I started out in heavy equipment and tractor repair. Went into Law enforcement, spent almost 29 years with the sheriffs department. Been retired since 2017.
Dale K., when my folks bought their ranch in Sonoma County, CA in 1948, WAY before it was "the Wine Country," it was a mess of Russian and Yellow Star Thistles, dust, and deep gullies and land slips. Had been overgrazed by sheep for decades, starting in the 1920s--the Great Depression didn't help....
With the help of SCS and UC Extension, we turned it into a very productive and nice place to live. Those two agencies were the only ones that were welcomed at the ranches and farms around there--anyone else with a clipboard was liable to be met with the business end of a .30-30.
I was only 5 then but I remember the SCS agent getting right down in the gully bottoms with us and showing us how to make soil catchers from all the rusty bobwire strung all over the place, how to plant hedges along the gullies and how to plant, harvest, and plant Harding Grass. Still remember the silky feel of a handful of Harding Grass seed that we had just harvested by hand like neolithic farmers!
I spent 10 years in 4-H because of those agents and agencies and loved every minute of it. The place is now owned by a Public Land Trust and is public open space, mainly used for hiking and horseback riding. Fulla game, too. When we moved in there, we had few deer, no game birds, no predators, mainly ground squirrel colonies and dust. Now there's scads of quail, tree squirrels, cottontail and jack rabbits, coyotes, tree foxes, and bobcats. And all the trees we got from SCS are HUGE! The SCS-planned farm pond is full of catfish, largemouth bass and bluegills.
Sometimes the Guvment does GOOD stuff for the land and the people. Helps if the people add some elbow grease to the equation, a labor of love.
Was Mike Armstrong. Got logged off; couldn't log back on. RE-registered my old call sign, Mesa. FNG. Again. Mike Armstrong
Had a paper route from age 10-16. This was back when you actually had to walk to deliver papers 364 days a year, we averaged well over 100 inches of snow a year AND you had to collect every Thursday. Graduated from college with a BA in Criminal Justice in 4 years, paid my own way with loans. Although back then state university was only 3200 a year. Went right into federal law enforcement at age 22 in 1993 and retired with 25 years in December of 2018 at the ripe old age of 47. I now hunt, fish, go to gym, volunteer and shoot all year round and take care of our 167 acres of heaven. Only job I have now is mowing the lawn of an older woman down the street and that's only because shes a good friend of my wife. I will never work again. I have learned a lot from you guys. TY!
Did the "And stuff" yesterday. Built a road up a mountainside so I could get a water tank high enough to gravity feed an irrigation system. I can't believe I get paid for this.
_______________________________________________________ An 8 dollar driveway boy living in a T-111 shack
Grown up Tonka toys. How could you not love that!?
I refuse to grow up Tim!
You guys all sound so... responsible. And prudent. And deliberate.
All the things I'm not!
A real good friend of mine is in his mid 70's and has been a gun dealer for 40-50 years. His "and stuff" is his main business, farm drainage/ Tiling. This guy works 7 days a week and loves every minute of it! He loves playing on his dozers and excavators.
USAF 59-63 Intelligence intercept ops, met my wife of 55yrs while stationed in Germany, spent 6 years building my own lawn, landscape company plus working 40hrs wk to pay bills, joined Chem Lawn Corp as a founding employee, started on a spray truck, left 13 years later as a group VP, cashed in my chips and been living the dream ever since. I was very fortunate and blessed to be surrounded by a group of very bright and talented people at a young age. Now spend most of my time at my small farm surrounded by black angus cows and managing a small business office park I built back in the late 80's. I was also fortunate to meet Rick99, Lightfoot and others back on the G&K website way back when and as they say, the rest is history! I really enjoy the forum and have met a lot of really nice people here as well as at the Fests. I also enjoy hunting, fishing, shooting and gardening as well as collecting and drinking fine wine.
Pic of me on a movie set with my two "police Harleys". The one I'm sitting on is a 49, the other one is a 59. I was never a cop although I guess my military bearing got me asked frequently on movie sets if I was a real cop.
The 49 getting put back to original.
The ID in the lower right corner was my backstage pass to the 2000 Academy Awards. I had put a sidecar on the 49 and a seven foot LAPD motorcycle officer was supposed to deliver the MC to the stage in the sidecar at the beginning of the ceremony. The cop screwed up the rehearsal so bad the MC started yelling "get that (expletive deleted) motorcycle out of here!!!". They let me stay and watch the ceremony though after I got the (expletive deleted) motorcycle out of there. The cop carried the little shrimp MC out on the stage. I can't remember the MC's name. He's a well known jerk of a comedian. That's me and my 56 T-bird in early 1966 in the left bottom of the pic. It was a Florida beach rust bucket so I got it cheap.
Last edited by wyo1895; 05/27/20.
wyo1895 With Savage never say never. For a copy of my book on engraved Savage lever actions rifles send a check for $80 to; David Royal, p.o. box 1271, Pinedale, Wy., 82941. I will sign and inscribe the book for you. [email protected]
USAF 59-63 Intelligence intercept ops, met my wife of 55yrs while stationed in Germany, spent 6 years building my own lawn, landscape company plus working 40hrs wk to pay bills, joined Chem Lawn Corp as a founding employee, started on a spray truck, left 13 years later as a group VP, cashed in my chips and been living the dream ever since. I was very fortunate and blessed to be surrounded by a group of very bright and talented people at a young age. Now spend most of my time at my small farm surrounded by black angus cows and managing a small business office park I built back in the late 80's. I was also fortunate to meet Rick99, Lightfoot and others back on the G&K website way back when and as they say, the rest is history! I really enjoy the forum and have met a lot of really nice people here as well as at the Fests. I also enjoy hunting, fishing, shooting and gardening as well as collecting and drinking fine wine.
