June 25-26, 2011

This was a solo trip since Sally was getting settled following her (and Lindsey's) 225 mile Katy trail ride. This picture is of them coming into St. Charles at the end of the week.

Blackberries

I came out the shortcut and found a productive patch of ripe blackberries along the road. I ate many and still ended up with 2 cups. Some of my berries are turning, but there weren't a lot so I just ate them. Some of the branches are just dying and the berries are shriveling up on the vine. We really, really could use some rain.

Watering

This was the reason this trip was necessary -- another week without rain (well, there were 3 drops in the rain gauge). The squash, the disobedience and the dog woods were all wilting. Most of the leaves on one of the branches of the 3-in-1 pear had died. I couldn't find my little sprinkler so I had to water everything by hand. The following all got a drink Saturday and Sunday: the garden, the new little trees out front, the new snow ball bush, the 3 year old red buckeye, the 7 year old dog woods, the rose bush, the disobedience, the Japanese maple, the two peonies, and the cluster of quince, day lilies, iris and vinca minor.

As the hose dumped water on the pears and apples, I would attempt to pull the bermuda grass rooted around the base. I am not sure how much good I did, but they do look better. It took a toll though -- I ended up with cut hands and broken finger nails. I forgot to water the peach and apricot.

Garden

I picked a lot of green beans both days, but many were on the large and chewy side. (Sally doesn't like them, but I don't mind if you cut them small and cook them more.) I pulled up the two big garlic and one smaller one, and brought home quite a bit of chard and summer spinach.

The squash is going to town and would probably consume the entire garden if it could get enough water. There are lots of blooms and fruit. These came from seeds Sally saved from a squash we ate over the winter.

More blooms, but no tomatoes yet. It looked like something had cut off the stems where the babies should have been. I did see my first Japanese beetle in the garden, but I don't think they took the tomatoes.

I weeded an hour or more each day, so it was looking good when I left.

Spray/Thistle

I decided to roam the pastures looking for more thistle. Not knowing how much I might find, I decided to take my backpack sprayer rather than a shovel and bag. I actually drove into the back pasture, but thankfully didn't find anything but buck brush. Behind the pond there was no thistle, but quite a bit of sumac and elm. In the upper pasture I continue to find sumac and ran across two thistles that had already gone to seed. I later returned with my pruners and a bag and cut off the see heads.

Bird Eggs

The bird house at the pond was askew, and sure enough the blue bird eggs that were there the week before were gone -- something had snatched 'em. (I did see two blue birds down by the confluence of the creeks.) The bird house out back, that had had some other type of eggs earlier (and that I thought I should have cleaned out), now has 3 blue bird eggs. The house out front is still empty.

I went to check the propane level and found this nest under the hood with a single egg. I don't know how a bird can get under there, but I guess it is a safe place for a nest.

Pond

Good news here. The Cutrine Plus really knocked out the algae and the grass. The pond had that brackish look I remember from a couple of years ago after treating the grass. There was also no obvious leakage underneath the culverts -- water was trickling through the north culvert -- so the patch job with plastic bags was holding at least somewhat.

June 17-18, 2011

I made this trip solo since Sally was preparing for her Katy ride. The temperature was in the 90s, high humidity, and with only a quarter inch in the rain gauge it was still very dry.

More Wood

I drove out the short cut, and low and behold right in the road is a nice green oak already cut (short lengths). I guess it had blown down and they had cut it up for me to take, so I loaded it up. I ran across two more trees that had been similarly cut. I picked up three more pieces, but they had been down awhile and were beginning to deteriorate (lighter, not as dense, not really good firewood). The green oak split nicely, but I can't tell what kind it is. (The other seems to be what I've called black oak.) More firewood for the kids.

Garden

I pulled up all the onions but one, the only one whose leaves (stalks, shoots, or whatever you call them) were still upright. I also picked green beans (had some with dinner) and one jalapeno. There were blooms on one of the tomatoes, lots of little squashes, and a little bell pepper. I think I watered three times and spent an hour or so before dark weeding (but didn't get around the whole garden).

Mow/Weed-eat

Everything needed mowing badly. I did most of it Friday and finished it up Saturday. I did just a little weed-eating to clean up right around the house. Lots of big stuff needs whacking around the barn, spring, and pond.

Thistle

I took a shovel and bag on my way to the pond planning to dig up the 1 thistle I had seen the weekend before. While getting it I noticed a few little ones that were not large enough to bloom. As I started digging them I noticed more and more and more. And then I found this huge patch of blooming giants on the other side of the creek. They were taller than me. It would have taken lots of time to dig them all up, so I decided to just spray them.

