Trail Clearing

In a perfect world I would win the lottery.  I have a lot of plans for that money.  I rarely BUY a ticket, so the chances are slim that I will win, but it doesn't stop me from planning on how to spend it.  I contemplate spending it mostly when doing things I don't like to do. 

This brings me to our morning activity.  Trail clearing.  We have a trail up into our woods.  It is a beautiful drive.  In places it is so thick with trees you can't see the sky.  On the slope at the beginning of the trail, it is a narrow path with a steep drop off.

 

 You can look across the canyon?  hollow? to the house. 


 
The trees are constantly attempting to encroach on the road and we have to muscle them back.

Lee filled the bed of the Mule with tools and I drove.  The plan was for him to cut while standing in the bed for extra height.  In reality we would both hop out and cut some and then move to the next spot. It is easier to cut baby trees than wait for them to get big and then cut them, so I did the little guys and Lee cut the bigger branches.  Let's face it. He is stronger than I am.

 

This branch has some berries that I can't identify.  If they were edible, I would probably try to make more jam!

 

Having Lee cut over my head can be problematic.  Hearing "Heads Up!"  AFTER being hit in the head by a branch is not particularly helpful.  So I had to do my share of trimming, if only in self defense.

 

This is my artsy shot of Lee in the rear view mirror.  I don't think Spielberg has to worry.

 

Farther in the woods we found a bunch of dead trees and branches.  Some had blown down years ago and some were more recent.  We really should get up there with the truck and a bunch of chain saws.  Today we just cut and dragged the branches off the road so that the tractor could get up there.  Later Lee will drive up with the bush hog and chop up any small branches and cut the grass all at the same time.  Love me some bush hog.

When a person works outside and in the woods you have know that you will encounter a myriad of insects.  Even if you spray yourself with OFF! they will drop on your head and crawl on your very person.  I kept thinking of the song from The Wizard Of Oz.  You know the one.  Spiders and Chiggers and Ticks, Oh MY!  There will be a bath in my future.

This is why I want the lottery money.  I want to go through the woods and cut all the little trees that are encroaching on the big trees.  I would love to manage the woods so that they are lush, but not overcrowded.  I would like to remove most of the dead wood.  You have to keep some for the wildlife.

 

I would love to build trails and meadows in the woods.  At the very top of the hill and the very corner of our property is a great flat area.  It has huge trees.  Another lottery expenditure would be a professionally built tree house.


 
 And if we had this non-existent lottery money I would hire a full time grounds keeper.  Can you imagine how gorgeous this place would be then?

In the meantime, I am open to volunteers to clear the land.  You could learn to drive a tractor, just like you wanted to do as  a child in your sandbox with your Tonka trucks.  You can have all the wood you cut and I will keep you well supplied with baked goods. It would be like an eco-tourism vacation.  Any takers???