December 16-17, 2011

Sally was in Harrison, so she met me at the farm. I came the shortcut, and for the first time since Spring the Warm Fork was running -- crystal clear as usual. (We'd gotten more heavy rain mid-week.) I wasn't in 4WD when I entered, got stuck and stalled the engine. I was a little concerned, but once I got 4WD engaged it pulled on out of all that loose gravel.

Puller Bear

I bought this tool back in the summer and pulled up some trees around the house in town with it before bringing it out. Not wanting to struggle with it in any heat or dry weather, this was the first time I used it at the farm. This is the largest version this Canadian firm makes, and it is suppose to handle trees up to 2.5 inches in diameter. The claw/clamp on it can get around that size tree, but after using it I am sure there is no way I could pull up anything that big.

I took it out back to tackle the scrubs along the top of the bluff. Most had been lopped (or cut) before and had just grown back. I bought this thing so I could get the roots and not have this problem, and because I didn't want to use herbicide. But with these re-growths and the bigger stuff, cutting and herbicide will have to be the solution. The ones I was able to pull up had some extensive root systems. Some were longer than the tree above ground and larger in diameter below ground than above. Others just broke off where it clamped on to them. I got about 50 or so along the bluff and just up the hill. It was quite a workout, and I was glad to quit once Sally showed up around 5pm.

Frost Flowers

It was in the mid 20s Saturday morning and there was a heavy frost in the valley. With all the rain we had received during the week I figured there would be some frost flowers out. Sure enough I found them down by the spring and in front and behind the barn – all below the bluff the house sits on.

Weed Garden

Saturday morning Sally was kicking herself for not picking the bock chow and chard she had seen the evening before, because now looked frozen. Later in the day though, it seemed okay.

I pulled up most of the dead spinach and then turned the soil in that bed with the shovel. The weeds are really really bad now. I suspect because we have had so much fall rain. I filled up a bucket back in the SW corner, and took the shovel to the bermuda grass and mint in the SE corner. Those roots are so deep. Sally also let me pull up some huge wild flowers that have survived in her wild flower mound. Still lots of weeding needed.

Crack Walnuts

I got out the cracker and started in on some of this years black walnuts. They are very dirty, me just using my boots to hull them. But, I cracked over half a box and only had 3 bad nuts. Last year I there were so many I would count them and keep the ratio of bad ones to good -- sometimes running 20 to almost 40%. And the flavor was good! This is the first year that my entire haul has been off our place.

Lop Cedars

I got out my loppers and tackled the cedars back of the barn -- at least those that were small enough for me to lop. I had gotten almost 300 when I broke the loppers on the tree pictured. I guess I'm a pretty strong dude to snap steel like that. I was disappointed that this Corona heavy duty lopper let me down this way -- after all, it did run me close to $45. I need to find out if the company will make right by me.

Sharpen McCulloch

Before leaving, I got out the McCulloch and tightened and sharpened the chain so that it will be ready to go next outing. It is hard to start, but it has been quite a work horse for me. Bought it in 1982.

December 2-3, 2011

It was another gray and cloudy weekend. We drove through rain on the way out, but never say any at the farm. Friday it was up to near 60, but it only made it to 50 Saturday.

Mower Repair

I'd been searching the parts diagrams on the internet for the bracket that broke that supported the front of the mower deck, but could never see this particular piece identified. So on the way out we went by Ramos' to see if they could find it. The first fellow brought up the same diagrams I had been looking at and seemed to get a bit frustrated by my insistence that it wasn't identified there. But the second guy, after finishing with another customer, came over to help and knew exactly what I was talking about. He said that originally the bracket was welded to the front axle and thus part of the axle, but later they modified the design so that it could be replaced. However, you have to work the bracket up into the axle so that the two eyes hang down to receive the pin that connects the deck flange to this bracket. (I had wondered how I was going to get the replacement part inside.) He told me you had to bend the part of the axle where one of the slots was in order to work it up and inside – that little piece of advise was invaluable. He eventually found some reference that told him where to find the piece in his parts inventory and got it for me. (Strange that it was a Murray mower part that came in a Briggs and Straton box.) The piece is secured to the axle by two self tapping screws that go up through the axle and into the bracket. He sold me two of those as well since I couldn't remember if I had them. Everything cost me all of $11 with no charge for the advice. I love that place.

