This one work-day trip began with cutting down the trees growing through the two grain augers and adding them to the pile. Then jacked up the auger that dumped into the bin and replaced the bin’s cap to stop rain from getting inside the bin.

Ted had pushed up some brush next to the diesel tank and Mary wanted to clean out the killer rose thorns. We started in and cleared almost through the azaleas to Audry’s vegetable cleaning table.

Then Ted came to put out hay, saw what we were doing and decided to help. He spent at least three hours pushing up scrub trees and adding them to the pile. The 10″ tallow tree next to the barn was very hard to get out. Its major root went straight down. What I expected would lake me several years to do was done in one afternoon.

Tried out the new Swisher line trimmer and it worked great. Found a lot of weeds in the new rose beds from the Home Depot mulch.

Built a fire in the fire place as it was in the high 50′s and the fire felt good.

Note the water level in the pond due to the recent rains. The level fell about 6″ from Friday PM to Sunday AM. So, it must be draining slowly.

Buffy, Peg's roaster, likes the old oak

We accomplished a lot other than relaxing-country life is not always relaxing. As Dad would say: the more you work the more there is to do. One of the highlights of the trip was buying a new bed. That made a lot of difference in how well we lasted as the third and fourth day came along.

This was a special time as our first full day would have been Momma’s (Dorothy) 91st birthday. It was very rewarding to recreate flower beds on the front and west side of the house and plant red roses and gardenias.  She would have been very pleased.

Heat wire before the insulation

The weather was fantastic as it was in the high 60′s to low 70′s and clear blue sky every day. We did have a good frost one morning. The only part about the weather that was disappointing was that it was not cold enough at night to have a fire in the fire place. Mary was ready with her eggnog and rum and thick robe to curl up in the chair and stare into the fire…but that will be another day.

I began the war on the small stand of Kudzu that has begun to take over a portion of the stream area. This first action was to cut off the main vines just above the ground level. The plan is that when they sprout next spring the cows will eat the leaves and help stunt further growth. In addition, I plan to cut the “stumps” off again and treat them heavily with Roundup. From what I have read if the war is waged faithfully for 10+ years it may be eradicated.

I also cut a lot of large grape vine stalks in the trees along the creek next to the little field.

I found the original sheet metal cap to the chimney and when we were preparing to leave I climbed up on the roof and installed it. Of course all boys like to be on the roof and see what can be seen. So, I took photos and they are below as two of the panoramic composites.

Check out the new images in the Photo Gallery posted under the heading “Early Winter”

Below are thumbnail’s that link to large panoramic views of the north field and the stream area. There are also images from the roof of the house looking north toward the row crop field and one looking south showing the view from the front door–if you are on the roof.

But, this year we drove to Mobile on Friday arriving about 3 PM and in time for Peggy and I to meet with Anna Williams. Returned to the farm about 6:30 and it was dark. Surprising how it seemed to get dark earlier but then we are on the east edge of the time zone.

Saturday
Anticipating it will turn cold Saturday evening the first task was to inspect the chimney. Found it surprisingly clear of birds nests and soot on the walls.  No cleaning required.

Mary and I built the pump house with the lumber bought the last trip. Went to Home Depot and bought various supplies including 2″ Styrofoam to insulate the pump house.
picked up limbs and trimmed back brush around the barn.

Went to the little field and got firewood. As part of looking in the brush and leaves I picked up a few of the firewood logs Dad had in the little shed he built to keep them dry. There is some termite damage but a lot of it can still be burned. We had a great fire with the small wood from the back and Peggy came over to enjoy it with us.

There are a lot of pecans on the ground. Talked to Ted Strange who was hauling in round bales. One cow had a calf last week and another is due and has not been around for a day or so. Maybe she had hers.

Sunday
Drizzled off and on all day so mostly worked inside. Began with replacing the kitchen sink faucet but could not get one bolt to come loose so after breaking two new saber saw metal cutting blades and partial sawing it apart I put the wrenches back on it and it broke.

Installed a new dimmer switch to the chandler in the dining room.

