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Spaulding Smails

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Posts posted by Spaulding Smails

  1. 1 hour ago, ROFL BOX said:

    Somebody out here in Drip posted on the local FB page asking for someone to build a bunk bed that's not too far off from what you've got there.

     

    What would you retail that for given the time spent to make & the time you would spend for a repeat (having mastered some of the process)?

    Tree fiddy. 

    Kidding aside, @dieucla98 did a great job.  If one of my guys built that, I'd guess it would go for $3,500 - $4,000.

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  2. On 9/29/2021 at 2:30 AM, RPM said:

    My Dad used to make his own pepper sauce with chile pequin and vinegar. He used old Michelob bottles because they had screw on caps (which was rare bitd) and kept them in the door of his beer fridge.  One day my Dad's cousin comes over and makes a bee line to the beer fridge. He reached in, grabbed one of the Michelob bottles, twisted the cap and took a big swig. I mean a he's going to chug that beer swig. It took a second for things to connect in his brain before he spewed pepper sauce all over the room. Good times.

    My favorite homemade vinegar sauce by a wide margin.  I'll also dry out my pequins.  They'll usually last 3-4 months like that.  

    I've always struggled making pickled jalapenos.  I go through about a jar every two weeks of La Costeña nacho slices.  But, every time I try to pickle my own, they end up mushy.  I need to figure out a good recipe for making my own.  Anyone have suggestions?

  3. 7 hours ago, 686 said:


    I like the cut of your jib. I splurge and use 18-24” concrete form stakes with pre-drilled holes to anchor my feeder legs (attach to legs with brace wire). I don’t like T-Posts next to my feeder legs in case I fall (God forbid) loading the feeder; I’m also lazy and I can drive the form stakes with a 3lb sledge instead of a T-post driver. (We have rocky soil)

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    Same exact setup for mine.  Form stakes and a sledge with plenty of baling wire.  We use the 600-lb Atascosa EZ feeders.  No ladder to load, plus a lower center of gravity.  Never had any issues.  Plus, they're on a skid, so we actually slide them around a bit after the season to let the ground recover around the feeder.  

    We go a step further with the blinds.  Form stakes at the legs, then a mobile home anchor in the center with guy wires up to each corner.  Tighten them with a turnbuckle.  

  4. 4 hours ago, Lazarus Bocanegra said:

    Thanks, man.  Got very lucky with the timing of the purchase.  Place was pretty trashed up by the goat farmers we bought it from, and in a few short months we've really turned the place around.  This first season should be a big learning experience for us.  None of us have any experience in brush country.   My partners' old place was out near Brady, so a totally different world. Recently found out the previous owners were pretty much hated by everyone in the surrounding area because they'd shoot everything that moved.  We're trying to get the word out that there's new management in town...

    We are on 99 due north of Choke Canyon in the NW of the County, close to where McMullen, Live Oak, and Atascosa Counties meet 

     

    That's a primo spot.  I hunted on a buddy's spot one weekend near Whitsett and had some banner hunts.  Like @deadshank said, lots of wildlife.  Just give it time and patience!  

  5. My best friend in elementary school was an only child and his parents had four season tickets in the south end zone.  Second row.  Great seats.  I got the nod to join probably 50% of the time from 1988 - 1994 or thereabouts.  Lots of fun and watched some great teams.  That same friend's dad had grown up with Bo Orlando's family in Pennsylvania.  Bo and his family would come over to their house for parties, cookouts, etc.  GREAT dude and was always friendly, throwing the ball in the yard with us and whatnot.  

    In 94, my dad's company had a pretty sweet deal with the Oilers that included, among other things, tickets to an away game.  He had a big client lined up to take on that trip that cancelled the Friday afternoon before the game.  Not able to find a replacement client on short notice, he took me.  Freaking awesome trip.  Flew on the team charter plane.  Rode on the team bus.  Stayed at the team hotel.  We saw Bo at the hotel.  He recognized me and my dad, so we ended up going to dinner with all the defensive backs the night before the game.  Good dudes, but you could tell they were checked out.  This was mid way through the season, and I think they had only won one game to that point.  After dinner, most of them went out on the town.  The Oilers lost to a bad Raiders team at the Coliseum the next day.  