We didn't get to the farm until after three and it took me until after dark to get the axle bent/modified, the bracket inside the axle and hanging down, the self tapping screws threaded into the bracket (big mistake here, I should have tapped the threads before getting the bracket inside the axle since I then had to do it upside down with limited ability to apply pressure on the backside of the bracket), and the deck re-installed onto the mower.

More White Oak

Since it had been dry all week, I decided to go back into the pasture and continue working on these two huge white oaks. I first tackled the larger one, skipping the huge section where the trunk split. Using my McCulloch I cut three pieces off (working from both sides of the trunk with the little 16" bar) before getting to another big fork. These chunks were to big for me to lift into the truck but all three had a line dividing the two sides where it forked above, and I was able to split each along that line. This gave me essentially 6 big trunk pieces.

After those three cuts, I could tell the chain was already dulled, so I hit every tooth with the file. Being a bit tired and not feeling ambitious enough to go after the rest of that tree, I moved over to the other white oak and started on its trunk.

What a surprise when suddenly black liquid started spraying out everywhere. My first thought was that something had gone wrong with the saw and it was spewing oil. Then I realized it was stained water and sawdust. It just kept coming and coming. I had plenty of time to get my camera and take several pictures of this erupting log. This had to be one of the strangest things I've ever seen. The trunk was laying down hill with this hollow at its base facing up. There were no openings in the hollow trunk and the entire thing had filled up with stagnant water -- sitting there for years I presume.

The further down the trunk I got, the larger the hollow was. I think the wood will be fine once it dries out as it seems to be solid. All in all a very nice load of fire wood. I just dumped it in the barn to dry out and be split at a later date. I was a mess though with that brackish water and sawdust being thrown all over me. Sally said there was no way my clothes were going in to her washer. (I did throw out the jeans, which were ready for the trash anyway with numerous tears on both legs.)

Weeded the Garden

Amazingly, Sally was still able to pick some chard and lettuce. The garden's a mess though with weeds coming up everywhere. There is also a blanket of violas that have come back from seed. I leave them, but tackled the rest. However, I didn't get but half of it done.

November 26-27, 2011

Being a cold and rainy day, Sally decided to stay in town with Tender. Being a cold and rainy day, I decided to do some burning.

Burning

I had three piles of limbs over past the swing, almost all a result of the ice storm. Some of it was chinquapin oak, but most was cedar. I always leave the hard wood to rot, but the cedar takes forever to break down. So I pulled the cedar limbs out, lopped them to burn pile size, and threw them on. It had stopped raining by the time I got to the farm, but I did get a little light rain later during the burn. After I finished the cedar from the three piles, there was still some daylight left so I cut two medium cedars that were crowding one of the big chinquapin's. It took a little time to get those green needles going, but they burned (and generated lots of smoke). By a little after 4pm I was bushed and amazed at how the dragging, lopping, and cutting had worn me out.

Cleaned Floors

I have to admit that I neglect inside work and prefer to spend my time at the farm outdoors. But the floors were in desperate need of a good cleaning. I only tackled the core of the house, leaving the addition and the ceramic tile there for another trip. It took me over an hour just to pick everything up (chairs and rugs) and sweep. I then mopped it all down with vinegar and water. Then I went over it all by hand with mop and glow using a large hand sponge. It was noon by the time I was done, but they do look so much better.

