Tyson

The coming storm.

I hate to admit this is in my front yard! It's a spot in the yard we have never been able to keep grass growing, due to the large trees that keep it in constant shade. The snake is a juvenile water moccasin. There was an even larger snake across the walk way, but it slithered off before we could get the camera. I am not fear-full of these snakes. They have a major role to play in ridding the farm of pests. We live between two chicken farmers, who have confinement houses with thousands of chickens. Field mice come running for the water in our lakes whenever the trucks come and the houses get emptied. I get a bit nervous, however, when they lay out on our sidewalk! This little guy isn't gonna be back.

Hay in the field.

First cutting of hay this year went well. Better crop than expected.

Black Widow

What a lovely creature. Wouln't you love to find this scampering around in your wood pile?

Dead Tree

This is a tree along the path to snake lake. We had the brush cleared and the slag heap leveled out to reclaim that old strip mine and make it productive. The plan is to get some topsoil moved in there. This tree lost the fight for survival, it seems. the sun gets scotching hot reflecting off the shale slag left over from mining. This mine was done forty years ago, and nothing was required then to reclaim the property. We will have to rely on volunteer dirt haulers for now. Anyone local who needs to dump a load of just dirt, no trash, can feel free to donate. Check my profile for contact information.

Butterfly

Allison took this photo. I love the color. I need to send her out on photo taking trips more often! My work has kept me so busy these past few years, I am relying on Susan and the kids to keep up with the farm chores. Our plans for building a timber-frame barn have been put on hold due to my stiff work schedule. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, however. Help is on the way at work!

Lilly Pads

17 Years

Sunset 19 July 2011

Our seventeenth anniversary.

More of the floods. The Ohio is north of our farm, but the ground to our south is lower, and runs first to the green river. Flooding has the potential to leave us on a kind of island.  

This is from the spring flooding. Trees that were down from the big ice storm were washed and floated out of the ditches into the road. 

Longest Day of Play

Here Matt and Bridget show their form.

Gates

I like the Wiki photo, but the fence looks like a lot of up-keep. The gates shown below are what Susan has chosen for the front entrance. I like the small pattern, should keep our small animals in, and small predators at bay. She has intalled the two long gates, and fence post, but the fencing is still rolled up on the ground.

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The fencing is just the right size for goats and sheep, to keep them from getting through when small.

These are the gates Susan wants to use at the driveway entrance.

Honey, the pig.

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Honey the pig. Look at how much she has grown. She loves tomatoes. Between our garden, and the neighbors, we had so much she got a treat most every week.

Spring Floods

Drury Rd

Remember

If you can't see the pavement

Don't drive through it!

Honey

This is sister Honey. She is smaller, lighter, a bit sweeter tempered. She has two notches on the right ear, and one on the left.

Straw Bale/Timberframe Hybrid Monitor Barn

Here is Babe. She is a bit darker, heaver, and bit more aggressive than her sister. She has two notches in each ear.

Snow

Matt, stockpiles his amunition for the great snow ball fight!

Jon makes his supply ready!

Bailey works on her defense strategy.

Jon lets the first one rip!

Milled Wood

This is some of the milled wood for our project. David L. has been very busy collecting trees and helping the sawyer. Cold, and wet weather aside, they have put a major effort in trying to get it ready by the end of the year. Susan gave them a Christmas deadline, as a gift to me for the holiday. Now I have to meet the same deadline for finalizing the plans for the permit! Getting the cart ahead of the horse, I guess. But a barn permit won't be too hard, I hope!

You can see mud. So slick I couldn't get close with the truck, and had to slog through it on foot for these shots. I think the deadline may have to be a bit more flexible, but they are close to complete on the take off list, as it exists so far.

You may have noticed a big lapse in posts. Weather, work, school, family matters all have a part to play. Hopefully, we will get back on track as the new year starts. No big plans for the Christmas break here, we'll be together, and that's all that matters.

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