    That 94 team was dog shit.  And, they didn't care.  Totally mailed it in all season.  It was the beginning of the end of my favorite team.  I still can't root for the Texans.  

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  6. 16 hours ago, Post Oak said:

    That's awesome. My feeder had 5 this morning which was 2 more than I thought we had.  Seems like they're loading up

    I love seeing them. I suspect they're gone by this weekend.

     

    In the last few weeks my watermelon plant has taken off.  I've got 14 watermelons of various sizes going ofo of one plant. Tomatoes still putting out and my bell peppers and jalapenos have kicked it in gear the last month or so.

    My basil is still going strong. We made a bunch of pesto last weekend but will have to make a ton more to freeze.

    I never thought about freezing pesto, but that's a great idea for taking advantage of the basil.  

  7. 39 minutes ago, Deej said:

    Can't this shit come through on a weekend. Fucking Thursday morning. "Damn, it's nice out. Well, off to work."

    Sucker!  Without looking at the forecast, I set up a tee time to take a client out for golf Thursday @ 8:30 AM.  May even need to wear a pullover!

  8. On 9/13/2021 at 11:04 AM, oSuJeff97 said:

    Made BBQ chicken, smoked Gouda Mac and cheese and roasted broccoli. Was delicious.

     

     

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    Add a link of venison sausage and this is the exact meal we ate damn near every Sunday night when I was a kid.  Looks great!

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  9. On 9/15/2021 at 8:33 AM, crimsonlonghorn said:

    Starting letting my chickens free range during the day over the summer. They are much happier and I'm getting more eggs now.

    IMG_6499.jpg.e06e5c824c967055b2fd59c75fc0cf33.jpg

    No problems for the first month or so, but a few started roosting up in the trees instead of going inside the coop at night, so high up that my son and I couldn't reach them.

    Then we found a few dead ones a couple of weeks ago so I put out my traps and sure enough.

    IMG_0585.jpg.16ba57282ad930750033f52c65d91f46.jpg

     

    I also think I've lost a couple to owls - including my wife's favorite gardening girlfriend - but there is nothing I can do about those. Either the chickens decide to get back inside the coop at night or they'll all eventually get killed off. 

     

    Chickens are looking great!  Free range is awesome.  The only downside for us was messing up the mulch around the flower beds.  But, we loved hanging in the pool and watching the hens peck around in the evening.  Also kept the bugs at bay for the most part.  The only time we lost chickens were when we didn't close the coop early enough.  Lost most of ours to a fox.  Make sure you count em when you put em up.  We had one of ours go broody over a nest down the back hillside of our property.  We didn't realize it and weren't counting chickens, and found a big pile of feathers and a dozen eggs the next morning.  She wasn't leaving that nest to roost and got whacked.  

  10. Great pics @Lazarus Bocanegra!  Love that area.  Congrats on the purchase.  Roughly where are you in Live Oak County?  I've hunted on-and-off in that county for 25+ years.  Had a lease near Lagarto for over a decade and now have a good friend with a place on the Nueces between Three Rivers and George West and my uncle has a ranch right at the Duval County line off Hwy 59.  

  11. 38 minutes ago, Jiggy-Z said:

    We were the concrete site and hardscape contractor for the Blanton and I remember those tree moves.  They were not particularly large trees, but the thinking was that the University would rather have instant trees rather than wait.  There were a whole lot of factors that made those moves pretty easy.

    Soft dirt/clay,

    trees stayed on site.

    level surface

    client with gobs of money

    client with professional arborists on staff,

    tree size.

    I don't think they can move the big trees on the Oak Hill Parkway project.

    Totally agree.  There's a few massive ones that are either going to get whacked or have already been designed around.  Those trees at Blanton seemed pretty darn big, but by comparison, I'm sure they don't compare.  

