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#11
The Tailgate / Re: Turn off the fan!
Last post by FinsnFur - March 17, 2026, 07:05:08 PMI thought about doing something with the stump Nasty, but I hear a lot of horror stories about them rotting and attracting ants by the millions and other insects.
I am definitely going to miss my Golden Finches and my hummingbirds. They've both ate from feeders hung on that tree for years and years.I may try a Shepards hook, but without the tree blocking the wind it may be useless. And I'm worried the hummers may not come around regardless this year if they used that tree for a landmark during migration.
I am definitely going to miss my Golden Finches and my hummingbirds. They've both ate from feeders hung on that tree for years and years.I may try a Shepards hook, but without the tree blocking the wind it may be useless. And I'm worried the hummers may not come around regardless this year if they used that tree for a landmark during migration.
#12
The Tailgate / Today in history 3-17
Last post by remrogers - March 17, 2026, 01:18:50 PM1804
March 17
Jim Bridger, mountain man and explorer, is born
Two months before Lewis and Clark begin their western expedition, Jim Bridger is born in Richmond, Virginia. Twenty years later, Bridger, heading West along the routes Lewis and Clark pioneered, became one of the greatest mountain men of the 19th century.
The son of a surveyor and an innkeeper, Bridger moved with his family to St. Louis in 1818. There, Bridger apprenticed to a blacksmith, learned to handle boats, and became a good shot and skilled woodsman. When the Ashley-Henry fur trading company advertised for "enterprising young men" to travel the Missouri River to trade with the local tribes, Bridger was among the first to respond, and he was hired in 1822.
Though he lacked much formal education, Bridger demonstrated a brilliant ability for finding his way and surviving in the wilderness. As part of the Ashley-Henry team, he helped construct the first fur trading post on the Yellowstone River. At the age of 21, Bridger became the first Anglo definitely known to have seen the Great Salt Lake, though he mistakenly thought it was the Pacific Ocean at the time. He was adept at learning Indigenous dialects and culture, and he had a tremendous memory for geographical detail.
For several years Bridger worked as an independent trapper and in 1830 he joined with three partners to gain control of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company. Bridger never really enjoyed the life of the businessman, though, and he sold out in 1834. That same year, he married Cora, the daughter of a Flathead chief, and she accompanied him on his fur trapping expeditions. Yet by 1840, Bridger had grown tired of the nomadic trapper life. He was convinced that the emigrant traffic through the West had become heavy enough to support a trading post. He founded Fort Bridger along the Green River section of the Oregon Trail, in present-day southern Wyoming.
Fort Bridger quickly became a regular stopping place for overland emigrants, and Bridger happily settled down with Cora, with whom he had three children. Bridger's idyllic life did not last, though. Cora died, Native Americans killed one of his daughters, and a second wife died in childbirth. Bridger retreated to the mountains to trap and hunt after each of these tragedies. In 1850, he married the daughter of a Shoshoni chief, and thereafter he and his bride—whom he called Mary—divided their time between summers at Fort Bridger and winters with the Shoshoni.
In 1853, members of the LDS church, resenting the competition from Bridger's fort, tried to arrest him as an outlaw. He escaped into the mountains with Mary and his children, but a band of Latter-day Saints burnt and gutted the fort, destroying all his supplies. Concerned for his family's safety, Bridger bought a farm near Westport, Missouri, where he left Mary and the children during all of his subsequent western journeys. He sold Fort Bridger in 1858, and spent the next decade working as a guide and an army scout in the early Indian wars.
By 1868, Bridger's eyesight was failing, and he increasingly suffered from rheumatism. He retired to his Westport farm, where he cared for his apple trees. He died at the age of 77 on July 17, 1881.
March 17
Jim Bridger, mountain man and explorer, is born
Two months before Lewis and Clark begin their western expedition, Jim Bridger is born in Richmond, Virginia. Twenty years later, Bridger, heading West along the routes Lewis and Clark pioneered, became one of the greatest mountain men of the 19th century.
