I have only stopped to pick up rocks on three occasions now, but my pile at the end of one garden continues to grow steadily. Just five minutes on our morning walks (when there isn’t a storm or downpour) and I can usually come out with at least one, if not two armfuls of stone, rocks, and small boulders that can weigh up to about twenty five to thirty pounds. Before too much longer I will need to have a small pry bar with me because I can only do so much with my finger tips. The soil is drying out and these stones are stuck hard. Lots are scratched up pretty good from the farm equipment grazing over top of them. Besides keeping busy on a small, and repetitive task, I hope to save said farm equipment from damage, even just a little bit less wear and tear can help out. They’ll be out there prepping for seeding soon, and a whole lot more rocks and stones will be churned up in the wake of their preparations.
It was sixteen degrees and sunny this morning, so much warmer than I was expecting. I had on my hoodie and a jacket, but I was starting to sweat! Although now the rain looks to be coming this afternoon instead of this morning. I wonder if my daughters run club will still operate if it’s absolutely soaking wet outside. It’s the last class so maybe it will still run? Just not if we have any lightning.
Good news on the fruit tree front, at least one week onwards. The trees look to have taken to their new homes. Green leaves and fresh buds are awakening. I have watered them using my rain barrel, so that’s proving to be a worthwhile addition to the house too. I might have misjudged the hose length I needed by about a full foot, but I can make do. It works well enough. If they’d had a thirty food inexpensive hose I would have opted for that over the twenty five footer I bought. Still works, and the trees are getting water every other day if it doesn’t rain. Trying not to drown them, but keep the soil & roots moist so that they can establish themselves properly. I wait with baited breath.
I recently took this children’s play set down, transported it to Grandma’s side yard, and set it up there. Now my four year old nephew can use it, and so can the neighbours grand daughter. It was not getting any use in our yard. I kept various sports balls inside it up off the grass for ease when mowing. But the dogs chewed them all up, so now I no longer care about saving those balls from the lawn mower. Speaking of which, I should have cut the grass yesterday, but I worked outside, and took my wife to brunch instead.
The thing about picking up rocks is, you never really know how many you will get, and every time somebody tills the land you will likely discover more. So while I may fill a few buckets now, there will still be more in the fall, and next year, and the year after that. On and on it goes. We could rebuild walls with this stuff, instead we line the walls of the drainage ditch with our found field stones, or fill holes on the tractor path across the creek. Keep it passable but not interrupt the flow of water, or the passage of fish.
Soon enough I’d like to head back with my saws and get the last several logs processed. Then I can spend an hour each morning splitting wood before we get those hot, humid summer temperatures again. I’ll then have to park it until September/October, and maybe November (unless it starts to snow immediately as of November 1st, like it did last year. Stopped me cold in my tracks)
Wood and rocks. Simple, repetitive chores that you can take as seriously, or as lightly as you’d like. Just the right kind of thing I enjoy. The longer I’m around the wood piles the clearer it is to me that I could be at it for years plural. I guess if you were doing eight hour days you could probably get to it this year, but I’m not looking for a second full time, but more importantly, unpaid job. No thanks. Hard pass. Hobby is just fine.
Happy Tuesday.
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