Burn Prep

Knowing what I went through to get the cedar limbs cut down to burning size, and the huge piles I have down in the cedar groves by the pond needing to be burned, I decided to go ahead and get them cut up – anticipating another good burn day this winter. I took the Poulan down and waded through the mess cutting anything of any size. Now, almost three years later, briars and underbrush have grown up amongst the piles. Its a mess. And the Poulan continues to be temper mental. It had thrown the chain once the day before, and did it twice more Sunday. I'm not sure what that's about – other than its a little toy saw. It would also just die on me, a tuning issue I know, but something I hate doing (because I don't know what I am doing).

While in the area, I also cut some low hanging limbs from the big cedars. At one time I am sure Ben had the area looking real nice. You can tell the cedars were trimmed up, because there are no low limbs at the trunk but over the past 16 years the higher limbs have grown down and now hang almost to the ground. I need to cut more, but need a ladder to do it.

Haul Walnut Limbs

While there with my truck, I decided to pick the pile of limbs under this one walnut and dump them in the eroding area past Kathy's tee pee pad above the pond. You can just see it, already full of limbs, just to the left of the tree and down the hill.

November 18-19, 2011

Two very nice days, cool (in the 50s) Friday and a bit warmer Saturday. Sally went to Harrison for Reflexology, so I met her at the farm.

Brush Hogged

I believe I forgot to mention that Larry got the place brush hogged late October or early November. It looks nice. I also had the propane tank filled and got the heaters lite.

Eagles

Earlier than usual, but Sally saw two overhead Saturday. She also saw some on her drive out.

Road Work

I filled my buckets with mud and gravel Friday, loaded and spread it up the road Saturday, then got another load and spread it down the road. I'm probably done with this dirty task for the season.

Garden

We were able to pick enough bock chow and chard for a stir fry. Sally found a few more butternut squashes to keep, and I pulled up all the plants. I started in on the spinach, which looked scorched on the top from the frosts we'd had, and noticed nice large green leaves on the lower protected parts of the plants. So I picked a huge bowl full cutting the tops and bottoms off, rinsed it in salt water, and then picked the leaves. (We had a feta and mushroom quiche with it.)

Split Wood

Working on Friday and Saturday, I got through the load I had gotten two weeks earlier. Too bad much of it is to big for my stove -- I've got to learn to measure before I cut. I also split all but one piece of the short oak I had picked up off the shortcut earlier in the year. That one piece of red oak I'm leaving for Amanda to enjoy.

Sharpen McCulloch

Got it ready for another outing, including filling the depth gauges. The teeth on this chain are about gone, so I'll need to dig though my supply for another soon.

November 5-6, 2011

Sally was in Chicago, so Tender and I were alone for the weekend – and what a beautiful weekend it was. The fall colors were just fabulous. Too bad my phone camera couldn't capture the true essence (though I certainly tried, taking dozens of pictures). This one is unaltered (I'll probably try adjusting the lighting on some of the others). Right in the center on the far hill is where the two big white oaks are down that I've been cutting on for three years now. (Blew down the fall before the ice storm when a tropical depression moved through.)

Insulate Well House

With freezing temperatures arriving, it was time to put the insulation back into the roof of the well house. I really need to buy some new pieces as the mice have these bats looking a bit ratty.

Wash/Treat Siding

Since the north side of the house came out looking so nice after a good scrubbing and new application of CWF (and since I was about to take in the hoses), I decided to do the same to the east side and under the porch. It was dry enough by the end of the day to start applying the Clear Wood Finish (picked up a new gallon at City Lumber). I just did the lowest 6 boards on the east, and did the porch Sunday (finished the porch, I got half of it done last spring I think).

Spread Rye Grass Seed

Buddy told me years ago to spread annual rye grass seed to help with road erosion, and I've been doing it ever since. I think I used three bags and even added fertilizer that first year. I've skimped down to just 50lbs recently. I haul a bucket full up spreading it in one track, come back and refill the bucket, and then go up the other track. There's enough left for steep areas around the house and out front of the barn. We'd had rain and more was forecast, so I'm hoping it will germinate before spring (which has been the case in very dry years).

