… it’s good to mow the green, green grass of home …

I don’t think that’s what Tom Jones had in mind when he sung this song – LOL!

My mower is demanding higher wages, better benefits and more time off. I’m expecting a picket line to appear in the rutted driveway any day now. It also wants a tongue sling since its tongue seems to hang out a lot these days. I did give it time off – ok, sick leave then … sheesh! Just because I was trying to mow rocks and broke the blade adaptor, it got all huffy. I even let it sit idle for a few days after it was mended while we waited on the rain to give us a break. Oh! Now it wants me to buy a tractor and let it retire and hang out at the mower bar. Gah! Suppose it has a point … grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr ………

Seriously, we go away for a few weeks and some of the grass looks like corn stalks – it’s at least as high in spots and all throughout the pasture. I haven’t been able to mow it enough to know where all the rocks are and now that it’s so tall I have to scout a row at a time (last repair parts took weeks to get here). The owner of the mower parts store said he’s never been so busy with parts and repairs. I read today that it’s the 6^th wettest July since 1864. DAMN!

You can see by the pics that I’m making progress, but it’s a slow go and beyond the pasture gate is impossible. The grass is mostly a tough wiry variety that just loves to wrap around the mower blade. The pasture needs renovating and really isn’t suitable for most livestock with all the rock that’s exposed and prickly pear that's grown up (a project for next spring). I suppose I could rent some goats … or … I could talk to my neighbor up the road who’s got a 60 year old Ford tractor with flames painted on the hood – that’d scare the grass down don’t ya think???

Mmmmmmmmmm ... country living! Sit back and enjoy the sounds of little .............. engines and smell the sweet scent of ................ engines and bask in the glow of ................ engines. The little engines that won't!

Simon

Meet the newest member of our Vulpini tribe. Although very similar to Eartha he is a bit smaller and his tail is less bushy. I was mistaking him for an undernourished Eartha after our return, but when he marked a shrub his maleness was quite apparent. He may be one of Eartha and Sebastian’s kits. I did see him foraging with Sebastian day before yesterday.

12 ½ inches of …

RAIN in less than 8 hours!!! Ah, home again, home again … sigh.

I know, I know – don’t even go there. Silly us to leave Seattle and move to a place that’s hell bent on having one of the wettest years on record. Good thing we are on high ground, but not without a downside – those low water crossing downsides, where you can neither get in nor out. “B” was in town during the storm but fortunately she was able to get across the first 2 crossings before the waters rose to an unsafe level and they were closed. Our neighbors on the other side of the crossing at the bottom of our road had to wait for several hours for the waters to recede – “Dry Creek” my ass! So the cars began to back up in front of the property waiting on the waters to recede. The photo was taken when the water was just over 2 feet across the road and continued to rise to over 3 feet. The upside to this debacle was we got to meet the neighbors and a cooler of beer magically appeared and an impromptu road party ensued. I’m not sure we’d of met that many of our neighbors ever under normal circumstances.

It is amazing how much of one’s driveway can be relocated in such a short period of time. Today I spent a long time becoming reacquainted with the po’ boy’s loader and dump (a.k.a. shovel and wheelbarrow) and redistributed the driveway yet again. I think I worked harder than the rain did. I am thankful that the only damage during that little shower was to the driveway, but I’ll have to admit to some worry as I watched the back yard turn into a river. At least all last fall’s leaves were redistributed and now I see the rocks before mowing them, LOL!

It is good to be home again with everything intact. Back to the animals, the bed, the stuff, the grass … GRASS! Holy shit, how can grass grow that much? Hmmm, another post on grass!

Ok! It was a ...

Steam powered snow blower!

Yeah! I had to look at it for awhile before I figured it out. Ingenious contraption though.

Hope everyone had a safe and wonderful 4th.

So, we survived the first leg of the trip that involved "B's" cuz; dealing with the epitome of obstinacy and dysfunction - a jail sentence would have been kinder. We did accomplish those things we set out to do - now all we can hope is that he doesn't undo everything in our absence.

Spent some time on Pensacola Beach beforehand and Fernandina Beach decompressing afterwards. Now our trip has brought us to Atlanta and kids and grandkids and the remainder of our worldly possessions. Hopefully we'll be home by mid-month and hopefully the house hasn't washed away in all the rain and we can get across the low water crossings.

Have a great weekend all! :)

Puzzle this!

HAPPY 4TH!!!!

Hope to get around to visit all of you in the next few days!

Meanwhile you get to figure out what the pic is above. :)