Destinations...

My neighbor to the west of us came over yesterday to see about cutting down the pasture/weeds that have overgrown the area in front of the house. This is also one of the only flat-ish areas we have on our land.

Gary came over with his brand new tractor and my jaw hit the driveway gravel when I saw it. What a nice machine he finally got himself. A/C, Heat, and every other nice thing you could want in any vehicle.
He has a skid steer, a bulldozer, and cool attachments for his skid steer which is huge!

He made short work of my weeds and said the 6 ft burdock plants bogged his machine down. Imagine. I thought I could go out there with a machete and cut them. Huh. Guess I was kidding myself.

The mules are finding more grasses and browsing on the cut up plants. They don't seem particularly hungry which means they are finding good stuff all over the place.

Gary then thought he'd mess around a bit in the back side or the other meadow. He brush hogged all the multiflora rose bushes I'd been fighting for years against. He made very short work of the thistle patches. 

 When he was finished, he stopped by the house and visited with Rich for a little bit. 

I'd told Gary I'd pay him and handed him the $$$ for the current going rate for brush hogging. He peeked at the cash and then started to refuse and I said, "Please take it. Running a tractor like that costs fuel and your time. Plus, do something nice ... like take Kim out to dinner."

He looked sheepish as he pocketed the money. Rich concurred. Gary then said he was going to repair our common fence on the west side. He was going to get some cattle again to keep down the brush and grasses in his acreage. He told us that now that Kim was retired, she liked to walk on their land.  Without cattle for the past 4 years, the brush and undergrowth has gotten out of hand.

His comment was: I caught hell for her not being able to hike around and look for sheds because the woods are full of crap now that we don't have cattle.

I offered to help with the fencing. We are supposed to split the cost when doing common fences between neighbors. 

Seeing as that the fence hasn't been fixed well in over 30 years, it was really time. I can help with sharing the costs, but not much in chain sawing and stringing fence as I have to be close to the house.

Today, Wednesday, is supposed to be a fishing day, but the guy I hired last year to take down 6 trees texted me last night to come out and give me an estimate on some other work I'd like done to the yard. 

He has free time to do estimates on rainy days. I do like working with him. He is young, curteous, and does good work. AND he keeps in contact with me even when he is busy and can't get out to see me right away.

 I am also hoping to have some kind of excavating --> brush cleaning to a difficult part of the 'forest' that the gals like to hang out in. I'm going to change fencing to a more limited area. After all, I only have 3 equine left and they can't keep up with all of the growth. I can build the fence, but need an area cleared to do it.

The end game is to make this place look much nicer so it doesn't look  neglected by a couple of old fools. 

When, in the future, I am ready to move off the farm, I want it the farm to look  like a charming place instead of weedy overgrown pastures and piles of 'good' junk stuff.

I'm starting now, because in a few years, I will probably move to an area where I can get public transport, groceries delivered, access to bike trails, parks, and health care close by. I realize that I eventually won't do well in a such a remote place.

I will miss my starry nights and forest trails. But I'm sure I can find happiness in just about any place I choose to live.

The conundrum is this. If I get this little farm looking exactly how I imagine it should be, then I will I leave?

Life is a process isn't it?

Burdocks and Bows

After spending two hours cleaning tails again, I picked up the loppers and machete and went hunting for burdock in the woods where the mules like to hide out from the weather.

The offending burdock grows in inaccessible areas to machinery. Rocks, logs, an steep inclines keep me from mowing. The only solution is to do the work by hand.

I think I got most of it picked up and piled. Now I have to wait for non windy weather to burn the piles. I ended up with about 4 piles. I make them small and also rake all the dead leaves from around each pile before burning. 

For now, the mules have to stay out of this section until I get things cleaned up. I have to admit that all of my work in this area for the past few years is starting to pay off. It may not look like it, but the burdock has been reduced significantly since I 'took' over the pasture work.

There is another section of woods that I'll address later. I missed the spring clean up of the area and didn't maintain it this summer. It looks like it should be easy to clean up with a skid steer and a brush hog, but the rocks that jut out of the ground would make short work of anyone's blades.

