If I get some time today, I could spread that ag lime on the two sheep paddocks. I’ve been meaning to buy some lime. I should do that. Which reminds me that I will need to replace that tire on the Ezee-Flow spreader that dry-rotted over winter. I’ll call over to the farmers co-op and see if they have a replacement. Maybe they have my tiller wheel ready. If they do, I can till in the potato patch that I forgot to mulch or weed and is now buried in lush non-potato growth. Then I’ll replant the area with beans.
Big and beefy 8-10 week old ram lamb, a Texel-Katahdin cross.
But first, if I’m going to plant beans, I’ll need to go cut some poles to use as a trellis. So today, if I have time, I should clean last winter’s gas out of the chainsaws and hope that the carburetors are not fouled with shellacked fuel. And the chains also need to be resharpened. Note: I really should keep that bow saw in better condition—it could be of use when the chainsaws are not working. I think I lent it to someone. Who did I lend it to? I know Tim still has that Orwell book. Maybe he also has the saw? I could go over today and check, maybe stop at the Kyles’ farm store and pick up a few sausages for dinner. Then I can check and see if they sold any copies of my book.
How many personal copies do I have left? I should check today, maybe before I go take a nap. After the nap, though, I really need to finish pruning the muscadines and the privet. That damn privet takes over everything. Wonder if grapevines can be used to smoke meat. If I had the sausages, I could smoke them over muscadine vines and serve them with some of my kraut. I think I’ll go check and see how my cabbages are coming along. If they are ready I can make some kraut today, and next weekend it could be ready. So, I’ll pass on the sausages and pruning today. The Kid can do the pruning in the vines next weekend.
It looks like rain, so I’d better get that feed out of the back of the truck. I’ll need to put the boom pole back on the tractor to lift the barrels. That yard box will need to come off. But first I’ll grade the drive—it is a mess since the last rain. So, first things first. I’ll go get some diesel for the big tractor, since it’s on empty.
Running on empty … who sang that? Oh, yeah, Jackson Browne. Which reminds me, before the trip to town, it might be good to change out the CDs in the truck. That John Denver CD is getting pretty stale. Maybe some Alan Jackson. I’ll need to remember to stop at Wil-Sav for my prescription. Except I remember now that I forgot to call it in. So I’ll call them and see if they can call my doctor for a refill. I’m betting it will be ready in a couple of days. I still need the diesel.
But I could use this time before the trip to get diesel to put up the kayaks. They’ve been laying out by the hay barn all winter and spring. Note to self: This would be a great time of the year to go out on the water and just enjoy floating around. I should do that before I store the boats. Now where are those boat cushions? I think they were being used as supports for the guest cot when my nephew stayed with us in February. I wonder how he is getting along this spring down in that Louisiana heat? I’ll call him if I get time today.
Well, the temperature is supposed to get up to 80 here tomorrow. I really should just go out now, while I have time, and roll up the sides on the hoop house and open the windows. Those cabbage moths will be out soon. If I put some diatomaceous earth out today to protect the cole crops I’ll be ahead of the pests. Better call Cindy and have her pick some up while she is in town. Pretty sure all of it was used last year.
DE is my default weapon against bugs, but I know there are other organic options. Note: Spend a little time later today flipping through some of those dozens of books on my shelf about pests in the garden.
Also, finish reading the book on solitude. Then write Moore a followup and let him know my thoughts. The first page has been really engaging. I just need to find some time to myself to focus. Why are the sheep out in the yard? Note: Check the electric current on the fence later today. There may be a branch down on the wire. Hopefully the pigs haven’t discovered it.
Note: Instead of buying that sausage, I could just make some. I have plenty of ground pork and the stuffer.
Note: Order more hog casings. If they come in next week, I can make the sausages when the kraut is done fermenting.
Note: If I get some time today….
OHMIGOSH, Brian, as Grammaw Bail used to say, “I’m Dyin’ to Laughin’!”!This was hilarious.
Thanks, Jeanne.
Ah, clearly you and I both have that lovely book by E.B. White. As always, love your column. And maybe I’ll get my squash started today.
Ah, thanks, Sally. Yep, initially it was titled, “with a nod to….” I recall thinking to myself when I read that essay, Oh, I can write my version of that.
Cheers,
Brian
The further I read, the more it sounded like my day. Every single day. Very funny, but it gave me anxiety.
I hear you, Ginger. Hope all is well enough.
Brian
Beautifully put, Brian. And all too familiar to anyone working with land from a few square meters up.
Current focus here is getting dried firewood under shelter near the house as we head into winter. But there’s one or two other things that need doing, trip into town, I need to finish a report, the solar/smart energy/smart farm stuff won’t spec itself, where to put the new veggie patch, axe head came off the handle over the weekend, I also need to sharpen some chainsaws, time to sell the mower we don’t use, stormwater management around house needs attention …
David,
I followed up on your electric chainsaw suggestion and bought an 18-inch Husqvarna last year. That thing is a beast, the charge lasts a long time. Glad you nudged me in that direction.
Cheers,
Brian
Glad electric chainsaw has been useful. Husqvarna generally make good kit.
There’s a lot of battery powered equipment becoming available that’s useful as against a toy.
We have battery polesaws, chainsaw for smaller stems and limbs, lawnmower and a bunch of other power tools.
Still prefer to use human-power in some circumstances Diesel/petrol is at this point essential for larger jobs.
As battery tech improves there’s electrification occurring with a bunch of other kit. If I had the money I’d love a battery side-by-side. Safer than a quad bike.
And very nice to charge the batteries off your own onsite power from rooftop solar.
I need to work on that DIY roof-top solar. “If I have the time today….”
I’d be careful with DIY solar. Easy to have very dangerous problems with residential AC. Illegal here.
What’s interesting is running a house DC. This is old-school offgrid in Australia and the US.
Having a resurgence now due to cheap solar producing DC.Why put it through an inverter to AC and then turn it back into DC at an appliance.
And with some restrictions, DIY DC wiring is legal here.
Solar is very cheap here. 6KW good quality panels and inverter installed for around $6K.
2-3x that price in the US in USD.
The best laid plans…you just summed up much of contemporary life.
Indeed.
One of our favorite sayings here at Pine Valley Farm is, “We’ll tackle that project as soon as we get caught up.” The catch is you never get caught up. It seems to take a herculean effort to accomplish anything over and above regular farmwork duties. It doesn’t help to have grandchildren active in every activity that suits their fancy, either. I am not complaining.
Like herding cats.
OK great now I have epilepsy from how much I identify with this post. My entire central nervous system is twitching out OMG call a philologist or a philanthropist or a philanderer I need help…
As the old farmer said, when asked what he was going to do after he won the lottery: Me? I’ll just keep farming until the money runs out. So, perhaps you should opt for calling the philanthropist.
Ha, thank goodness none of us can read minds…as we all have many trains of thought barreling down the tracks…oh! a chipmonk!
Indeed, which is why I start the day with a list.