June 12, 2015 A Subtle Change to Rose Camp

Day one of creating our large swale.

Our new garden spot behind the extended wall.

Wednesday 6/10. By 9:30 am we had the huge swale on the other side of the driveway from the house outlined with the rotting logs and smaller pieces of wood that JB had moved down yesterday and five more loads today.  Then it was time for a break and breakfast.  Well, my breakfast.  JB eats much earlier than I do.  I usually have brunch, so this was actually early for me, but I had worked up an appetite.

Then JB started moving our huge pile of small branches that had been accumulating for about six years, over to build up the swale.  After lunch he moved half of the large pile of branches we still had in the grove that had not been chipped.  By then it was too hot and we were too tired to do any more.  Our high for the day was 83 and quite pleasant.

This is great!  The last couple years I have been saying to the Universe, "Okay, we're here.  Now what?"  This experiment is obviously the what, and the sense of purpose is amazing.  I had been reading about such projects for several years in all of our off-the-grid and homesteading magazines, but really never thought we could undertake such an enterprise.  Seems like we can indeed.

Two of my irises are in full bloom, and it looks like they may be the only ones to manage that.

Thursday 6/11. It was 63 with a few thin clouds to the north at 7:00 am this morning, but an hour later the temp had already risen to 70 with a nice breeze.  A good day to be outside.

We were out again early and cleared the two remaining piles of branches from the grove, laying them on top of the swale.  JB also brought several more loads from the large pile of branches that has diminished by 2/3 already.  By then it was all in the sun.  So after my brunch and JB's lunch, he began filling the tractor's bucket with dirt from the pile created two years ago when we had the drainage around the house redone.  It is great topsoil and he put several loads behind the wall I had built up.  We put a layer of mulch in between the dirt and then JB brought over two loads of small wood chippings from near the splitter.  In just two days we have created a quite a subtle change in Rose Camp, and a big change in our focus.

I am going Down There tomorrow for some grocery shopping and to mail our son's Father's Day gift.  The forecast is for "only" 82, as opposed to 102.  Today's high Up Here was 80.  Every day is getting a little bit cooler.

Friday 6/12. It is 52, clear and breezy this morning, but warming up quickly.  Possible thunder storms in the forecast for the weekend.

Thought for the day: That my complicated life could be made so simple was astounding. Cheryl Strayed