Hugh, just say to the naked starlets hanging around the pool "If you want that part in the next movie you get your skinny butt up that hill and start weedeating..."

Hugh,

Have you bought a harbor freight water pump and fire hose set? If that was my yard I would have a pump that's gas powered in case the electricity goes out and I need to defend my house from fire.

Oh, Goats and option .308 Come late fall I'll be up for the BBQ goat.

It would cost him more in chemicals than labor. And he needs the vegetation to come back. For erosion, of did you catch that?

Dammm Jim you beat me to it. If it were me, I would have a generator, water pump, 1 1/2 inch fire hose and that foam stuff that you cover the house with. I would also have at least one chain saw to cut those trees down if the fire was coming my way. There was a San Diego region member that was a county sheriff that lived out on highway 94 past Dulzura and when the fires hit in 2003, the foam saved his house and it was fed from the water pump at his pool. If I remember correctly he used 3 55 gallon barrels total.

I former customer of mine was a fireman up in Arcadia. He got in trouble for driving a firetruck through a fence to get to a pool. He told the review board that it saved his crew.

For you guys that live in fireville if you have or your neighbors have a pool and you're told to bug out. PAINT POOL on your garage door It might save your house.

How many hours of weed whacking is that? You don't whack the entire 18 acres, but just the part within some radius of the house, right?

I have to weedwack about 200 feet from the house, pretty much what you see in the pics. I work on it about two hours at a time. I have to have it done by June 1. A few hours a day on the weekend and again after work. I should get it done it time. I should look into a firewater pump or put sprinklers on the roof.

With your traveling schedule I would hire a geek to wire it up so that you could do it remotely

Hire some CSU cheerleaders and put them out to graze. The coyotes won't touch them.

We have to do a lot of fire break work this time of year too. I use the big Stihl line trimmers with fixed heads, running that thick line. Can cover lots of ground. Also use a Billygoat field mower too.

1973 911 T MFI Coupe, Aubergine

Steve

Like BAZ sez, you could do most of that with a mower.....

I have a similar hill on the county road outside our neighborhood. Only five neighbors and I'm the only one that cares....I used to weedwack it, now do 90% with a riding mower and only wack where the mower won't go....Do it all in about 2 hrs - Do it twice a year in the spring.

Plant some Kudzu, by the end of Summer you'll have most of Southern California covered.

Weed wacking sucks, there is no way around it. If you are going to do it right, I would suggest the best one you can afford, a straight shaft with with a harness to support it and allow to swing back and forth without holding the weight entirely with your arms. I bought a professional back pack leaf blower years ago and it is by far one of the best investments I've made. This would work: FS 310 Bike Handle Trimmer - Professional Use Grass Trimmer | STIHL USA Mobile

Having been out to NorCal a few years ago, I was really disappointed in how lifeless everything did look in the summer coming from the lush green woodlands of PA. It looked like our winter here.

Correct. Didn't catch that. Was only referring to the periphery. Yep....goats are your answer. Or English Ivy.

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You can't kill this stuff, it is manageable, and won't wipe out the state like kudzu does

Hugh just look at the alternative - you could be living in Canada and be in a deep freeze for half a year. Consider your cup is half full rather than half empty. Take the advice of the above and just do it.

I know you get earthquakes, wildfires, high taxes etc etc etc. But you do live in a beautiful part of the world, great climate too. That is why many of us come down during the winter and enjoy it. :)

It need water. Hugh doesn't have water.

If your topography allows it, a "field & brush mower" is about 10 times as quick as a weed whacker. The extra expense is well worth it & a good one will outlast the string trimmers. BTDT,,,,,,and my WWer is a good bike handle Stihl.

The local Stihl guru recommends the Billy Goat.

We have a billy goat for some of the slopes on our property. That would work well for Hugh I bet...

Goats are available for rent in Portland to thin out blackberries.

West Side Goat Girl - Greater Seattle & Portland Areas