And The Beat Goes On

as does the work.  One tiny project seems to last longer than I expect.  This is the old smokehouse over a dirt cellar.  Both are still usable.  The dirt cellar actually is just holding our empty jars. Our houses hold the full ones.  The smoke house is mostly storage but makes a great drying place for herbs.  This is on my winter project list to organize again.

 During the high temperatures the shade dictates my job for the day.

Cutting out the bird poop trees freeing the Sweet Williams to grow.

Time has a way of wearing things down.

Pieces of siding and fence will be reused.

 My cow bone guarding the entrance got a new coat of paint.

Just for fun I added Welcome as you enter the yard.

I believe it's safe to say no one has a yard like mine.

I'm always armed with a camera.

Revelation! 

That may be why jobs take me so long.

Being easily distracted is a blessing.

The front of the smoke house before

and after.

All by hand looking for rocks and stumps.

I'm tired.

Solving Problems

 Chestnut tree almost on power line

and a bird poop cherry allowed to grow too tall

Sick, weak and unwanted limbs sawed or pruned

Much progress

See the tongs?  Wood is stacked. 

Small debris added to our ever growing pile. 

Holding the tree with the tractor bucket so it will fall correctly.

Too many things to hit if it fell wrong.

Timber!  

Doesn't look big but this was the tree by the power line.

Clean up continues.

We make walking sticks and vine wreaths for the shop.

The queen of distraction!

I'm not sure I will survive.

An Afternoon's Work

Honey suckle, black berries and poop plants*...

what the birds leave us to grow.

See that small bare spot?

And the work continues as the pile grows.

*Poop plants are what the birds plant when they poop.

Whatever seeds they have eaten seem to grow well.

Trimming The Poop Trees...

You know the ones I'm talking about.  The trees and bushes that grow as birds plant them in their own little micro environment.  Moisture, fertilizer and seed...how can these fail to grow??  Of course they're always dropped where they aren't needed and where it's almost impossible for them to be transplanted.

Here is a huge Black Walnut tree.  That's all I need there but it doesn't always work that way.  Been behind on yard work with life kinda getting in the way.  This is the day I decided to do ONE thing.

The birds land in the tree and plant mulberries, briers, blackberry, and wild hedge...none of which I want here.

My option?  Chop, chop!

Buckets of sweat later...

one Black Walnut tree remains.

Lizzy asks,  Are you ever gonna throw these boots away???