Country Good Is Good Enough For Me #pezoutlaw

When I was a child my heroes were Roy Rogers, Gabby Hayes, Gene Autry, The Lone Ranger etc.

Today My TV Favorites are Maine Cabin Masters, Fixer to Fabulous, Home Town Rescue n Fixer Upper.

Just like back then, I had to have a Roy Rogers Gun n Holster set.

Now it's a t-25 n t-15 Bosch drill driver. made me all warm n fuzzy when I realized I'd just bought the same ones used by Maine Cabin masters.

For me the Hammer shows are the new westerns of my youth.

Chase is Roy Roger n Bryan is Gabby Hayes. Bryan, please don't be offended Gabby Hayes was always my Favorite Character in any westerns.

Welcome to Country Good.
I've been making do most of my life.
This book contains what I'm told are some of my better ideas.

Over the next 5yrs I plan to expand this book a lot with all the projects The Pez Outlaw Movies Etc make possible.

Right now I'm finnishing up a new design Bale Barn for the Gabe n Monkey/horses In pasture #2.

Next I have to build another Lean to shelter for the Boys in Pasture #4. The knucleheads only have 1 n they need another one because there are 4 horses in the Boys pasture.

Now mind you this one won't be a $50 shelter like Pasture #3, that one was years of Salvage to make.

I am though hoping to bring the Boys new shelter in for $850 normally a $2,500 project.

Wish me luck on that, Oh yah I also need to finnish it before the weather gets below freezing n the snow flies.

Funny reflection on The New Lean to Shelter that I'm gonna build for the Boys.

It's gonna be a bit like NCIS Gibb's boats in his basement, How does he get them outa here.

Gonna build the Lean to Horse Shelter, in my shop then drag it into there pasture with a tractor.

So the Base can't be 10x16 ft. It will need to be 9x16ft n I will need to move the Pooper before I try to drag it out.

It's gonna be AWSOME! 

round here it's Country Good

Got an outhouse, check. use it all the time.

house came on wheels, you know but we took them off.

I think dirt is fun
My tractor is my off road vehicle.
I love building/contouring my property with horse manure.

I make things just to get by that city folks say I should patent. 
wasn't the point.
I love creating to solve a problem, I hate production beyond need.

I no longer desire to be rich.
I just need enough to take care of a few things.
Then I wanna live my life out in obscurity. 
Money just causes chaos, I haven't carried money in 15yrs, zero. 
Somebody ever robs me, hope he brought some money cause that's the only way he leaves with anything.

I bought 7 used tire chains for $100. Two store bought chains run $200 to $500.
Gave the front paws of my tractor some bite. 
tickles me to the bone every time my girl climbs an icy hill or grips her way through 12 inches of mud.

sick don't get the chores done

duct tape on fingers of my gloves. actually works n makes them better.
If only I could use duct tape to cure Hay Knee.
Don't think I'm not gonna give it a try.
Unlike city folk who buy holey jeans, Hay knee means my legs get cut up.
I hate throwing away good jeans just because the Hay Knee gets to bad.  

I know Duct tape is considered Redneck, but Zip Ties are the new Duct Tape.

you call plummer for backed up sewer, I am the guy covered in poo fixin it.
You got a guy, I am our guy. Well me n ole Josh.

we recycle, yup. it's called making do, reuse, find another purpose for it.

I love Hamburger Helper n The Velveeta Cheesy Skillets versions especially.

Velveeta Cheesy Skillets Chicken Bacon Ranch is the best especially if you replace the chicken w/beef.
big night out is crazy bread from Hungry Howie's

Cowboy Copas, Lefty Frizzel, Ernest Tubs, those were cool country names.

my store bought teeth set in a jar. I just don't see the point. 

Just like my old dogs Boomie, Soupy n Rudy, I keep score. 
If you cross the line, you stay there forever with me. 
People tell me through words or actions who they really are, whether they realize it or not.
Not hate, just disregard. You leave my world. Active Hate takes to much energy.
Boomie, Soupy n Rudy grudged.
If you got on there shit list, you stayed there for life.
god I miss those dogs.

Sometimes I think I miss good dogs that are gone more than people. 
There I go tryin to be correct for ya. Of course I miss my old dogs more than people.

