 |
| Western Spring Beauty |
 |
| Hauling branches off east slope |
Then: The Rest of April 2011
I worked almost every day on the east slope trimming tree branches. By Easter Sunday I had several big piles stacked and ready for removal. It was a beautiful day, so we hooked up the trailer to JB's Jeep and started hauling the branches down to the cutting area across the driveway from our house. We did this for several days and ended up with a very large pile of wood to cut.
Also on Easter Sunday we were able to bring my Jeep up from Larry and Elsie's to where our road turns off the main canyon road. We drove MAX to where we were going to park the car, then walked the rest of the way down to get it. The tracks are still on MAX and the main road is clear of snow so we didn't want to drive him any further. When we returned home, I worked on creating greeting cards. I have been making cards for several years now and it is such a relaxing outlet.
Even though we were still getting snow flurries, none of it really lasted for more than a day or two and the winter snow was still melting. The main remnants of winter were in the woods and around the cutting pile. By the end of the month, the first wild flowers were popping up and the grass was greening. There were Western Spring Beauties, Yellow Bells, and Prairie Stars. All so tiny and so very pretty.
Now: August 14, 2011
The first rule of riding an ATV is: Keep your mouth shut. Nuff said. Really enjoyed myself on my two trips down the mountain yesterday. I leave about eight in the morning and again at four in the afternoon. The chickens are always happy to see me, so the first thing I have to do is feed them. Then I collect the eggs. On Friday, they only gave me three, but yesterday afternoon I found six of them. It takes me about an hour to water all the plants in the green house and on their two decks. It is the very least I can do with all they have done for us.
When I arrived back at Rose Camp in the morning, I ate a quick breakfast and then we started working on the deck. After a few adjustments in the center board, we started screwing in the tongue-in-groove decking and soon got it down to a science. I run a small bead of caulking down the groove, then we fit in the next board usually having to hammer it into place. JB puts in one screw at each end. I then grab the big umbrella and hold it over us both while he puts the rest of the screws in the board. The umbrella made all the difference out there in the sun, and we were able to work until 3:30pm installing a total of fifteen boards. Then I left for my afternoon trip to Larry and Elsie's. It was a very good day.
I could still smell the skunk's odor on my morning trip, but it had disappeared by afternoon. The dogs weren't barking as much today either, so I hope our little black and white visitors have moved on.
When I wrote of the big wind we had on the last night of April 2010, I completely forgot to finish the story. I was babysitting Larry and Elsie's place that weekend, so as soon as we were done picking up around our place a bit, we both drove down in my Jeep to take care of their place. Didn't take the ATV as we weren't sure what we would find on the way down. There were no downed trees across the road, but the first thing we noticed when we got to their place is that all the deck furniture was knocked over and some even blown off the deck. As we went about putting it all back, we realized that the roof of the chicken coup was sitting in the middle of Elsie's garden! The wind tends to really race down the canyon and pick up speed as it goes, so they get it worse than we do up at the top. None of the chickens were hurt or had gotten out, so we shut door which the wind had ripped open and made a temporary roof with an indoor/outdoor carpet that had been blown off the bottom deck. I was so upset that this had happened to them on my watch. Fortunately Larry and Elsie arrived back home that evening.
I worked almost every day on the east slope trimming tree branches. By Easter Sunday I had several big piles stacked and ready for removal. It was a beautiful day, so we hooked up the trailer to JB's Jeep and started hauling the branches down to the cutting area across the driveway from our house. We did this for several days and ended up with a very large pile of wood to cut.
Also on Easter Sunday we were able to bring my Jeep up from Larry and Elsie's to where our road turns off the main canyon road. We drove MAX to where we were going to park the car, then walked the rest of the way down to get it. The tracks are still on MAX and the main road is clear of snow so we didn't want to drive him any further. When we returned home, I worked on creating greeting cards. I have been making cards for several years now and it is such a relaxing outlet.
Even though we were still getting snow flurries, none of it really lasted for more than a day or two and the winter snow was still melting. The main remnants of winter were in the woods and around the cutting pile. By the end of the month, the first wild flowers were popping up and the grass was greening. There were Western Spring Beauties, Yellow Bells, and Prairie Stars. All so tiny and so very pretty.
Now: August 14, 2011
The first rule of riding an ATV is: Keep your mouth shut. Nuff said. Really enjoyed myself on my two trips down the mountain yesterday. I leave about eight in the morning and again at four in the afternoon. The chickens are always happy to see me, so the first thing I have to do is feed them. Then I collect the eggs. On Friday, they only gave me three, but yesterday afternoon I found six of them. It takes me about an hour to water all the plants in the green house and on their two decks. It is the very least I can do with all they have done for us.
When I arrived back at Rose Camp in the morning, I ate a quick breakfast and then we started working on the deck. After a few adjustments in the center board, we started screwing in the tongue-in-groove decking and soon got it down to a science. I run a small bead of caulking down the groove, then we fit in the next board usually having to hammer it into place. JB puts in one screw at each end. I then grab the big umbrella and hold it over us both while he puts the rest of the screws in the board. The umbrella made all the difference out there in the sun, and we were able to work until 3:30pm installing a total of fifteen boards. Then I left for my afternoon trip to Larry and Elsie's. It was a very good day.
I could still smell the skunk's odor on my morning trip, but it had disappeared by afternoon. The dogs weren't barking as much today either, so I hope our little black and white visitors have moved on.
When I wrote of the big wind we had on the last night of April 2010, I completely forgot to finish the story. I was babysitting Larry and Elsie's place that weekend, so as soon as we were done picking up around our place a bit, we both drove down in my Jeep to take care of their place. Didn't take the ATV as we weren't sure what we would find on the way down. There were no downed trees across the road, but the first thing we noticed when we got to their place is that all the deck furniture was knocked over and some even blown off the deck. As we went about putting it all back, we realized that the roof of the chicken coup was sitting in the middle of Elsie's garden! The wind tends to really race down the canyon and pick up speed as it goes, so they get it worse than we do up at the top. None of the chickens were hurt or had gotten out, so we shut door which the wind had ripped open and made a temporary roof with an indoor/outdoor carpet that had been blown off the bottom deck. I was so upset that this had happened to them on my watch. Fortunately Larry and Elsie arrived back home that evening.
 |
| Yellow Bells |
No comments:
Post a Comment