Work work work

 Patrick promised he'd be back and fix the side yard.
And he did show up!

This is how I have been 'mowing' it for 10 years now. 

I tried using a push mower and a weed whacker. 

I tied Little Richard out there and also moved him around. For the past 10 years since the house was remodeled, this area has always been rough and full of huge high and low spots.

Basically, when construction was done some dude [husband] pushed all the sand and dirt around to the west side of the house and called it good.

That pile of stuff below next to the old house? That got pushed into the side yard and never properly graded. 

[Rich had a stroke that next spring when we were going to get that done]

Just for reference, the picture after contstruction was completed.

Finally...

The side yard mess is leveled off matted and seeded. 👇👇👇

Yes, it cost me about $$$$ to get it done, but dang, I don't have to weed whack, and kill myself mowing, fencing, and putting animals on the yard to keep the place looking somewhat like a yard!

Color me happy!

For reference the photo with the mules and this one both have the same stump in it. 
I can't wait for the grass to come in and the yard to reappear.

Patrick's magic machine.

Patrick then brush hogged the pastures to keep down the weeds and tidy things up. A regular mower cannot handle this land, it is crooked, dippy with divots, and rocks that would kill any rider in about 20 minutes.

Hiring someone with equipment is less expensive than constant mower repairs.

If Rich had stayed in good health, we were going to get a brush hog attachment like this for his skid steer. By the time we priced it, he was no longer able to get in and and out of his skid steer so it was a no-go.

Patrick will repeat this job in August to help me fight the weeds.

Now I have too much pasture. Crazy, right? 

[Because this doesn't include the meadow out back.]

Don the Junk Dude came out and picked up a pretty heavy load of stuff. I have to move the tractor tire and move the old wooden posts yet. Then everything in front of the machine shed will be cleaned up except for the T-posts.

At some point I'll move them into the now...cleaner shed and stack them.

Here is a shot of Don's trailer full of heavy stuff leaving the property. I can see what they were doing with the security cameras. 

Strange world we live in right?

We start with the top left shot being the day before Don and his brother came. The right hand shot was after them coming for a month.

And now....

I'm going to throw cosmos in the dirt next to the door. 

The tub has marigolds coming up in it. I may as well toss extra harvested seeds from last year into the bare spots of dirt where metal used to live and see what happens.

The cord is for the fencer on the back of the busted garage. I need to move the fencer. So many things to take care of!

The Garage. 

After the storm in June 2015:

The Garage mess is ugly but so far I am beyond pleased with the progress I have made this spring.

I've decided the structure is too dangerous now for anyone to even try to go in. I'm going to call Frank and tell him I'm ready for him to come and give me an estimate to clean it up.

It is demolition time.

I know it will cost, but I have budgeted for it.

I've always considered it an eyesore after the trees fell on it. But my husband assured me that he would take care of it himself. Perhaps it was just too huge of a project for him to tackle. 

I'm glad in a way that he left it for me. 

Less angst and stress about the cleanup.

And that is it for this week's contracted work.

I do want to look back at what I went through to clean this area up. It was often a sore point in our relationship. I like a tidy place. He did too, but he also liked his 'stuff'.

Below is one of my favorite photos of hubby during our construction. He was supervising the guys working in the basement part of the addition. His stance sums up his character. 

Geeze, I miss him!

That look !!! 

Who can argue with this guy???

Section 30 County P ~ KVR Trail Challenge

 

Recall that little blind? It is so tiny, even a little person like myself can barely move in it. 

However it is proving to be pretty fun on some mornings. This little 8 point buck was about 300 yards away at the other end of the meadow.

This little doe came from the neighbor's meadow and walked between the fence wires. 

She kept looking around and the buck at the other end of our meadow saw/smelled her. He walked towards me and she ducked into the woods just west of this shot.

That was all the action I saw on Friday morning.

Charlie and I loaded up and headed out to tackle the trail section I'd been avoiding at Kickapoo Valley Reserve. 

Charlie and I saw some traffic and a lot of pheasant hunters. Charlie got his fill of hearing shotguns go off near the Weister Creek Trail. He became a bit nervous but didn't freak out. 

In my opinion there is no benefit to having the side of the road be designated as a Trail to hike on. 

The Trail Section is #30. It runs from Pott's Corners to KV Ranch which used to have horses years ago and would take folks on trail rides.  A person could stay at the cabin and ride down the road to access the rest of the KVR Trails.

Part of the access was a gate that led to a short section of the West Ridge Trail that still exists but is poorly maintained. We found the marker on our way back from the end near the KV Ranch. 

It was hidden and had not obviously been used, yet is part of the Trail Challenge.

Once we brush busted through the berry briars we did end up on what used to be a nicely groomed steep uphill climb. When I got to the top of the hogback ridge, the trail disappeared off to the right somewhere. There was no evidence of it being used recently at all. 

We spent time searching and found pieces of the trail. There were no markers, however if one studied the leaves and the ground you could sort of figure out where it was supposed to be.

It was however, very pretty.

We followed the trail and ducked under branches and went around deadfalls until we came out on Strait Rd at County P.

