February 18-19, 2012

Sally was off early to Chicago to meet Alice Mae and help Dave and Sarah out, so Tender is my sole companion for the next two weeks. We had good weather -- cloudy and in the low 50s Saturday and clear Sunday with the temperature hitting 60.

Plant Onions

Sally mail ordered two bunches of Walla Wallas and they had come in, so I had to get them in the ground. I worked in some more ashes and some slow release fertilizer and planted the first bunch (over 60) in one mound. I did the same with the other bunch along the fence on the far side. We grew some Walla Wallas a few years back and they were great. These came from Norway I believe.

Grass Seed

I brought out more annual rye and a small bag of a sun/shade mixture. The rye I put on the road in the fall is sort of growing. I'm hoping it will all thicken up and protect the road during the rainy spring. The other seed I am hoping will take hold in those barren spots around the house and behind the barn -- though I now need another bag.

Rocks for Outhouse Base

I had these huge rocks at the house and decided to use them for the floor of the outhouse I am going to build. It won't be a traditional outhouse in that there will be no pit, but instead an outhouse for a composting toilet -- a Loveable Loo. Two of the rocks were dug up when I had our sewer line replaced in 2001. I had to split the largest just to roll it behind the Snowball Bush by the chimney (you can see the creosote that dripped on it). The other the city dug up when they replaced the sewer line in the street a year ago. Chris had to help me load them into the truck. He guessed the largest weighed in at 250lbs.

Move Wood

I started cleaning up the fire wood in the back of the barn by moving it all to the bluff side. Since the ground gets muddy there, I laid down some of my numerous cedar posts to stack the wood on top of. I've got much more of the shorter (Denver/Chicago) wood than I realized, so much that I decided to make that stack two deep. I just got the ends going for the larger (24 inch) logs. They will have to come all the way across the barn since they are currently on the south side, but I need to get all the shorter stuff re-stacked first so its out of the way.

Vacuum Leaves

I brought my leaf blower/vacuum out and sucked up and chopped all the oak leaves that blow down the hill and accumulate in the garage and along the North side of the house and garden. I then spread the chopped leaves in the lanes of the garden and over the freshly planted onions.

Spray Pond Algae

The pond algae is bad, and I can already see the weeds growing. I sprayed a diluted dose of Cutrine Plus along the dam and South side. I'll check next week to see what it did.

Prune Apples/Pears

I'd already pruned the peach, black berries, and nectarine. Finally got to the two apples and two pears. I'm really hoping we have some pairs this year. The trees look healthy, and are to tall for me to get into the tops to do additional pruning.

Split Cedars

I am going to try and use as much on hand building materials as possible for the outhouse (like the rocks from the house). For corner posts I figure I can use a few of the many cedars I need to get rid of anyway. I took a large one and split it hoping I would end up with two square sides, but as you can see in the picture it twisted. These will definitely not work (although I love the smell of that cedar heart and would love to get some of that into the outhouse). Now I am considering just using the round posts -- nice straight ones of course.
Although, today I did order a froe and will try my hand at splitting them with it. Perhaps I can keep the split straight, but I doubt it with these large cedars. Another use of the posts would be as rails for a cedar rail fence (for me of for someone else). I'll have other uses for the froe though, like splitting the pine kindling I use at home. I may even try making shakes for the outhouse roof, although my current plan is to use the metal roof from the dilapidated dog house (which Sally has been after me to tare down anyway).

Started Cleaning up the Barn

I got a small start at cleaning out the barn. I took the short posts I'd salvaged from some sort of livestock contraption (left down by the creek) up to the house. The good ones I stored in the chicken coop. The broken ones and ones with bolts that I could not remove I plan to burn. I also filled a feed bag with trash, which I took home and put out for the city to pickup.
All of the short and curved cedar posts I took over to the road leading to the spring -- the spot I backed the truck off nearly rolling it. I've started stacking them there and will fill in with loose gravel and dirt. I hope to build it up and widen the road at that corner. Maybe some day I will get up the nerve to drive back down there, although I don't believe I will every try backing out again.

Crack Walnuts

Last thing before leaving I cracked a pan of walnuts. I've started in on my second bag (I only have three). But with the weather warming up, I've get to get cracking (and picking).