The son of a surveyor and an innkeeper, Bridger moved with his family to St. Louis in 1818. There, Bridger apprenticed to a blacksmith, learned to handle boats, and became a good shot and skilled woodsman. When the Ashley-Henry fur trading company advertised for "enterprising young men" to travel the Missouri River to trade with the local tribes, Bridger was among the first to respond, and he was hired in 1822.
Though he lacked much formal education, Bridger demonstrated a brilliant ability for finding his way and surviving in the wilderness. As part of the Ashley-Henry team, he helped construct the first fur trading post on the Yellowstone River. At the age of 21, Bridger became the first Anglo definitely known to have seen the Great Salt Lake, though he mistakenly thought it was the Pacific Ocean at the time. He was adept at learning Indigenous dialects and culture, and he had a tremendous memory for geographical detail.
For several years Bridger worked as an independent trapper and in 1830 he joined with three partners to gain control of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company. Bridger never really enjoyed the life of the businessman, though, and he sold out in 1834. That same year, he married Cora, the daughter of a Flathead chief, and she accompanied him on his fur trapping expeditions. Yet by 1840, Bridger had grown tired of the nomadic trapper life. He was convinced that the emigrant traffic through the West had become heavy enough to support a trading post. He founded Fort Bridger along the Green River section of the Oregon Trail, in present-day southern Wyoming.
Fort Bridger quickly became a regular stopping place for overland emigrants, and Bridger happily settled down with Cora, with whom he had three children. Bridger's idyllic life did not last, though. Cora died, Native Americans killed one of his daughters, and a second wife died in childbirth. Bridger retreated to the mountains to trap and hunt after each of these tragedies. In 1850, he married the daughter of a Shoshoni chief, and thereafter he and his bride—whom he called Mary—divided their time between summers at Fort Bridger and winters with the Shoshoni.
In 1853, members of the LDS church, resenting the competition from Bridger's fort, tried to arrest him as an outlaw. He escaped into the mountains with Mary and his children, but a band of Latter-day Saints burnt and gutted the fort, destroying all his supplies. Concerned for his family's safety, Bridger bought a farm near Westport, Missouri, where he left Mary and the children during all of his subsequent western journeys. He sold Fort Bridger in 1858, and spent the next decade working as a guide and an army scout in the early Indian wars.
By 1868, Bridger's eyesight was failing, and he increasingly suffered from rheumatism. He retired to his Westport farm, where he cared for his apple trees. He died at the age of 77 on July 17, 1881.
#13
The Tailgate / Re: Turn off the fan!
Last post by nastygunz - March 16, 2026, 08:28:34 PMWowzer! That big old tree trunk stump looks like it has some significant rot going on in there where it broke. Leave your tree stump about 6 feet tall grab your chainsaw and put some nice bird nesting spots in it.
#14
The Tailgate / Re: Turn off the fan!
Last post by Hawks Feather - March 16, 2026, 07:10:44 PMThe good thing is you will have more firewood. Not a good way to get it though.
Early July 4th fireworks compliments of the wind. This was shot by a pastor that I know.
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1FebHjnmwT/
Early July 4th fireworks compliments of the wind. This was shot by a pastor that I know.
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1FebHjnmwT/
#15
The Tailgate / Re: Turn off the fan!
Last post by Okanagan - March 16, 2026, 07:00:25 PMWhew! Bad night. I'd hate to do it but would take the tall spruce down just like you. Wish you could lop off the top third before tonight!
Around here, close growing forest trees protect each other from wind and rarely does one of the big ones go down. But cut a block of that forest in a clear-cut or even a house lot and the ones left on the edge of the cut are exposed to wind. They have grown in that spot for 100-200 years, in a windbreak of many trees and they never developed the root system to stand alone against wind. Those trees are the ones most likely to go down.
Nearly every far western clear-cut is a mess of down trees from the edge of the open back into the trees for 20-30 yards.
Hope you keep safe till you get the big tree down!
Around here, close growing forest trees protect each other from wind and rarely does one of the big ones go down. But cut a block of that forest in a clear-cut or even a house lot and the ones left on the edge of the cut are exposed to wind. They have grown in that spot for 100-200 years, in a windbreak of many trees and they never developed the root system to stand alone against wind. Those trees are the ones most likely to go down.
