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Spaulding Smails

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Posts posted by Spaulding Smails

  1. 4 hours ago, phdhorn said:

    Maybe it's age, but man although A-B is my go-to CO resort, the last 2 times I had attacks of altitude sickness (which has only happened to me there). I guess because it's so damn high.  Fortunately both happened on "get to" slopes, not on the steeps.  But I spent something like 5 hours one day in the Ski Patrol clinic, barfing and wanting my life to end it hurt so bad.  Got to the hotel, laid down for a few mins. and it was gone.

    Not sure I want to go to A-B again, at least unless I've been at altitude for awhile.

    NB:  Getting old sucks.

    I had my first bout of altitude sickness in Telluride last year.  I was OK the first few days but always felt a bit short of breath.  Night four, I was up all night just feeling "off".  Puked a bit that next morning and sat the next day out in prep for a HeliSki trip.  Just chilled on the couch while the others skied and caught up on work.  I nutted up and got after it Heliskiing, but damn, it hurt.  It was all I could do to walk back to my truck after the helicopter dropped us off.  My wife was finishing up a spa treatment at The Peaks and watched my sorry ass stop a half dozen times to catch my breath on the 100 yd walk back.  Never been so tired in my entire life.  Not sure why the altitude sickness got me that time.  I was in as good of shape as ever, drank plenty of water, avoided alcohol and did all the right things, but it hit me like a ton of bricks.  

  2. @T’Boo Ted Marshall sorry to hear about your issues.  Never a dull moment, I suppose.

    Do you think you need to stabilize the balance sheet and produce some consistent profitability before pulling the trigger on the PE decision?  I'm curious if you think a year or two of solid results is A) achievable and B) can put you in a spot of added leverage when that time comes. 

    Update on our end.  We're six months in to the HVAC side and just over a year into the MEP endeavor as a whole.  Definitely slower to achieve consistent profitability than I had hoped and costing WAY more on the front end than I had budgeted.  Part of that is a byproduct of rapid growth (26 field guys now) and part is the fact that we're investing heavily in the infrastructure (full call center and three managers) to make it more scalable.  We were optimistic that we could cash flow the expansion with our legacy business units, but that hasn't been the case.  We signed a five year lease on a 15,000 SF space, so we should see some operational efficiency increases.  Migrated to Service Titan for service dispatch.  Just kicked off a big marketing / advertising initiative.  But, all that being said, we're starting to achieve critical mass on the labor side and starting to achieve consistent margins that have put the MEP operation in the black the last two months.  The trend is definitely in the right direction.  

    As such, we're close to pushing out a mezzanine debt raise.  After some pretty exhaustive conversations, it fits the bill the best for our business at this stage.  More flexibility than institutional debt without sacrificing equity.  We don't need a ton of cash, so this seems to be the logical next step.

    Then the question becomes the long-term goals.  I have two silent partners, and my end game is dramatically different than theirs.  So, that's a whole different conversation that keeps becoming more integral in the overall strategy.

  3. 13 hours ago, HOOKEM4 said:

    @Spaulding Smails did you go up this past weekend? Was the rut in full swing on your place if so? I left thursday and it seemed it was just popping off. None of the bigger deer were going crazy. I am thinking this weekend i need to slip out to try my luck.

    I sure didn't.  Had an expected event occur that altered our entire Thanksgiving weekend.  My old man was up there Thanksgiving day and said he saw a few new faces and a little tussle between two youngins one evening, but nothing too hot and heavy.  I'm out again this weekend, but will be there come hell of high water the weekend of the 11th.  Hoping we don't miss the peak of the rut.  I have a ton of craziness at work, plus building my house plus some stuff going on with family.  Ranch time has been minimal and sorely missed.  Send pics if you make it out there!

  4. All this kid gun talk (which I love) reminds me of a customer of mine who did probably the coolest thing imaginable for his two boys.  I was late to the game when I learned about it, otherwise I would've followed suit.  From their birth until their 18th birthday, he had a complete list of guns that he vowed (and fulfilled) to buy his kids.  1911 pistol at birth, Henry Golden Boy 22, youth single action 410... all the way up to a nice O/U 12 gauge (can't remember what brand) and a 300 Win Mag with a nice scope.  Significant birthdays were matched with significant guns, but ultimately, they had 19 guns including rifles, pistols and shotguns of all shapes and sizes that they could call their own when they were an adult with the intent that some were youth models that they could then pass down to their kids.   Maybe I can get my shit together and make this happen for my grandkids in the next decade or so.

