Driftwood / Wood In General... What's Safe? Where Can You Get Some?

[Mucky_Waters]

Mucky Waters,

That is an awesome display of driftwood (and pond)! A most natural looking selection and design layout. I love it very much as it does not appear to have been created by man... It looks as though Mother Nature herself laid it down just that way! That is beautiful. You should enter this into the photo of the month thing when the appropriate theme or subject arises. If you haven't done so in the past already.

Gordy

Thanks Gordy.
I did enter a photo once in photo of the month contest here on this forum, but I didn't win, so I logically concluded that the contest is rigged, and never bothered entering again.

My thanks to all!

Mucky & Gordy, I think you two just about answered my questions. Not too many opportunities around here to find appropriate wood, but at least I know what to look for!

The "fresh" wood will have to continue to be part of the turtle-habitat decor -- hiding places for them as well as a source of fresh, creepy, crawly food! And as I do now, I can still use nice branches to sort of outline their water features without actually using it in the water -- you can do all kinds of creative, natural looking stuff with wood [like with Mucky's pond!].

That's too bad you don't have any places around you to find some driftwood. We have always combined our driftwood collecting with other outdoor activities such as hiking, frog finding and kayaking. If fact, if you look at the picture I posted earlier and see the piece of driftwood on the left side of the photo, I have a video online that shows the exact place where we found it, and you can see how my wife packed it on her kayak back to shore. That part is at the end of the video.
If you watch the video try to watch it at least in the 720p HD full screen format or you may not see a lot of the wildlife.

 

[addy1]

Put it in photo of the month for this month, it will fit in just fine

 

[Mucky_Waters]

Put it in photo of the month for this month, it will fit in just fine

I'am sure you realize, I was only kidding about the contest being rigged.

 

[addy1]

I'am sure you realize, I was only kidding about the contest being rigged.

laughing of course, great photo though you should enter

 

[HARO]

I'am sure you realize, I was only kidding about the contest being rigged.

Yah, right. Mine didn't win either!
John

 

[Lisak1]

Mucky Waters - that video is awesome! Best 4 minutes of my day right there. In fact, I'm going to keep the TV off this evening and just watch this on a loop. Where were you kayaking? Because I'm buying a ticket tomorrow!

 

[Lisak1]

Oh, and by all means post your picture - we'll all vote for you and then you can say it really WAS rigged!

 

[Catfishnut]

Thanks Gordy.
I did enter a photo once in photo of the month contest here on this forum, but I didn't win, so I logically concluded that the contest is rigged, and never bothered entering again.

That's too bad you don't have any places around you to find some driftwood. We have always combined our driftwood collecting with other outdoor activities such as hiking, frog finding and kayaking. If fact, if you look at the picture I posted earlier and see the piece of driftwood on the left side of the photo, I have a video online that shows the exact place where we found it, and you can see how my wife packed it on her kayak back to shore. That part is at the end of the video.
If you watch the video try to watch it at least in the 720p HD full screen format or you may not see a lot of the wildlife.

Mucky,

Awesome video! Your scenery is a little more picturesque than my local area is, but you folks experience life just like I do, you appreciate the outdoors and nature and I think you see nature and God's creations with the same awe an wonder as I do! I am certain that we are of the same ilk when it comes to this subject. Our lifestyle and viewpoints ought to be a religion of its own!

So cool!

Gordy

 

[Mucky_Waters]

Mucky Waters - that video is awesome! Best 4 minutes of my day right there. In fact, I'm going to keep the TV off this evening and just watch this on a loop. Where were you kayaking? Because I'm buying a ticket tomorrow!

