August 21, 2017 A Snake & A Sentinal

The snake head clamped onto
the end of my snake stick.

Sawing the tree.

Timber!

Friday 8/18. JB left about 9:00 for Down There.  I did the morning chores and took the dogs on the morning walk.  At the top of the peak I saw what I thought was bear scat and upon a closer look I saw apricot pits in it.  Yep, bear scat.

When we got back to the house, the splitter was in the last of the morning shade, so I split a few of the larger rounds, having finished all the smaller ones.  Because the wood in these six trees is green, I am cutting it into smaller pieces than usual so it will dry more quickly.  I also cleaned up branches from the last three trees, broke some into kindling and stacked them in the wood shed.

JB was home by 1:00 pm from his appointment with the surgeon.  His operation will be on 10/9.  A little later than we had hoped, but still okay.  He will have a four to six week recovery period.

After lunch I split some more wood.  JB brought the tractor over to move it, but the one back tire was going flat again, so he just did one load and I stacked it.  It looks like the two front tires and one back one will have to be replaced.  It is definitely the year of the tires, as my Jeep has to have new tires and Miss Kitty needs new front ones.

The dogs and I took off on our afternoon walk at 3:30 but didn't get very far.  Just a few feet past the wood shed was a large timber rattler going west in the clearing.  Jesse ran for home while I dispatched it.  This is the third rattlesnake we have seen this year and they have all been timber rattlers.  Large ones.  This one had ten rattles which are now being displayed with the rest of our nine-year collection.

After dinner, while we were sitting on the porch, our little flock of grouse came to drink at the bird bath.  There was a chipmunk up there and for a few minutes it shared with one grouse.  I wasn't able to get my camera out in time to capture the moment.  So cute!

Our high for the day was 84, but with a nice breeze.

Saturday 8/19.  It was 52 and windy with mostly clear skies this morning.  Since the tractor is out of commission for a while, we used Miss Kitty to move seven loads of wood to the shed.  Fortunately her back container dumps.  I stacked all that wood, and after lunch finished splitting the last twelve large rounds.  I also clipped a stack of branches.  Just full of energy today!

JB worked on the maintenance that was due on the tractor at 150 hours.  A short but messy job.

Very pleasant weather today with a high of 76.

Sunday 8/20. It was 54 with a light overcast this morning.  After the morning watering, we moved the last of the wood to the shed in Miss Kitty and I stacked it.  Those six trees created the fourth row.  After that we worked mostly inside.

The Sept/Oct issue of Backwoods Home magazine is one of their best.  There is an article regarding the home-made laundry soap that many people are using that contains Fels Naptha soap.  This was originally designed for use with washboards, and the washing machines do not break it down enough, so it will gum-up the machine.  Ooops!

The girls have been molting for a while, so we are averaging two to three eggs a day, and sometimes four or one, as we got today.

Larry and Elsie arrived at 5:30 pm to help take down the large, dead pine tree.  This was the largest tree that Larry had ever cut, but he did a great job. It fell within three feet of where they had planned.  Afterwards we sat on the porch and visited for a while.  They stayed til 7:30 and after the evening watering, I walked around the tree for a while and then out to the north ridge.

This had been a very comfortable day, with a few sun breaks and a high of 78.

This was not just a felling of another tree.  This was an event that caused a slight disturbance in the Force, at least at Rose Camp.  There had been a shift in the ambiance.  A change in the skyline.  With a 32" diameter, this was the largest and tallest tree within acres of our home.  The sentinel was gone.

But the fire wood this tree will give us is a gift from the Universe, right when we needed it the most.  This is the tree that literally died overnight last summer and the Universe knew then that we would need it now.  I am sure It had known our needs from the beginning of time. . .

Monday 8/21. It is 60 with clear skies on this day of the eclipse.  We plan to go Down There to pick up the snowblower and check our the new Cash & Carry store.

Thought for the day: You are not a human being having a spiritual experience, but rather a spiritual being having a human experience.