Category: The Farmhouse

Backhoe

My anonymous farmer buddy came by today with his backhoe and did a little digging for me. It was great to see him with that tool! I watched him work and realized just how impossible the tasks I had him doing would have been for me to do with a shovel or something.

He started out right in the back, digging a test hole for a septic system replacement. That started caving in just as soon as he finished it, and by the time I last saw it before coming in for the evening, it was in pretty bad shape. I think I may need him over to re open the bottom of the hole when the inspector comes.

Next thing he dug was an short aspen stump from a tree that died and I had to cut down several months ago. I crisscrossed the top with the chainsaw so it would catch water, and it definitely began to soften up quite a bit, but it was nowhere near the damage Mr. Farmer did with his backhoe! He soon had it torn out of the ground, and I was free of that old mower hazard!

Lastly, Mr. Farmer took out the big stump from the blue spruce tree that we had removed several years ago. It had come loose in a windstorm, and the ground around the base showed cracks, so we had it cut down as it was twice as high as our two story house, and too close to risk a fall! That old stump was pretty rotten, but even with all the force of the backhoe, it would not come easily! Mr. Farmer finally dug around it and broke up some roots before pulling it out.

I have cleaned up most of the debris, and levelled out the yard for the most part where the stumps were. I need a bit more soil from the hole in the back, and I ought to be able to make the yard relatively scar free. Before long, the grass ought to grow back, but hopefully, we won’t be here to see it! Only time will tell. But at least those are a couple of jobs done so that we will have a better looking house to put on the market when the time comes.

I tried to lift the propane tank with the high-lift jack today, and as it turned out, it was easy! I think I will be able to get it up on cement blocks when they are delivered. I sent a message asking for them today. I don’t see this being too big of a problem. When it is done, I will ask for a refill on the tank, then see where our account sits with the propane company.

Next up, I ought to get the downstairs furnace fixed, and running. That should also be a plus for selling the house. We have been heating the downstairs with the wood stove for so long, I cannot even image what it would be like to have that old furnace up and running. I don’t want to heat with the furnace. It is expensive as can be. BUt I need to have it running in case we do actually sell and move.

So that is a bit of an update for today. Tomorrow it is eye exams, the county health inspector, and maybe Mr. Farmer by. I get to have lunch out with my daughters, so that will be a wonderful day for me!

Today Was Restful

We decided not to do much today. Missus has wrapped up so much in the past week, and her arms and shoulders have been hurting for it. We were also thinking that the girls start school in the morning, but the school has not been great at communicating till I checked back into the calendar today and found that it is not actually meant to start for another week. So, all that rest today was in vain. Well… as they say, hard work often pays off over time, but laziness always pays off now. What is a wasted day of rest?

I worked on the firewood holder next to the wood stove today. It has a box built in under it, and some robust pieces of wood planking on top of that to set the firewood onto. It is meant to hold the wood off the ground so I can reach it without bending down too much. Atop of all that is the cast iron shelves, and it is all set into a corner next to the stove, and between the wall and the built in hutch.

For a long time I was not too sure how I was going to finish the planking as it has firewood thrown on top of it all the time in the winter. It has held up really well as bare wood, especially as it is rough cut fir, and does not show indents from the firewood. So today I used my hand planes to smooth the plank tops down some, leaving a little of the saw marks for the distressed look, then finished them with linseed oil, to give them that almost varnished look, while keeping them easy to refinish as necessary, and waterproof at the same time. They look really good!

My oldest daughter came to me this afternoons and said the boy goats were out. We have two young Billy’s we are keeping in the chicken run, to keep them from the girls. They managed to push the gate open, and leave. The gate is about 18 inches high so that there is a fence along the bottom, which makes it easier for me to get in and out of when the chickens are close as they cannot just walk out, and it is elevated to make it easy to open when there is snow on the ground, too. I went out, and walked around the other goat pen slowly, which pressed the escapees round it, showing me they did not want to be messed with. Kirynie was still in getting shoes on to come help. I grabbed a scoop of corn and put it on the ground in the run, and left the gate open. I put the scoop back, and looked back, and the goats were at the gate, looking in. Just then, Kiry came out the back door and looked up at what was going on as the two goats jumped back into the run, and I stood there cool as a cucumber while they did. She smiled and laughed, as she was expecting to come out and chase them! I walked over and closed the gate, and added an extra fastener on it after, while Kiry laughed, and high fived me for being so effective. I am glad she learned the ways of the wise today.

I have more boxes to put into storage tomorrow. I need the farmer to bring us some hay as we will use the last of it tomorrow morning. I also need him to dig a test hole for a new septic system. I need to fill out some paperwork, and get the county inspector over, too. I also need to set an appointment for the girls and I to get our eyes tested, and buy new glasses! That seems like a good plan for tomorrow! Aside from all that, I can carry on packing boxes, ready to go to storage.

I tried chopping at the weeds in the empty llama pen today with my scythe. They are long, and it is hard to reach through to get their stems and cut them down. I tried fitting the riding lawn mower through the gate, but to do it, I would have to remove the mower deck, and that is just enough of a pain that I am not that interested in it. It would really improve the look of this place if I got those weeds down. Lessons learned here are to use wider gates, and to make the pens goat tight so I can set the goats loos in it to sort out the weeds. I like the way I set the gates up to be able to use only two gates side by side and combine the pens into one, but next time, either way, wider gates are a must! The four foot ones are too narrow to be useful when a machine is required for mowing, or for removing a dead animal.

I’ll probably take the mower deck off tomorrow or the next day. Depends on how busy other things get.

Finally, our oldest has at last asked his girlfriend to be his fiancée. I have heard nothing of a date yet, but that is fine. They have a lot to think about, and a lot to do to take the next step after that. What’s most important is that they do things that make them happy, and at a pace that makes them happy, too. But congratulations to them both for taking this step. Whatever and whenever next is next, at least everyone can know he has designs on her, and is committed to her, and her to him. They have been together too long to doubt it, but this is a step to make it something more.