updates to last post

I hope this is the last time we need to do this until fall.

Midnight temp

This AM, moonset over the lake.

Temp this AM

Frost

Chainsaw mystery: This old chainsaw belonged to my great-grandfather. We have not seen it in a year or more. Last seen in the old barn (building #2b). I found it this AM in the new blacksmith shop (building #15). This is very interesting; the building is kept padlocked and Cristina and I have been inside multiple times, and have walked past this spot every time. We have done visual inventory each time. We did not see the chainsaw. We have been looking for it, and had decided it had been stolen.

Duck box with predator guard.

Hung my hat on it so you can get a sense of scale. It is pretty big.

Continuing to clean out North shed on old barn (#2a).

Packrats were living here. Drawers full of old okra pods.

Red flowering vine against dogwood blossoms

iPhone wouldn't focus. Maybe wild honeysuckle?

Bad focus again. Pretty purple forest flower

A while back I was asked what the perimeter of the property was, and I answered 1 mile. That answer has been bothering me, felt wrong, so I used Google Earth to get actual distance. It is 2.23 miles (or 3.6 kilometers) around the edge.

just a few more. actually a lot more

Dogwoods in bloom

Water very calm, pretty

Geese

Blackberry blooms

Mopsy got a haircut. I fell behind on brushing her and her hair matted beyond hope. The groomer said shave was the only way.

Rats in bloom

This is still happening

I built a wood duck nesting box. Not this.

This is a wood duck

This is a wood duck nesting box

Buckets of chainsaw shavings for nesting material

mounted by the little pond.

I needed sheet metal to wrap the pole for a predator guard. I found this aluminum sheet. Was used to print a page of the local paper April 17, 1970.

Back on wood splitting

Ben helped a little. Blocks were really too heavy for him. I made him stop.

This chunk is 2 feet across. I have to split these into quarters with the maul and wedge in order to be able to lift.

4 racks 15' deep, 5.5' tall, 18"~ thick. I think I'm approaching 3 cords now.

Special wood. Deadfall Pecan, already seasoned. Now all I need is a pig and a smoker.

Afternoon project; a strawberry barrel.

Layout guidelines

Drill and saw

Heat plastic. (Use #17 for the flamethrower!)

whoops!

I used cylindrical heat resistant spacers to hold to plant pockets open.

scrap pipe for watering tubes

inverted small barrel to save dirt/weight

graduated watering holes

I took advantage of Home Depot sale on dirt

Filled the barrel. Watered and dirt settled. Will probably need to do that again.

This brush pile burned properly

So did this one

Grass is getting deep in this field

Brush pile 3 hours later

Weather

Crazy storm. Freaked the dogs out. Nick asked if we have a bunker.

Tremendous downpours all Sunday. I spent about 6 hours in building #11 cleaning, stacking, and arranging. We've just been dumping stuff in there for months, time to get it straight. I found many strange things. Here are two. A 37mm shell from a Model of 1916 gun. Google it.

Japanese Government 100 Peso bill