot with 5 strands of barb wire and 4 foot x 8 foot 4 gauge cattle panels, that you can top off a beef or it will hold goats, across the road i have a one acre hog lot with 2 shelters on it one in front and one in back, and a divider fence down the middle so i can shut one gate an have 2 half acre hog lots, the hog lot is entirely made using 4 gauge. hog panels, but my old body now needs a couple days rest before i can finish up my new bull lot, i'm getting older , weaker and more unhealthy so i am putting in way more money in my lots so i don't have to chase animals at 3 or 4 am or any other time of day or night... but even with all my whining i would not swap for a million dollars, this small piece of land i kept with a couple horses, 10 head of Dexter's counting calves, hogs, rabbits and chicken and 2 pair breeding geese
gives me vast piece of mind, it sooths my soul, and of course has allowed me to become 100% addicted to making wine, i like country wines , from semi-sweet to sweet wines, but to keep my mind open i have started a dry cherry wine, and a 6 gallon carboy of honey, Stella hops and wild black berries , because of that evil jericurl (LOL) i now will start another mead type i have not figured out what type honey yet but i got several elderberries in my freezer, ok now comes the catch elderberry is my favorite wine, so to use elder berries i need to know from you wine heads every one of yawl opinions on type of honey or type of blended honey,
i do this with no shame saying the reason i will risk some elderberries to due jericurl an benard smith, i don't tall to them much but i read their post a lot the flavored mead is solely because of @jericurl and @benard smith, posts as a matter of fact i follow better then 30 people on here in order to learn with out boring yall with tons of questions,, LOL ,, yawl have told me many times i do not need to thank yawl, but this site ans it's people is a heaven sent to me.. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, SO VERY, VERY MUCH, thank each an every one of yall
Dawg
Dawg


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## AkTom (Sep 11, 2016)

Sounds like a great place. If I had land, a few less years and lived somewhere warmer, I'd have Santa Gertrudus cattle. I grew up on a little farm on 15 acres. 
If I ever make it down your way, I'll stop in for a drop of mead. Thanks in advance. 
Tom


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## hounddawg (Sep 11, 2016)

you are more then welcome, and a farm fresh RIBEYE STEAK goes great wine about any wine 
GOD BLESS YOU
Dawg






AkTom said:


> Sounds like a great place. If I had land, a few less years and lived somewhere warmer, I'd have Santa Gertrudus cattle. I grew up on a little farm on 15 acres.
> If I ever make it down your way, I'll stop in for a drop of mead. Thanks in advance.
> Tom


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## NorCal (Sep 11, 2016)

Could you post any Pics?


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## hounddawg (Sep 11, 2016)

yes but shamelessly i will have my nephew to help me to do so, 
gawd i love your mustang..

Dawg




NorCal said:


> Could you post any Pics?


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## DoctorCAD (Sep 11, 2016)

After hand clearing a 1/2 acre wooded lot, I have the greatest respect for pioneer farmers. That is HARD work. Cutting trees isnt hard, but digging stumps sucks bad.

Bought 14 acres and plan to leave it in forest just for hunting, but I would love to make a few food plots. Think I will hire that out.


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## hounddawg (Sep 11, 2016)

me too any more, best of luck to you and yourn.
Dawg




DoctorCAD said:


> After hand clearing a 1/2 acre wooded lot, I have the greatest respect for pioneer farmers. That is HARD work. Cutting trees isnt hard, but digging stumps sucks bad.
> 
> Bought 14 acres and plan to leave it in forest just for hunting, but I would love to make a few food plots. Think I will hire that out.


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## Johny99 (Sep 11, 2016)

DoctorCAD said:


> After hand clearing a 1/2 acre wooded lot, I have the greatest respect for pioneer farmers. That is HARD work. Cutting trees isnt hard, but digging stumps sucks bad.
> 
> Bought 14 acres and plan to leave it in forest just for hunting, but I would love to make a few food plots. Think I will hire that out.



