A Memory In The Mist – Revisited

Posted on June 7, 2013 by foresterartist

When I first posted A Memory In The Mist I thought it would be an unusual sight for most folks. With so many people unfamiliar with teepee burners and their use, and add to that a picture of one decaying into the earth, it would be something different. I decided I would show you a few more images of full standing burners that are still around. They represent something from the past that was left behind by the forward march of technology.

pen and ink, ink, drawing, sketch, sawmill, teepee burner

This pen and ink represents an old-time sawmill with a teepee burner.

In the old days, before sawdust was used for particle board and bark was used for landscaping, it was burned. Much of it was burned to power the boilers at the mill, but excess wood waste was just burned. Today’s mill residues that cannot be used in other products are burned in co-generation plants to generate electricity. Nothing goes to waste anymore.

teepee burner, beehive burner, photography, sawmill

The Carlotta, California teepee burner was an extra-large one.

A big one like the Carlotta burner could handle a lot of mill residue. With the mill gone the old burner stands like a grave marker of the old mill site.

It is a tall skinny teepee burner in Nubieber, California.

A tall burner like the one Nubieber was built with a tall chimney. This reduced the risk of sparks starting a fire outside the burner.

This teepee burner is located between Anderson and Redding, California.

The Anderson burner was a very typical design around here. As a child I lived about a half mile from this one.

A teepee burner in use from 1932.

The teepee burner from A Memory In The Mist.

Where once was smoke now there is foliage.

Nature is resilient and relentless and will be here long after we are gone.

Here comes the sun.

Osprey Baby Picture!

Posted on May 30, 2013 by foresterartist

I’ve been watching, taking pictures and watching some more to get a shot of the osprey chicks. Mostly, what I got was this.

Osprey, photography, nature, wildlife, osprey chick

The Look! Are you lookin’ at me!

Sitting on the poles eating fish. It’s all good fun but where are the chicks?

What’s for lunch? Fish of course.

Then yesterday a chick got high enough on the nest to get a shot. I have seen them through the nest since last week, but I couldn’t get a clear picture.

Finally, a baby picture!

Not the sharpest picture, but a start. It looked like she was feeding two, but I never got a look at another.

Blue skies from now on.

I was planning a sketch of the view through the nest from last week, since I couldn’t get a shot. This was the rendition I was planning. A quick and dirty sketch of the scene with a few less sticks.

Osprey, pen and ink, ink, nature, wildlife, osprey chick

Feeding Time

This is also my Thursday drawing for Z’s challenge for art at Zeebra Design.

Maybe Baby Osprey

Posted on May 15, 2013 by foresterartist

Osprey

I haven’t posted an update on the osprey for a while so here is a pen and ink for fun. I think we have chicks in the nest, however we can’t see anything yet.

I think this parent is taking caring of a little bundle of joy.

The other parent waits patiently by the nest.

For about the last month a least one osprey has been hunkered down on the nest incubating the eggs. Late last week this pattern changed and now there is a lot of fussing about going on. I think they are feeding chicks or at least one chick. The chicks will hatch about a week apart.

Fussing around in the nest.

Time for some personal grooming.

Osprey parenting.

A view of the nest from the lumber yard.

The weather has been clear warm and windy here. In fact it hit 100 degrees last weekend. That is on the warm side this early in the year. I think it is going to get really hot up on that tower.

Another sunny day and a view out over the back forty.

The Return of the Sandhill Cranes

Posted on April 30, 2013 by foresterartist

Sandhill Crane

The Sandhill Cranes returned to Northeastern California late this Winter. I have been fortunate enough to see them on several occasions.

A lone crane feeding at Poison Lake.

Sandhill Cranes

Poison Lake

Cranes with friends.

Which way do we go?

Solitude

Ruffled feathers

I think Big Bird must have been a crane.

Poison Lake

Sandhill Cranes of Ash Creek Wildlife Area.