  12. 21 minutes ago, Jiggy-Z said:

    I live out by Circle Dr. at the end of the project boundary and a month or so ago I saw the news crews filming by all of the shredded trees.  About the same time there were some other people there measuring tree trunks etc.

    Just from reading what was available (so I am not saying this is the whole story), TxDOT/Contractor says they took out trees but all were 8" or less in diameter.  Just by looking I can tell that is not the case, from the few trunks that were for some reason not shredded.  But even if it is, there were probably not many and certainly no huge oak trees.

    I am certain there is a tree survey of the cleared area, so it seems like this would be easy enough to clear up.  I am not sure of the requirements, but I am pretty sure there is going to be a tree replacement program for trees of a certain size that were removed in this area.

    On a different front, there are many large and old trees down at the start of the project by William Cannon and those in the current median where the existing freeway ends.  Not sure what the plan is for those, but my guess would be they are staying since they already built the road around them anyway.

    The new South 183 project was able to save several very large oaks around the Thompson Lane area, but those were were pretty conveniently located for construction purposes.

    I also am interested in the goings on with concrete plant and its opposition.  As I understand it, this is a temporary batch plant intended to service the new road construction only and it will be disassembled close to the end of completion.  From a friend in the construction business, seems like a done deal and all opposition is just for concessions and show.  I feel for those close by though.

    I saw the same thing with the trees.  Given the heightened scrutiny of this project from an environmental standpoint, it would be a pretty boneheaded move to whack heritage trees right off the bat.  To your point, I guarantee they have a tree survey from that area.  And, I'm curious on the bigger trees near William Cannon as well.  They moved some major trees on campus for the Blanton and the North DKR expansion, so it can be done.  Regardless, they'll have a hefty tree replacement program for sure.

    Regarding the batch plant, it's definitely going to happen.  It's logistically and economically the right move.  It's going to suck for the neighbors in the immediate vicinity, but for the community as a whole, having a temporary batch plant on site (or within spitting distance) is a way better option than trucking.  There's a ready mix plant near Circle Drive, but the next closest ones are at Ben White / I-35.  And, for a project of this size, the concrete needs are vast, and pour times could literally be at damn near any time of day, so an on-site dedicated batch plant is a must. 

  13. 4 hours ago, Jiggy-Z said:

    The project is temporarily held up.  Injunction or something due to trees already taken down.  Hearing was on 9/2 but I'm finding nothing on the googles since then.

    Same.  I knew the hearing was earlier this month, but I've found nothing.  I'm going to reach out to my TxDOT buddy later this week to catch a beer after work, so I'm hoping to get the scoop then.

  14. 2 hours ago, JSB said:

    Ok, we're in. Hotel and Greenskeeper package purchased. Now we just need airfare and a few tee-times for earlier in the week. I'm pretty excited.

    Thirded.  You're going to love it.  I went in 2012.  Only the Thursday round, but it was a blast.  16 is a must.  17 is an awesome hole as well.  See if you can get suite access.  It'll turn the experience up to 11.  

  15. On 8/30/2021 at 9:53 AM, Johnny Sack said:

    I have never used anything outside of 7.5 or 8 shot for dove.  Apparently, I am in the minority here.

    I'm in the same boat.  But, the majority of my recent hunts in Central Texas have been Mourning Dove.  I do carry a few boxes of #6 in my shell box if we're getting into high-flying WWs.  I've gotten to be a bit of a gear snob, so I have a loaded Yeti bucket with a lid for dove hunting, plus a go-bag for quail and a larger go-bag for ducks / geese.  Pure #6 for quail and #3 / #4 steel shot for ducks plus steel BBs in the same bag for geese.  I like not having to mix-and-match every time.  

  16. Great thread.  I'm enjoying and learning a lot on some of the responses.  We're in a position to do this financially right now, but have decided to wait a few years on some family-related items.  It's interesting to see the mixed bag of responses regarding short-term rentals and their pros and cons.  Part of me wants to just go ahead and bite the bullet now to get something that would serve primarily as a rental that we could use a half dozen times a year, but I know how picky we are about the setup, and I have a feeling we're going to be better off building something new or doing a major remodel.  

