In this Day 72 vlog, Victor Justin Rhodes and his family walk viewers through a typical winter homestead day, highlighting a mix of routine chores, problem‑solving, and family interaction. The morning begins with a quick check of the outdoor rink, where Jonah is sweeping ice while the parents discuss a blown fuse caused by an overloaded heater circuit that also powers submersible pumps and de‑icers. The family assigns chores, noting that older children take on larger tasks while younger ones help with smaller jobs. They tend to a newly‑arrived cow, noting how quickly the animal adapts to its stall. The group then plans a burn pile using a fallen Christmas tree and brush from the previous winter. After a brief phone call about chain‑oil, they head out to clear a swath of small trees and brush to make way for incoming graders, using chainsaws and measuring progress (approximately 150 ft of cleared path, about 3,000 sq ft). The transcript captures moments of humor, weather commentary (temperatures around 30‑32 °F versus earlier single‑digit lows), and the challenges of icy water containers leaking. The day wraps up with the family preparing a burger night, assigning fry and burger duties, and a quick nod to watching old vlogs. Throughout, the vlog blends practical homestead maintenance with family banter, showcasing how the Rhodes family balances work, safety, and togetherness on their property.
Chapters
You want to go outside? Yeah, yeah, even though it's cold. Come here, you stink. 12 degrees. Is that butt cold? Not compared to what it has been. Feels like it's warming up. Look at this. Hey, did you guys do the chores yet?
Okay. Oh wow, it's very soft over here. Very good, honey.
Jonah, why are you sweeping?
So dirty. What are you doing?
The whole court? You got a rock stuck? Yeah. How?
Don't put it on yesterday.
You get your rink swept, that means more slippery.
Yeah.
Nice. Incidentally, our water did not freeze last night. We have blown a fuse though. Shoot. I think this heater right here keeps blowing a fuse, which is bad because that's where there's our submersibles are on this fuse as well. Way too much on that one circuit. The light in here, not much. That outlet— wait, why'd that trip? This wasn't even plugged in. Well, yeah, it is plugged in. There's two outlets in here. Two outlets in here, all on that shop switch. This outlet, this outlet, this outlet. Yeah, look. And the two outside outlets, all on one circuit, which creates a problem when you want to have all these de-icers. It didn't work because It wasn't working all night. What are y'all doing? Oh nice. I have brought down Gideon for the chores. Kids did all the small chores, so I'm reckoning he should do something. The other kids tend to have more responsibility because they're older. Gideon's job is kind of go along with me, so I guess that's what we're doing this morning. Kids got up and worked hard and did their chores this morning, so I just I'm gonna let them play a little bit. Kids always want to work. No, they're just like your kids. Funny when people see us, well, how do you get your kids to always be excited about it? Well, you're seeing 10, 20 minutes of a 24-hour day. I'm not always excited, nor, nor am I. Butter, butter. It's absolutely amazing how quick cows develop a habit. Just walked her into that stall, what have we been in, about 2, 3 days? Good. See, she's ready just like that. We don't even tie her down. Here, put this on the stanchion. Lily, taking down the Christmas tree?
Yep.
We killed another one, but it made it, made it to the end.
Well, it was dry the last week. Pretty quickly.
Maybe we can use it to start one of our brush piles from last winter. It's leaving a trail. All right, burn pile. Maybe we'll have a Christmas tree burning party.
I can't find the barn chain oil, and anyway, we were out, so Can you text Grandma?
Really? I think they're not up there, Grandma.
Yeah, but they have some and I can go get it. Did they have some?
Yeah. Good deal. Let's go, kids!
Which way did you come?
You went to access road. Another one. Logging road. Could Sally drive on that? Oh, really?
Why?
But we could saw it up right then Sally could drive on it, right? Okay. We have a big mission this week. Two big missions. Well, we want to get all our little trees cleared. This project so that the graders can come. The big graders are coming, we reckon to help us with these big trees. Much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much faster and safer. We want to clear everything but the big trees so they can get in here. It's basically this whole swath. See where it gets darker there? It's a little higher, and it's this whole swath. It's probably got less than a quarter of an acre, maybe an 8— maybe an 8th of an acre. Hey, we having problems?
It's so cold.
Oh, is it cold? Well, this 30— I think it's 32 right now. Feels very reasonable compared to what we we have been having in the single digits. Wow, bad things happen in the cold, don't they, guys? I got all the kids save Henry. He's back with Mom, he's taking a nap.
You did? That's so tight.
While he's getting his chainsaw ready, there are some— there is some brush that we can pick up. Nice shot, right on the burn pile. Good job. 4 are not keeping up with one chainsaw, so I'm gonna break out the saw. And then the soda. Just chill, Freeze. Holy smokes, we've been working up here an hour and we cleared probably 150 feet. Let's just say 100 feet. Well, 150 feet by 20 feet, what is that? 3,000 square feet. I don't know what that is. I should not do math in public.
Look.
It's a lot. When we first started doing this, I, I feel like the first day we did something like this, this much, and now we've just gotten the hang of it and we just go. What happened here? Nacho get out? I don't think the little ones go to the alfalfa, do they? And Nacho's following the little ones. There we go. Besides, see, keeping them cut down with his motorbike. There we go. Now how to get the little ones in there, I don't know. Come Come out and let's herd the little ones in there. There you go. If you get out, they'll go in. Yep, perfect. Good. You're gonna switch out their water.
Okay.
Good Lord, look at this chunk of ice. Look at this one. This one's solid all the way around. Well, it's got— it has water inside of it. Yeah, it's leaking.
It's leaking. Oh shoot, dang it. I was gonna put the water in.
That's funny. Oh, you're gonna reuse—
that's good.
Hey, you gonna make the fries? Sure. Okay, I'll make the burgers. Rebecca, you got him watching old vlogs again?
Oh, Henry's got me watching old vlogs.
Henry, what do you want to like about those vlogs? You like watching those kids? You like watching those little kids? Monday night burger night.