Wow, when Chem Scape came along they ran an add for employees, said top pay. I thought they may have been a franchise and was interested. The guy I talked with may have been a franchise owner and was looking for workers. His idea of top pay was way different than mine. I had a Maryland Tree Experts license, an applicators license, and had 12 years in the tree business. When Dad retired I was kind of burned out on the 24-7 of running a business, so I let the family business go. I had put a few years in at UPS when I saw the Chem Scape add, and was thinking that maybe I'd get back to something I liked better that breaking Roy's rifles.Well, after talking to that guy, I decided what the heck, I'll probably never meet this Roy guy, so I stayed at UPS for 30.
I have had several jobs, laborer, cut and sold firewood,machine shop in a Union Oil refinery. Mostly cabinets and countertops for 30 years. Also worked in a gunshop as a semi retired thing.
Well if we're giving our resume. I've also been a mechanic, metal fabricator ( what I'd like to be doing now ), bouncer, bartender and have played in miscellaneous bluegrass and punk rock bands to limited success. I originally wanted to me a machinist and regret not going in that direction. I picked up basic milling and lathe skills living and working on farms, but have never been trained. I still do it for gun and car stuff, and although I can figure out how to do what I need to do, I'm too slow and loathe CNC ( I am the most anti-technology technical person you could probably ever meet ). Still try to use my Bridgeport 2J2, Burke #333 and Clausing lathe at least weekly, at least when it's not -40°
Since moving to northern MN I can add mosquito hunting guide to the list. If anyone wants to hunt them let me know
Did the "And stuff" yesterday. Built a road up a mountainside so I could get a water tank high enough to gravity feed an irrigation system. I can't believe I get paid for this.
I love running and working on heavy equipment, but am not good enough where anyone would ever want to pay me to do it. Unless I only charged operator rates of about $5 an hour
I wanted to be a Formula race car driver. But continuously bumping into stuff convinced me maybe it wouldn't be a smart career move. (Did do a few Solo I events at Watkins Glen and a bunch of hill climbs, but no wheel-to-wheel stuff.) I also wanted to be a machinist, but by then I was supervising a department full of them and making more money than them so I gave up that idea. What an idiot.
Most regrettable career move was not becoming the gigolo all the women wanted me to be. I cry myself to sleep every night regretting that.😂
"You can lead a man to logic, but you cannot make him think." Joe Harz "Always certain, often right." Keith McCafferty
Gary. "Most regrettable career move was not becoming the gigolo all the women wanted me to be. I cry myself to sleep every night regretting that." Yeah, hindsight.... I feel ya, man.
Damnesia, "played in miscellaneous bluegrass and punk rock bands" Ya got me wondering what bluegrass/punk fusion would sound like.
Last edited by eaglemountainman; 05/27/20.
My heart's in the mountains, my heart is not here. My heart's in the mountains, chasing the deer.
Damnesia, "played in miscellaneous bluegrass and punk rock bands" Ya got me wondering what bluegrass/punk fusion would sound like. [/quote]
It sounds awesome! Bluegrass isn't too different from punk rock really. It's all about playing what you feel, granted bluegrass is more about the gospel and jesus, and punk rock is more about being downtrodden by the government. I learned how to play guitar setting in with the old guys playing bluegrass and love the music, it also makes you learn to play fast. Then I got older and became more rebellious, so I intertwined the two as best i could. Now I have a lot of old Fender guitars that I haven't played in 15 years or so. Need to find someone who wants to trade old Fenders for 1899s
This is one of my favorite songs to cover in more of bluegrass style
another one:
Along with some real tradition bluegrass standards. The late 60s to early 70s Stones lend themselves to BG very well.
I started out after college selling farm tractors and machinery for a few months. Then found a job as a farm foreman on a local vegetable farm that included moving equipment, checking field levels, supervising spraying crops and managing people. Then spent the next 50 years managing vegetable farms in Ventura County, California. That is on the coast about 50 miles north of Los Angeles,California and yes there are still farms in Southern California. Retired in January of 2018 enjoying it ever since. Steve
I've meet some great friends here on the campfire since I became (more) interested in 99's about 10 or 12 years ago.
I am currently the production manager of one of the largest commercial orchards and vineyards in Virginia. I have a duel BS degree in Forestry and Forest Biology from the College of Environmental Science and Forestry at Syracuse University. 85 and 86 respectively. My career and a hard working and understanding wife has provided me the privilege of having the ways and means and time to hunt my way through most of North America and it's big game species as a younger man. Experiences for which I am eternally grateful for. Africa is still a dream if I live long enough and can make enough money. That and going bear hunting with my new 35 Rem with Roy.
With our Daughter having just one more year of college, my wife and I are currently on a 5 year dash for cash to get to 62 and check out to spend the rest of our years living life on the Lake driving around in the sun in a gas guzzling boat.
It's not everybody's dream, but it's our dream.
God willing.
I hope God is willing you make it to Oregon for that bear hunt.
Roy, can I tag along with Randy? I'll drive!
Of course.
_______________________________________________________ An 8 dollar driveway boy living in a T-111 shack
5 years Retired and living the dream here in Alaska. Ran Water Treatment plants for 40 plus years, Got to live and work in some neat areas. Now its my projects and helping others. Kurt
kk alaska
Alaska 7 months of winter then 5 months of tourists