Dec. 24, '09

Weather
I think this was the quickest trip ever to the farm. Amanda got in Tuesday evening and had wanted to come to the farm, but the forecast was for rain Wednesday and Thursday. As it turned out, it would have been fine. But by Thursday morning the forecast was for 4-8 inches of snow for Thursday afternoon followed by very cold temps. Since she was leaving Saturday evening, I knew this meant a trip to the farm even Christmas (Friday) evening was out. And since the forecast was for 4 days of sub-freezing temperatures I was worried about the pilot going out on the lone heater left in the house. The other heater was still at Anderson's where they had adjusted the pilot.

So I left Fayetteville at 9:08, picked up the heater in Hindsville, and had it hung and the pilot lit by 11:oo. I then filled the bird feeders and seeing the pond very full headed down to unclog the culverts. Sure enough the beavers had them about two thirds plugged up. I cleared them in the light rain that had begun to fall. I was back at the house by 1:oo. It turns out I didn't miss anything since Sally and Amanda had been to see Bill Tims and were just finishing up.

Dec 11-12, '09

We arrived after 3 with cloudy conditions, temps in the low 40s, and light rain predicted for Saturday. The house was its typical 54 degrees after a cold week (single digits one night), so we cranked the heaters up.

Left Front Mud Flap
I had ordered replacement mud flaps, since my front driver side one was torn off when the wrecker drug my Tacoma back up onto the road last month. My drill is at the farm, so had to get this put on while out there, and since it was likely to be wet Saturday this became the first order of business. No problem, but it is basically screwed into plastic. We'll see how that holds.

Split Wood
With just a bit more daylight I decided to split the the larger ice storm limbs I had set aside behind the barn. I thought my wedges were down there with my splitting mauls, but they weren't. It turned out I really didn't need them. Use two mauls and the sledge hammer to get through even the hickory that had been set aside since February.

Heater
The pilot on the propane heater in the kitchen area just suddenly went out Friday evening. We've had chronic problems with the pilot on this unit. Several years back I took it to AmeriGas in Fayetteville and he just blew it out with some compressed air. A couple of years ago I took to Anderson's to be worked on, but don't recall what they did. In all cases I had always been able to re-light it so that it could be used temporarily. Not this time. Even holding a lighter to it, I couldn't get it to stay on. Saturday I called around and couldn't find anyone in Berryville or Eureka that carried them, thinking I would just go ahead and replace it. But I couldn't find one, so I moved the one from the living room into this core room of the house. My fear is the pilot goes out during really cold weather and the pipes freeze, so I like having two. And I like not relying on electricity, which as we saw this year, can be out for days. We dropped the unit off at Anderson's on the way back into town. I am anxious to see what they do to it.

Squirrel on Feeder
This was the first time that I had seen this. Figuring he wouldn't be able to climb up the barb wired raccoon baffle, I guessed that he had jumped from the adjacent Sassafras tree which was getting pretty large. So, I cut it.

Burned
I didn't have a lot of time Saturday, as we were heading home early to baby sit Savannah for the night. But since it was wet and rain forecasted I decided to go ahead do some burning up the hill behind the house. After I got the fire started, I got nervous about all the high dry grass that had grown up in the burn circle since it was used last year. I kept the fire small and began intentionally burning the grass to clear the area. Then it rained and I wasn't as worried. I probably got about 15% of the cedars burned that I had drug up -- so some progress.

Dec 4-5, '09

Sally was at a retreat at Camp Mitchell, so it was just me and Tender on this beautiful winter weekend. Clear skies with highs in the low 40s and a low Saturday morning of 21. I do love working outdoors on such days.

Joe
On the way I followed a Ford 4x4 into and out of Eureka Springs, and then all the way to CR 511. He pulled into Kathy's drive and immediately approached me as I got to the chained cattle guard. I noticed a new lock on the chain with the key still in it -- and then he explained. He knew Kathy and she had given him permission to hunt on her land. He said he shot a buck on Tuesday, hitting it in the shoulder and not bringing it down. He tracked it to below our barn where he field dressed it, but he had to get his truck in to pack it out. So he cut the chain and put a new lock on. He asked if he could hunt on our place and I said no. Hunting season ends Sunday, and I'll be glad.

Lopped Cedars
I spent about 2.5 hours Friday and 2 more Saturday lopping cedars. Boy did Tender have fun running through the pastures smelling everything as I worked. Friday I was south of the pond in the field and up to the fence line in a bit of woods. Saturday I was below the barn where I noticed I had let the trees get pretty big where the septic field line is (not that I know exactly where it is), even though I had cleared it out 3 or 4 years ago. I was also looking for the remains of the deer, but all I found were the two hind legs and a large area of hair. I figured I lopped 4,000 cedars, though its hard to keep focused on a count as I work.

Banana bread
Made some black walnut bran banana bread Friday evening. Um, um good.

Frost Flowers


Cindy had been talking about these and sent me a picture from the Carroll County newspaper. I started noticing them on the way out along Hwy 12. On Friday there were hundreds on that north facing slope where I was lopping cedars, in-spite of being in the sun. But I didn't have my phone/camera. So when Tender and I got out Saturday morning I got these pictures over by the spring, though there were far fewer on this dry south facing slope.

Annual Rye
I had picked up 50 lbs. of annual rye at the Farmer's Co-op, and spread it up the road. Hope we get enough moisture for it to germinate before March (which has happened before).

Cracked Walnuts
Cracked enough to keep me busy picking for a couple of weeks.

Chainsawed Cedars
Took my chainsaw back down below the barn and cut some of the larger cedars. One had grown up at the gate positioned half way down the far pen, and had it completely blocked. I really don't get down there often, and I could spend a year clearing cedars from there down to the old home site. This was the only time I had to leave Tender at the house.

Nov 20-21, '09

Thrift Shop
On the way we stopped at the new Thrift Shop that has moved into the old Yester Years Antique building in Eureka right at Rock House road. Got some great deals, including a nice pair of jeans for a $1.

Locked Out
The Corroll Electric meter reader had his pad lock through both ends of my end of the chain, and had me locked out. I'll make sure I never leave him enough chain to do that again. We carried much of our staff down, and my arms were aching by the time we got to the house. Later I took a hack saw back to the cattle guard and cut the link on the end and brought the truck down. Really didn't need to carry all that stuff down.

Great Weather
Sally and I had a beautiful weekend with mild temperatures and clear days. She got a few jalapenos and some spinach out of the garden, and the broccoli was beginning to look like it might provide some food. Sally soaked up sun while reading and relaxing I cut more cedars above the house, drug cedars to the burn area, cracked walnuts, and wrapped barbed wire around the wooden feeder (continuing my battle with the coons -- they were on top of the feeder Friday night).