Oregon City, Oregon - Week 48 - November 30 - December 2, 2020

Who thought that teaching rabbits would be such a satisfying experience.  But, when Abby and Jude come to school, sometimes, rabbits are part of our classroom.  

Cinnamon is directing Abby as to where to focus her attention

Filbert is probably guiding Jude's hand or maybe Jude is teaching Filbert how to write.

When Ruby comes for science or social studies, Janey comes too, and Dad reads to here.  Without exception, the two of them hide behind the love seat and then spring up shouting "SURPRISE"

Warren texted me asking if I had pictures of him....well, yes.  He didn't say why he wanted them, but I sent him these pictures anyway..  He is 2, 3, 4, and 5.

Dad, with Jessica's help (I was working in the woods...it was a sunny day) finished trimming the Marionberries and the thorn less blackberries.  Thank you Jessica!!!!!

I spent the second to the last week of Burn Season working in the woods - nothing new about that.

I went all along Main Creek cutting down Salmon Berries which was really hard because the area is one of the steepest areas in the woods.  Before and after

In one area - at the downhill side of Alder Meadow - there is a big tree trunk that fell down years ago.  Earlier it was a big impediment to me, and I could not walk into the area.  I sprayed from a distance which knocked down the blackberries and killed lots of the ivy.  You can barely see the log.  Right in the center of the picture is Malcolm's Bridge.

Here's the same log taken from Sector 1

There are two sword ferns gowning on the log - I'm going to try to replant then somewhere.  \

Here's looking up stream along Main Creek.  The big log can be seen on the right.  There was a huge mound of ivy and blackberries to the left of the log.  It was impossible to walk in the area.  But, with my trusty chain saw and loppers I finally figured out it was a ginormous clump of dead holly that had been removed in 2016, and yes, I left it there after I had cut it down.  That proves the proverb that says, "leave no clumps in your path as you will eventually return that way in the future"

I got this photo just before Dad threw the ivy clump onto the burn pile

Here's a before and after of a big clump of holly that I cleaned up.  The holly is still there, however, in the roots in the ground, but, at least, next year I'll be able to spray both the new holly shoots and surviving  ivy.

This is just a photo I liked.  The big log is in the foreground.

Logan came over one late afternoon and helped out a bit in the woods.  He hadn't realized that he could run around the whole area - a third of a mile.  So he headed down West Trail, crossed Malcolm's Bridge, ran up to South Trail, crossed the hay field, ran behind the barn, and back down West Trail.  He was a bit winded but triumphant.  While hauling up a log, I realized that I had "skinned" it and had pulled off the layer of moss that had attached to the bark.  I told Logan it was a bear pelt - but he didn't believe me.

Another good week!!  And, Slappy Hooper visited one morning!