So on a second trip down I brought my backpack sprayer and hit them hard with clear pasture and diesel. That's when I realized many of them had already gone to seed. This is the reason they are here -- last summer I got to some in this area late and this is the consequence. I came back a third time with my hand pruners and a bag and cut the seed heads off and carefully placed them into the bag. That took awhile. The plants were already showing signs of distress from the spray. Now I need to check the back pasture for thistle, since I've found it there before -- and I'll pay the price if I let go to seed.

Bird Houses

The new bird house at the pond was put out two weeks before, was empty the week before, and now has a nest and blue bird eggs! The one down the road was still empty. The one in the front which had had baby birds the week before was now empty -- just a dirty nest with lots of bird poop, so I cleaned it out. I should have done the same with the house in the back.

Pond

On the way out I stopped at Tractor Supply and bought some Cutrine Plus, a copper based herbicide for the pond algae and grass. It said to break up the algae mats, so I tried raking first. The mats were not nearly as bad as 2 weeks before and I wasn't getting much up, so I decided to forget raking and just spray it. I tried to cover out about 6 feet along the dam, along the south shoreline, and the shallows up near the inlet. The grass looked worse with a few patches reaching the surface, though the center of the pond actually looked good.

I also brought to the pond 7 of the large heavy plastic bags they use when selling you live fish. There did not appear to be any leakage under the north culvert. (My patch job of two weeks early was still holding?) Water was clearly running under the south one. I cleared out the gaping hole under each and the water really began to flow right through the dam. I then stuffed the plastic bags in, alternating with clumps of mud and grass. While laying on my stomach on top of the culvert, I used a 4x4 to try and drive it all in and compact the mess. (My chest is still very sore from this task.) I'll just wait and see what happens from here. Obviously this is still just a patch job. I think I need some heavy equipment -- Maybe I can rent a back-hoe.

Lop

While at the pond, I wanted to venture into the area behind it where I had planted pines (got brush hogged), walnuts, and northern red oaks. The persimmon and elm compete with my trees for nutrients, so I took my loppers and attacked them. This doesn't kill them (you could tell most had been lopped before), but eventually the desired trees should capitalize on this advantage and out compete them. (My hope anyway.) You can see the size of the persimmons in this picture, with a line of the few pines that didn't get brush hogged in the background.

Japanese Beatles

They are back. I didn't see any in the garden, but in previous years I had noticed they seem to really like the willows that grow around the pond and along the creeks. These were on the big willow at the pond. (I wish they would eat the entire thing.)

Water Baby Trees

Thankfully no more of the baby trees I had put out in the spring had died. Though I was expecting some rain in the coming week, I went ahead and gave them a quick drink before heading back home.

June 11-12, 2011

We did a 25 mile bike ride Saturday morning before coming out -- part of Sally's training for her Katy Trail ride across Missouri. It was 1:00 before we got off and in the haste I forgot my phone, so no pictures.

Lisa and CJ Float

Lisa, CJ, Savannah and Allen were came out -- we watched the kids while Lisa and CJ floated the Kings. I was very worried about the time, but it all worked out. They were using our canoe (Papa's), so the first thing was to load it up at the pond. I had talked them into letting me drop them off at Rock House and pick them up at Trigger Gap. The canoe hasn't been moved since it was brought out 7 years ago. I had two bumpers between it and the roof of the truck, but we did not do a good job of getting it tied down. The horrible steep rough dirt roads caused everything to shift around and we stopped twice to re-tie it. I ended up with scraps and even a dent in the roof. Oh well, its my farm truck.

It was 4:00 by the time they pushed off and I agreed to pick them up at 8:30. They actually got in at 7:45 and were able to get a text message to us (service was to poor for a call). It turned out they ran into Alex, CJ's brother, at the take out -- so there was no rush to pick them up. It was close to 9 by the time we got back to the house and a brief thunderstorm had just started to drop some heavy rain (for which I was very thankful).

Trees

Everything was bone dry and the remaining maple out front was withering. Sally put a drip on it and later I held Allen and watered all the baby trees out front and south of the house. The sprout on the trunk of the autumn blaze had dried up, but there is another sign of a green leaf on the opposite side. I don't know if it has a chance. The leaves on one of the oaks I had brought out in March had also died, and I'm not sure it will make another attempt. I should have watered them last weekend.

Garden

Its hard to get much done with two little ones to watch, but Savannah was very cute in the garden helping Sally and wearing one of her hats. They picked spinach, green beans, the last lettuce plant, some onions, another garlic, and weeds. I was able to do a little weeding while Allen watched and squirmed from his car seat.

