Author: Diana Blakney

Slab of manufactured marble will be glued to the side of the shower to fix the leak.

Our old picnic tables were aging, so we bought two strong new ones that …. needed to be assembled.

The instructions said two people could do it … Sid did most of the first one by himself. The second one took three of us.

I really did help.

They look nice … and they collapse for storing.

In the meantime, Sandra had her own project.

Sid had another project as well.

Bianca was busy guarding.

The City is starting work on placing the water line along Henkle Way instead of across our property.

Marking for where a water line will come up to our house.

Sid rototills while the chickens laugh.

Rock Creek is high, despite the lovely day.

Good day for Scotch broom removal.

Not to mention blackberry bushes.

I don’t know what to say about these two crazy birds!

10 yards of mulch and soil get delivered and spread around.

Our hand tool handles broke, so we brought in Gio with the big guns to do the spreading.

Tortellini had ear surgery. He is resting comfortably.

When they aren’t tending Torti, Rossanna and Sandra bake tasty Italian treats.

Spring is coming! The flowers in the woods are blooming.

And the Scotch broom is multiplying.

We didn’t bring the chain saw …

The blackberry vines never quit trying to take over.

It turns out that full replacement is the solution.

Looks pretty nice! And it works, too! Good work from non-certified plumber Sid.

Sadly, there is another concern …

This is a hole in the ceiling of the downstairs bathroom where water has leaked from the upstairs bathroom down to the ceiling of the downstairs bathroom. An examination of the upstairs bathroom fails to reveal the source.

A leaky toilet caused the floor to buckle. Sid to the rescue!

A trip to Home Depot, new waterproof lining, a new toilet seal, and new flooring will make it all work again (we hope!).

On Tuesday, January 28, 2025, DH, our favorite American Tree Farm System inspector, toured the farm to ensure Shiver River continues to comply with its certification requirements. We passed! A retired OSU professor, we always learn a ton when his feet touch our ground.

Sandra pays close attention as DH describes the well-being of our neighbor’s pine trees.

Winter debris makes getting to a replanting site difficult.

A lovely chinquapin tree near our border with a neighbor’s clear cut.

I can’t remember what DH was pointing out, but walking with him is like getting a university level Forestry course without having to pay tuition.

DH took a look at our new culverts. He suggested adding more rocks to the spill from the first one you encounter walking into the woods.

Sid and DH discuss the health of the “free to grow” Doug-fir planting near the Watershed Road.

Nikole and dad David visit the farm!

Bianca never loses an opportunity to have her photo taken.

We entered the woods and onto the Rock Creek trail.

Rock Creek isn’t all that high.

This ditch is feeding into the first culvert.

First culvert

This large wood placement has accumulated an amazing collection of debris.

The pond is low at the moment.

You can see the giant culvert that brings Griffith Creek onto our property.

Shrooms are not as plentiful in December, but a few remain.

City engineers visited in mid November to see where the connection to the new water line along Henkle Way will go.

The little porch is almost finished being repaired and painted.

Baby chicks have hatched. We think Jack is the dad and Big Betty the mom.

The deck is looking good.

So is the paint job on the Rickshed.

On one of our October inspection walks, Bianca clambered down a steep slope to get cooled off in Rock Creek.

There are always things to snip on the forest trails.

The shrooms are poking their heads up everywhere now that we’ve had rain.

Rough-skinned newts were named for their dry granular skin―most other salamander species have moist smooth skin. A terrestrial adult newt has a brown head and back with a bright orange belly and can grow to almost eight inches in total length.

Rough-skinned newts have a powerful neurological poison in their skin and eggs to protect them from predators. A milky white substance is released from glands when disturbed. Avoid hand-to-mouth contact after handling a Rough-skinned newt.

Through the non-breeding season, terrestrial adults live in forested areas along the coast and through to the eastern foothills of the Cascades. They find protection in or under soft logs. For their size, these newts travel relatively long distances between their breeding and non-breeding habitat and may be seen crossing roads during spring and fall as they migrate.

Hurry up, says Bianca. Time to head back.