Amazing how the older we get, the more we take on. I figure age should bring me the sense to stop, but not so far. Go Dawg, go!


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## Mismost (Sep 12, 2016)

when I hit 60, I had to slow down. I can still getter done, it's just gonna take me longer. I no longer hurry, I just try to keep at it steady. I have developed a fondness for power equipment....I will rent a bobcat or a backhoe in a New York minute these days! I have also learned to ask for help, I've helped many neighbors in the past...glad I did now, they have been a big help to me now.

After a couple of heart attacks, every day I wake up, is gonna be a good day...that's the choice I make. Worked on the place all week end...did I get it all done? Nope. But, I got her going my way, I'll get there. Frankly, I don't think you ever "finish" a place, at least I never have. 

Cooler weather coming makes a lot of the chores easier. Wine can sit and get still while we catch up outside. I know you Dawg, we ain't met, but I know you. You can whistle and whine all you want...but there ain't no place you'd rather be than out working on that bull pen! We may be old and slow, but we'll get there, or die trying. That's fine with me too...we'll leave it better than we found it. Sometimes I wonder...Am I building it up....or is it grinding me down? Don't matter, it's where I want to be.


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## hounddawg (Sep 12, 2016)

when i done construction across the nation the thought that kept me going was when i went home for good, i would have no calendars, and i would get rid of my solid titanium wrist watch, i have not seen that watch in many years now, and you are so right i'm slower but happy as a lark to be working on my bull lot. these last 2 days i have had to take a rest-bit, but come tomorrow I am starting back, i did take advantage of these last to days and racked 20 gallon of apple/pear blend, 6 gallon elderberry and 6 gallon wild blackberry, and during my down time i got in 7 more cases of wine bottles, and 100 corks in . Steve's AI1-pump made it very easy even with a thumping back. I am still trying to figure out what type honey will go best with my elderberries, any opinions on that, (ANY ONE?). i'm planning to do a 18 gallon peach wine sweet and semi-sweet split down the middle,,,. and a 6 gallon strawberry semi-sweet, but that's still better then 2 weeks away before i start them. may mother earth give you bounties of grapes, fruits, berries and muscadines, 
Dawg 






Mismost said:


> when I hit 60, I had to slow down. I can still getter done, it's just gonna take me longer. I no longer hurry, I just try to keep at it steady. I have developed a fondness for power equipment....I will rent a bobcat or a backhoe in a New York minute these days! I have also learned to ask for help, I've helped many neighbors in the past...glad I did now, they have been a big help to me now.
> 
> After a couple of heart attacks, every day I wake up, is gonna be a good day...that's the choice I make. Worked on the place all week end...did I get it all done? Nope. But, I got her going my way, I'll get there. Frankly, I don't think you ever "finish" a place, at least I never have.
> 
> Cooler weather coming makes a lot of the chores easier. Wine can sit and get still while we catch up outside. I know you Dawg, we ain't met, but I know you. You can whistle and whine all you want...but there ain't no place you'd rather be than out working on that bull pen! We may be old and slow, but we'll get there, or die trying. That's fine with me too...we'll leave it better than we found it. Sometimes I wonder...Am I building it up....or is it grinding me down? Don't matter, it's where I want to be.


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## Arne (Sep 13, 2016)

hounddawg said:


> when i done construction across the nation the thought that kept me going was when i went home for good, i would have no calendars, and i would get rid of my solid titanium wrist watch, i have not seen that watch in many years now, and you are so right i'm slower but happy as a lark to be working on my bull lot. these last 2 days i have had to take a rest-bit, but come tomorrow I am starting back, i did take advantage of these last to days and racked 20 gallon of apple/pear blend, 6 gallon elderberry and 6 gallon wild blackberry, and during my down time i got in 7 more cases of wine bottles, and 100 corks in . Steve's AI1-pump made it very easy even with a thumping back. I am still trying to figure out what type honey will go best with my elderberries, any opinions on that, (ANY ONE?). i'm planning to do a 18 gallon peach wine sweet and semi-sweet split down the middle,,,. and a 6 gallon strawberry semi-sweet, but that's still better then 2 weeks away before i start them. may mother earth give you bounties of grapes, fruits, berries and muscadines,
> Dawg



I suspect I might catch a abit of flack for this. I am not a great fan of elderberry. Think it is the tannins, not sure. Anyway, If I was making it and had a choice of honeys, think I would use the honey that had the least amount of flavor. Elderberrys are really bold and I think they would tend to mask the flavor of a light honey. Just my thoughts. Arne.