Nearly every far western clear-cut is a mess of down trees from the edge of the open back into the trees for 20-30 yards.
Hope you keep safe till you get the big tree down!
#16
The Tailgate / Re: Turn off the fan!
Last post by FinsnFur - March 16, 2026, 05:13:54 PMYeah lately it's been worse than normal here for some reason.
Back in November we had a night of 50 mph sustained winds and it was pretty sketchy up here on the hill.
Thats the night it toppled this baby over behind my house.
Thursday last week we had 70 mph winds up here and let me tell you, I've lived here for 25 years and I've never been as scared of my house flying apart as I was THAT night. I have no idea what was banging but something on this ole place was banging up top most of the night. And the wind kept me up for hours sounding like a tornado going between the houses and it never let up or slowed.
I woke up to deafening silence at 3:00am when the power went out. I thought sure as shit the tree in my front yard went down, but it should have landed on the house by the wind direction that night.
As I lay in bed wondering if I should try to go back to sleep or get up, the pitch black rooms in the front of the house filled with flashing red lights and white emergency vehicle spot lights scanned the front of my house filling the place with a burning white light like you cant imagine.
Now I'm freaking out.
Shoot out of bed to see power lines flopping around out front of the house like carp in hot flooded grass.
Turns out the guy across the street had a tree go down and take the lines with it. The tree was so tall it laid across the road and the tip just touched the bottom step of the house on the other side of the street.
It was tough to take pics with so many lights flashing but...
Next pic was from his house later that day.
I got a tree JUST like that in my yard. Big ole Spruce like 70 or 80 foot tall. Thats probably what was banging last week as the overhanging limbs pounded on my roof with the 70 mph winds.
I asked the guy across the street if his tree was sick, or cracked or distressed at all. He says not that he knew of.
That was all I needed to hear lol. I'm having people come out this week to look at mine and bid on taking it down.
I'm done worrying about that sonofabitch falling on my house. It's gotta go.
Back in November we had a night of 50 mph sustained winds and it was pretty sketchy up here on the hill.
Thats the night it toppled this baby over behind my house.
Thursday last week we had 70 mph winds up here and let me tell you, I've lived here for 25 years and I've never been as scared of my house flying apart as I was THAT night. I have no idea what was banging but something on this ole place was banging up top most of the night. And the wind kept me up for hours sounding like a tornado going between the houses and it never let up or slowed.
I woke up to deafening silence at 3:00am when the power went out. I thought sure as shit the tree in my front yard went down, but it should have landed on the house by the wind direction that night.
As I lay in bed wondering if I should try to go back to sleep or get up, the pitch black rooms in the front of the house filled with flashing red lights and white emergency vehicle spot lights scanned the front of my house filling the place with a burning white light like you cant imagine.
Now I'm freaking out.
Shoot out of bed to see power lines flopping around out front of the house like carp in hot flooded grass.
Turns out the guy across the street had a tree go down and take the lines with it. The tree was so tall it laid across the road and the tip just touched the bottom step of the house on the other side of the street.
It was tough to take pics with so many lights flashing but...
Next pic was from his house later that day.
I got a tree JUST like that in my yard. Big ole Spruce like 70 or 80 foot tall. Thats probably what was banging last week as the overhanging limbs pounded on my roof with the 70 mph winds.
I asked the guy across the street if his tree was sick, or cracked or distressed at all. He says not that he knew of.
That was all I needed to hear lol. I'm having people come out this week to look at mine and bid on taking it down.
I'm done worrying about that sonofabitch falling on my house. It's gotta go.
#17
The Tailgate / Today in history 3-16
Last post by remrogers - March 16, 2026, 10:28:34 AM1903
March 16
Judge Roy Bean dies
On March 16, 1903, Roy Bean, the self-proclaimed "law west of the Pecos," dies in Langtry, Texas.
A saloonkeeper and adventurer, Bean's claim to fame rested on the often humorous and sometimes-bizarre rulings he meted out as a justice of the peace in western Texas during the late 19th century. By then, Bean was in his 50s and had already lived a life full of rough adventures.