Garden

I picked a bucket full of butternut squash and just left the greenish/yellowish ones. We certainly have plenty. I got enough jalapenos to can a jar (slice 'em and poor boiling vinegar over 'em is all). The chard and bock chow had grown enough for me to get a large bag of each to bring home, and our summer spinach has really thrived with the late summer/early fall rains – much of it new plants. I harvested, boiled, and froze some and brought a bag home, but even that didn't make a dent in it.

Mower Broke

I got the mower out and started out back. I had only done a small area when the front of the deck collapsed to the ground. The metal flange that held it up had broken off at both ends. (I suspect one side had broken earlier and I hadn't noticed other than the left seeming to cut lower.) I took the deck off and am sure I can get the part, but I can't see how to get it inside the square hollow piece of frame it has to sit within – with eye holes hanging down. I'm just glad it happened at the end of the season.

Walnuts

I was turning the truck around behind the barn and was amazed at the walnuts on the ground there. They were from the tree back of the house, part way up the bluff. I'd picked some up earlier, but had not noticed that there were that many left in the tree. Being so convenient, and even though I had said I had collected enough already, I went ahead and stomped, rolled, and picked up all there were.

Road Maintenance

I've been meaning to work on the road below the last turn going down the hill, eroded by the heavy spring rains. I got a load of mud and chirt on to it on Saturday and followed up with another load on Sunday.

Tighten Roof Screws

Jerry said that metal roofs need some ventilation space underneath to keep them from sweating. The moisture isn't good for the decking, and I think it contributes to the screws getting loose. This is the third time I've gone around tightening those that have backed out. It was only a dozen or two this time. I used my portable drill to back them out, applied a dab of roofing tar, and then drilled them back in. Its the first time I've used the tar and hope it helps them stay in place.

Cut Wood

I've been itching to get out and cut some more wood, this being the season. I didn't have much time, but in just over an hour I used the McCulloch to get a truck load from one of the big white oaks and a few pieces of hickory. Enough to dull the blade. Once I got it back to the barn I couldn't resist splitting a piece, which for white oak was much harder than I anticipated. The hickory is much smaller and even rotting around the edge, but solid underneath.

Tarantula

Tender pointed out the second one of these I've seen this fall. This one was in the garage. Too bad I couldn't get a better picture. Another brown one.

Oct. 21-23, 2011

Seasons are changing -- we had a light freeze this week. It didn't seem to bother the jalapeno or the spinach, but the other established plants in the garden got nipped. Baby bock chow and chard were unaffected. I picked a bunch of jalapenos and few squash (most were still green, I hope they ripen even though there is less foliage). Those itty bitty tomatoes were all we got. We did have another inch in the rain gauge. I decided to go ahead and bring it in so it doesn't freeze and break.

Mow

We may be well into fall, but I still needed to mow. Went down around the pond, the spring, the barn, and the front yard. Saturday I got the high wheel trimmer out for the first time all year and cut the high grass around the pond and under the fence along the level stretches by the road. Handling it is a work out, but it wasn't bad. Just before dark, Tender and I went back to the pond and I raked what clippings I could out of the water. (There was just a trickle running through the north culvert.)

Walnuts

Friday I picked up two bags of nuts under the tree by the old home site. I brought them up to the drive and on Saturday stomped and rolled them under my boots to remove the hulls. I've got two bags which I left in the rabbit hutch to dry. We'll see how this method works out. I don't plan to pick up any to have commercially hulled -- I've still got lots from last year and there are no longer any hullers close by. I did make banana bread Friday night using a new recipe with buttermilk (and a good cup and half of walnuts). Mighty good.

Treat House

I also scrubbed down the north side of the house Friday. It cleaned up really nice. On Saturday, after it dried, I applied a coating of the Clear Wood Finish I use. I think I had 4 rows of boards to go at the top when this picture was taken. (It's kind of whitish before it dries.)

Oct. 14-15, 2011

Weather

It was great -- sunny and low 70s both days. It was hard to leave. We also had 2.25 inches in the rain gauge, which was very nice since it had dried up again.