The mileage for this one way was 1.87. We may have done more as we wandered here and there to scout out the trail.

We found an area in the West Ridge Trail [woods] that was loaded with Wild Ginger and Hepatica. I noted that it would be neat to see the abundance of wildflowers next spring.

We made it back to where we parked with no issues. The traffic wasn't too bad on the road, but still it kept me wondering why it was marked as a trail. 

I have one other trail just like this to knock off this week and it is a bit longer. It runs from County F near the Wildcat Mountain border, follows State Hwy 131 for a bit and then heads out Hay Valley Rd to Campsite U and the Hay Valley Trail Head. 

At least part of this trail has a beaten down trail in the grass off of the road on County F.

Having a partner for these trails would be really nice. As it is I am doing them solo with Charlie so we walk the 'trail' and turn around and walk back.

With Bill we'd park one vehicle at each end and walk point to point.

I'm still close to our goal though.

With all the backtracking Charlie and I have done, I figured we've done about 70 miles of hiking or more at the KVR. All of it has been an adventure.

Charlie has been a champ. I think it proves that little short/long dogs can do it too. There have been a few times when I've had to carry him in warmer weather, but mostly he is an avid hiker.

Our goal is within reach and I hope to have it finished off before the gun deer season begins.  I have 4 more planned hikes. Three of them will require me to again go over trails I have done to trails I haven't done and then return.

I'm okay with that as it allows me to see the same woods in different seasons.

Here is Charlie in his home made carseat waiting for a treat and a ride home.

I thought I'd regret not getting another terrier, but he has proven to be an excellent partner in hiking as well as cuddling.

And...we are off again hopefully today!

Dragons.

 The Ghost Dragon

The Jungle Dragon and the Forest Dragon.
They kind of look upset!

Happy Dragons

these are cute!

Grumpy is my favorite Dragon. 

But at least Grumpy 

hangs out with other critters.

It was a weird Monday. Hours on the phone on hold with a Government institution. However I should note that Mondays are not good days to call. 

A message that was pre-recorded mentioned this entity was now processing mail from February 9th. Ohh.
Really?

My stuff was due in 6 weeks. Hmm. I'd mailed it in March. Sooooooooo....

It was not in their data base and there was this little form that had to be filled out too. I asked why they hadn't mailed it to me in the original letter? 

And the somewhat stiff and nearly grumpy guy said he was sure it had come out. ~~ Insert a nod of the head and a roll of my eyes ~~

They would send it again. Expect it in 7 to 10 days. Then fill it out and if I mail it back in 7 to 10 more days. Or Fax it.

I'll cut to the chase. I downloaded the form I needed. Ran to town to get ink for the old printer. Filled out all the paperwork and drove back to town to FAX it. 

That took me nearly all day. 

But I got 'er done. 

I hope they open their Faxes faster than process their mail!

I wanted to lose my temper but that would not have helped anyone.

So why the dragons? 
Oh heck, I don't know. Why not?

For a few minutes tonight to chill out my day, I grabbed my redhead and rode her around the pasture bareback. She wanted out the gate. No pics. I was currying the fuzzy monsters when I took a notion to bring out her bridle. Uffdah. The mule hair all over my jeans! I could have made a comforter from it!

Caring

I bet it sounds and looks like all I do is fool around with entertaining myself. I do have chores to do morning and night. I have six equine and a goat to care for. Ice balls on the bottoms of hooves to pick out a few times a day, and a stock tank to keep an eye on.

Sometimes when it is snowy, I ride the hay sled right down the hill and bale out at the last second before it goes under the electric wire. It is funny as the horse spins and acts like there is a fire breathing dragon chasing her and the mules follow the sled and wait for me to empty it out and pick feet out while they are eating.

Inside there is a daily routine of care for my husband. Make his coffee [I drink mine stronger], bring him his coffee as he shakes so bad he usually leaves most of it on the floor before he can sit down. Set up his oatmeal so he can make it and make an effort to talk with him about "What we might do today." 

We don't go anywhere so really I just make conversation about stuff in general. After breakfast I do his 'personal' care and keep him company while he decides if he is going to take a nap, stare out the window, or watch a program. 

That's when I think up crazy things to do indoors with still life to entertain myself when not cleaning or doing things for him. 

Nap time is when I usually take Charlie for a walk. No deep woods for us right now. The snow is too deep for Charlie and the coyotes are running. It is breeding season and they have run across the yard chasing each other during daylight hours. 

I do leave Charlie at home when I head down to the creek. I leave a set of keys with Rich so he can set off the car alarm if he needs help. I'm never out of earshot. Once a week, I do plan an offsite expedition. It may be the store, or the Kickapoo Reserve. 
Yes, I carry a cell phone too, but Rich has a hard time figuring out which speed dial number he should push. I have the speed dial number taped to the back of the phone. 

On bad his bad days, I don't leave the house and Charlie gets no walk.
Shrug.

The evenings are like the mornings but in reverse order. It all builds up to eating supper and sitting on the couch with him and Charlie to watch a program. By 8pm he is ready for bed. And again the quiet settles over the house. 