In my youth I ran from my roots n who I really was.
From my teens to about age 50 I adopted city ways.
Problem was country kept slipping out around the edges.
I'd be doin a Pez show n get looks from a friend thinking I was being a little hoaky/country. 
In recent years I've dropped all the city n embraced my country roots.
I'm happier than I've ever been. 

There is absolutely no point in hiding from who you are.
I prefer to hang a lantern on my true self.
If folks don't like the real you, there really isn't much point in them, is there.
Being kinda a Hermit helps though.
I really don't need people.

My people come from Farwell Michigan.
My grandfather was the town drunk.
I'm an alcoholic, sober 45 years. 
I no longer run from who I am or where I come from, I embrace it.

Makin Do, Country Good #pezoutlaw #hollywood @pezoutlaw

For whatever reason I've made plastic barrels my medium for creation.
I've been told I should patent some of these ideas.
Personally I'd rather share them in a book with other folks like myself  n help them save a little money.

Though if some company would like to buy one of these ideas, they would find me very reasonable n helpful.
10k will buy the rights to any idea you like in this book.

Other Books By Pez Outlaw/sj glew
Pez Outlaw "Notes From The Asylum"

Pez Outlaw Diary
The Legend of Ghost Dog
The Cereal Box Price Guide

The barrels I use for all of these projects are the used plastic 55 gallon (gotta check that #) barrels you can get at grain elevators. My understanding is that these are from dairy farms n had Iodine teat dip n other cleaning products used in milk production.

Single Horse Hay Feeder

Single Horse Hay Feeder

Each feeder takes roughly 3 to 4 hrs to make.
pictures of this process will be in Single Horse Hay Feeder chapter.

The Ultimate in ease of use Horse Poop Cart.

• Horse Poop Cart

• Sleds

• Insulated Water Tank Wrap

This book will be about all the ways I've found to use plastic barrels. I will give step by step photo directions for each creation.

• 
  

Horse Poop Cart #horse #pezoutlaw #hollywood @pezoutlaw

Horse poop cart version 1

Horse poop cart version 2

Horse poop cart version 3. perfection. easily duplicated with correct child jogging cart. Spoked wheels only, do not make from plastic wheeled jogging cart. Plastic wheels warp n bend, you will wind up very unhappy. also placement of front swivel wheel is very important. You want one where the fork for the front wheel is mounted to welded triangle metal plate. Buying the correct used childs double jogging cart for $25.00 is a bargain to achieve this poop cart.

1 of a kind poop cart. Bike wheels, treadmill, baby bed n zip ties.

new improved version of above cart. Bike wheels sucked. wheel chair wheels are perfect.

POOP cart update.

Pictures show revised poop cart, made from restaurant booth table top, wheel chair, baby bed, tread mill n top half 55gallon plastic barrel. 5 unrelated items became 1 great item.

Background left is the BARBIE Doll Wheel poop cart. Wish I had more Barbie Doll Wheels.

2 pics below on updates

Barbie Doll Wheel Cart is an update of below cart.

poop cart made from old hose reel cart. this puppy is very heavy duty. it can haul double high barrels no problem.

Tractor Legs

Horsepoo - any day on a tractor is a good day.

vo·ca·tion

noun: vocation;

a strong feeling of suitability for a particular career or occupation.

Vocation n Vacation have more in common than you think.
If your vocation is the thing you enjoy doing.
Then your life is a vacation.

People tell me about there planned vacations.
I tellem I really don't go anywhere anymore.
Did that.

I have created the life I love. 
I no longer feel a need to travel for happiness. 
It's a Tractor thing, beside I got Billy n Po for diversion. 

Gotta go, time to fire up the tractor. 
Horse Poo waits for no man.
Time to enjoy myself, after this brief note.

Writing here is my hobby.
Horse Poo is my vocation.
When I retreat/retire from this, farm work will be my full-time job.

We have 6 pastures n 17.5 horses.
Every spring I have the task of cleaning up all the winter buildup of horse manure.
Believe it or not I enjoy this task.

So far I've gotten 3 of the pens in shape.
It takes roughly 4 hrs per pen just to get the manure over the fence.
Then another 6+ hrs to get it down the hill for my building projects.

