It’s almost that time of year again — Cheat River Festival, held in Albright, West Virginia. Hard to believe it’s been an entire year already. The festival takes place this year on May 2nd and 3rd.
Friends of the Cheat, a nonprofit that owns property along the river, helps ensure boater access to the Cheat. Last year, I ended up running Cheat Canyon solo in my Scorch X creek boat. I had to leave my vehicle at the take out and the kayak at the put in (the campground), then bum a ride from another altruistic boater back to the campground where I left my gear.
This year, I might run the Cheat in my new NRS Neutron packraft. I’ll also be reaching out to Friends of the Cheat about volunteer opportunities during the event — it’s a great way to meet like-minded paddlers and conservationists.
In the meantime, enjoy these photos from Cheat Fest 2024. it was 85 degrees and the water temperature was quite warm, unlike rivers that release from dams.
The Cheat River with campground access. This is the standard put in for Cheat Canyon.Wet weekend, not too cold. Luckily I found a good neighbor that was willing to share a tree for the hammock. I arrived somewhat later in the afternoon after leaving work in Annapolis. There was not many decent places left for a hammock unless you were in the woods. There were not too many trees that were suitable for hammock support or in an area that was not already claimed by someone. Not as many vendors as I expected. A lot of handmade cottage industry things. Some food trucks as well.Fletcher’s Grove performing. the holes in the one shell is from making buttons. apparently its not uncommon to find freshwater mussels with holes like this.This was more for children, but it is a “name that hide” Grey fox almost stumped me. I need a better photo. This a slanted table setup that has a small bilge pump in a bucket, the water is pumped and deposited on the higher side and flows downhill. this is to illustrate how large, rocks, trees and soil is to protect the rivers flow, this mock setup also illustrates erosion and flooding. you can move the objects and change the flow in real time. I have always liked these classic squirt boats. I started paddling not long after these started being phased out by rotomolded boats. These are for display, not for sale.
Continuing to work on projects. Moving forward on some and moving sideways on others. I do what I can with the limited time I have.
It’s official! We are certified to conduct business in Ohio — acquired Hellbender Farms LLC. We now have all the handles for YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Gmail, and a trademark on the name.
The goals for Hellbender Farms are becoming clearer. Never in my life have I been so laser-focused on a task. I cannot lie — farming is in my heritage, and I’m coming to terms with that. I’m currently exploring all options to purchase some acreage near Hellbender Farms (Buttermilk creek).
The idea with the farm is to immediately go full tilt and install all new fence. The plan is to rent some land, have about 20 head of Dexter cattle, plant cover crops for fodder, and eventually cut and use my own hay.
I’m slowly figuring out how to make one property into an agritourism destination. Key takeaways: $5,000 weddings, catch-and-release fishing, rustic cabin rentals, and pay-by-the-pound fruit and berries.
If anyone wonders what goes on in my mind when I’m completing other tasks at my day job — this is it.
Next project is the road modification. I hired a very experienced and retired strip mine equipment operator. I reserved a Caterpillar D6 dozer for the weekend in April. It’s a massive machine, but it’s the only dozer the rental place had available. We’re also going to prep the pad where the new one-trip 40’ shipping container will go. This is what’s referred to as “high cube” — the door clearance measures 9’7”, adequate enough so I can park the Kioti inside, and the implements can also be stored out of the weather.
The dozer will have to be driven across the creek. I will have to repair areas with the tractor. No big deal — it is what it is. This may be the last time a dozer will ever be on this property.
Switching operating systems and then trying to build a website is a steep learning curve. In the spirit of keeping myself technologically relevant, I bought a new Apple Mac Pro with the M4, 1TB SSD, and 20GB memory. As a long-time Windows user, I hoped the integration would be almost seamless — there are still issues remaining. However, I am starting to enjoy the shared ecosystem of my iPhone, Mac, and iPad. I am much more productive with this setup already.
Olympic National Forest, Washington State. 2014
I had some extra exterior grade plywood I needed to use up. A good start was on this bat house. The design measures 14″ wide, 32″ tall, 1.5″ deep. I cut about 1/8″ deep, every 3/4″ all the way up the insides of the walls. I kept adjusting the fence, ripping both sides of each board until I reached the middle. The roof is quite large, 6″x18″. Two coats of the grey exterior grade paint will be applied before final install.
A Walk Around the Property – March 8th Update
Today was a great day for a property walk. The current conditions: 31°F with a high of 39°F, partly cloudy. It’s a good time to slow down, take in the sights, and observe what’s happening around the land.
A large loop trail runs around the perimeter of the pond, and most of this area now holds the new birdhouses. I installed them at various heights and locations to attract different bird species. Each entrance faces south, southeast, or east to provide optimal conditions. The birdhouses are spaced far enough apart to prevent territorial disputes, so I can’t wait to see what species move in.