Born in Kentucky some time during the 1820s, Bean began getting into trouble at an early age. He left home in 1847 with his brother Sam and lived a rogue's life in Mexico until he shot a man in a barroom fight and had to flee. He next turned up in San Diego. Again he shot a man during a quarrel and was forced to leave town quickly. He fell into the same old habits in Los Angeles, eventually killing a Mexican officer in a duel over a woman. Angry friends of the officer hanged Bean in revenge, but luckily, the rope stretched and Bean managed to stay alive until the woman he had fought for arrived to cut him down. Bearing rope scars on his neck that remained throughout his life, Bean left California to take up a less risky life in New Mexico and Texas.
For about 16 years, Bean lived a prosperous and relatively legitimate life as a San Antonio businessman. In 1882, he moved to southwest Texas, where he built his famous saloon, the Jersey Lilly, in the hamlet of Langtry.
Before founding Langtry, Bean had also secured an appointment as a justice of the peace and notary public. He knew little about the law or proper court procedures, but residents appreciated and largely accepted his common sense verdicts in the sparsely populated country of West Texas.
Bean was often deliberately humorous or bizarre in his rulings, once fining a dead man $40 for carrying a concealed weapon. He threatened one lawyer with hanging for using profane language when the hapless man referred to the "habeas corpus" of his client.
By the 1890s, reports of Bean's curmudgeonly rulings had made him nationally famous. Travelers on the train passing through Langtry often made a point of stopping to visit the ramshackle saloon, where a sign proudly proclaimed Bean to be the "Law West of the Pecos."
Bean fell ill during a visit to San Antonio. He returned to Langtry, where he died on March 16, 1903. Ten months later, Lillie Langtry, the object of Bean's devoted adoration, made a celebrated visit to the village he claimed was named in her honor.
March 16
Judge Roy Bean dies
On March 16, 1903, Roy Bean, the self-proclaimed "law west of the Pecos," dies in Langtry, Texas.
A saloonkeeper and adventurer, Bean's claim to fame rested on the often humorous and sometimes-bizarre rulings he meted out as a justice of the peace in western Texas during the late 19th century. By then, Bean was in his 50s and had already lived a life full of rough adventures.
Born in Kentucky some time during the 1820s, Bean began getting into trouble at an early age. He left home in 1847 with his brother Sam and lived a rogue's life in Mexico until he shot a man in a barroom fight and had to flee. He next turned up in San Diego. Again he shot a man during a quarrel and was forced to leave town quickly. He fell into the same old habits in Los Angeles, eventually killing a Mexican officer in a duel over a woman. Angry friends of the officer hanged Bean in revenge, but luckily, the rope stretched and Bean managed to stay alive until the woman he had fought for arrived to cut him down. Bearing rope scars on his neck that remained throughout his life, Bean left California to take up a less risky life in New Mexico and Texas.
For about 16 years, Bean lived a prosperous and relatively legitimate life as a San Antonio businessman. In 1882, he moved to southwest Texas, where he built his famous saloon, the Jersey Lilly, in the hamlet of Langtry.
Before founding Langtry, Bean had also secured an appointment as a justice of the peace and notary public. He knew little about the law or proper court procedures, but residents appreciated and largely accepted his common sense verdicts in the sparsely populated country of West Texas.
Bean was often deliberately humorous or bizarre in his rulings, once fining a dead man $40 for carrying a concealed weapon. He threatened one lawyer with hanging for using profane language when the hapless man referred to the "habeas corpus" of his client.
By the 1890s, reports of Bean's curmudgeonly rulings had made him nationally famous. Travelers on the train passing through Langtry often made a point of stopping to visit the ramshackle saloon, where a sign proudly proclaimed Bean to be the "Law West of the Pecos."
Bean fell ill during a visit to San Antonio. He returned to Langtry, where he died on March 16, 1903. Ten months later, Lillie Langtry, the object of Bean's devoted adoration, made a celebrated visit to the village he claimed was named in her honor.