    I'm curious if anyone has tried to build or undergo a large project from hours away and how it fared.  I'm cognizant of the issues of reliable support in vacation towns, so my expectations are pretty low around contractors in those areas (especially given that's what I do for a living and I hear the horror stories of others here locally).  If anyone has any stories (good or bad) on that front, please fire away.

  17. @Enchubben did they at least give you some warning?  A heads up?  An opportunity to stop those transactions?

    When I launched my website after about two years in business (residential construction), our web designer defaulted to using PayPal for our "Make a Payment" button.  It worked pretty well at first.  Got our funds relatively quickly.  Easy interface for our clients.  After about two years, we started picking up some larger jobs.  One day, I get a call from PayPal saying that, due to my volume and the "risky business" I was in, they'd be holding my funds for SIX MONTHS.  So, they were going to hold $80K for half a year on a project that was going to take a little more than a month to complete.  Of course, it was buried in the T&Cs that I never read that they could do this, but as a service provider, a little proactive communication would have been nice.  They wouldn't budge.  Not an inch.  Not on the next transaction.  Not down to three months.  Nada.

    I had my customer void the transaction and pay via check.  And, I promptly removed the PayPal option from the website.  

    I'm all for protecting your own best interests and minimizing your risk as a service provider, but dammit, tell your customers ahead of time.  I think OnlyFans is going to tank with their decision, but at least they were proactive in communicating with their content providers and customers.  Can you imagine the shit storm if that went down without any heads up?

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  18. On 8/20/2021 at 11:53 AM, capnamerca said:

    Is anyone on this thread a member at Onion Creek? I'm considering joining somewhere, and I'd love to get a feel for the MGA out there, ask some questions.

    I just joined in June.  Have yet to play an MGA event though including the Legends Tourney that was this morning.  Shoot me a DM if you have any specific questions.  

  19. On 8/17/2021 at 4:00 PM, deadshank said:

    This upcoming weekend is the weekend to start cutting brush off the river road canopy so the tractor / shredder can get through, fill feeders and prep for deer season.  
     

    Suddenly my workforce has disappeared. 

    We had a buddy on a lease with us in South Texas from 98 - 07 that we affectionately referred to as "Blister".  We named him that because he'd always show up after the hard work was done.  

    I'll be doing the same next weekend.  Still have a few trees to get down after the New Years Day ice storm.  One big Red Oak in particular is resting right across the dry creek bed behind a feeder that I need to get out of there to open up some sight lines.  Not looking forward to cutting up that big bastard, but it'll sure make for some great firewood.  

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  20. Agree on all fronts, @Reagan1k.  I just moved into a rent house, and the deer in our neighborhood are legit. It's amazing what you start to see when deer get some age going.  And, 2,000 acres makes a world of difference in reducing the pressure!  

    As much as I love our spot and the terrain and being with my folks, we're just too small to produce deer of any size.  We've had the place for three years, and we've seen some decent deer (max 3.5 years) on game cameras, but they either turn into ghosts (or presumably sausage) in the first few weeks.  Our place is <200 acres and surrounded by other tracts ranging from 150-600 acres.  The first two years, we saw fairly limited hunting pressure, but last year, that pressure seemed constant.  We've harvested one whitetail buck and one axis buck in three years.  The whitetail was a 3.5 year old 4 point that was a great cull and first buck for my son.  I'm becoming resigned to the fact that, no matter how hard we manage and protein feed, we're not going to ever see anything of a decent size.

  21. Redfish on the half shell while my buddy's cabin on the intracoastal at the edge of Baffin bay.

    Fried alligator gar at Rocha's El Catan in Laredo.

    Fried Opelousas catfish with hushpuppies, crinkle cut fries, homemade tartar sauce and cole slaw at my in-laws' lake house on Toledo Bend.

    Spicy boudin at Robert's in Orange.

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