More Birdhouses on the Way
The property still needs eight more birdhouses to reach the final goal of 16 total. I plan to build:
Open-style houses
Hanging finch homes
Ground-mounted open houses
For the ground-mounted birdhouses, I’ll drive rebar into the ground and slide metal conduit over it, allowing me to mount the houses 10 feet high in the open field. This setup should work well and be easy to maintain.
Once all 16 birdhouses are in place, that’s the limit. It’s enough for me to maintain annually, but more importantly, these birds will serve a purpose—spreading seeds throughout the property. That’s the plan, anyway.
Considering a Barn Owl House
I’ve also been thinking about building a Barn Owl house, measuring 18” x 18” x 24” deep. Barn owls are rare because humans have destroyed much of their habitat. I want to help change that.
Barn owls are incredibly beneficial for natural pest control—they can eat 1,000 to 1,500 rodents per year. Having them around would help keep the rodent population in check while restoring part of their lost habitat.
A Falcon Perch is Next
I’ll likely install a falcon perch somewhere on the property. I haven’t picked the exact spot yet, but a corner of the land seems like a good choice. The goal is to keep falcons, hawks, and kestrels away from the smaller birds near the nesting sites.
The perch will need to be mounted at least 15 feet high. Thankfully, this will be an easy job with the rock auger. Once the hole is dug, I’ll mount the perch on a solid post, and it should be good to go.
I recently took delivery of my Kioti 4020SEH CAB tractor—a 40-horsepower, four-wheel-drive compact tractor, with heat, and air conditioning.
Factory & Installed Upgrades
From the factory, the tractor came with the 4030C loader, which has a lift capacity of 1,997 lbs. I added several modifications to improve performance:
• Third hydraulic function for more attachment options.
• Bora wheel spacers for extra stability.
• Rim Guard tire ballast to improve traction.
• Bluetooth radio—That’s a bonus.
• Quick hitch for faster implement changes.
• Hydraulic top link to fine-tune attachment angles.
Being a sailor at heart, I also installed a Lev-o-Gage, which measures tilt—essentially a heel angle indicator for land work.
To improve function, I added tie-down points, chain hooks, and a receiver to the bucket, all secured with ten ½”-13 bolts. This makes it easier to secure loads and adds lifting versatility.
Build Quality & Reliability
Kioti tractors are made by Daedong Industrial, a South Korean company that has been producing tractors and engines for 78 years. They’re well-known in Asia but not as common in the U.S. The build quality is solid, and they have a reputation for reliability and longevity.
One thing I noticed—this model does not have draft control, which is more common in larger farm tractors. That could limit how well it handles certain drag-behind implements, but I’ll experiment. A subsoiler might be the first test.
Implements & Uses
1. Bush Hog 5’ Box Blade (USA)
• Description: A heavy-duty metal box with adjustable ripper teeth.
• Use: Levels, grades, and smooths dirt. Great for fixing driveways, cutting ditches, and general land maintenance.
2. Wallenstein Hydraulic Wood Splitter (Canada)
• Description: A log splitter powered by the tractor’s hydraulic system.
• Use: Splits firewood efficiently without a standalone gas-powered splitter. Works in vertical or horizontal mode.
3. 5-Foot Bush Hog Finish Mower (USA)
• Description: A rear-mounted mower for clean, precise cuts.
• Use: Keeps lawns, pastures, and fields well-maintained. Produces a better cut than a rotary brush mower.
4. CID Stump Grapple with Thumb (USA)
• Description: A claw-like grapple with a hydraulic thumb.
• Use: Lifts and removes stumps, logs, brush, and rocks. Ideal for storm cleanup, land clearing, and tree relocation.
5. Bush Hog Post Hole Digger with 9” Rock Auger (USA)
• Description: A three-point auger for drilling into rocky ground.
• Use: Digs holes for fencing, tree planting, and signposts, even in tough soil.
6. Ballast Box (USA)
• Description: A counterweight for the rear of the tractor.
• Use: Adds stability and traction when using the front-end loader. Prevents tipping when lifting heavy loads.
7. Pallet Forks (USA)
• Description: Forklift-style attachment.
• Use: Moves IBC water totes, lumber, firewood, and other heavy materials—things a bucket struggles with.
• Description: A 7-cubic-foot concrete mixer, powered by the tractor’s PTO.
• Use: Mixes and pours concrete on-site, eliminating the need for a separate mixer. Great for footers, small foundations, fence posts, and other projects.
Final Thoughts
This tractor setup is a game-changer. It can handle everything from clearing land and fixing roads to splitting wood and pouring concrete. Every implement was chosen for functionality and efficiency.
Now, it’s just time to put it to work.
I built them using 1×6 lumber. I used these plans from; https://www.usgs.gov/educational-resources/make-birdhouse
Unfortunately, it was brought to my attention that there should be perches on these. They were not in the original design. I just imagined the birds just diving through the door like Bo Duke.