#18
The Tailgate / Today in history 3-15
Last post by remrogers - March 15, 2026, 10:32:44 AM1968
March 15
Construction begins on America's highest vehicle tunnel
On March 15, 1968, construction starts on the north tunnel of the Eisenhower/Johnson Memorial Tunnel on Interstate 70 in Colorado, some 60 miles west of Denver. Located at an elevation of more than 11,000 feet, the project was an engineering marvel and became the world's highest vehicular tunnel when it was completed in 1979. Four months after opening, one million vehicles had passed through the tunnel; today, some 10 million vehicles drive through it each year.
The north tunnel (or bore) was finished on March 8, 1973 and named for America's 34th president, who was in office from 1953 to 1961. Construction on the south tunnel began on August 18, 1975, and was finished on December 21, 1979. The south tunnel was named for Edwin C. Johnson, a Colorado governor and U.S. senator who was a big supporter of an interstate highway system across his state. (Interstate 70 stretches more than 2,100 miles from Interstate 15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to Baltimore, Maryland. It was America's first interstate highway project. Construction began in 1956 and ended in 1992 in Glenwood Canyon, located near the city of Glenwood Springs in western Colorado.)
The north tunnel cost $117 million to construct and at the height of the building process, some 1,140 people worked three shifts, 24 hours a day, six days a week. The south tunnel cost $145 million and employed 800 workers, approximately 500 of whom were involved in drilling operations.
The Eisenhower/Johnson Tunnel cuts through the Continental Divide at an average elevation of 11,112 feet. (Driving conditions around the tunnel can be challenging during the months between November and April: The surrounding area receives an average of 26 feet of snow during those months.) The north tunnel, which handles westbound traffic, is 1.693 miles long, while the south tunnel (eastbound traffic) is 1.697 miles. Illuminating those tunnels is no small task–each has approximately 2,000 light fixtures using 8-foot bulbs.
The Eisenhower/Johnson Tunnel is an impressive accomplishment, but it's small potatoes compared to some others. The 15.2 mile-long Laerdal Tunnel in Norway is the world's longest road tunnel. One of the busiest vehicular tunnels in America is the Lincoln Tunnel, which was built under the Hudson River to connect New Jersey and Midtown Manhattan in New York City. That tunnel's center tube opened in 1937, while its north tube opened in 1945 and its south tube in 1957. In 2019, roughly 18 million vehicles passed through the Lincoln Tunnel.
March 15
Construction begins on America's highest vehicle tunnel
On March 15, 1968, construction starts on the north tunnel of the Eisenhower/Johnson Memorial Tunnel on Interstate 70 in Colorado, some 60 miles west of Denver. Located at an elevation of more than 11,000 feet, the project was an engineering marvel and became the world's highest vehicular tunnel when it was completed in 1979. Four months after opening, one million vehicles had passed through the tunnel; today, some 10 million vehicles drive through it each year.
The north tunnel (or bore) was finished on March 8, 1973 and named for America's 34th president, who was in office from 1953 to 1961. Construction on the south tunnel began on August 18, 1975, and was finished on December 21, 1979. The south tunnel was named for Edwin C. Johnson, a Colorado governor and U.S. senator who was a big supporter of an interstate highway system across his state. (Interstate 70 stretches more than 2,100 miles from Interstate 15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to Baltimore, Maryland. It was America's first interstate highway project. Construction began in 1956 and ended in 1992 in Glenwood Canyon, located near the city of Glenwood Springs in western Colorado.)
The north tunnel cost $117 million to construct and at the height of the building process, some 1,140 people worked three shifts, 24 hours a day, six days a week. The south tunnel cost $145 million and employed 800 workers, approximately 500 of whom were involved in drilling operations.
The Eisenhower/Johnson Tunnel cuts through the Continental Divide at an average elevation of 11,112 feet. (Driving conditions around the tunnel can be challenging during the months between November and April: The surrounding area receives an average of 26 feet of snow during those months.) The north tunnel, which handles westbound traffic, is 1.693 miles long, while the south tunnel (eastbound traffic) is 1.697 miles. Illuminating those tunnels is no small task–each has approximately 2,000 light fixtures using 8-foot bulbs.