Hammock

The weekend before I had just gotten the hammock stand set-up -- first time all year. It wasn't dry enough in the spring and then it got so hot so fast. These last two weekends have been ideal for it.

Pulled Weeds

While Sally lounged I pulled many large weeds that had grown up around the black berries. I'm not sure there is much use though, as I will be surprised if many of the plants survive -- they just burned up in spite of my attempts to water. I also took the brush whacker to that area, the hill in the back, and around the barn. Still much more to do, but at least the growth should cease soon.

Garden

Sally picked lots of jalapenos, so Sunday we had Chris and Lindsey over for stuffed jalapenos (cream cheese inside and bacon out). They were good, but we couldn't finish off what we had made with 12 oz. of bacon. Sally also got a few more squash, but left many. Her fall seeds are showing a little progression, but not much. I think the rain will help. I weeded the garden.

Walnuts

There are an amazing number of walnuts considering the hot dry weather we suffered through. I found that I could step on them to break the hull, and then role them under my foot to remove most of the hull. I picked up what I could find around the house Friday -- without gloves. That was a mistake as my right hand is very stained. They were very wet and yellow/green, but everything turns black later.

Saturday I went down around the pond, but found most under the tree by the creeks confluence and the one near the old home site. I think I have a full bag which I left in the rabbit hutch to dry (20% of what I had last year). I used gloves, but my left hand still ended up with some stain.

I took this picture in the office after charging my phone. Apparently I left the radio on Friday night and it drained the battery constantly searching for a signal (which doesn't exist at the house without the external antennae).

Other than some sudoku challenges and relaxed reading, that was it for our farm time.

Oct. 7-8, 2011

Wow, another 4 week period without getting out here. That's too long. Sally did come out during that period to tend the garden, but I was out of town 3 weekends in a row.

Weather/Garden

The first week I was gone there was heavy rain, 5+ inches. But then it dried up again and you could tell it. The garden needed watering badly and my baby trees had only a few leaves left. (I believe deer were responsible for most of that.) The burn ban was off -- good news. The temperature was also nice, about 80 and sunny each day. The walnut and ash trees were turning, so the hills were pretty (haven't seen any change in town yet).

Sally picked more butternut squash, and the plants continue to put on fruit. They were stretching out into the yard and I had to move them to mow. A few of her fall garden seeds had just barely sprouted. The jalapeno continues to be prolific, but the bell pepper is barely hanging on. The summer spinach has survived and we had some with our eggs, and new baby spinach is sprouting.

Tarantula

We usually see one of these guys this time of the year, though I don't recall any last fall. This fellow was moving fast across the road down by the pond when I was mowing. Luckily I had brought my phone camera and was able to get some snap shots. I just put my boot in front of him and he climbed right up -- I wanted to get a picture with some perspective. I've hear the males move out of the nest in the fall and venture out on their own. They always seem to be traveling like this guy was. The others we've seen have all been right behind the house.

Mow/Weed-eat

The grass was heavy and high in the normal spots, elsewhere the weeds had to be cut. Some areas, like across the spring and around the swing, had been mowed in 8 weeks. I also took the brush whacker up the road, around the cattle guard, back down the other side, and did the hill south of the house. More is needed, but there is no rush this time of year.

Flag Trees

I'm getting ready for brush hogging and so walked the creeks trying to find the pecans I put out years back so I could flag them. I found 3 along Plume Creek and 5 along Gum. Many of those had leaves coming up from the root, so they aren't getting any bigger. I'm surprised anything survived this summer. I also flagged along the line of pines back and above the pond. Found many deer scrapes like shown here on a young pine. Maybe I should take up hunting.

Thistle

While mowing I had noticed some thistle by Plume Creek, but when I went down to flag the trees I forgot to get a shovel and a bag. I ended up pulling up several patches and just laid them in the back of the truck to take to the house and bag. This was a mistake because I was bouncing up the road I could see the seeds flying out the back. Oh well.