Being on the tractor that much really isn't hard.
I enjoy working with manure n dirt.
Although you do get tractor legs.

Tractor legs are how your legs set up a bit from  sitting work n vibration.
You kinda get off n gotta walk around a bit so you don't look funny walking.
I've had a serious case of Tractor legs for over a week now.

Not complaining, actually it's kinda a brag.
I've been getting outside a bit after noon each day.
No problem at all with  that.

I find great enjoyment in my landscaping projects that I use the horse poo for.
I could actually use 4 times as much poo as the horses give me.
Two of my projects are actually quite large.

Within the next week I plan to seed the new wild flower stands.
Last years trial plot was amazingly beautiful.
I plan to expand from 1 plot to at least 4.

On a sidenote I'm very please with the progress of the raspberries I planted last year.
I've already expanded the raspberries from 20 feet to 60 feet.
The type of bush I selected is perfect for my soil n light.

Future projects are fruit trees n grapevines.
I'll still have some veggies but my new direction is fruit. 
As always it's money slowing my plans.

Thank God Horse Poo is Free n Plentiful.
Gotta go
It's Tractor Time.

FREE, Insulated Water Tank Wrap #pezoutlaw #hollywood @pezoutlaw

Version 1 redneck hot tub aka insulated horse water tank

version 2 insulated horse water tank

when I disassemble in spring will take pics showing step by step. Takes 2 barrels, 2 squares OSB, wall insulation and twine.

Dirt

I hate to admit to you that lately I've been having fantasies about DIRT.

Massive piles of Bank Run to move with my tractor.
Piles of crushed concrete n crushed limestone.
Shouldn't ask, but I will. 
Is it normal to have dirt fantasies?

I think dirt is fun, working in Dirt is my form of meditation.
My tractor does Downward Dog n it's free.

My second dream summer would be to move bank run around the farm every day, all day.
Bank run is the gravel mix that the county puts on dirt roads.
I'd just have my guy at Felski's make a big pile, when he sees it's getting low, bring some more.

Here's the thing.
Rain brings mud, horses have well traveled areas.
The ground they use a lot gets awful messed up.
The plan is to create year round firm areas for them to walk on.
We had mud for about a week here in early February, then it flash froze, the ground became a pocked up mess.
Very hard on the horses to walk on, hard to drive the tractor on.

These well traveled areas by horses is also where they poop.
If I create firm ground, skimming the surface to remove the poo would also be easier.

My first dream summer was helping Larry build our big horse barn n Arena.  
I enjoyed the work, plus it served as my reentry to a good work ethic.   
During my Pez years I got soft n kinda citified.
I had to relearn how to put work boots n gloves on again, become useful to Kathy again.
Nothing shakes depression like really hard work.
It's just not possible to be depressed when you are bone tired with a sense of accomplishment.
If your depressed dig a hole, keep digging till you feel better, then bury it.

You wanna get your shit together, try following Larry around working.
Larry will wear your ass out, he'll still be going n he's a few years older'n me.

I wanted to write about the other man who influenced my work ethic, My Father.
My father was not a perfect man, but who among us is.
I was thinking about it last night, sometimes the people who judge others, honestly have no right.
Here's what I mean n I'm sorry if it offends, I'm trying to give perspective not offense.
There are people who lead an entire life removed from the harsher elements of every day life.
Example;
You buy all your meat from the store, you never killed n butchered your own meat.

You buy new cars, My dad never owned a new car n he fixed his own.
Dad once made one truck out of two very broke trucks.
Dad made a truck out of a blue 1956 ford station wagon.

You get your heat from the furnace. 
Dad cut wood most of his adult life.
I cut wood for 25 years. 
My son Josh currently cuts wood.

Your sewer goes out a pipe n your done.
My dad dug his own septic system and repaired it as both my son n I do.
I've been covered in human shit a few times n I'm a guy who doesn't like shaking hands.
Let's just say serious procedures were followed to regain cleanliness and clothing was thrown away.
Irregardless of phobias a job needed doin so I did what I had to do.

The point is some folks make it through life without living in the harder side of it. 
Living a harder life is not a choice for some of us.
The hard life requires the ability to do hard things n if you didn't or don't live on the harder side of life, please refrain from judging those who must.

