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Praying Mantis and yard work

Praying mantis, the friendliest of insects, loves Sid.
We bought some hose organizers and they look terrific.
We got a shipment of lovely ground cover flowers which Sid is planting. We also got gifted some tulip bulbs from the fish researchers. Diana planted those.
At last, our battery operated hedge trimmer arrived.
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Mountain Quail, roofing, firewood and (sigh) Scotch broom.

A beautiful Mountain quail came into the farmhouse to visit Sid.
Sid ponders the challenge of finishing the roof.
Loading the last of Mike’s hard work onto the Ranger. Sadly, we spotted tons of Scotch broom growing at or near this location. We pulled up most of it a couple of days after loading the wood.
Nasty stuff. Grrrrrr……
Keeping the alder/ash seedlings out of the meadow is a project begun, but far from finished.
We tarped the wood pile, but the wind blew it around and Sid had to redo it. Not easy!
Keeping the forest roads clear is an ongoing project.
We didn’t have the chainsaw, so this one will have to wait for another day.
Checking on our replanted clear cut.
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Clearing forest roads, fungi, ‘shrooms and firewood

The broadleaf tree that fell across the road just past the Griffith Creek crossing was big and tough.
Crossing Griffith Creek to get to the log was not difficult. The creek is low.
This is where the tree broke. It was dead anyway.
The fir that broke and fell on the Creek trail (near Rock Creek) was also dead. It had a lot of fungal activity at the break site. Did it kill the tree or did it come after the tree died?
I think these are oyster mushrooms.
Skinnier tree, easier to cut.
We tarped about four piles of cut logs that had yet to be split.
We hauled four piles of split wood to the house.
Sid used the tractor to compress the ever-growing pile of firewood.
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Firewood hunt and logs fallen across forest roads

The new (rebuilt) heavy weight weed whacker arrived and Sid is doing the final assembly.
Mike the woodcutter sprayed the false brome that was invading the meadow. It looks nice and dead.
Kay is installing the other camera on Bear Blvd. (aka a short road to the clear cut plantings) hoping to catch our black bear, cougar or other assorted wildlife.
There are little piles of firewood all over. We went on a finding and loading mission. Here is Kay, loading away.
See the riparian plantings?
Oh no! A fallen tree blocks the forest road!
We were trying to figure out why the tree fell and saw this weird white stuff on the broken trunk.
Whaaaaat? Another fallen tree?
All assembled and cutting its little heart out.
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The Crees visit, firewood is added, and a dump run accomplished

Julius, Jessica, Sid, Gavin and … Bianca
Looking over the fields and the forest.
Bianca’s smile is a beautiful sight.
Kay and Bill load firewood cut and split by Mike the woodcutter.
Mike stacked a nice bunch of firewood. We finished it and tarped it against the rain that is sure to come shortly.
Dump run.
Fetching more firewood out of the woods.
Sid successfully grew this tasty watermelon!
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Preparing for firewood delivery

To supplement the firewood we are getting out of our own woods, we ordered two cords of maple and alder mix, already seasoned. In preparation, Sid found a good spot for it near or at where the root cellar used to be. We needed three big holes to put posts in for a backstop so that the wood wouldn’t roll down the hill. We rented this post hole digger to help with the job
It poured rain after the posts were in, so when the truck with the wood arrived, the ground was too wet to drive the truck to the location we had so carefully prepped. Guess we’ll be hauling it there with the Ranger, a wheelbarrow and strong backs.
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Clear skies – no smoke from wildfires

After nearly two weeks of bad air from wildfire smoke, it is back to work time at the farm!
Bill and Diana, armed to the teeth, head up the Loop trail to check out the status of the road. It is very important to keep it clear of fallen trees in the event a fire requires fire suppression equipment access.
I think (but don’t know) that this mushroom is Chicken of the woods, or Sulphur shelf (laetiporus sulphureus). From the internet:
“Chicken of the woods is another locally harvested mushroom. It is hard to miss, with its vibrant orange and yellow shelves fanning out on tree trunks. With a dense and firm texture and a taste reminiscent of chicken, they are wonderful in soups, stir-fries, marinades and in place of chicken in vegetarian “chicken” salad. These mushrooms must be harvested while very young and fresh before they become tough and inedible. “
Bill hefts a log to block entrance to property that does not belong to us.
Do not take the Ranger onto other folks’ property!
Yeow! A veritable field of poison oak just off the Loop trail.
The Loop trail was impediment free for the most part. Bill and Diana head across Rock Creek to examine the Creek trail.
The riparian plantings (mostly Western red cedar) look good, but the weeds make bushwhacking necessary.
The large wood placement in this area is doing its job well. Look at all the debris!
Back at the house in time to spot Sid while he’s on the roof.

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Summer Workforce Makes Big Impact

Tory’s garden has never looked better thanks to Sandra, who spent August making improvements both in and out of the house.
Bianca agrees that Sandra is the hardest worker.
Nina and Alex did their share, too.
Here’s the guy who makes our summer workforce get up and at em every day.
While he puts on shingles.
Hoss would rather ride a motorcycle. Beats hunting!
An errant sapling bites the dust. Sadly, the Reed canarygrass eradication will have to wait another day.
Two patches of Reed canarygrass AND blackberries. A project for another day.
We put the game camera up in the same location as last time. Will the bear, cougar, elk and others return?
The battery pack for the fish counting folks is still next to Griffith Creek.
Griffith Creek is low.
Hard to see, but there are lots of elderberries (both ripe and green) on this skinny tree.

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Wildlife galore!

I left my game camera up for nearly two months, and look at what it captured: a cougar!
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An elk! You can tell by size and by the markings on his behind. You can compare it with the deer behinds seen later in this blog.
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Deer
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Where’s Bianca, says the coyote.
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This little gal and her friends triggered a lot of photos.
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