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## hounddawg (Sep 13, 2016)

makes since,, thank you. 
elderberry is not a good wine till 8 to 10 year old,
Dawg






Arne said:


> I suspect I might catch a abit of flack for this. I am not a great fan of elderberry. Think it is the tannins, not sure. Anyway, If I was making it and had a choice of honeys, think I would use the honey that had the least amount of flavor. Elderberrys are really bold and I think they would tend to mask the flavor of a light honey. Just my thoughts. Arne.


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## hounddawg (Sep 13, 2016)

and good lord willing I plan to be sipping on some in close to 7 years from now
Dawg


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## NorCal (Sep 14, 2016)

Now that requires patience.


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## BlueStimulator (Sep 14, 2016)

NorCal said:


> Now that requires patience.



I hope to have that some day


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## hounddawg (Sep 23, 2016)

,read up on deter cattle, super calm, if you want milk then their milk is better then even jerseys , on butter fat and all other criteria, i live in the hills, poor and, you cant run much on it, a little better then a year ago my brother an i made a pen across the front 40 i have use to, it is 330 feet deep by 1/4 mile long
so we cut out a 10 acre pen, 3 acres looks descent but has rocks 6 inch under it every bit of it, the other which is some less then 2 aces is a barn with water lot, then on the other side then the last lot is around 5 this last pen is rocks stumps, brush , dock , about any weed you can find in Arkansas, would bet my bottom dollar a single cow would die with out haying them , now so i decided to check out if what is said about them is true, i left better then 30 acers with nothing but deer, squirrel an so on, i put 10 Dexter cattle AND 1 REGESTRED AQHA AN 1 APHA, FOR GETT T 1 AN 1/2 YEARS, NOW I DO ADMITT WE HAD A GOOD RAINY SUMMER THIS YEAR, 
WITH ALL THAT I DROPPED 5 BAILS last winter none yet this year so far OF FESQUER , AND SHORT GRASS, SEPTEMBER IS COMING CLOSE AGAIN, THE OLD MAN WINTER,browsers they eat grass , I've watched them dock, tree leaves hanging leaves and even green trees , as land goes this is a poor rocky land, i used 4 strands of that cheap gaucho barbed wire, just 4 strands the first strand is 12 inches from the bottom, then all the rest are 8 inches apart, 

they eat around 1/4 what big cows eat if you got good hay you need nothing
like you do for bigger animals, as well being so calm and small, they easily outdo
other calves, the meat to killer god eaten, my only question is why didn't bring them here years and years ago, if a person has 2 aces you will have a daddy and mommy Deter TO GIVE YOU a baby each yeas, the one i last butchered was barely elven months old grass feed only, but he weight 445lbs. or if you got a spot of land say 4 acers or more you can let their calves longer to live so you can have bigger butcher weights
all of mine are registered but 2 momma cows.so i eat full blooded, all the rest i sell the baby's






AkTom said:


> Sounds like a great place. If I had land, a few less years and lived somewhere warmer, I'd have Santa Gertrudus cattle. I grew up on a little farm on 15 acres.
> If I ever make it down your way, I'll stop in for a drop of mead. Thanks in advance.
> Tom


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## AkTom (Sep 24, 2016)

Dexters do sound like great animals. My 4-1/2 acres would need a bear fence around it. Who knows??? Now you have me thinking. That rarely works out good for me ;-)


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