Thanks Lisak
You know, the name of the lake where we were kayaking is called Yellow lake. It is a very popular fishing spot (especially ice fishing) because of it's easy access. The highway runs right along West side of it. It does have some nice things about it that I like, for instance we live only about 10 minutes away from it, it is loaded with turtles and water foul, and the cliffs on the East side are pretty cool. However, the reason they call it Yellow lake is because near the end of a hot summer it often gets a particular yellow algae bloom that floats to the surface of the lake, and when the wind blows it accumulates as a thick scum at the down wind side of the lake, and saturates the air with the smell of marsh gas. Despite it's popularity as a fishing spot the trout that I have caught out of it seem to be tainted with the same taste as what that algae smells like. The other thing I'm not too crazy about is the noise from the highway, it kind of distracts from the, what would otherwise be, peaceful surroundings. None of that seems to bother the turtles or ducks mind you, still, I wouldn't rush off and buy a ticket to go there.
On the other hand, our favorite spot to go kayaking is another nearby spot called the Similkameen river. Here is a video that's a few years old of my son and a couple friends kayaking trip down that river.
We have friends that regularly vacation out here every summer specifically to spend time floating down that river.

 

[Catfishnut]

Mucky,

Another awesome video. Near the 7 minute mark the scenery really started to look a lot like my home river here in Nebraska!
The kids kayaking and playing made my mouth water to be young again and go out exploring on the river! Oh how I miss those days of my youth when I was free!

I have been saving money all of my life, but it looks like the government is going to take it all away anyways, so maybe I ought to pull it all out of the bank ahead of time and go be a mountain man after all. Maybe I should not wait for them to take it from me. I'll go buy all the stuff that I need to survive and then head out to the wilds of the world... Anywhere! i'll just disappear and be reincarnated as a young person sailing a boat down a river! I'll become a fortyseven-teen year old hippie! LOL


Gordy

 

[addy1]

lol Gordy, there are lots of old hippies around, join them

 

[Catfishnut]

Perfect!

 

[Mucky_Waters]

Mucky,

Another awesome video. Near the 7 minute mark the scenery really started to look a lot like my home river here in Nebraska!
The kids kayaking and playing made my mouth water to be young again and go out exploring on the river! Oh how I miss those days of my youth when I was free!

I have been saving money all of my life, but it looks like the government is going to take it all away anyways, so maybe I ought to pull it all out of the bank ahead of time and go be a mountain man after all. Maybe I should not wait for them to take it from me. I'll go buy all the stuff that I need to survive and then head out to the wilds of the world... Anywhere! i'll just disappear and be reincarnated as a young person sailing a boat down a river! I'll become a fortyseven-teen year old hippie! LOL


Gordy

Gordy the Hippy

I don't know about being a hippy, but it was always my dream as a kid, to own and live in a little cabin on a lake somewhere in the mountains like a mountain man, but even that simple lifestyle requires a certain amount of money and independence, and I wasn't fortune enough to be born into enough money that money wouldn't be an issue. Of course dreams change, and even when I did manage to eek out a little bit of savings and investments while I was younger, it went in another direction due to a failed first marriage and child support. Since then it's been just a mater of making ends meet and trying my best not to make the same mistakes with a new family. At least in that respect I think I've been successful, but who knows, it's not over yet.
My dream now is to pull up stakes here and head out to the Philippines (where my wife is from), buy some land and start a little business there, but I'll probably have to wait until my boys have finished school here and established themselves, and that's a few years off, so who knows what will happen by then.

 

[Catfishnut]

Mucky,

I most certainly would like to follow such dreams myself. A bit akin to Richard "Dick" Proenneke in "Alone In The Wilderness"

You really should get the movies, there are two of them. You won't believe what this man could do, what he did and how he lived, but it makes me drool! If you know how to things this well, you don't need money.

Gordy the Hippy

 

[Mucky_Waters]

Mucky,

I most certainly would like to follow such dreams myself. A bit akin to Richard "Dick" Proenneke in "Alone In The Wilderness"


You really should get the movies, there are two of them. You won't believe what this man could do, what he did and how he lived, but it makes me drool! If you know how to things this well, you don't need money.

Gordy the Hippy

Yes, I already have the original movie "Alone in the Wilderness", I ordered it years ago when I first saw it on PBS. It was amazing and inspiring watching him build his place with simple hand tools, I also liked how he made the effort and took the time to record many of his activities on film. Too bad he wasn't out there doing his thing today, it would have been much easier for him to record things with modern digital HD video cameras, perhaps he could have even upload his videos to you-tube daily via satellite internet.
I don't know if I would want to live as remotely, or as far North, as he did, especially all alone for as long as he did, but it sure must have enjoyed it because he spent nearly 30 years up they mostly by himself.