At least I have things to keep me busy, right?

Bow Season is in Full Swing around here and Glen the Hunter who hunts the meadow to the east of us texted that he and his daughter would be bow hunting this weekend. He wanted to know if we would be around as he'd like to drop off venison for us.

Of course!

I told Glen he could come down our driveway and park in the fence line for easier access. After two years, hubby has decided that Glen was an okay guy. I have to give the guy credit as he has made the effort to be friendly to my husband. The meat never hurts either. It is a great bribe to an old deer hunter!

A few years ago, the land owner of the meadow told Glen to just use our driveway to access hunting on their property. Of course having a strange vehicle come down our driveway and park on the edge of our land was concerning to an old veteran with Chronic and Severe PTSD. 

Glen realized that getting to know hubby and befriending him would benefit everyone. Glen and I exchanged phone numbers so he can text us for the two weekends a year that he'd be out roaming near us.

I think that is a great lesson in being neighborly.

The landowner should take a lesson from Glen the Hunter.

Glen and his daughter or son only come for bow hunting as they feel it is the ultimate challenge.

Gun season is for nutcases on the neighbor's land. I bring the mules out of the woods and keep them in the lot near the house.

After all, hunters get Buck Fever. Right?

I've never personally hunted a deer. I've sat with a few people over my life time and found it rather boring. I'd rather sit in my blind with my camera for a few hours and catch a photo of one. Less work.

Not that newsworthy...

I live in a mini house. It is a cottage. The top photo is Charlie on our love seat recliner that we inherited nearly 20 years ago. His toys are strewn in that little hallway that leads into the other 'half' of the house. That is the kitchen/dining area that actually has a nice plank floor on it. 

The living area has old carpeting in it. It is nasty, dusty, and of course it has been through more than one puppy if you get my drift. When we remodeled, it was supposed to be pulled out and replaced. Hubby said he'd do it.

The photo with my feet in it is a sample of the new flooring I am finally winning approval for. I brought home samples of linoleum flooring that looks like wood planking. Frankly, I do like the planking on the kitchen floor but this cushy flooring I have as a sample is the same as what is in my bathroom. It is CUSHY! There is a huge difference in the feel of it when I walk across the planking vs the bathroom floor.

Personally I found some awesome 'rock' looking flooring but hubby wanted something that looked like wood.

I had several samples and he picked the old reddish barnwood flooring look. I agree, it is the better choice.

I was told that I didn't want sheet flooring, it would look stupid. But I expect since I will hire an expert to put it in, it will look nice. Bonus points for the fact that the flooring people will remove and dispose of the old rug and underlayment. Sure it will cost me, but I've been saving for it. 

Once that dusty old carpet is removed, I will be very happy. A stick vacuum and a mop will be easier.. well, I think.

AND!

He agreed to go with me to look at a replacement for the loveseat. Yep, my house is too tiny to have a full couch. At once time I wished to have a day bed. But I like putting my feet up at the end of the day. Plus it can only measure something like 67 inches to fit where I want it.

The very last project I want to do internally is put up floorboard trim. However that is not a hot issue. 

My outdoor work is continuing.

Pulling Burdock and chopping down Elderberry bushes that have taken over like crazy.

These nasty yet tasty things grow everywhere and by midsummer completely shade the grass out.

The shoots look harmless enough, but they grow by seed and extend by root shoots. They are less harmful than the Buckthorn but just as hard to get rid of.

So I work with a reciprocating saw and pull the shoots as they appear all year long.

It is a constant battle and eventually I will give up when I am older or no longer have equine.

In the photo below there is an Elderberry shoot with its LONG root extended next to a regular sized rake. Just wow....

And here is a section I have worked on now for almost two years to keep clear.

And this is why I do it.

Lazy bums!

The elder mule Fred with Mica who has breathing and heart issues. They are so happy to be with the others right now.

So there it is. 

Not very news worthy, but my week so far.

I will take the rest of the week off from hacking, chopping, piling, and burning.

There is a trail calling my name in KVR.