Author: Diana Blakney

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Ranger and firewood and floods

The pump house was leaking, so Sid is going to install flashing where the roof connects to the side of the barn.
With the Ranger undergoing repairs, Sid has been using his vehicle to cross the creek to access the stacks of firewood we have hidden in the woods.
Hooray! The Ranger is back and ready to rock and roll.
Swimmin’ hole is almost unrecognizable.
Gulp!

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Apple tree pruning

The three big apple trees are getting their annual pruning today. These two trees need to have their vertical arches removed next year if the arborist determines the trees can stand it.

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Bridge repairs?

The Rock Creek trail has plenty of blow down obstructing the forest road.
The creek bank under the bridge has eroded badly.
This side is jammed against the bank … torqued, we assume.
This is the bank on the house side of the creek.
Not much support left.
The Swimmin’ Hole is beautiful, nothwithstanding the erosion upstream.
Griffith Creek overflow.
Rain makes things lush….

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Winter Rain

This is Griffith Creek spillover. A creek, acting naturally.

Griffith Creek where it crosses the Rock Creek trail. Even Bianca knows that swimming is not an option.
The little tree by the bridge bit the dust.
Gravel eroding or bridge moving?
Rock Creek in motion.
Sid, victorious that the tractor successfully rescued the Ranger from being stranded in the lower field. Time for its annual check up.

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Planting 150 Calochortus tolmiei bulbs for our butterflies

We planted 150 of these cat ear bulbs so that our Fenders blue butterflies will have more nectar flowers to nibble on.

We planted about half across the creek, and half on the ridge of apple trees on the house side of the creek.
Bianca was nearby but was not interested in helping.
New woody debris in Rock Creek.
Is Sid roofing or does he just enjoy the view?

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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 (dianthus “firewitch” cheddar) 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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