work day
These two just can not understand why they are not allowed in the house. Everyday they look pleadingly through the window. When we open the door they try and sneak inside.
A desperate need for a fence was answered last Saturday. My landlord decided to gather a crew from church to have a work day, providing a fence I could only dream about. It was an amazing day of cooperation and fellowship. Just one more miracle to add to the several I experienced in the last month.
This piece of equipment was the star of the project. I watched in fascination as it performed the back breaking work of pounding the post three feet below ground in a matter of minutes!! What power! What ingenuity! Hydraulics are a mystery to me. How does it do that?????
The timber part of the day was happening simultaneously. Trees directly overhanging the trailer needed to be cut for safety. Others were dead or rotting, another storm danger. Two nights ago we had 35-45 mile per hour gusts.
Setting the second post to form the corner.
Woohoo! A real gate!! Do you think it's big enough?? Everything was beyond my dreams or hopes!
The skid loader bucket pushes the tree over after a wedge cut is made.
Yea. This was not posed or photoshopped. I happened to snap him as I turned to see him carrying a log that was NOT his size!
Wire was stretched using a fence stretcher chained to the skid loader. So much power. I could only think of people in other countries who must do work by the sweat of their brow and ache of their back. I am so thankful for labor saving equipment.
A new addition to our little farm, Black Crested ducks. As they age their feathers turn white. Some of the oldest are three years. It is hard to see the ones that have crests in this photo. They lay beautiful turquoise eggs.
Ever the clowns! Our two little mousers are growing and delighting in each nook and cranny. They love to wrestle with each other, although this Dracula grip doesn't seem quite nice.
Pat and Aaron putting up nest boxes
Kick fencing to cover outside of pen with 2 openings for alternate access to pasture
Pat cutting openings in steel bar for tools
Bill and Aaron grinding the edges
Wow!! Stuff is off the floor and organized!
Double delight, two kissing toms
New planting of Italian pole beans
Little Monstrom Strawflowers
Big Buck okra
This weekend my son and his wife came to work on a few farm improvement projects. They brought three friends, who out of the goodness of their hearts completed an amazing amount of work. The main project was converting a buggy shed into an egg laying facility. Project 2 was organization of tools. It has been a real mess and frustration not having a way to store tools properly. Patrick fabricated several tool racks out of steel with his welder. They also cleaned gutters, took apart a downed tree, power washed the front of the house, set up the poultry netting to accomodate 2 rotational grass yards, and a cleared the backyard! A lot of work!!!
Planting is in sync with plenty of direct seeded greens and root crops. A bit of rain would be most welcome to get germination off to a strong start. Weeds are being slayed, slow and steady. Aunt Ada's heirloom pole beans, Weinlanderin pole beans, and Fortex pole beans are up and growing nicely.