Things NOT learned: We both know that we have definitely slowed down, but Larry hasn't learned how to stop before he is exhausted, and I haven't learned not to do the things I shouldn't. Those seem to be difficult lessons to learn - at least for us.
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Favorite work (2011) by Mary
There is no doubt that Larry's and my favorite work on the farm is to clean up an area, and we would have been very disappointed if we had been too busy doing important things, like harvesting or weeding the whole two weeks, to do some cleanup. We managed to sneak in four such jobs:
1. The first was to trim branches and remove dead trees in the pasture along one side of the lane. We love that view, and it looked so much nicer when finished. Also, it provided wood for this winter's woodpile, and mulch we'll need to add around our fruit and nut trees.
2. Larry and Josh finished cleaning around a tree in the back of the lower field near the creek. Larry and I had done most of the work a year ago and just couldn't get back to it. There was still a big log that needed to be sawed and taken either to the field compost or woodpile. Before long, the men won't have any messy obstacles left to mow around.
3. A big branch of a dead tree had fallen partially into our neighbors field. We cleaned it up and also an area close by and next to our tractor shed. Larry did the sawing and Josh and I loaded. Then, the next day, Josh used the chipper/shredder on all the small branches while Larry and I worked on the last project.
4. The last project was a small round wooden grain building that Perry had knocked down on a visit, and it had been laying in a heap all winter. What was once a pile of boards, surrounded by weeds, is now nicely mowed.
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Larry and Josh are ready to clean up tree limbs. | A lot of messy branches, but good kindling. |
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A load for the growing woodpile. | The chipper/shredder is time consuming and loud. |
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The old grain storage bin: We cleaned up all the shingles and side boards, and were ready for the platform. Larry picked it up with the tractor bucket a couple times, and it buckled and broke. | Larry sawed the boards, and we took them to the burn pile as some were rotten, and they were all full of nails. |
Finished and mowed.