    • Hook 'Em 4
    • Like 2
  5. 3 hours ago, hookemATL said:

    I have taken on the responsibility of helping my very good Australian buddy learn the ropes on deer hunting.  It really is very rewarding and fun to be a guide to someone that is so new to something that I enjoy so much.  Was able to do some target shooting this weekend and we did some more prep work at the stand.  It was his first time shooting anything other than an air rifle, and he did great.  I know sometimes you get a greenhorn with a rifle and they just get the yips but I am fully confident in his ability to put the shot where it needs to be when the moment arises.  It is extremely rewarding to watch someone fall in love with hunting, and I am just hopefully I can put him on to a decent buck.

    Congrats to all the surly folks who got it done this weekend.

    This is so bad ass.  To this day, I remember from my hunter's safety class the progression of a hunter / conservationist.  I have a good friend who I've put on his first deer then put his son on his first pig.  May do the same with another friend this winter.  Both times, I had way more fun than shooting myself.  And, I love drinking a few beers while watching them gut and skin their first animal.  That "Sportsman" stage is definitely where I am right now.  But, I kind of skipped the "Method" stage.  

    On that note, my son (almost 14) is showing lots of interest in learning to shoot a bow.  We stopped at Los Cazadores this weekend, and I'm thinking about an entry level Elite  Ember for him to start with as a Christmas / birthday present this year.  Anyone have experience with this one?  The biggest factor for me (other than not dropping $2K on a kid's Chirstmas gift) is the turnkey nature and wide range of adjustability in draw length and weight as he matures.  I have zero bow hunting experience but may snag one for myself so we can learn together.  If I do pull the trigger for myself, I was thinking of a Hoyt RX-5.  I need to go shoot what they have at LC I guess to see what I'm most comfortable with, but I really liked the way that one looks and the reviews were solid. 

    https://archerycountry.com/elite-ember/

    https://hoyt.com/compound-bows/rx-5/carbon-rx-5

    • Hook 'Em 2
  6. Got the group text last night at 6:30 that the fields were too wet for my son's baseball tourney this weekend.  Best news all week!  So, we loaded up the kids and headed west.  Got to the ranch by 9:30.  Glorious morning sipping coffee with my oldest by my side.  Covered up with deer, but nothing worth shooting.  Saw a little 8 pointer with his nose to the ground and starting to chase a doe.  Rut is close.  I doubt we'll sling lead this weekend, but love being out in the stand opening weekend.

    • Hook 'Em 3
    • Like 1
  7. On 11/5/2021 at 12:09 PM, deadshank said:

    I’ve never had a bad GW contact.  They’ve always been professional, cordial and easy to work with.  
     

    One stopped in on us right when the WWs started flying to check our licenses.   He checked mine and said I can go ahead and start shooting again.  I pointed out that he and his truck were in the way.  He said to not worry about it and start blasting but don’t shoot him.  
     

    Well, OK!  I moved over about 10 yards and kept my shotgun at 45 degrees up.   The next WW that flew over got smoked, spiraled out and landed at his feet.   He said “nice shot” and stooped over, picked it up and tossed it to me.  
     

    I asked  him if I needed to tip the bird boy.  He grinned and said “no, have fun.”  

    That one incident was really the only head scratching encounter I've seen.  And, it wasn't me.  Most of the other times have been awesome.  Including when a GW showed up when the dove were THICK and said, "Fellas, I'm terribly sorry, I'm sure y'all are good, but I gotta do my job, I promise to be quick so y'all can knock out your limits."

  8. 25 minutes ago, Reagan1k said:

    There can be a lot of variations depending on the county you are in.  Number of total deer, number of bucks, size of bucks, and number of doe all vary.

    You have to know the rule by county when you're hunting to avoid a costly mistake.

    The Tag isn't the only thing that has to identify the county, but the log does as well.

    • after a deer is harvested, but before the deer is field-dressed immediately before moving carcass, complete the log, in ink, on the back of the hunting license. Asterisks in the log indicate bucks with an inside main beam spread of at least 13 inches.

