Hands on lines

[aaronlee]

Hi all, today I got my hands on some line for the first time. It was awesome. I am very lucky to live in a place where there are a number of very generous teamsters who have let me come by and see what’s going on from time to time. Today I went over the hill to “help” Mike Colby get some logs out of the woods with his big Belgian Jim.

It was a long skid out and back, with the way in being all downhill. After a few skids Mike handed me the lines, and down the hill I went. This was the easy direction not just because of the grade but because this is also where the barn is–Jim crused in on auto pilot. Up the hill was a little more interesting. Jim realized very quickly that this new guy was not quite in control of the situation and set about testing me here and there just to make sure I was paying attention. With some gee and haw we weaved our way back up the hill none too worse for wear.

This morning was one of those great winter day here in New England. The temps in the 40’s, the sound of chainsaws, bluebird sky, big horses, and snow, lots of deep, wet, heavy snow. But being New England, a few hours later it is now pouring down rain, this place is great!

Thanks for reading
Aaron

[Donn Hewes]

I always tell people it is the funnest thing I have ever done; and I have done some fun things. Mountain climbing in Alaska, driving fire engines for the last twenty plus years, rappelling on skyscrapers in Manhattan, none better than driving a good team and doing some useful job. Aaron, keep going back!

[aaronlee]

Thanks Donn I plan to.:)

Aaron

[jen judkins]

Wonderful, Aaron!

[HeeHawHaven]

Great Job!

I also had my hands on lines for the first time on Sunday. Tracy handed them to me on our ride with our great new Fjord, Duke.

It is an awesome feeling to have your hands on that power! And, for some reason, it feels completely different than riding.

Keep it up!

Dave

[Robert MoonShadow]

Well, it looks like we’ve got a couple new ‘driving addicts’ amongst us. Aaron, Dave, I’m afraid they just haven’t got a 12-step program to help you out >>> guess you’ll just have to “suffer” with your new addictions!! 😀
{I’m anxiously waiting for my donkey delivery so I can join you!}

[Carl Russell]

Nice Aaron, keep up the good work.

p.s. Without getting too personal, I want to fill in a little background.

Although Aaron’s life changed yesterday, he has been an enthusiastic student for all of the 3 1/2 years I have known him(and for a long while before that), watching, asking, reading, asking, and learning a lot about the fundamentals, and the work behind the animal, like chainsaw safety, and woods work. Aaron has struck me from early on as some one on a successful trajectory to be working with horses.

Although once hand meets leather, life is never the same, success is dependent on patient and purposeful accumulation of appropriate experience.

Keep us up to date on the progress Aaron,
Carl

[Howie]

Carl

MAN If I had your writing abilaty I would sit right down and write a book on training oxen.:)

[aaronlee]

Thanks Carl. No that wasn’t too much backround. I do try and gain knowledge where ever I can. Thats why this site is really great. For the wanabe, dreamer, or someone who is just getting curious about animals as a power source, the wealth of information here is so helpfull. Although nothing beats being around a skilled teamster.

For the inexperienced and experienced person the discussions on this fourm are an important place to gain information about the craft.
Having civil conversations with experience people about what it really take to have a working relationship with a large sentient being is realy helpful for people. Not only to help them plot a course for there own future, but also just to show them thats it’s possible.

So far the two bigest things I’ve come away with from DAP are the amount of intangibles that are involved, and that there is more than one way to find your way to an understanding of them. Knowing that there are intagables is the first step, but applying them is diffinetly were the learning sinks in.

Case in piont, Skidding a log down the hill in the snow. If you flip though the pics on this site you will Carl, Jason, Donn, and many others ingaged in what looks to be more fun than 1 person and some large animals are allowed to have. What you don’t see and can’t see untill you do it are all the intangables, like speed of the animal, position of the log, staying upright in on slipper surface, and the direction of the animal. Maybe the definition of a teamster could read someone with the skills in the managment of intangibles as related to animal power. 🙂

That being said reading is great and it helps keep your fire hot when your life situation is not exactly what you want, ie I or you currently do not own a draft animal. So please keep up the good work.
Thanks again
Aaron

[Michael Colby]

Hey Aaron. Thanks for helping yesterday. I just stumbled on your account of it.

And let me second Carl’s filling in between your (written) lines, you’ve clearly done your homework. It shows, especially with that handy chainsaw work in three feet of snow.

You certainly drove Big Jim like you’ve been paying attention at all the DAP events. And it was a pleasure working with you.

All praise to DAP for making these kinds of connections possible.

[OldKat]

First & most importantly, Congrats to Aaron on his recent big day. Sounds like his hard work is paying off.

Second; it sure is neat to see how you guys that live close together up in that beautiful part of the country are interested in mentoring newcomers. My hat is off to all of you. Great job.

Finally, I was just thinking the other day along the lines of what Howie said about Carl’s writing skills. Carl can almost paint a picture with words, surely he is gifted in this area. I keep thinking that he will tell us soon that he is having a major book published. I dunno, kind of like uhhh, Wendell Berry?

Again, Aaron & all …great job!

[Plowboy]

Aaron, Sounds like you’ve caught the draft horse bug! Don’t worry most of us here have it but it is contagious. There is a cure though. It requires helping folks like you are doing, attending sales as well as public and private draft events. Then you must scrape together all the available cash you have and some you don’t and buy a team, harness and equipment. Well maybe thats not a cure but it is the treatment. Good Luck!

[Carl Russell]

Hey you guys, my love of language and the way I put together thoughts is kind of out of the context of Aaron’s thread.

However, I have an answer to those comments that will at the same time explain why there will never be a book, where I really see my creative expression having value, and also can share in the adventure that Aaron is on.

Below is a poem I wrote many years ago, not long after I started working horses, and trying to scratch out the life I had dreamed of.

It goes like this…

The Earth as my canvas,
Life is the easel,
My being the brush,
I paint my dreams.

Carl

[OldKat]

@Carl Russell 6042 wrote:

Hey you guys, my love of language and the way I put together thoughts is kind of out of the context of Aaron’s thread.

However, I have an answer to those comments that will at the same time explain why there will never be a book, where I really see my creative expression having value, and also can share in the adventure that Aaron is on.

Below is a poem I wrote many years ago, not long after I started working horses, and trying to scratch out the life I had dreamed of.

It goes like this…

The Earth as my canvas,
Life is the easel,
My being the brush,
I paint my dreams.

Carl

’nuff said.

[Author]

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