Somehow this winter seems so much harder. It may be the increased isolation and it may be the endless hours of non-conversations in a house that used to be full of discussions. Or it could be the dreary days.
I know I miss my CrossFit times at the gym, though I had to give that up. 

So this person entertains herself by being imaginative. I am very lucky though. We have not gotten sick other than the 3 day stint in December and we have a roof over our heads and food...

It's February!

January 31st

We had The Big Snow that wasn't.

However, Charlie had a very hard time getting through it. It was wet and very heavy. 

I ended up just breaking trail with my skis in the big field and carrying my poles and Charlie at the same time.

That was actually pretty hard but a great workout. I finally found a deer trail and let Charlie down into it. 
I must admit, he is a trooper. He did his 'snow swimming' thing and bounded ahead looking for deer pellets...er smart pellets.

I made it all the way across the ridge.

And then I headed back after watching some snowmobiles scream through the fields. I'm not sure why they need to be so loud. 

Myself? I'm happier doing the silent sports like snowshoeing and skiing. 

January 31st was a pretty good day. On the way back home I got to converse with my neighbor for a bit while her husband plowed the hill. Later on I called my friend in Alabama to see how things were in her part of the world. She is in her 80's and sharp and funny. 

My weekly call from my son was really nice too. His town got his with about 14" of snow. He had gone cross country skiing, or as he said, more like breaking trail...with a friend and had taken advantage of the snow day.

Rich even got out in his skid steer and cleared out the turn around and the lower driveway.

And The Big Little Dog said...

Nap Time!

327 days we have been practicing Social Distancing and masking.
Onward.

Progress!

So, I got the 4 wheeler going. But now I understand that it needs more than just my help.
I sat down yesterday morning and read the manual and Troubleshooting Guide for this machine. Really, I do like this 4 wheeler, and I think with a tune up and spark plug change, it could run for me all winter long, but other than hauling things with the cart, I don't use it much in the winter.

So at CrossFit we were sitting around after working out and someone made a suggestion that was actually a great idea.

This:

Yeah. A Polaris Ranger with a snow plow. These newer UTV's are for working and have engine block heaters and electronic fuel injection and all sorts of gizmo thingies to run in the winter or summer and the cheaper version can haul 800lbs of 'stuff'.
Oh my heart be still.
Yes, it is expensive, but I think I could easily sell the skid steer and get one of these which would be sooooo much more useful!

I'm thinking of how to approach Rich. It may take a year or so, but I think I have found a solution.
Yesterday I 'aired' up the truck tire and moved it to a level spot so if it goes flat again I can take the tire off.
One of the reasons I haven't sold the truck is that we had a conversation about it last year. Rich said that truck was to last as long as he lived. Huh. Do I need to say more?

So on to the fun stuff.

Yesterday morning ... going out for chores....

The dawn was delightful.
The temperatures were mild and dry!

So later in the day I thought I'd take a short walk with Charlie. I took a bagful of stuff for ... well, here it is:

I'm always searching for a fun way to use the woods as a backdrop for some still life photography.
Can you guess which camera I used to take this photo? Hint [the little Tough Camera!]

Or this?

Charlie was not amused at this intervention of his job to smell and search out squirrels. However he did sit still for me. Just would NOT look at me directly. I'll have to try this again with some dog treats!

Lighted vase in between two mossy rocks...

An Elf...

Grumpy Gnome...

Cowboy snowman...

All sorts of fun in the woods!

And then an incredible sunset....

Let the Winter Solstice celebration begin!

Sitting and twiddlin'

The Tow Truck guy said he'd try and get here in the morning. So I am waiting.

Chores are done. Critters fed and moved around. Water checked.
Rich is still sleeping so I can't do much in the way of house work. I'm missing CrossFit to wait so I am fidgety.

Since it is chilly out and things are quiet, I thought I'd open up a tutorial on Paint Essentials. It is a program that allows you to mimic painting, except of course you use software.

About this time of year, most things around here are not so photogenic. I mean brown leaves, dreary skies, and dirt are not exactly exciting.

I grabbed some photos I'd taken in October and opened up the program and began to fiddle around first.

First snow fall on Tigen Road with an auto paint of impressionistic painting layered with detail painting.

Monarch on a Zinnia with a 'gel' layer and a bright painted detail painting.

Then I tried a pencil 'painting'.

Meh. Not too great, but then I decided to go follow a tutorial.

Why not? I'm never too old to learn something. And who knows, I might like it.

So I went to here: Getting Started with Auto Painting
and followed along as the lady did a painting....

This shot below is similar to the original that I 'painted' in layers.

It is pretty artsy fartsy. Enough to keep me engaged to try some more fun things and watch tutorials while I have to be quiet and  wait for the tow truck man.

And while I am still waiting, I did another one.

Because I cannot leave well enough alone I decided to add a layer of writing and then take my finger and smear paint around.

All in all, it was quite fun.

Since the Tow Truck Man hasn't come yet -- I certainly hope he comes before the snowfall tomorrow -- so on to cleaning the coffee pot and working on a DIY project that I'll share for the November doldrums.

Oh and laundry folding. How exciting is that?

Toodles...
Cool project stuff coming up.

Oh and for sure more cleaning in the large shed later this week.