June 13-14, 2014

Sally, just getting back from Chicago Friday morning, did not come out. We had a showing scheduled for Saturday afternoon though, so I made the solo trip to get the grass cut and do the showing. I was glad to find an inch and half in the rain gauge. Any rain we get now will help us through the summer, and is especially appreciated considering the unusually dry April and May. Temperatures were low 80s each day, but got down into the 50s overnight -- nice.

Shortcut/Scarlet Tanager

I came out the shortcut, which seemed a bit rough. I also started my return home the same way and was surprised the road had been graded since the previous afternoon. I got to the Warm Fork on the return when I realized I had failed to shut off the power to well pump. Staying calm, I just turned around and drove back. I was rewarded by seeing this brilliant red bird with black wings and tail feathers. I didn't know what it was and had never seen one before. I couldn't find it in our bird book, but later did an internet search and I believe it was a Scarlet Tanager. (I also saw a blue bird along the same road through the Madison County Wildlife Management Area.) After all that dirt road, I just made my final return through Eureka.

Wild Raspberries

The black raspberries were ripe. I ate a bunch from the plant on the road in part way down the hill near the culvert -- very easy access. I wish I had had time to clean the bushes down by the Sycamores. They were tasty.

Mowing/Thistle

I got the upper level mowed Friday and did some weed eating around the house. Saturday morning I mowed everything else. After that I went on thistle patrol and found another 100. Many I found on the south side of gum creek, not where I have usually found them. For these I cut off the flowering heads and bagged them. I found one plant from the previous weekend (which I had left in the field) which had gone to seed. I hope there weren't others

Showing

This was a young couple with a three month old who have plans to move to Berryville. They were joined by his parents and their dog. He seemed very excited, but it did not seem to go well to me. We all walked out back, the couple walked through the house, I drove him to the pond and up along the ridge, and then they left. (We did see lots of fish in the pond including a large grass carp.)

Turkey Nest

I had been curious about the turkey nest I had stumbled upon about a month earlier. I figured I would no longer be disturbing the hen or the checks, so I went to investigate. I really could not tell whether this looked like they hatched, grew, and left the nest; or whether something had gotten them. I hope they made it. Something up the hill was making some strange sounds (at me) when I was checking it out.

Walnut Tree

This walnut was downed during the January 2009 ice storm, but was left with enough roots in the ground to continue to grow -- and it is up off the ground. I have always wanted to have it milled and dreamed about building a table with the lumber. I have developed a serious interest in pursuing this due to Chris and Lindsey moving into a new place, us giving them the dining room table we had used in our breakfast area for years, and Chris commissioning Skip to build him some custom shelves for his new living room.

Knowing I do not have the skill or tools to build the table, I had been thinking 'why not hire out the job?' So Sally and I dropped by and discussed the project with Skip. He remembers doing some project for us about 30 years ago when we first moved into our home, but none of us can recall what it was. He was willing, but very humorous when he said "if I'm still alive". He was pointing out the length of such a project: getting the tree cut into logs and hauled out (or milled in place), drying the boards for six months, having them kiln dried, and then actually building the table.

I am excited about the idea though, so I went and cleared some of the brush that has grown up around the tree and measured it. I think there will be plenty of wood, possible enough to also build a bench. I am not yet sure if I would be able to get the logs to the truck and loaded into the bed. (The tree lies just below the spring.) I have found a miller outside Huntsville that takes small jobs like this. We'll now see if I can follow through.

Garden

I did not have much time to spend in the garden. I pulled up the radishes for Sally, and then tackled a big portion of the mint -- it is just taking over (along with the Bermuda). The basil is looking very good, the bean's are beginning to flower, and the onions are still coming along. The garlic will need picking next trip out. The summer spinach is full and thick as usual, and the sole kale plant is holey due to the little worms on the back side of the leaves. (Didn't keep me from having some with eggs for breakfast.) I wonder how others manage to grow it organically.

Snakes

This was the weekend for snakes, I saw three. This black snake was the longest, and was right out back where I had walked our prospects a few hours earlier. I saw another smaller black snake by the road at the bottom of the hill when I had come back to turn off the power to the pump. The big hair raiser though was a timber rattlesnake I found, and disposed of shortly after arriving. This was the first and only poisonous snake I have ever seen out on our property. Hopefully the last.