The Eisenhower/Johnson Tunnel is an impressive accomplishment, but it's small potatoes compared to some others. The 15.2 mile-long Laerdal Tunnel in Norway is the world's longest road tunnel. One of the busiest vehicular tunnels in America is the Lincoln Tunnel, which was built under the Hudson River to connect New Jersey and Midtown Manhattan in New York City. That tunnel's center tube opened in 1937, while its north tube opened in 1945 and its south tube in 1957. In 2019, roughly 18 million vehicles passed through the Lincoln Tunnel.
#19
The Tailgate / Today in history 3-14
Last post by remrogers - March 14, 2026, 10:09:26 AM1776
March 14
Alexander Hamilton is named captain of artillery company
On March 14, 1776, Alexander Hamilton receives his commission as captain of a New York artillery company. Throughout the rest of 1776, Captain Hamilton established himself as a great military leader as he directed his artillery company in several battles in and around New York City. In March 1777, Hamilton's performance came to the attention of General George Washington and he was commissioned lieutenant colonel and personal aide to General Washington in the Continental Army.
After serving under Washington for four years, Hamilton resigned in February 1781 after a dispute with the general, but remained in the army. In July 1781, Hamilton took a position as commander of a regiment of New York troops and served with distinction at the Battle of Yorktown in the fall of that year.
After resigning from the army and working at a law practice, Hamilton was elected to the Continental Congress from New York in 1782, where he quickly became known as a proponent of a stronger national government. In the years to come, Hamilton became well-known for his political philosophy and published several papers with James Madison and John Jay that became known as the Federalist Papers.
Hamilton became the first secretary of the treasury in September 1789 after the election of President George Washington and served in that office until resigning in January 1795. Hamilton then returned to the private sector and a law practice in New York City, but remained a close advisor to President Washington.
In 1800, Hamilton became embroiled in a bitter dispute when he threw his support behind Thomas Jefferson instead of presidential candidate Aaron Burr. After his defeat, Burr ran for governor of New York in 1804; Hamilton again opposed his candidacy. Humiliated, Burr challenged Hamilton to a duel on July 11, 1804, in Weehawken, New Jersey. Alexander Hamilton was shot in the duel and died of his wound the following day, July 12, in New York at the age of 49.
March 14
Alexander Hamilton is named captain of artillery company
On March 14, 1776, Alexander Hamilton receives his commission as captain of a New York artillery company. Throughout the rest of 1776, Captain Hamilton established himself as a great military leader as he directed his artillery company in several battles in and around New York City. In March 1777, Hamilton's performance came to the attention of General George Washington and he was commissioned lieutenant colonel and personal aide to General Washington in the Continental Army.
After serving under Washington for four years, Hamilton resigned in February 1781 after a dispute with the general, but remained in the army. In July 1781, Hamilton took a position as commander of a regiment of New York troops and served with distinction at the Battle of Yorktown in the fall of that year.
After resigning from the army and working at a law practice, Hamilton was elected to the Continental Congress from New York in 1782, where he quickly became known as a proponent of a stronger national government. In the years to come, Hamilton became well-known for his political philosophy and published several papers with James Madison and John Jay that became known as the Federalist Papers.
Hamilton became the first secretary of the treasury in September 1789 after the election of President George Washington and served in that office until resigning in January 1795. Hamilton then returned to the private sector and a law practice in New York City, but remained a close advisor to President Washington.
In 1800, Hamilton became embroiled in a bitter dispute when he threw his support behind Thomas Jefferson instead of presidential candidate Aaron Burr. After his defeat, Burr ran for governor of New York in 1804; Hamilton again opposed his candidacy. Humiliated, Burr challenged Hamilton to a duel on July 11, 1804, in Weehawken, New Jersey. Alexander Hamilton was shot in the duel and died of his wound the following day, July 12, in New York at the age of 49.
#20
The Tailgate / Re: Turn off the fan!
Last post by Hawks Feather - March 14, 2026, 08:01:13 AMTOTALLY agree!