2011 Fall Constitution of the Vineyard
I think as a whole, more physical changes took place this season than in the past, minus the planting of the grape vines of coarse. This fall we purchased the posts, gathered equipment, and set the posts. The vineyard now looks like a vineyard. Below are some pictures of what we did and some other odds and ends. All are in order from top to bottom beginning to end.
Purchasing The Posts
I looked all over the place for decently priced posts that would last. I finally found what I was looking for while driving around in Clare, MI going to some of the local Amish stores up there. Nevill Supply in Clare, MI. These folks carried everything from posts to wire. Also their prices where very reasonable and the posts carried a 30 year warranty from OSMOSE.
So we took the plunge dropped some $$$ borrowed the neighbors "Super Trailer" and left right after work on Friday Oct. 28th and made the drive up to Clare, MI. Paid for the posts then turned around and came home. The posts would have to sit another week as a assembled equipment and workers.
So we took the plunge dropped some $$$ borrowed the neighbors "Super Trailer" and left right after work on Friday Oct. 28th and made the drive up to Clare, MI. Paid for the posts then turned around and came home. The posts would have to sit another week as a assembled equipment and workers.
Posts sitting in the trailer waiting to be put in the ground.
Gathering Equipment
I was able to call in some favors and at the same time ask for some favors. The results....I was able to borrow a a Ford 6610 tractor and a 3 point Post Pounder. Now for those that do not know what a post pounder is. Basically instead of digging a hole to put a post in this machine is like a giant ram that pounds the posts in the ground like a big nail. The machine is loud and a little scary at first but once you get used to it its an awesome piece of equipment and it drives the posts in so much more quickly oppose to digging a hole and back filling it in.
Here is the Tractor we used.
The yellow part of the machine is the pounder part. It raises up above the post then slams down and drives the posts into the ground
The Big Day
Well finally the day came (11/6/11) I gathered a small crew and we started placing the posts. The first row was a little crooked here and there but as we kept going the rows got better an better. To feed ourselves we decided to make some fatties. AKA a cheese/ingredient stuffed sausage log with bacon on the outside. The whole thing is then smoked on the BBQ. After we ate our food we worked into the darkness of night placing the end posts at a 60 degree angle. That took a little more work getting the setup for each one right but finally drove the last post shortly before 7PM. I set the Time lapse camera up to capture the whole process of driving in the posts. Check it out below.
MOVIE TO BE UPLOADED VERY SOON
The Workers Food.
Here are 3 fatties we made just before we placed them on the BBQ
Here are the fatties on the smoker.
The finished fatties right after slicing ....mmmm.....
Posts Are In.
Below is a video of us installing the posts. Still more work to go though. We still have to run wire and earth anchors. I will post pictures of them as soon as we start running the wire.
THANK YOUs
A very big Thanks goes out to the following for helping with the setting the posts for the vineyard.
John, Justin, & Ken: Thanks for all the help and free labor.
Fletcher: Thanks for the use of the equipment.
John, Justin, & Ken: Thanks for all the help and free labor.
Fletcher: Thanks for the use of the equipment.