September 9-10, 2011

I missed the place, being gone the past 3 weekends. I didn't miss the weather -- it staid warm and dry.

Butternut Squash

The squash just keeps on growing and producing, even without rain. Sally counted over 45 more and picked many. The stuff is growing through the fence and out into the yard. Squash bugs have now shown up. I'm glad they held off as long as they did. Now we'll have to wait 2 or more years to plant squash again.

Mow

Mostly weeds had grown up in the road and needed to be cut. But the grass in the low area of the road and the other side of the pond was high and thick. A challenge to cut. Later I changed out the blades, though they were not as dull as I expected.

Bacteria Treatment

With temperatures certainly to cool soon, I wanted to treat the pond one more time with the bacteria that is supposed to eat the muck on the bottom, and hopefully reduce nutrients for weeds. I put two packets in the Ben Gay Spring tank and 20 into the pond. No water was coming in or going out of the pond -- it was as low as I have ever seen it.

Log in Pond

This tree trunk was lodged in the upper end of the pond. I was afraid that a big rain might wash into the pond, lodge it against the culverts, and block the water flow doing who knows what damage. I had tried before to move it, but couldn't lift up the end. With the water lower I was able to get a stick under the end. Then I went and got a rope and was able to pull it up the bank using the 4Runner and low 4WD. I was just able to swing it parallel to the inlet, but hopefully high enough to stay out of the water. Once it dries out I'll cut it up for fire wood.

Deer Scrape

I didn't see any deer this trip, but found two scrapes like the one shown here on a small sycamore. This was also down by the pond. The other was up closer to the house.

Thistle

I found two thistles blooming. I took a shovel, dug them up, and stuffed them head first into bird seed bag for later burning.

Gate

The gate between our place and Jeff's, down by where the creeks cross the road, has been barely hanging on since the April floods. They washed debris and even willow logs Carroll Electric left by the creeks. (They cut a big willow because the power line to Jeff's was overhead.) I cleaned out the debris and got the gate sitting back on the upper hinge.

August 12-13, 2011

What a relief, our heat wave and drought has broken!

Timber Rattler

Sally was in Harrison and coming to the farm directly from there, so I came out the shortcut. I like coming this way because I never know what I'll see – and it is shorter (not time wise, just distance). I was right up on this rattlesnake before I noticed him, but I knew immediately what it was. He was directly in the middle of the track so my tires missed him. I backed up and got out so I could get a couple of pictures. I think this is the first time I've ever seen a rattlesnake in the wild.

Weather

What a nice change. The high pressure sitting over us for months backed off and we were under the jet stream's northwest flow. It brought us some nice rains (5 out of 7 days) and cooler temperatures (highs in the upper 80s and lows into the 60s). Three inches was in the gauge, and we got almost another inch overnight. What a delight and blessing. Since May, we'd received less than an inch of rain total and all the leaves on many trees are brown and falling. You can see the damage to the trees in the field to the right of the road coming down the hill. When we bought the property in 2003 we quit having this pasture brush hogged and decided to let it grow up. We'll just have to wait until next spring to see which ones survive.

Trees

Too bad the rain came too late to save my Red Buckeye, but maybe it will come back. All the other baby trees I've nursed along all summer (weekly waterings) have made it through the drought and heat wave. Something has been eating on the Pixie Delight apple, in spite of the fact that I have a large wire cage around it. I can't imagine deer getting their heads through there, but may be a small one can.

This picture is the Walnut that was completely defoliated a month ago by I don't know what – some kind of worms I presume. I was a bit surprised given the drought to see it putting on new leaves, but these are hearty trees. The babies I put out several years back often die off, but the next year put up a new sprout from the root. The problem is they never get any bigger. The same is true for the volunteers in the field next to the road, the ones I tag to keep from being brush hogged.