I no longer judge my father, I have lived some of the life he did now.
Instead I forgive his shortcomings n focus on the good n that was his ability n willingness to work very hard for us.
My father accepted the burden of some pretty nasty jobs, things I've become familiar with as an adult.
My father was a good man with a very good work ethic.
I find I'm more like my father than I thought as a young man.
Love? But I definitely respect him.
In life he paid for his sins, I choose to only remember the good.

I believe in hard work.
Hard work cleanses the soul.
I've told you that in June I will be 65 n I want to retire.
Retire to me is that I go out at 10am every day, fire up the tractor n work till 7pm.
Not just the tractor though, repair fix n create as needs must.
Basically lead a real n useful life to those I love.

It's not good enough to realize you were wrong, a real man states it publicly to correct the record.

FREE, Sleds #pezoutlaw #hollywood @pezoutlaw

children's sled

cut 6 to 8 inches off top n bottom of barrel.
slit the side.
round the edges.
screw the wood on.
Voila, a sled.

I made 7 of these sleds. wood on sides is required or barrel would just roll up.

 

hay sled

resole fix wore out sleds with barrel.

Hermitology

Rule #1. No pictures of me. The minute you try or do we are done. I will just walk away.
If you need a pic, use the image below.

For over a decade now, I have rarely left the farm. 
My Amish friend Henry travels way more than I do.
I have horses but unlike Henry I do not go anywhere on them.
I'm not agoraphobic because I do go outside, just not off my property. 

Oh yeah n I do not talk on telephones.
No idea what a shrink labels that one.
Last but not least, I do not like having my picture taken.
Which is why my online image is inverted/a negative.
I lied, I also don't like to shake hands.

Quite a switch I know. In the 1990s I traveled constantly, All over Canada, Europe, even South Africa and Australia.

Now I rarely leave the farm, except for a trip to Menard's every few months, but honest to god that's about it.

When the Playboy article came out I was warned it would change my life, mmmmmmm, never noticed a thing.
I suppose if I used telephones or ventured into the world I might have.

Have you heard how people case your home via facebook to see when you're not home?
Well me n the dogs are always here, ALWAYS!
I have also strategically placed methods of persuasion all over the farm, that is besides the dogs.

Gotta tell you a story.
While at the gas station buying gas to mow. yes for El Diablo I used a telephone n I left my property. What can I say, you wanna beat the devil it takes extraordinary actions.
While pumping the gas I struck up a conversation with the guy accross from me pumping gas to mow.
The conversation was him. Never sharpened my blades so many times in one summer.
Me. Usually you mow (here in Michigan) every 5 days in the spring n every 10 days in fall. I'm still mowing once a week. He mows 4 acres, me 3.5 hrs per mowing.


Again at TSC to buy water softener salt etc.
I struck up a conversation with a forklift operator, about the pros n cons of planting fruit trees in the fall.

I like 5 minute conversations with strangers, you can be friendly n openly honest without the repercussions of people you will ever see again. repercussions as in someone wanting to or taking it as you wanting a friend, I do not.

1,000 Strangers

I'm kind of embarrassed to admit to you that I find it much easier to share m feelings or have friendship with 1,000 strangers than one person.

I know people that are in desperate need of friendship, they have not chosen to be alone. I feel very bad for them even if I have no understanding of there need.

I am perfectly content with one friend Kathy and my family dogs n horses.

Casual relationships beyond that suite me. I also enjoy this vague relationship of the internet.
I enjoy talking to the unknown.

I Like Facebook it suites me to a T.
I like the detachment of facebook.
I can talk to anyone I want, anywhere in the world yet take my time to formulate my thoughts. I can use words like formulate.
You know how you really prefer watching a movie on TV as apposed to a theater because you can pause it to pee or get something to eat or drink. Same thing.
Also facebook is the purest medium for talking to people with just your mind, if you choose.
I also do not have to do it at a specific time, to the annoying ring of a phone, nor do I have to leave my farm to do it.

On twitter but like my phone I rarely turn it on.
So if you want or need to talk to me, facebook is the only place that is likely to happen.

