Random April Images

A nice hodge podge of images I haven't yet posted.

Boyd found this shed while walking on the South Farm.

 We got a pretty decent snow storm mid-April, right after I decided it was warm enough to bring out the hammock.  :)

 The snow and the sunrise combined to make the hayfield look like a desert to me.

 One day while hanging out at the river, this man and his dog came along doing what I think is called stand up paddle-boarding.  If you look closely at the middle back of the river, you can see him.

 I didn't get a very close up picture because I was holding on to the collars of my two dogs so they wouldn't bother the guy and his dog.

 My dogs tend to think they OWN this portion of the river.

And a nice smoke-filled sunset.

A New Herb Garden

April 21st marked the one year anniversary of my back surgery.    Last year I worked hard to get the garden in before my surgery knowing that I wouldn't be able to do much for a while.

This year, I celebrated the one year mark by working on the garden.   I had previously planted an herb garden at ground level and covered it with rocks.  It didn't do to well.  So, this year I decided to move it to this 8ftX8ft raised bed.  The size made it a pain to plant vegetables because you couldn't really get to anything without stepping on something else.

 So, I decided to use some pavers I had around and make an herb garden with convenient stepping stones.   I had 23 stones and just designed some sort of pattern that worked with that many stones.

 And, since I didn't do a good job labeling the herbs the last time around, I made sure to use some sort of marker that would be very visible. :)

 The only herb that survived some potent weed spray was the lavender.  Everything else I planted new.  We planted strawberries on the corners, but  I don't think they are going to make it.

 Found this little friend while I was working.

 I also bought these asters because they were just so cute!

 Gardening just makes me happy!  Even just sitting out in the garden relieves my stress.

 So far, everything but the strawberries are growing well.

 My cilantro is much bigger than this picture already and I need to harvest a bunch or two.

 I'm hoping it fills in and looks and smells amazing soon!

The Bathroom Remodel

Did the title deceive you?  Did you really suppose that we actually would start a home remodel project?   No way! 

I just tease Boyd every time he spends $$$ on the farm that it could have been a new kitchen, paint, deck and in this case, I told him it could have been a bathroom remodel.

Instead, it is new front tires for one of the tractors.  Plus, this same tractor just got a new radio. 
Lucky tractor!

 Taking off the old tires.

 And, the new tires with the little rubber deals to prove it.

 

I guess the new tires came just in time to plant safflower. 

 Boyd finished planting two fields before the rain came.  Perfect timing to hopefully water in the seeds.

It's Maddening!

I suppose if the saying "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all" has any merit, then this post will have the basic facts and I will try to keep all the mean things I really want to say silenced.

The adjacent property owners (calling them neighbors would be too generous) burned their ditches. 

 Then left. 

 Without making sure their fire was out.

 And before too long, our pond was on fire.

 It is kind of hard from the pictures to see how much of an area actually burned, but it was significant. I would estimate it to be almost the size of a football field.

 Boyd was doing some field work nearby and noticed the smoke and flames were beyond where the ditches were located.

 He got off the tractor and up to the house, got the 4-wheeler which happened to have the spray tank on it, got it filled with water and after two trips for water, managed to stop the fire from spreading up the hill to my animals.

 In hindsight, maybe he should have called the fire department and had them respond.
The next three photos are the few he took while trying to extinguish the fire.

 Although we didn't choose to have the pond burn, Boyd was less focused on putting it out as he was on preventing it from burning a nearby shelter and going up the hillside.

 All of the stuff in the foreground of this picture below ultimately burned.  Basically the whole bowl of the pond burned.  The road on the south was a fire break and luckily, Boyd had kept the weeds down on the north side, so there was less to worry about.

Here's Buddy helping.  :) Too little, too late.

 Even more maddening is that there was still flames on the adjacent property HOURS after the initial fire.  I called the property owners early afternoon to let them know what was happening.  They were apologetic on the phone, but even though I told them to drive to our place and see how much burned, they did not show.  I told them it took my husband two hours to put out their fire, but I guess they don't care.  No visit. NO NOTHING!

 Boyd called the Sheriff's office to file a complaint.  He was transferred to what I suppose was the Fire Marshall's office where he left a message.  Someone did call back and get his information, but that was it.  No one from their office came to see the damage.  I don't know if the property owners even got a burn permit before they started.

So desolate now!

 Ironically, just the day before, this same property owner saw my husband at the Co-op and wanted to buy a portion of our farm.

 We aren't selling. 

 So, they try to burn us out???

 I am certain it wasn't really intentional, just absolutely irresponsible.

 And just plain maddening!