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Post by BuckSkin on Oct 24, 2023 2:50:55 GMT
Thursday_26-December-2013The Cow FieldVarious pieces of machinery in the foreground; I see a New Idea 2-row corn-picker and a silage chopper, among other pieces.
These are photos number 0027 and 0037 from Mrs. Buckskin's Brand-Shiny-New Canon T3 soon to be ten years ago.  Take note of the tall Cedar above-center in this second photo.
That tree stands at the end of the fence-row beside the gap between the two fields; how it has withstood tremendous winds and numerous ice-storms and is still standing tall is a miracle in itself. --- Now that I have said that, it will probably not make it through the next windy day.
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Post by pontiac1940 on Oct 24, 2023 14:56:28 GMT
Take note of the tall Cedar above-center in this second photo. Buckskin, how tall is that cedar? It is likely over 100 years old...perhaps much more. Are those cedars native to the area? |
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Post by BuckSkin on Oct 24, 2023 19:23:15 GMT
Take note of the tall Cedar above-center in this second photo. Buckskin, how tall is that cedar? It is likely over 100 years old...perhaps much more. Are those cedars native to the area? I think the politically correct name for them is "Eastern Red Cedar"; they are the ones that people make Cedar chests and wardrobes from and line their closets with; the Cedar smell is powerful and old people claim it repels insects, especially the moths that eat clothes. I would say your assumption of it being over 100-yrs-old or older is pretty good; I was using some Cedars for fence-posts that averaged about 7-inch diameter; I counted the rings on three of them and it was something like average 48-rings each. That tree is a lot more than seven-inches; so, surely it is a lot more than the 48 or so years old of the fence-posts. Those things are prolific here in Kentucky and will cover any place that isn't regularly mowed. When I bush-hog the horse pastures, about twice each year, I run over plenty that are between one and three-feet high. Everything green in those photos is a Cedar tree; most spread out instead of shooting up as, due to their environment, things sort of keep them beat down from shooting up. As for how tall, I will have to get that figured out; as you can see, it is taller than anything around it by far. Actually, where it is, at the end of that fence-row, right beside the gap/gateway, it is a miracle it hasn't fallen victim to a wide hay-baler or combine or somesuch that has barely room to scrape through the opening. Thanks for your interest. |
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Post by pontiac1940 on Oct 25, 2023 3:39:46 GMT
Thanks for the info. Sounds like they are almost weeds. We should be so lucky. Holy cow, your "Eastern Red Cedar" is a Juniperus species. A couple of species are common here in river valleys, foothills and mountains but they are small deciduous shrubs. You will laugh. One native species here, Juniperus horizontalis, creeping or horizontal juniper can live for decades (centuries?) and cover huge areas of grassy hillsides and never be more than 6 or 8 inches tall. It just forms a huge roundish mat low to the ground. |
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Post by BuckSkin on Oct 25, 2023 4:56:37 GMT
One native species here, Juniperus horizontalis, creeping or horizontal juniper can live for decades (centuries?) and cover huge areas of grassy hillsides and never be more than 6 or 8 inches tall. It just forms a huge roundish mat low to the ground.
Our Cedar can thrive in wet swamplands and also on rocky ledges where there isn't a speck of soil and hardly ever any rain.
I have always loved them; although, most people around here see them as weeds.
I have one growing right under Henry's gate that gets opened/closed several times each day; I guess some bird sat on the gate and excremented him out as a pre-fertilized seed and it took ahold from there.
The gate rides it over and it springs back up as soon as the gate passes; if the bird had just turned around, the Cedar would have grown on the closed side of the gate and have never been bothered; as it is, I am soon going to have to relocate it or else the gate won't open. |
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Post by BuckSkin on Oct 25, 2023 5:12:00 GMT
I have been thinking about this...
If I could tie a string on a weight and measure the string, then, using a sling-shot (or as my old grand-daddy called them, a "gum flip"), shoot the weight and have it catch in the highest limb; or, use a bow-and-arrow; and, once my string has caught and wrapped itself amongst the tallest little limbs, pull the string tight; then, measure from where the string contacts the ground to the trunk of the tree.
Thus, I would have two known variables of my triangle, the length of my string and the distance from one end of the string to the tree trunk; I guess I could figure the angle of the tree and ground as 90°; do a bit of math; and, have a close approximation as to the height of the tree.
I might be better off to tie a favorite collector's item fishing lure on my rod-'n'-reel and cast it into the top of the tree; it would be sure to entangle irretrievably and hold fast while I got my measurements; of course, I would have to flag the line at a known length.
Or, maybe, use a drone to carry a fish-hook and line and hook it right in the top.
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Post by pontiac1940 on Oct 25, 2023 15:18:57 GMT
I have been thinking about this... Measure the length of its shadow from the base on a sunny day. Then check the sun angle for your area and use an online calculator to determine height. |
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Post by BuckSkin on Oct 28, 2023 5:21:08 GMT
I have been thinking about this... Measure the length of its shadow from the base on a sunny day. Then check the sun angle for your area and use an online calculator to determine height. |
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