Did You Know? #pezoutlaw #hollywood

Did you know that an insurance company will void the insurance on a barn if your electric fencer is located inside it?
Well Shit add another job to the list of things I gotta do.

Every since the invention of electric fences for farms the fencer has been located in the barn to keep it out of the elements.
Our insurance "Farm Bureau" notified us that we had until the 17th of last month to get Old Sparky outa the barn.


The challenge, find a dry location near the fence with an outlet.
Sounds like a job for Redneckology, The Barrel Book .
Pictures will be required.

Access slot is on outlet but turns to access fencer

Stone-crete, This basically is a country driveway that is not concrete or blacktop.
Dig 4 to 6 inches down, fill with bankrun (1 parts ea sand, clay, stones) top with crushed limestone, 1 inch per year for 3 yrs.
When life is good, all pasture entrances are composed this way also.
N that's where digging in stone-crete comes into play when running wire underground to connect various sections of fence together.

1st effort hooking up Old Sparky in  its new location did not work.
It's a wiring/grounding issue.
I swear Todd n Larry each musta told me at least twice on various times in my life that you can not use a T-post for a ground rod. 
So yup you guessed it I tried using a T-post again.
The reason I suppose I try doing this at least 3 times in 40 years is T-post are on hand, I've always got one handy.
On the other hand, a good ground rod you gotta go buy one, so I keep trying to use Handy ole T-posts.

Why won't T-posts work as ground rods?
1, T-posts are made of a junky kinda metal, not good steel.
2, T-posts are painted, which means that the steel such as it is does not actually touch the dirt as effectively as needed.
Upshot I gotta dig up the old ground rod to put in the new location or buy a new rod.
Either = a pain in my ass. 

To my complete surprise I was able to pull the old 8ft ground rod out of the ground using vice grips, rope n the tractor.
I then hammered it back into the ground at the new location, almost 8ft in ground.
I left 3inches above ground to fasten wires to.

I also dug a 12ft long trench 6inches deep to bury an additional ground wire. 

The Art of Making Do #pezoutlaw #hollywood

Kathy n I moved to our 20 acre dream over 45 years ago.
To be honest, we got kicked out of Lansing Michigan by a judge.
We ended up in court for having about 20 or 25 dogs.
The judge said if we moved to the country that he would dismiss the case.

Kathy n I found an old wrecked up farm on 20 acres.
Being sorta Hippie-ish, the place suited us just fine.
The land had been farmed to death, no worms.

After the last crop of corn had been harvested, we let the land go back to nature.
The one thing I did do was cut a maze of trails into the new brush. see Ri's pic.
When I cut those trails over 3 decades ago I couldn't have imagine what everything would look like today.

I've mowed n worked on these trails for 35 years.
We've planted flowers, Walnut n Pine trees. 
The project will never end.
I usually have 3 to 4 ongoing projects at any one time.

Remember how I said that the soil was dead when I began, no worms.
Well, the soil is now rich n teaming with life.
I use horse manure to augment almost every project.
I love watching horse manure go from road apples to coffee grounds.
The process takes 3 to 5 yrs.

By accident I've started a new project.
When I cut down n moved the last old building on the farm, there was a deep bogg that I needed to fill. see below
I dug out the dirt I needed from the side of a hill behind the Shop/Hay barn.
The plan was to fill that back in with manure.
Well a few months later I've discovered that what I actually created was the perfect place to cure manure for use as fertilizer on the farm.

Fresh manure is just to hot to put anywhere near plants.
Manure needs to drain n cure at a minimum for a few months to a year.
If manure is in a static situation it's a year.
Though this new thing I found by accident allows the manure to actually drain n if I only remove from say 1ft up, The manure becomes usable in half the time.
Granted, I like to dress new areas with manure in the fall which gives it an additional 1/2 year to cure.
All this moving around is good for manure also, it needs the rotation.

Back to the first subject, The Trails.
Ri, uses them a lot which I love.
I just wish more people would get back there n ride/walk them.
They truly are getting beautiful.

My big plans.
If I can get the seeds, I want to carpet bomb the trails with wild flowers.
Problem as always is money.
I've bought bulk lot wild flower seed, It doesn't seem to take.
What I find works are those fancy bags of annual n perennial mix with the green kitty litter in it.
Problem is to do things the way I'd like to I need about 100 bags of those store bought mixes.