    Completion of the log is not required for mule deer, or for white-tailed deer or mule deer harvested under a MLDP tag, TPWD Special Drawn Public Hunt permit, or on a Big Time Texas Hunt.

    Some GWs take that shit super seriously.  I saw a GW in Llano go off on a buddy for not filling his tag out properly.  He hadn't completed the log on the license and he had marked the date with pen instead of cutting out out with a knife.  

    • Like 1
  9. 1 hour ago, Reagan1k said:

     

    Wow.  I had no clue about this either.  So, is that being driven by TPWD based on doe/buck ratio and overall count or is it on a county basis?

    And, my son has baseball for the second weekend in a row.  Last week was a reschedule, so we missed the youth opener on top of the regular opener.  Hoping we still have some decent weather next weekend because it'll be the first weekend for us to hunt.  

  10. 9 hours ago, markstanco said:


    Also, and I bet you know, but there is a cool app called FarmLogs. It’s great for a specific area you want to track. It uses geomapping and obviously an estimate. But really cool. The full pay version is super expensive.

    FarmLogs is what I use out at the ranch.  Technically, the LCRA map covers it, but there isn't a gauge within 30 miles or so.  It's a guesstimate at best.  I was out there two weeks ago and had 2.5" in the rain gauge off the patio, but the FarmLogs showed 1/2".  

    To your point, it's kind of interesting that there's not a single site or entity that tracks rainfall.

  11. 46 minutes ago, hookemATL said:

    Is there a typically day/time they restock at academy?  I have two rather close to me so I’m wondering if I can get lucky if I time it right. 

    I had decent luck Tuesday right when they opened a few weeks ago.  I hit the one in Sunset Valley to snag some baseball pants for my son and picked up a few boxes of .223 varmint rounds that I hadn't been able to track down along with a big box of .45 rounds that had been elusive.  They do have quantity limits though, so hard to really stock up on target rounds, but good for finding hunting rounds.  

    • Hook 'Em 1
  12. If you're headed west for some reason, I've been able to get damn near every caliber I need over the last two months at the new Los Cazadores location on 290 in Stonewall.  McBrides had a decent supply last week as well when I was in there.  

    • Hook 'Em 1
  13. 2 hours ago, hookemATL said:

    Thanks all for the tips.  Just want the fucker out of my yard, and would rather not have to capture/kill.  

    On another note...This year will be the first deer season I have been able to really jump in and get after it in like...7 years?  Anywho...I am ignorant to the issue of Ammo acquisition.  From perusing the other thread, it seems like there are varying opinions about what the best way to get what I need.

    I am primarily looking for the following:

    30/30

    .243

    .300 Savage

    Any advice is appreciated on the best way to acquire.  I am not looking for a ton of ammo, just enough to do some minimal target shooting and then the few rounds i need (hopefully) for the season.

    Where are you located and where are you hunting?  There's several online options.  I've had decent luck with Abel's Ammo.  I know of a few gun stores that have had better inventory in the last few months depending on your location.

    • Hook 'Em 1
  14. 6 hours ago, USCATX said:

    I built a wood jig to support it on the flat bed, then cut six steel pipe rollers and jacked up the blind with a floor jack and inserted the rollers.  I tied the blind off to another truck and then moved the flatbed forward.  Then I installed two legs on the blind and kept moving on the rollers. Finally I flipped the jig around and had my boys stand on it to lever it while installed the other two legs.  My stand is 3 miles down a tough to access road, but even then I can’t recommend this unless you absolutely have to do it. 

    Nicely done.  Seems like you thought it out ahead of time.  I can remember building a big, heavy wooden blind out of treated lumber and plywood that I intended on mounting on some old scaffolding I had.  Engineering marvel to get that thing upright.  

    I share the ranch with my old man who is super OCD about stuff like a blind tipping over.  I was cracking up when he pulled out the 8' level and a bag of gravel to make sure the legs were all even.  Then, each leg gets anchored with a steel form stake and a bunch of tie wire, and we put a mobile home anchor in the middle with guy wires and a 1/4" cable with a turnbuckle for good measure.  Driving those stakes sucks regardless, but it really sucks in the Hill Country.  

