I have to get rid of these pine cones one way or the other

[Smallpatch]

A new way of Santa delivering toys and gifts!!!

And the Texan cow girl snow lady thinks its a great way and since we had a go-cart track we built in 1984 , it might have happened!! 

And she had some fun trying to get in the cart??

  At least I think that's what happened.

It took longer to apply over 30 different colors on the trees than the rest of the pieces.

Edited November 18, 2024 by Smallpatch

[lew]

Can alwats depend on you to come up with a new and unique ornament, Jess!  Thanks!!

[Grandpadave52]

Those are cool Patch. Bring your truck and trailer up to Indiana. I'll get the grandkids to load you up with some "blanks."

[Smallpatch]

Back in the early 2000 I needed to find some pine cones to use as feathers for my owl and since we were going three months each summer to South Fork, Colo this would be great for finding the cones as this is pine tree country in all directions..  Something we did not know was this area for a few years had decided not to rain. Each day we would get in the car and go a different direction for a half a day then return to the rv park. This went on for a few weeks and lots of pine trees but no pine cones!!!

  I had put my hot melt glue tool in the camper for this was to be one of my do things as we were enjoying to cooler weather from hot Texas in those three months...........I can't remember where we finally found pine cones but it was not in Colo.

  I made this guy to sit on the table on the deck at home to run the birds off from eating all the cat food each and every day.  Oh, it did work for about three days then they realized there was no danger from this bird and they would even sit on top of his head... So his new job is to sit on the red wood coffee table and keep it from sliding all over the floor.   But first    I rigged up an electrical turn table for I knew this movement would put the fear in to those doves. This worked for a full week then they become good friends again...Well honey, we will just have something to look at and pat his head each day to make him feel at home with us. Wrong, those cones are sharp and you only pat him once and you learn a lesson that is unless you are a slow learner.. 

 The only thing I did to make his new clothes look more like the real thing was to mix up some water base colors and gently rub the stuff in a few places..

  For someone fixin to strip a pine cone is to have some good gloves and some needle nose pliers and be real easy with the pliers.

[Gerald]

Great idea. Would never have thought of pine cones as feathers. Too bad the birds figured it out 

[John Morris]

Hey Jess, in addition to what all the others have said, do you have any special history on that ol percussion rifle hanging above the fireplace?

[Smallpatch]

John I can't find any numbers or letters or logo's.

  The rifle shows it has been fired many times because the thing the hammer hits is flattened big time.

I also find any firearm built after 1968 by law has to have identifying letters and or numbers or logo's and before that, nothing required.

  I know nothing of the difference between percussion and flintlock. I have read about them but still in the dark on that subject.

[John Morris]

3 hours ago, Smallpatch said:

John I can't find any numbers or letters or logo's.

  The rifle shows it has been fired many times because the thing the hammer hits is flattened big time.

I also find any firearm built after 1968 by law has to have identifying letters and or numbers or logo's and before that, nothing required.

  I know nothing of the difference between percussion and flintlock. I have read about them but still in the dark on that subject.

 

Thanks for the info Jess, I wasn't sure if there was some family story behind that rifle, so it's ornamental for the most part? I love seeing an old rifle over a fireplace, it just fits in really well.

 

Just for reference Jess, here ya go.

[Smallpatch]

Thanks for the picture. I now know what I have hanging here.

   The gun story.

 The rich folks that have these big mansions here and there in the hills of South Fork, Colo only go there maybe 4 summer months and they either have to load everything up and take it home or else sell the stuff before they leave or else everything disappears before they get back there the next summer. The lady said so they take to easiest route and garage sale everything.... That way she gets to buy new furnishings each and every summer....

 I paid 20 dollars for the gun and things like this duck was 2.00. 

We use to spend 3 months each summer for a few years close to South Fork but we stayed in a camper. difference between rich and poor.

[Smallpatch]

Dave I have 4 Southern Yellow Pine trees taller that anything growing in Texas I think for my lovely daughter had them planted for my birthday when we moved here a bunch of years ago maybe in 99? I'm selling pickup loads of pine needles every day or two plus and I do save the pine cones. But the year I started making the owl we were in Colo for the summer and needed the pine cones up there but we didn't know there had been no rain in those hills for lots of years meaning no pine cones. So we needed pine cones but we were up there and all the nice large pine cones cover our property in Texas.  

Now when I get through mowing, my mower just sits there and coughs and groans and gives me a nasty look.

  Neither wife or I had any thought twenty something years later what those 4 pines trees could do to a lawn mower and the guy or miss priss who has to sit on it while its grunting and moaning. I know Sherri reads everything here on this site but hey I really loved those foot tall seedlings planted when we first seen them and the thought of you being so nice. I had never lived around growing pine trees and when we use to go through east Texas we really loved those very tall and beautiful trees...

 

By the way, when you push down the lever behind to duck the lid flops open and he dives down and picks up a tooth pick and brings it up. 

[Grandpadave52]

2 hours ago, Smallpatch said:

Dave I have 4 Southern Yellow Pine trees taller that anything growing in Texas I think for my lovely daughter had them planted for my birthday when we moved here a bunch of years ago maybe in 99?

Well Patch you're in luck. Mine are white pine, Norway Fir and Colorado spruce. Probably planted about the same time. I bought all mine for about 10cents on the dollar one year as a close out in late June. We bought a couple pickup truck loads. Hauled water to them all that summer as it turned out to be extremely dry. 

 

Your choice; 5 cents a truck load is all I want...that is, all I'll pay you to haul them off. I suppose we would feed you too before you headed back to Texas. Fair warning though, bring your own coat, sock hat and gloves. Today it's a balmy 16° with wind chill at 6°...oh, it's snowing too so better bring your boots. Just to add to that, the National Weather Service just issued a weather advisory for travel tonight with blowing snow, white out conditions at times and up to a couple inches accumulation so finding some of those cones might get difficult. You probably don't own a snow shovel, but I'll loan you mine. Mrs. would probably would not want me to loan you hers.