This was Piper’s second trip to the farm. Age 3 years, 4 months. Have been very worried about her there in a warm month and snakes. So, about 30 minutes after arriving she saw two birds flitting about near the driveway gate and began to run towards them. I realized the hose like thing in the driveway had not been there when we drove in. Shouted for her to stop and she did. After breaking the hoe handle injuring the Cotton Mouth I finally found the shot gun and killed him. Piper saw the snake strike at the hoe and understood a snake is a bad animal. That set the stress factor high for the rest of the holiday for Grandma and me.
Thursday – Slow, cool morning and hot afternoon. Played a lot with Piper outside. Trimmed the road-side ditch face and outside the new fence as Ted had sprayed it and things were dying. Some of the clover had gone to seed and the line trimmer sprayed it… hopefully. Siphoned the diesel out of the Ford to replace the tank peacock. It appeared very clean… very relieved. Got the top link of the MF 3-point hitch to break free and so greased it and got it to move freely. Measured and photographed the stabilizers locations on both tractors. The MF is 14″ with the bush hog in cutting position. The Ford’s are 29″ with the owner links fully down.
Friday – 
Replaced dead azalea along west side of yard. There was a layer of red clay just below the ground left from burial of the barn. Checked ph with electronic meter and found them about 7. Added about 3/4 of a 1# coffee container of ground sulfur to each plant. Mixed it in the hole before replanting the new azalea. Also added sulfur around the two azaleas at the back door and those in the back yard as the ph was also about 7.
Mary made a picnic under the oak tree for lunch. Piper thought that was very neat. The horse thought we were rather odd.
Installed new lower guide bushings in the steering column of the JD Lawn tractor. That fixed the steering problem to some extent but still need to replace to upper bushing. Drove it to the driveway apron and washed it. Cleaned up great but a lot of paint came off. Need to buy the JD yellow, a rust converter and a primer.
Dug out the old culvert in the ditch at the barn to try to get it to drain — did to some extent. Hauled 6-7 wheelbarrow loads of dirt to fill in holes in the yard.
Saturday – Cut down the dead tallow trees behind the barn along the ditch. Pulled them to the new burn pile– that Ted had pushed up–in the lane. Unbelievably great view through the pecan orchard to the field without the dead trees. Sprayed Remedy on small tallow there and around the burn pile area and a few in the peanut field east of the gate.
While I pulled the trees with the MF Mary and Piper stayed around the truck at the gates in case the cows, donkeys or horses showed up. Piper loved playing in the red dirt of the improved crossing. Afterwards took her for a ride on the MF in the pecan orchard.
Sunday – We took Piper to the north fields for her first time. Saw a wild turkey and n sign of feral hogs. Had a little Remedy mixture and sprayed tallow trees in the west end of the creek field. Walked down into Mary’s Woods and Mary was again amazed with the beauty of the water, ferns and overall woodlands in the deep draw. Back at the house weeded the crepe myrtles and bridal wreaths. Spread sulfur on azaleas. Driskell’s planted peanuts starting just after noon and completed about 7 pm. Pulled final two trees from ditch behind barn. Sprayed Erasure on briars and fence rows in lane.
Notes:
- This was the first time at the farm with the “new” 2002 F250 SD 4WD.