Loadin’ Logs

Posted on April 22, 2013 by foresterartist

Every logging operation needs a log loader and there are all types of them. This pen and ink is of a Barnhart log loader from back in the railroad logging days. It was a big steam-powered loader for loading big logs.

Barnhart Log Loader, Loader, Barnhart, Pen and Ink, logging, art

The Barnhart Log Loader

Here are some of today’s loaders.

loader, logging, heel-boom, shovel, loggers

The heel-boom loader is today’s log loading staple. It is also referred to as a shovel by the loggers.

Front-end loader, loader, logging, logger, photography

The front-end loader was the standard for years, but is still common in the woods.

log dolly, Front-end loader, loader, logging, logger, photographyy

The logging truck hauls the trailer, also known as a log dolly, in a piggy-back configuration. Here the front-end loader unloads the log dolly.

Self-loading logging truck, loader, logging, logger, photography

The self-loading logging truck has its own loader built-in.

I thought it was odd that the operator lowered the hood when he loaded his truck. I assumed it may be running hot. However, when he finished loading the truck, he went over to the engine compartment and pulled out a stick, which caused the engine to throttle down. He had wedged the stick into the throttle to keep the engine revved up while he was running the loader. He then put the stick in the tool box and said, “I gotta put it up here or the dog will run off with it!” Good thing I left Blitz in the truck.

Loading log truck, loader, loader, logging, logger, photography

In this picture, they used a front-end loader to assist the self-loader. Normally they use the self-loaders when another loader isn’t available.

This old green beast of a front-end loader was barely running, which is why they were using the self-loader. These were two weary old machines.

Blitz is seriously wanting the throttle stick right now.

Black Bird Fly

Posted on November 16, 2012 by foresterartist

black bird, pen and ink, photo, photography, logs, salvage, forestry, timber

Black birds feast.

The black birds hop from log to log. All the while, tilting their heads to and fro. Then after a brief pause they reach into the bark, and with surgical precision, pluck out a squirming grub. Then with heads thrown back they swallow the grub with the ease of an Olympic gymnast dismounting from a balance beam.

black birds, logs, logging, grubs, photo, photography

Hunting grubs on the burned logs.

This goes on all day in our log yard. As the logs from the fire salvage operations pour into the yard, so do the black birds. The swarm the logs for this feast of opportunity. Sometimes they engage in black bird battles for dominion over some particularly grub infested log. I think these birds get fatter every day. Soon they may not be able to fly.

logs, salvage logs, fire salvage, burned, photo, photography

Burned logs delivered to the log yard.

Salvage logging continues at break neck speed. The beetles invading the logs are an indicator of the oncoming decay. Next will be stain, splitting and then rot. Time and decay are our enemies. The black birds are a constant reminder of the ticking clock.

fire salvage, burned timber, timber, forest, golden retriever

Ponderosa burn fire salvage. Where have all the squirrels gone?

Skidding Logs

Posted on November 3, 2012 by foresterartist

Logging, Horses, horse logging, skidding, historic logging

Skidding logs with a big wheels and a team.

Skidding logs is the process of moving cut logs from the woods to the landing. The landing is where they are loaded for transport to the mill. After the turn of the last century, draft animals and steam were the engines of choice for moving these huge logs. The “big wheels” in this pen and ink, was the pinnacle of technology in ground based skidding way back then.

Cat skidder, Cat, skidder, skidding, logs, logging

Cat rubber tire skidder

Diesel powered skidders are the work horses of today for skidding logs. These machines come in different sizes and configurations for different jobs. The rubber tire skidders are used on gentler slopes. They are built for speed.

John Deere skidder

The track laying skidders often used on steeper slopes. They are built for traction.

Cat skidder, skidder, Caterpiller, skidding, logs, logging

Cat track skidder

The forwarder is today’s pinnacle of technology in ground based skidding. It loads logs onto itself instead of dragging them.

