Harvests, Training, Trail Building, Creek, BB Gun, Stain Gate, Fire, Grilling - Friday

One of the constant tasks with the summer squash is culling the fail-to-grow ones. They are small and stunted and a lot of them end up dying off. I try to cut them off the plants sooner than later so the plants can focus on putting energy to the good squash that WILL grow big. The birds get the rejects as I lob them over the garden fence.

13 pounds of summer squash which includes some of the smaller but still edible ones.

Down in the lower garden I was pulling weeds when I came upon a bundle of lady bugs. This year they are everywhere thanks to the super moist weather. I have been seeing them in all the gardens but this was one of the larger groups I have seen so far.

Some giant radishes from the boy's rows. The Japanese giant radishes have immense tops that get really wide and the roots can get huge but mine likely had too much water so didn't grow that big.

I got a handful from the raspberry bushes as they are slowly ripening.

In the pole garden I found ANOTHER volunteer tomato. This one is feet from the row and irrigation which required running a 1/4" line from one of the emitters to the tomato. I have it pushed through the fence and will train it along it. It is nowhere near where tomatoes were growing prior years.

Our first cucumber of the year was ready. I put it in the fridge and we had it with dinner.

I trained the cucumbers to the lines, pulled some weeds, and setup the tomato plant. The beans need to be trained more so they don't take over the cucumber row. I'm fine with them climbing the sunflowers.

I really should have been in the garden picking beans but my desire to build the trail overtook me and I headed up the hill to work on it. I spent the next 45 minutes with the mattock cutting the trail across the hillside, through the power line easement. The ground is so rocky that the mattock was the fastest way to get the cut made.

I have the top of the trail finished now and am down to 2 sections left lower to cut. The biggest thing is I still have to move all the branches down the hill out of the way.

With the trail work done I used the mattock to limb up a bunch of the trees inside the sheep pen. It makes it much easier to walk through now without all the dead branches trying to poke us in the face.

While I hacked at the branches the dog found his way to the bottom of the eagle's tree where he found himself the foot of a baby deer which he then proceeded to crunch on.

I headed down to the house and after some food I heard the boys playing in the creek and I had wanted to do some work in it. The tunnel that I have been shoring up needed rocks laid along the base of the wall. The water has been pulling sand and dirt from behind the wall and in an effort to reduce the loss I covered over the gaping crack at the bottom.

I was cleaning in the tool shed trying to make room for all my electric motors on the shelf when I came across my quite old Pumpmaster 760 BB gun. To my surprise the thing still works. I took it to the wire wheel to remove a bunch of the rust from the barrel, oiled the action, filled it with bbs and worked to dial in the sighting.

I grabbed the metal tri-target and pounded the legs into a log then the boys spent much of the afternoon shooting at it. They both managed to pump it up and get it cocked.

While cleaning the shelves I came upon cans of wood stain that I have had for years from an old client. My gates are made of untreated wood and I took a bit to very generously apply the oil based stain to it. I only did the one but will do the other one today. The only surface I didn't get was the bottom of the bottom board but I will pull the gate today and apply to it. Hopefully this will help the gates last for many years.

Got a fire going for the afternoon and the boys built one in their little fire pit.

I went for a wander back up the hill with the dog to hike my trail. Ended up heading down the pen and found a nice group of feathers beneath the preening tree.

I setup foam behind the targets so they wouldn't get ricochets but they still used their shields as an extra measure of safety. The target was over 20 feet from them.

For dinner I mixed up 3 pounds of ground meat. One pound each of beef, bison, and chicken then made them into patties. I did not measure for weight so they are a bit large.

I grilled them on the fire then toasted the buns. I have to say that the tri-meat blend was outstanding.

Did not get a long time out soaking as it took so long to get out there. I had to get out to put the birds in then crashed as I was beat from the day of work.

Today I have to pick beans after the morning squash picking. The trail needs to be worked on still, branches hauled, shed organized more, house cleaned, and this evening I will grill again.

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