Installed a new four-bulb light in the MBR dressing room and a new light fixture in the bath room. Also installed in the dressing room a bent steal decorative towel rack and shelf.

Monday

Cut the foam board and installed with the Locktite adhesive formulated for foam board but it does not cure for 24 hours and it turned cold. We braced it press it to the walls and the drizzle began. Found a box blade and  3-pt. hitch bush hog in the weeds as the frosts to date have dropped a lot of the leaves.

Tuesday
High 30′s and cold but a beautiful clear morning. Righted the pump house and put the foam board–to be glued next trip under the roofing plywood–on top with a scrap piece of plywood over it. Added the pipe insulation at the gap with the house. Looks ok.

Everything at the farm is in good shape with the big pile of grape arbor debris and dead tallow trees tightly piled in the barn yard by Ted. House and grounds looks great: green and not too bad off from the drought this past summer.

Ted also cleaned out the rest of the fence row at the garden. That debris is in a pile in the garden. Mary was continuously amazed at how she could see from the house across the garden.

Mary started right in with replacing the kitchen cabinet knobs with the white ones we brought. I removed the can opener and toaster oven from under the cabinet and the microwave. I mounted the light under the ceiling fan. The kitchen seems so much larger. Mary hung some of the framed art we brought in the living room.

Day one was largely going to Home Depot to buy the replacement door for the store room and working in the house with the new curtains and changing the TV area to remove the VCR stand. Mary hung more art we brought. I had to jumped off the little tractor to cut the grass in the barn yard so when I set the fire it would not spread. Not much chance it would burn green grass … but there is a lot of thatch from past mowings.

Day two was back to home depot for lumber to build the pump house. I did not get to it so the lumber is stacked in the car port.  Also pulled the old freezer out of the store room and called the guy to come get and he did.

Day three started with burning the grape arbor pile. It went up like a torch and during the day I kept throwing the little stuff into the fires and by the end it was gone.  I hung the storage room door and Mary painted it. We drove to the north fields and around so Mary could see them as it has been several years since she was there. We have a lot of tallow trees to kill.

Mary cut the front yard grass and I trimmed blueberry bushes and the fig trees. Added all to the fire along with old fence posts from under the pecan trees near the bin.

The Johnson grass sprayed with RoundUp during the last trip had died.  So, I sprayed more.  Also sprayed a large tallow tree in the fence line at the garden with Remedy as well as other scrub trees in the fence row.

I told him to take out anything in the way and any trimming of the grape vines was a good thing. He said he likes “piddling around” with that sort of thing. He did a lot more than piddle around!

God bless Ted!!!

A Great Sunrise

Went to the store and got 5 gallons of diesel. Mixed a gallon of Remedy (the last of the first gallon) and sprayed the Pyracantha stumps and the small Chinese Tallow trees that had not died across the street and along the west yard fence. Did not have my machete so did not hit the trees that survived. Left it for Frank. Remedy worked great on everything I sprayed last time.

Mixed a gallon of Roundup and sprayed the Johnson grass across the street.

Followup – The Remedy worked great as did the Round-Uup on the Johnson Grass.

After he left I took the line trimmer and went to the barn. Managed to hit a PVC riser behind the barn and now had a new leak. Went to Home Depot for fittings, glue and a pipe cutter–about $35.

Came home and found Mary and Mike Spanos had arrived and had taken apart the doorbell as it would not quit ringing and Lady (my dog) kept barking inside. Let them in and repaired the riser.

Peggy came over and the three of us talked about the estate. Came to an agreement–we thought.

Went to dinner at Tilmos on Airport Blvd near Baker HS. It is a new BBQ place that is very good.

Went to Home Depot and bought a shovel and yard rake. Needed the shovel to plant the four roses I brought. But later decided it was much too dry. [Took them to Peggy's Saturday and Frank put them in the middle of plastic where he had seedlings he is growing to resell.]

The MF21 cranked!!!

The water pressure was very low in the evening and when I turned off the line to the cows it was back to normal, the pressure rose to normal and the pump stopped.  Must be a leak out there.