I am in a holding pattern and were it not for the glorious weather I would be frustrated. From my jungle clearing work and regular pruning and also clearing growth around the chicken paddocks (to better spot and dissuade predators) I have amassed a lot of chipping material.
The bush hog is mounted to the tractor and I would like to complete all the bushhogging for the season before I replace it with the chipper. I only bushhog a couple times during the year and growth rather than kempt characterize the non growing areas. And now these areas are populated with daisy fleabane.
So what, you may say, but approach closer.
And you will see my busy workers.
So I will wait a few more weeks and then switch the implements. Not such a big deal to changeover though it takes some practice to do it quickly. I only use my tractor a few times each year, so I will check the tires, oil and grease the bearings etc. before I commence my fall operations. It’s a large (60hp), old (late 80’s) Case 585 tractor which has been very reliable.
So I continue to admire the goings on.
And will collect the flower seed and disperse in new areas.
And I transport daily the oak logs from Atlanta (see previous post) and split with my maul, and then I store the firewood in my lean to greenhouse.
The oak logs have a moisture content of +/- 29% at their ends and >35% in their split middle. I am hoping to reduce this considerably in my greenhouse/solar kiln. But to achieve this I have to close the openings. The temperature controlled vent closes itself and the door I close, but towards the top I stapled plastic and feral cats (of which there are several) each winter make the greenhouse their home and they effortlessly slit the plastic for their entrance. I decided to tack mesh to the plastic. As I raised the hammer to attach the staples I noticed several wasps at the far end of the greenhouse. I like wasps (as opposed to hornets and yellow jackets) – they are generally very docile and only sting if you inadvertently put your hand on them, or mess with their nests. I withheld the first hammer blow and decided to look around. And there, close to where I was going to hammer in the staples, were 2 nests. I was sorry to see them, since for me it meant spraying and killing them. This done I secured the mesh and expect I will have to secure more as the cats devise different ways for entering the greenhouse.
I previously mentioned the luscious growth of green leaf veggies. Here is a collard – large and pest free.
And lest I forget – the muscadine are still ripening and sweetening.