Valmet Forwarder

Let’s not forget the original skidders, the horses. They can’t be beat for sheer beauty!

Horses near Burney Mountain.

The Canine Color Palette

Posted on October 24, 2012 by foresterartist

Labrador Retriever, lab, labs, pen and ink A pen and ink drawing of a Labrador Retriever isn’t a typical post for someone who lives with a bunch of Golden Retrievers. I did this picture as part of a fundraiser for our local retriever club. A raffle prize of a pen and ink of the winner’s dog.

It seems appropriate to post the picture of the lab in honor of our guests. We are taking care of three rowdy Labrador retrievers for the next two weeks. They came in black, yellow and chocolate. We mixed them with gold for a multi-color canine color palette.

Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, Labs, Goldens, dogs

Mixing the colors.

I have noticed that these colors blend well together. However, they do run a lot, and drool too. I think I’ll call this color palette “Retrievers.”

The race is on!

The golden streak!

I took these pictures in the low, early morning light. They aren’t very sharp, but I think the action makes up for it.

One Of These Fish Is Not Like The Other

Posted on October 19, 2012 by foresterartist

In this post I will reveal the answer to the riddle of the Mystery Of The Sunfish. If you haven’t read that post yet, spoiler alert, I suggest you stop reading now and go read it first.

The mistake I made in the drawing of the fish, in Sunfish 2, would have clearly caused the fish to be eaten by a predator. Perhaps, the mutation did occur at some point in time, and the end result was an ancient predator did eat this fish. Thus, it never reproduced causing it to be lost over the millennia. Alas, I will never know if my picture of the sunfish was accurate long ago and that my mistake wasn’t really a mistake at all, but a brilliant scientific finding.

I know, you are asking me to just get to the point already. Look closely at Sunfish 2. Look at the scales. The scales are backwards. Yes I know, what dopey artist would screw that up right. I’m raising my hand right now. Having scales backwards on a fish is like a parachute behind a drag racer. Try to swim fast and they’ll flair out slowing the fish down so even the laziest predator can have a snack. This was not a genetic adaptation that would provide an enhancement of fish evolution. So until an ichthyologist out there sends me a note saying that I have postulated a brilliant theorem, I’m just your dopey Forester Artist.

On a happy note, I have to throw kudos out to Z at zebra designs, www.playamart.wordpress.com. You should go visit her website it’s pretty awesome. She has created a lot of beautiful artwork to see. She did figure out the answer to the riddle. Not wanting to give it away to the other readers, she sent me some cryptic replies. It took her a couple of attempts to get through to me, but she finally did. She solved it and made me laugh out loud. You should go back and read her replies.

When my oldest son saw the post he also figured it out. He instant messaged me within five minutes of it being published. I asked him if I had ever shown him the picture before. He claimed he had never seen it. He is pretty observant, but he also knows that if I showed the picture to him, I would have forgotten about it by now. Just saying.

I bet if I were to dig into my pile of old stuff there is bound to be more bad art or dumb mistakes I made along the way. Sometime, I may post more for your viewing pleasure or pain, as it may be.

The Mystery of the Sunfish

Posted on October 16, 2012 by foresterartist

I have posted very few of my pen and ink drawings, so I dug deep to and found an old sketch book from nearly 30 years ago. Here are a couple of sunfish drawings for your consideration.

Sunfish 1

I drew these fish when I was in college. One of my roommates was a wildlife major. When I was half way through one of the fish I realized I made a HUGE mistake. I finished the picture anyway. Then I presented the picture to my roommate and asked if he could see anything wrong with it, but he thought it looked good. Then I told him there was definitely something wrong with it. He still couldn’t find anything wrong. I finally had to tell him what it was.

Sunfish 2

Here is your challenge if you choose to accept it. What is wrong with the picture? I will give you one hint. The mistake is in Sunfish 2. A wildlife major couldn’t find it. Can you?