The last week of May 2020 - - I like the way the week started on Monday morning.
We actually spent every day this week, except one (temps in the 90's made it even too hot for us
over- achievers), working in the woods.
Remember two weeks ago when I posted that we started on the area where the spring/cistern is - now known as Cistern Gulch. We finished it this week. Here is the photo from two weeks ago for comparison-- note the black circle (the cistern) in the center.
And two weeks later, it is easier to see the cistern right in the center of the photo. Yep....quite a change. Cistern in the center, and the pressure tank on the right.
Here's the pressure tank up close. It used to be in a little shed with a roof and a wire fence around it. All that remains is the wire.....we have to look further to, hopefully, find the old pump.
We did have help on Tuesday- Bev and a bunch of kids came over. Bev was amazing even though she was wearing flip flops. Jude and Logan scampered up and down the slope taking the rope and or chain to Dad. So, just a bunch of photos because we want to remember this triumph forever.
Dad is leaning on the General Lester Brunner Douglas Fir
We pulled up all the brush through the space between these trees. You can see the tail lights of the ATV on the left and the holly tree, in the middle, being pulled up.
Dad is cutting another clump of holly.
Logan coming up...or maybe going down.
Jude and Logan helping with the rope.
Jude is helping me ...I don't know what his plan was for the rake...
Riding the ATV is the most fun
Running after the ATV is also fun
This photo shows the General Lester Brunner Fir, and in the background you can see the truck parked next to the barn.
On Wednesday I sprayed for the first time - - Dad has always done it in the past, but today he was doing the burn pile comprised of what we'd pulled up the day before. Honestly, it was really hard. The sprayer full of two gallons of herbicide was heavy and would kinda drag on the ground if I didn't hold it up a bit), and I was wearing the "no support rubber muck boots" and most (if not all) of the area I sprayed was on steep ground.
But I prevailed!! And look at the results we've had with a mixture of Roundup and Crossbow! I know, it's kinda hard to see, but look for wrinkled leaves.
With the reduced ground cover (read.... dead ivy and dead blackberries), I'm finding archaeological remnants of the past - are these from the Brunners or the Grays?
Bone - from a dead dear. Piece of crockery - Brunners. Rubber NAPA auto part #2373 - Gray boys.
Old Frisbee - Shep. Liquid Mylanta bottle - Brunners. White PVC pipe - ???
We went to the cemetery to photograph a couple of monuments for Find A Grave. And, on an off chance, we found where Larry and Eda Faye Personnette (our neighbors) are buried. They had no monument for Find A Grave, so we made paper ones and photographed them
On Memorial Day, Warren created this magic - Unicorn Frappuccinos for everyone!
Holland is practicing to be a Hawaiian Princess.
I presented the quilt to Natalie. She has some good memories of when we worked on it together - maybe eight years ago.
The quilt put Logan to sleep, right away.
Next week - we clear out the area between Cistern Gulch and the Florence Brunner Cedar. Here is Dad at the beginning....we will move to the left in a southerly direction. Also, Don Lutz may be coming on Friday to use his big machine to grind up all holly, filberts, and any other debris on the ground.
Drew Pedersen is leaving on Tuesday for his mission. He will be serving in the Utah, Orem Mission - same area where Ivan leaves. He had a big family send off Sunday night.