Anyway that's on my wish/dream list.

Poverty, Struggle, Life. Forgive me though. this is still my favorite picture ever.
It represents so much.

Talk about the perfect 3 stooges moment.
Yesterday while working on the horse shed I got a 4x4 to the back of the head.
30 mile n hour winds will do that.

The cat has been killing birds in the rafters of the horse arena.
Good as far as it goes but she's not eating them.
Told her I heard it tastes like chicken, she's not buying.

My last post on twitter was on Saturday.
It read, 14 new followers on twitter today.
Well topped that with 200 new followers on twitter in last few days.

Problem was I couldn't see it.
My computer was on strike yesterday.
So I just went outside n worked on the new projects.

Project 1.

Old 24x24 barn. right side of pic. sorry only pic I could find. It's actually taller than it looks. It's sorta in a hole/very low area.

Move old tin barn.
Actually tear it down n rebuild it smaller.
24x24 to 10 by 15 feet.

above 3 pics are rebuilt 10x15 horse shed

Almost done.
You might gather from the pic, I avoid the sun.

The following are pics of the completed Horse shed.

This tin shed is one solid little puppy

The following are pics of 3 horses shed is for.
clockwise Robin Hood aka Jimmy, Tenny n Bo.

At 65 when working outside in the heat I move so slow that I'm almost imperceptible. 
Little Smoke n I call it Ninja pace, we figure if we move slow enough we can walk through anything unscathed.

Project 2.
Put a circle drive where the old tin barn was.
Which requires moving the fence.
So basically both projects are tied together.

The old gray tin barn is the last building from the 1980 n before.
Problem was when I was much younger I didn't realize I was putting it up in a wet mucky area.
The circle drive just gave me a good excuse to move it n rebuild it.

By reducing it from a poor barn of 24x24 to a horse shed of 10x15 I'm able to make it a farely nice building.
At 24x24 the building sucked to look at n truth be told it was a bit shaky.
It really was an eyesore.

I can report that the new horse shed is turning out real nice.
FYI, a horse shed is a smallish building in a pasture that horses go in to rest from heat or escape bad weather.
Horse sheds are open on 1 side that faces east.

Now for the cool stuff.

The original 24x24 building was approx 50 years old.
I got it used in about 1980 from a neighbor n I think it had 2 locations here.
That old tin building will be on it's 4th life when I finish the 10x15 horse shed. 

That kind of thing tickles me.
I love proper recycling through reuse.
Get one more life out of something by seeing it different.

The best part is this.
Inside that old building were 6 pieces of telephone poles used as corners etc.

above 2 pics fence posts for circle drive that were once pole barn pole, before that telephone poles

These poles started life after being trees 75 years ago as telephone poles.
Approx 50 years ago these poles became part of this building.
After 75 years of work n rot there still was 7.5ft of good usable pole left.

Those 75 year old telephone pole are probably on there 4th life now as really good fence posts for the circle drive.
My guess is that they will last at least another 25yrs as fence posts.
That's a century of life n use.

above 3 pics are low area that needs buildup for circle drive.

Dirt n crushed cement fill used for 2foot buildup under drive. will finnish with 4 inches of bank run.

The circle driveway is now at phase 2. Base is completed. Now we wait till fall after ground settles to top with bankrun. Meantime we fill in the low area. In some spots I had to build up approx 3ft.

Now

This project from tearing down old barn, rebuilding n filling hole for circle drive took about 4weeks.

The hole that all the dirt came from.

pic is deceptive. back wall of hole is 4 to 5 feet deep. I will fill hole with horse manure over the next year. Horse manure is unlike any other type manure, it's like processed grass not yucky at all. very organic.

As far as the low area where the old tin barn was that will now be a circle drive.
It's gonna take a lot of buildup to raise its level to that of the drive it becomes a part of.
Not a problem, that's what the tractor n I do.

Pulled out 3 more tree stumps yesterday, that makes 8 removed from circle drive area.
There is one more, not sure I can get that one?
It took the tractor n the truck to get last 3.
Dirt work has begun.

So far this project has an out of pocket cost of $120.00