Sally and I both spent some time watering before the evening rain came. It also rained over night, but the total was only .4" -- not nearly enough. Both days were hot (upper 80s) and humid.

Blue Birds

There were baby birds in the house out front, though I never saw the momma. The house out back that had 5 eggs the weekend before (not blue birds) was empty. Makes me think something got them. That house does not have a baffle protecting it like the one in the front. There were no signs of a nest in the new house by the pond.

Pond

The algae didn't look too bad, but I wish I had had time to rake it again. The grass seemed about the same as well. I have done some reading and learned that the algae grows on the bottom and then floats to the top. Apparently one key is to fertilize it in late winter. I also want to try the bacteria that eat the muck.

Water was flowing through the north culvert and under the south culvert (I am sure it was also flowing under the north one). No chance to try the trash bags or any other repairs this trip.

Pear

One of the large limbs was broken out of the 3-in-1 pear. I guess it just got too tall and top heavy. I sawed it off cleanly and then trimmed many of the other limbs that looked like they might also suffer the same fate. That limb was a majority of the growth for one of the three varieties grafted onto the trunk.

June 3-4, 2011

We have gone immediately from extremely wet (and flooding) spring weather to dry (and hot) summer conditions. It is amazing how fast the ground can dry out around here. There was no rain and unseasonably warm weather for the week, and I believe record highs were recorded over the weekend. At the farm we experienced low 90s Friday and saw the thermometer hit 95 on Saturday. June used to be very pleasant in Arkansas.

Mow

The tire in the mower held air and I immediately went to work -- wanting to get the back cut since we would be hanging out there. I also did down the road to the pond and in front of the barn. Everything else would just have to wait another week.

Set Blue Bird House

Since I had drilled a mounting hole (and nail latch hole in the lid) before coming out, I wanted to get this restored house setup. I took my post hole digger, shovel, pick, a short cedar post I found up in the woods, a hammer, and a nail down to the pond. I was sweating pretty good by the time I got a hole deep enough to hold the post up -- those darn rocks. Hopefully the house looks inviting to its intended guests.

While mowing earlier at the pond I had noticed this giant thistle coming up. So I dug it up and before bagging it, I thought I would include it in the photo by hanging it from the post. (I also found two more thistles up in the woods while looking for the post. Its unusually early for them to be out.)

On the way back to the house I saw a blue bird along Plume Creek. I told him there was a new house waiting for him over by the pond.

When I got to the turn where the blue bird house sits below the house, I pulled right up beside it and took it down without getting out of the 4Runner. This house had a nest but was showing no signs of occupancy. It also smelled horrible inside. I cleaned out the debris, re-nailed the bottom which was about to fall off, scrubbed it out with a brush, let it dry in the sun, and re-hung it Saturday.

Garden

Sally watered, I watered, Sally watered, I watered, and so forth for the time we were out. She picked most all of the bock chow (which was spindly and trying to bloom), found a few more radishes, pulled up one of the two lettuce plants (we'll see if the other makes through another hot dry week), picked a bunch of summer spinach for another quiche, found a few green beans large enough to pick, and pulled up one garlic and several onions. The smell of the garlic is really strong (I think it may have been one of the hot cloves Nina gave us). I strung the onions and garlic up in the basement at home.

Weed Eat

Sally brought her bike out and took a ride Saturday morning while I cranked up the brush whacker and did the road up the hill and around the cattle guard. It takes an entire tank of gas to get this job done. It sure makes the road look better, and its less creepy getting out to unlock the chain at the cattle guard.

Dam Leaking

When setting the bird house, I immediately noticed that there was no water coming out of the culverts but water was pouring through the dam underneath the culverts. I thought I had fixed this problem several years back when I dug up both sides of the north culvert. And then the beaver moved in and they did a good job of stopping the flow -- too good a job. Now its back to leaking badly.

I used the shovel and dug up some clumps of mud and grass and stuffed them under the mouth of both culverts where the water was flowing under. I then used a 4x4 to drive them in a bit. I was pretty sure the flow had slowed by the time I finished setting the bird house, and I was certain of it when I returned on Saturday -- the water level had risen and was now flowing through both culverts.

I know this is just temporary and that water will wash out my patch within days. Nicholas (who helped me break up the concrete poured around the mouths of the culvert, which I think caused the problem) said they used plastic trash bags in Guatemala to stop/slow leaks like this. I think I am going to try this, stuff plastic down the hole and follow it up with clumps of mud and grass. I'm sure I will have to follow that up by digging down both sides further down and repeating the process including adding bentonite clay.

