The Hole In The Fence

Even as a child on the farm, I learned that a good neighbor kept good fences.  Fences were meant to keep our cows home and the neighbors' cows from entering our fields.  A broken fence usually meant trouble to someone.

When someone in our neighborhood started intruding inside our property line, we decided that rather than confront, we would simply build a fence on our common property line.  We did that.  Then in a tree tipping wind storm, a third neighbor's tree fell upon the fence and destoryed a length 17 feet long. 

Our "intruding" neighbor had a change of heart, we thought, and he promptly fixed the hole in the fence.  It stayed that way for a couple of years.

Then last summer, Bob, wanting to be a dutiful neighbor, cleaned our trees that were hanging beyond our fence line.  The "intruding" neighbor got mad, to put it mildly, and took out his piece of fencing he had used to mend the break.  Once again, we had a gapping hole.

A whole roll of fencing is expensive.  But a friend had a different height fencing and gave a piece of it to us. 

With wire cutters, leather gloves and twisting and bending, Bob created a tight fence.

This should keep our "cows" in and the neighbors' "cows" out.  And peace came to Amsbaugh Gardens once again.

Remember The Birch Trees?

Much earlier  I posted last winter's storm toll on the beautiful birch grove. .  You can see the stumps here where Bob had cut them down and that they will be this winter's firewood.  BUT LOOKIE HERE.  New shoots surround all but one stump.

And this one......obviously got more water, etc.  The birches are rising from the ashes and we will have a grove of them again. 

3 Bin Compost

This is my compost operation.  Building these bins was one of Benjamin's last "living at home" projects and I have appreciated having it every time I have "things" to add to the pile. 

Bin # 1 is for new additions.  The screen door is to keep Sailor out.  She loves to lunch on contributions from the kitchen.

 

Bin #2 is aged compost from the past year.  It is still active with earthworms which love to multiply in this wet environment.

Bin #3, which is in the middle in the top picture is ready for next year.  I'm trying to keep the activity hot enough to kill any weed seed so that when I use it, I won't just be scattering the "thorns and thistles".

Digging and turning compost with the pitchfork is one of my favorite, mindless activities.  I feel like I am helping to create stuff from the middle picture to useful stuff in the third.

It's Saturday.........I think I will go use that pitchfork. 

 

A Man, a Dog, a Canoe and Some Water

A smart man designed and built this rack to carry the canoe more easily on the truck.  Our days are still sunny, but are definitely cooler.  We cannot waste such a perfect day.

 

 

With a place to launch into Puget Sound less than 15 minutes from our house, we unloaded and Sailor was ready to go.

So I even got in long enough to have my picture taken.........  Beautiful day.

Profitable Day

At a recent visit to my favorite "slightly used" store on a 50% off day, I found the following for $30:  2 hot pads, a hardanger table runner, a wool embroidery cardigan sweater, a Tally Ho boiled wool jacket, 2 pullover sweaters, 1 knit pullover and a white cardigan.....Oh, yes, and some Levis for Bob.
All have been washed or dry cleaned and ready for a new home.

I don't know why I love this kind of shopping.