July 2013

 

Wild flowers under Tom's window

 

 

Saturday 13th, another small fawn came darting into the driveway, then garden, stopped and looked totally bewildered at where it was, stared at Steven then at me, then shot into the garden, stopped at the pond momentarily then took off at full speed up to the woods, she was quite magnificent and a joy to watch. The hummingbirds have become regular visitors and are becoming positively brave around us. One adult painted turtle turned up on the door step (bottom of the steps, to be exact) and the snapping turtle in my last report, thankfully hasn't been seen again.



 

300 bales of hay collected this weekend. I wish Matthew could have seen me pulling the giant wooden trailers of hay with the Volvo, 15 mph there and back (or major fish tailing would occur, as I found out the hard way) but only maybe a half mile journey each way. Steven made a new door to the hay loft above the medium barn and for the first time, we have filled a good 1/3 of that, he is becoming quite proficient with a chain saw. Tomo having crashed through the floor of the dairy helped us decide that an alternate hay store for this winter was needed - he is fine and very proud of his new battle scar and lump. Our weather has been harsh, firstly it felt like it had rained non-stop since March with little to no sun and then when the sun does come out, you boil, quite literally (last night as I left work, the temp read 110). Poor old farmers are having a hell of a time.

 

Barn work for this year, is finished. We made new bat boxes for the bats we unintentionally evicted (they were living behind one of the planks that was removed and needed replacing, see below), they too are out in force every evening. Will is enjoying his new house and spends most days in the shade looking out of his window, venturing out only a night. We have returned him to barn pasture due to the torrential rains we had, which then brought huge amounts of flying beasties. There were streams of water running over the entire pasture for nearly two weeks, it looks so green now it has dried up well.

 

 

Sparta, if I am not mistaken, looks decidedly in-kit...

All burn piles but one, now burnt. Ground harrowed and de-stoned/de-glassed and de-metaled.

Patio; stone dust and gravel delivered now we just need the energy and enthusiasm to move it all. The base is complete with hardcore and two beams are in place, 8' long 8 x 8's which for the record, are seriously heavy. Six to go. Then the slate... Besides that, I am just trying to keep up with the mowing and trimming, which I am almost managing to do.

Weasel showing Tom he is a speedy swimmer...



Dogs, Tom and Steve have been swimming almost every day. We had to build a small fence along the house side of the pond as the frog-hunting dogs were starting to destroy the pond wall, it has done the trick and seems to be growing some vegetation which should help tie the bank together and give it some strength for the future. The natural springs make the water very interesting to swim in, you would expect the deepest part to be the coldest, but that is actually one of the warmest parts, the springs come in on the east side and BOY do you know it when you go in, GREAT for cooling off and all filled and cooled by Mother Nature.

The old girls and Weasel cooling off