Road Work

I dug more mud from the bluff by the barn, scooped up lots of chirt to work into it, and patched more of the road just below the house and in front of the barn. The mud I'd put out to repair the water bars up the road (weeks past) was very soft due to the rain and did not contain enough rock – much of it just squished to the side when we drove down. I hauled some more rock up to work into it, but obviously need even more. Some of the mud I harvest has more clay and is heavier/denser/clumpier and thus better for the road. I couldn't tell the difference when it was so dry.

Garden

As you can see here, the butternut squash continues to thrive and soon will not only take over the entire garden but also the yard (its growing through the fence). We've already picked about 30 and I believe there are that many more if you count the little babies that are just now being put on. The jalapeno is also very proliferate, providing more than we can eat. The basil thrives, providing another 4 cups for another double batch of pesto. (Its a pain pinching off the blooms.) There are lots of small bell peppers, but we've only harvested one to date. We also picked a bit more chard – I'm hopeful it will do better with more moisture. Sally went ahead and put out some seeds for a fall garden, though it was hard to find spots not covered by the large squash leaves.

Bacteria

I thought the pond bottom, at least around the dam, did look better after spreading the Flush It bacteria packets the week before. Near the inlet and the shallow end however, I didn't really notice any change. I also couldn't tell any improvement in the Ben Gay Spring tank. I chunked another one in there. I hope it is warm enough for them to work (spring water being cold).

Mow

With some rain, I went ahead and mowed around the house, down to and around the pond, around the spring, and in front of the barn. The grass south of the pond where the seep is was so thick I barely got through it on the highest setting. It has staid green and growing throughout the summer in spite of no rain.

August 5-6, 2011

Another weekend hotter and dryer than the last. Record highs and all time record highs were set throughout the state during the week. I thought it was hot, at 102, when we arrived Friday but this picture was taken when leaving Saturday afternoon. I moved the thermometer down so it wasn't close to the tin roof of the garage, but at 111 it was just 2 degrees higher than the one on the porch. Luckily, as I write this on Tuesday, we have gotten a break from the heat and a tiny bit of much needed rain – with more in the forecast. This has been the hottest and driest summer I have ever experienced, and I hope I never see another like it.

Garden

After the unbelievable heat of the week, and no rain, we were amazed to find the squash had survived. After a good watering it perked up, and it is still blooming and putting on new fruit. Sally picked over 20 of these butternuts, and found a couple that had split – I presume from getting watered after being dry all week. We peeled them, sliced them thin, and grilled them in a little olive oil. There were very tasty with a little sea salt.

The basil and the two peppers are also doing well, in spite of the heat. Sally picked 4 cups of basil and made a double batch of pesto. She froze most of it, but kept enough aside for us to have on toast with a fresh tomato we had been given but had left at home. She also picked half dozen or more jalapenos. Something had eaten all the leaves off the tomatoes, not that they were doing anything anyway. I never figured out what had eaten them as I never saw any hornworms. I actually thought deer might have gotten in and done the damage, but there were no prints. (I suspect deer are what has been eating the few blackberry canes that haven't died.)

Butterflies

There have been lots of butterflies around this summer. Sally found the one in the picture above (to the right of the squash) dead but complete. I saw several others like that. This orange one was in the garage and was briefly opening its wings and then closing them up. The picture is blurred as I could never catch it with its wings open. I suspect it was trying to keep cool. It was very pretty.

Flush It

Also in the picture of the squash, to the right, you can see the container of bacteria I purchased for $150 (contains 72 packets. This brand is sold primarily for septic systems and they had some amazing testimonials on their site. They also promote them for ponds to eat the muck – reduce the organic matter and thus the food source for algae. Other sites sold bacteria specifically for ponds, but I decided to try these guys. The packets are small and seem to be plastic, but they dissolve in water in a few minutes. They recommended 24 per 1 acre pond. I've estimated our pond at 2/3 acre, and I walked around the perimeter and chunked in 22. The inlet end is the shallowest and the most mucked up, so I put more there. In another month I am supposed to do it again, but the water temperature has to be up so they can't be used over the winter.