  15. 16 hours ago, USCATX said:

    Can’t remember who said Atascosa when I asked about blinds, but I finally picked up a 5x7 and put it up today.  What a huge pain in the ass, not sure how this normally gets done but I’m pretty sure it’s not like I did with an improvised roller system off the bed of a Home Depot truck that I rode hard and put away wet after scraping every rock and cedar in Travis County.  Anyway, I have a massive new blind so that’s fun. 

    255F77E4-FF63-44E4-85C3-16E5A8FDC8AD.jpeg

    Those Atascosas are what we have.  We bought three 5' x 5' and had them delivered / set up.  One ground blind and two 4' like yours.  We did just move one this summer.  I'm assuming you laid it on its side?  How did you stand it upright?  Did you have some help?  Seems like a winch or come-a-long would be the way to go.

    We were able to move ours upright on my 16' trailer.  Just tilted it back, backed the trailer under one side, then shimmied it on the trailer.  We only had to go about 200 yds, so it wasn't a huge chore.  

  16. 7 hours ago, MaybeACoordinator said:

    These are easy. Fuck them rolls.

    Removing rolls is akin to removing chips and only wanting the salsa.  Plus, by removing them, you remove the possibility of a late night turkey sammich on said roll.  

    I like baked beans, but I don't think I've ever had them with Thanksgiving.  So, that's my sacrificial offering from that list.

    • Hook 'Em 5
    • Like 3
  17. 3 hours ago, Gil Bang said:

    Any suggestions for a do-it-yourself deck coating product?  

    A friend of mine is on a very tight budget.  Her balcony deck has some soft spots.  The current coating is a rubbery material that she says was applied with a roller when she had her house built.   She's asked me to help remove the plywood in the soft area, replace it, and then she will attempt to re-surface the deck herself.  

    I think it's a bad idea...I doubt that she can get a truly waterproof membrane applied correctly, but I'm already doing "enough" here as a volunteer.  

    Agree with @deadshank.  There's a reason waterproof deck's are so expensive.  Once you put "plywood + deck", I'm assuming you're above a finished space.  If the plywood is wet, there's no telling what's beneath.  I haven't used HydroStop, but I've heard good things.  Carlisle and Westcoat make good products as well, but can be difficult to work with if you haven't used them before.

    • Like 1
  18. 16 minutes ago, UTexasFight said:

    Did both a couple of years ago (Texas/ou, Astros/Yankees).

    brutal.  paid for it for a week…and lost both 

    October 9, 1999 is what I commonly refer to as "Super Happy Fun Day".  I had seats at about the 40 in the Cotton Bowl to watch the Horns beat the Sooners 38-28.  As soon as The Eyes of Texas played, we hopped in the truck and high-tailed it to watch the first pitch of G3 of the ALDS Yankees vs Rangers.  Clemens on the mound.  Yankees won 3-0.  After the Yankees clinched, we finished the trifecta with REK at Billy Bob's in Fort Worth.  Hands down the greatest DFW experience of my life.  

  19. 15 hours ago, DDD Dad said:

    I finally solved this problem with a Coop Control door opener.  The door is triggered by a light sensor that opens about 30 minutes after dawn and closes about 30 minutes after dusk.  Solar charged deep cycle battery operates the door.

    I think I have a clip of it on my phone.  Will look and see if I can post it.

     

     

    IMG_8684.MOV 10.45 MB · 3 downloads

    OK.  That's pretty slick.  F'n brilliant too.  Will definitely have to check it out.  

  20. 5 hours ago, Steel Shank said:

    @Patricio Swayze , @Jerry Callo or anyone else: I've killed I've killed 5 juvenile diamondbacks (about a foot long) in the last three weeks at my house in South Austin. Neighborhood children and our son play over at our house often. I've only killed one per year on average for the last 8 years, now all of the sudden I've got them all over the place. What's going on and can I hire someone to rid my place of any more of these killers?

    (Came within 4 inches of stepping on one just now. Scared the shit out of me.)

    Purely anectdotal, but about 10 years ago, I built a garden and installed some cheap landscape netting around the perimeter to keep the deer out.  I inadvertently trapped a half dozen rat snakes.  They'd get tangled up in the netting and die.  I ended up doing the same thing (on purpose this time) around our chicken run at our last house.  I ran netting around the perimeter of the fence.  Caught all sorts of snakes in the same fashion, but never had issues with snakes in the coop.  You'll catch the good with the bad, but it seems to be a fool-proof way to keep snakes out.

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