Pond Scum

The filamentous algae is really bad. Most of it was blown up against the dam by the southwest winds. It extended out some 20 feet and was fairly thick. Not knowing what else to do at the time (and resisting my impulse to spray it with copper sulfate) I raked it Saturday. I would scoop it up with the rake using it like a shovel and then throw it back onto the dam -- reaching out as far as I could. I worked back and forth along the dam about 4 times. By the time I would get to one end the wind would have blown more back toward the dam. This picture is after I spent 1.5 to 2 hours raking. I doubt repeating this process will bring control, and suspect that chemicals will be required.

The grass is also still growing along the bottom, but none has reached the surface. In some areas I could actually see patches of bare ground, so I am hoping the grass carp are making progress on it. I saw 7 big carp cruising around (they seem to like to hang out together).

Pond management is a tricky process that I have yet to master.

Weed Black Berries

I spent more time pulling weeds around a few more of the black berries. I followed this up by spreading newspapers held down with cedar limbs. I also pinched the new canes coming out to get them to branch out. There are lots of little berries on the old canes and there are still lots of blooms.

Wild Raspberries

I saw a few ripe wild black raspberries and ate them. Not many, and they aren't too big. It looks like the wildlife find them first.

May 28-30, 2011

Sally went to Denver for a wedding shower and to visit Amanda, leaving the farm to Tender and I for the holiday weekend and a rare two night stay.

Shortcut

I had not been out via the forest road for a while, so I wanted to check it out. After the heavy rains of April and May it was mess making for slow going. The Warm Fork was higher than I had ever seen it, but not deep and I had no problem driving through it. I did run up on a turkey. He trotted right down the road ahead of me, but disappeared around a corner before I could get my camera ready.

Brood XIX

As soon as I got out of my truck I knew something was different. It was loud, the insects were louder than normal. Then it hit me, brood XIX, the 13 year periodical cicada, has emerged. We've been hearing that they were coming, but I've yet to notice them in town. This picture is of a few on a sycamore tree down by the pond. I drove the mower past and it startled me when they scattered. A few more left when I approached with my camera -- there were 10 times this many before I disturbed them. In the mornings it was quiet, but as the days warmed up they would slowly get louder and louder. I remember them from 1998. Not from Arkansas but from driving across Kansas to Amanda's graduation. On I70 when passing a low forested area they were deafening.

Weather

I am pretty sure we have had record rainfall for spring. There was 4.75" in the gauge, but that was probably only half of what we got over the past two weeks. We did not come out the weekend before because the forecast was for rain all weekend. In town we got approximately 3 inches Friday, 1 inch Sunday (the day the devastating tornado hit Joplin), 4 inches Monday, and another 1 inch Tuesday. The pond had over-topped the dam again and the spring was still full. This weekend it was warm (upper 80s) and windy.

Brush Whacker

Friday I went by JCs and picked up a used weed eater handle for $5 from some of the junk he had. I had some difficulty getting the allen head screws loose, but with the help of liquid wrench and two different allen wrenches I persevered . I was very pleased to get it mounted and once again have a firm handle on this beast. I used it on the hill in front and behind the house. I then loaded it up with a new spool of .105 line. I planned on doing the road, but never got around to it.

Blue Bird/Bat Houses

I brought these from town. The bird house has been sitting out back for years with a broken top and rotten back. With some scrap wood, a hand saw, and hammer and nails I got it back into good shape. I had left my drill in town though, so I couldn't hang it without a nail hole in the back. The front door swings up to open it, like the house out back. Previously it was screwed down and you had to unscrew it to open it -- presumably just for annual cleaning. I'm going to make a diagonal drill hole through the side and into the door so that I can drop a nail in to lock it, but easily remove it to open the door (like the house down the hill). I plan to use one of my many cedar poles and put this house down by the pond.

This is an official Harry Harnesh bat house. He built it at a demonstration during one of the annual Devil's Den Bat-o-ramas probably 20 years ago. Its been hanging on one of our oaks in town, but just barely. I decided we needed it more at the farm. I cleaned it up, tapped down the nails, and put it up the big oak behind the house. Bats will only use it during the summer, but that is when I want them out and feeding. (I bet if I put it next to the ground in the fall lady bugs would use it to over-winter -- better than them coming in the house.)