The pond was down 3-4 inches below the culverts, there was no water leaking through the dam (that I could tell), and there was absolutely no water running into the pond. I've never seen gum spring totally dry like this. The grass is still green and growing on the south side and I could just detect some water seeping into the pond in that area where there is a small spring/seep.

The tank that catches the water from the spring by the house (I've decided to name it Ben Gay spring since to my knowledge it never had a name) is also mucked up. It catches lots of leaves and limbs from the three big trees clinging to the bluff directly above it. I raked out some of the bigger stuff and then put 1 of these Flush It bacteria packets in that tank. I am very anxious to see how it does here since it should be real easy to monitor.

I also flushed one packet into our septic system since they are also supposed to help in the field lines. (I know our tank is okay since I had it unnecessarily pumped last summer, but how do you know the condition of your field lines?)

July 29-30, 2011

Sally was off on a girls trip, so the boys went to the Farm. To make the trip bearable for Tender and I, we brought some cold watermelon for afternoon refreshment.

Damn Hot

Everyone is so tired of this miserable heat and dry weather. I just can't imagine what it is like for those poor Texans. We're setting record highs regularly, and even a record all time high for Ft. Smith of 115 (tied it in Fayetteville, 110). This picture was Saturday afternoon. I was using the mercury thermometer to verify that the two outdoor thermometers were actually correct. They were. But this one on the garage registers higher in the heat of the afternoon than the one on the porch (it was only showing 102 at the time), but lower in the morning. I think heat off the gutter and tin roof are affecting it, so I moved it lower on a different post. I think the concrete of the porch is keeping the overnight temperature a bit higher on the porch. That's my theory anyway.

Mulch

I had picked up a load of mulch from the city and brought it out to spread under the trees. Practically all of it went under the two pears and the two apples. The rest made small rings around my baby trees out front. I could easily use another load. I like it under the trees because it helps keep the soil cooler, retains moisture, and keeps it loose so that when the weeds do grow there they are easier to pull up. I also brought out two old soaker hoses with plans to cut them in two and bury them in the much under the pears and apples. But I didn't have the right hose end connectors, so that has to wait until next weekend.

Water

Other than spreading the mulch, the only other thing I got done was watering everything -- several hours Friday and several more Saturday (why I want to use soaker hoses). We desperately need rain, and you can tell it everywhere. The squash was really dropping when I arrived, so I put some water on it first thing. Then it was droppy again Saturday morning. I watered it heavily Saturday, thinking maybe I had rushed it the day before. It perked up. Then in the afternoon it was dropping again. That's when I looked at the thermometer and realized just how hot it was, and that no amount of water was going to help. On Sally's instruction I did pick three of the butternuts (I counted over 30 more), the orange bell pepper that had turned, and more chard (that stuff is amazing). Given the price of butternut squash at ONF of $2.59/lb and an average of 2 pounds per squash, we have over $150 worth of squash in the garden!

Roadrunner

While watering the garden, a roadrunner appeared on the other side of the fence. He was big and quite colorful with a cute crest on top of his head. I've rarely seen them this close. He ran back and forth a couple of times and then disappeared down the hill. (I really don't know if it was a he or she.)

Blue Birds

The babies were all gone. I am presuming they grew and flew off, and that nothing got them. Perhaps that is just wishful thinking. It was interesting to find this baby snake all dried up and stuck between the nest and the door. Another presumption would be that it was intended as food for the babies but got misplaced, or maybe was too big for them.

Apples

We only had three apples this year. Had! Now we only have 1. It looked to me like deer pulled two off and bit on them but decided they were too green. They also ate some of the leaves and broke some limbs. I decided to go ahead and prune out a couple of limbs that were still green and growing, but had severe damage (hail or scuffed badly some time back) and looked like would not survive long term. Partly because they were trying to put on new leaves -- let that energy go to part of the tree that has a better chance of long term survival.