It's been a while! There has been too much snow for me to go visit Lollyland since early December when friends and I made a trip to do some target practice. One of the young women was thinking about buying her first bit of home protection and wanted to try some things out before spending any money. We managed to step up and make her wish a reality, providing 7 different weapons for her to compare.
Winter has been bad this year, as everyone knows. We had snow on the ground constantly for 3 months, which is unheard in my lifetime! Well, in my memory bank, anyway. There was always a thaw in Feb. sometime.
But this year saw deep snow, heavily packed even on the roads that get maintained, so I wasn't about to take my light truck up into the rolling hills and county roads to get stuck! But spring finally got here with weather that made it possible for me to make a trip to the farm yesterday. That doesn't mean there wasn't still snow on the ground, of course!
Remember me telling you that I got the backhoe stuck, down by the wetlands last summer? This is the spot. There is a broken drain tile from long ago that brings water to this point. We plan to open this hole up some this year, and I'm thinking of burying a stock tank in it. Eventually, this corner will be a pond, an acre or two in size.
The guys that were deer hunting this winter were pretty unhappy. The county decided to get ditch work done in Dec., instead of waiting for the new year. They provided me with another pile of resources.
When I bought the place, (nine years ago this June) this whole length of ditch was shaded on both banks.
If you can spot the little mounds on either side ... That is the closest I am supposed to allow trees to grow to the water now. I had talked to the dozer guy a few years ago and explained what I was hoping to do with hugelculture and such. As they removed another dozen trees, he stacked them with the beds that were already in progress, then covered them with the dredged soil. This year we plan to plant the ones on the left (east) bank with all sorts of bulb plants and quick grow ground covers. If, five years down the road, we have enough to share with others on a cash or barter basis, call it a win/win. Right now we will get the beauty and hopefully attract pollinators, encourage reptiles, etc. Yesterday I talked with my brother-in-law about using some tree trunks (that we will be removing from the hillside) as uprights in these hugelbeds, so there is a place to plant kiwi, goji, and a host of other climbing, viney things to break the view from the road. If they provide fruit for us and the deer, turkeys, future domesticated animals, etc., even better.
BTW, you see the trees that are near the water in that photo? They have been pretty well completely ringed around the base by wildlife. It won't be long before THEY are falling into the water and the county will have to send someone back out again.
So, one more picture. As I said, they had to dredge the ditch again. I didn't grab a handful of this to throw in the fire, but it looks like pretty decent clay to me. What do you think? I've asked BIL to find me some 55 gallon drums, because I might want to save this for cob later.