This just occurred to me (as apparently someone in NYC thinks around sunset [7:15 PM] is the perfect time to be using a circular saw), but there are several frontiersman-type things I would like to do before I’m physically unable (which I realize may be right around the corner). These are all pretty much things that may be done by a large man like me (by himself), and we’ll just overlook (for now) the prerequisite of owning the forested mountain land that is inhabited by bears and deer and what-not.
1) Chop down a large tree with nothing else but a large ax (and possibly a hatchet, if needed). I want to see what it feels like to do that without the aid of a chainsaw.
2) Till, plant, weed, tend, grow, and harvest about an acre of corn/tomatoes/potatoes/green peppers/onions/string beans.
3) Plant and raise an orchard of fruit trees – red apples, oranges, lemons, peaches, and maybe bananas if I can get them to grow in the same climate.
4) To go with the fruit trees, I’d need strawberry and blueberry bushes and perhaps a vine or two of grapes (the purple kind, not the green kind).
5) Mill a large log into planks, and see how accurately I could do it without any heavy machinery.
6) Quarry out some large stones, and ply stonemasonry to fashion them into 1 foot square blocks for an outer wall (to practice before the castle).
7) Dig a mountain foundation for a strong castle keep – down to bedrock.
8) Make cotton clothing from the planting of the cotton to the harvesting, to the thread-making, to the weaving, and then fashioning into clothes.
9) Make under-armor from freshly-harvested silks (guess I’ll have to find out how to raise silk worms), and dye them afterwards.
10) Make vestments and light armors from deerskins, cowhides, and grizzly-bearskins. And while I’m at it, face and kill a bear at least taller than me by a half (9 and 1/2 feet standing, for those of you too lazy to do the math) – armed with nothing but an Asian metal spear and probably a machete.
There’s more, I’m sure, but I have to get ready for work right now… and I’m pretty sure this heat is about to melt my laptop. *sigh*
Show Me 
How in the hell are we too lazy to do the math if we don’t already know you’re 6’4″1/4 inches tall in the first place?
*tsk tsk tsk*
Oh, Linda… I mentioned my height specifically in the first comment I responded to (a mere hour after the post was published) on this post – which you liked.
Also, had you read this post, you would’ve been able to deduce (with simple math) from my advice to my son (Question #3) what my height is.
But then again, math does not seem to be your strong suit. If 9’6″ (nine and 1/2 feet) is 150% of my height (taller by half), then 100% of my height would be 6’4″, not 6’4″ and 1/4… like you supposed.
So perhaps you might not have been too lazy to do the math – merely unable. You were too lazy to read. 😉
I’ve been in the process of sawing a tree down with just a rock, its taken years so far.
I’d be surprised that someone could make any kind of headway in that manner.
What brought about that unusual endeavor, if I might ask?
I wondered if it could be done. Every week or so I sand away some more, I would say I am about half way through, I could kick it down, but that wouldnt be fun.
When you say “sand away”, I picture a rock with just a rough (almost serrated) edge.
Previously, I’d pictured a smooth stone with a rounded edge. Probably the result of watching too much of The Flintstones as a kid.
Something like this: http://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/FJZ/1J9X/H7ANSV5V/FJZ1J9XH7ANSV5V.LARGE.jpg