Garden

I brought out a marigold, a jalapeno, another sweet bell pepper (first one froze), and another basil (first one froze). I got these right into the ground and watered them good. I was surprised at how dry the surface soil was given the amount of rain we had received, but we had had several warm and windy days. There were lots of weeds, so addressing them took quite a bit of time. The picture is of the lettuce, chard, bock chow, spinach, and cilantro I picked. I also got a couple more radishes which I just ate out at the garden. I made a salad for dinner with most of the above. Sunday morning I spread more straw and watered the entire garden, as I did again Monday.

Autumn Blaze/Dead Apple

I decided I would pull up these two deceased trees and see what the root system looked like. As I was about to tie the tow strap around the maple, I noticed a sprout coming from the root. I thought it was a goner, but no! So I cut off the dead trunk with a hand saw and cleared out around the sprout. Hopefully it will live again, and someday shade the west side of the house.

The apple popped right out of the ground. It had no roots and just a rotting stump. No wonder it died.

Blue Bird Houses

The nest out front has these 5 eggs. The mom didn't leave the house until I opened the door -- hopefully she returned to resume her task. The house out back also has 5 eggs, but I could tell they are not blue bird eggs since they are off white. The house down the hill has a nest but no eggs and I didn't see any birds entering/leaving. I'm wondering if I should clean it out and hope they start over.

Mower

When I rolled the mower out, I noticed the left rear wheel was very low. I aired it up and mowed everything on the house level Saturday. The blade started hitting the deck on the left side, so I had to use a pipe wrench and bend the deck out. This happens because there is a roller on the front right but none on the left (to lift the deck over ostacles). I've hit so many rocks with the front left corner the lower part of the deck is a bent, cut and sharp mess of steel.

I also changed the blades and sharpened the old ones with the bench grinder -- there was no edge left at all. Sunday I mowed almost everything below the house level. During the process I noticed that the rear wheel was low again. And then I hit a rock while working around the spring and had to shut it down because the deck was bent such that the blade was hitting hard. I drove it back to the house and used the pipe wrench again.

In 2007 I had ordered two tubes from some e-bay site (they only sold them in pairs) for the rear tires. At the time the right rear tire wouldn't hold air, and so I had put one tube in it then. So I dug out the other tube and put it in the tubeless left rear tire. Hopefully it will still be aired up next week.

I'm not sure how much longer I can keep this Murray running. It is burning oil, the engine has a knock, the right drive bearing is loose and going out, and the back tires are nearly bald (which scares me more than anything on these hills). I think I need to start shopping for a replacement.

Walking the Fields

I went up into the field above the pond to check for sumac. I hadn't gone far when suddenly a turkey jumped up about 10 feet in front of me and flew off. Those wings flapping were loud and it gave me quite a start. It was hen sitting on this clutch of 8 eggs. The nest was well hidden and I doubt I would have seen it if she hadn't jumped. (Amanda and I had this same experience about 3 years ago, but it was in April and there were no eggs in the nest.)

This next picture if of the farm as viewed from the SE corner (darn, forgot my GPS to set a way-point here). You can see just a tad of the pond between the trees; the power cut coming down the hill; the house, garage, and barn; and the bluff back of the house. I don't think Sally has ever been up here.

From the corner I decided to check on my Northern Red Oaks across the creek above the pond. On the way I noticed water running down the drainage from the cave, so I decided to hike up and check it out. Getting there is difficult because of all the downed timber from the ice storm. The cave was full of water, but not completely full. Once I saw it running right out of the mouth. And to think that Chris and I tied a rope to a tree outside and dropped down about 10 feet into a hollow back to the left.

It was hard to find many red oaks. I planted 90 back in this small clearing after the pines I had planted there were brush hogged. More pines (and elms) seem to be there now than the oaks.

I did see lots of wild black berries through out this whole area – from the SE corner down I've planted pines and finally gotten Larry to stop brush hogging. I'll have to come back in a month with a pale.

Fruit

I could not find a single pear on either tree, in spite of seeing some earlier in the year. I only found 3 apples on the gold rush, which I sprayed again for apple-cedar rust. The black berries are blooming nicely, though several of the plants have just up and died. Almost all of the raspberries have also died.

I spent an hour or more pulling weeds from around some of the black berries and then laying down newspaper held in place with cedar limbs. I didn't get a quarter of them done though.

Black Snake

Monday I was exiting the garden to get the hose for watering when I noticed this 3 foot black snake going through the gate to the house. The first live snake I've seen this season. He slid under the ivy there by the garage, and I only got this fragment of him before he slid under the siding and into the garage -- taking shelter behind some boards I had leaning up the wall on the inside. I was glad Tender didn't see him. I don't mind having a non-poisonous snake around as he will help with the mice (there were 2 in the well house when I arrived). Sally probably has a different opinion.