clearing a house site

Our friendly grounds crewman, Justin, brought his trackhoe

and a good sized chipper to help get rid of the brush and piles of trees and branches

This is where the house is going.

Looks like we are going to build a house on this hunk of land.  Of course we decided to put it in the trashiest area we could find.  First step is to take out the trash.  Last weekend the boys pitched in and spent a day helping cut up wood.  These piles are big and it is going to take some heavy equipment, which is on the way.

The old man in the hat is me

one of my favorite granddogs

  

so now that some dramatic changes are about to occur we will post more progress shots.  (hopefully there will be progress to report)

Family Work Day

We got a lot accomplished today at the property. We built up the begininnings of another garden bed using locust posts. We filled in a different garden bed with topsoil. We spread grass seed and planted flox flowers at key points along the driveway. Oh, and I learned how to drive the Kubota!

Shoveling dirt is hard work. Good thing Harding was there to help us! Filthy happy boy playing in the dirt. Wildflowers like this bloodroot are popping up everywhere. Nice view from "MoMo's Rock" near the top of the property:

Matt mixes grass seed while Barbara tries in vain to get Shelby Frances to take a nap. Shelby won again!

Catching up on spring

Ashlee toting rock, Barbara working on her Queen elizabeth wave, Matt doing the dirt work, and me just pruning the grapes.  Spring is on the way.

third garden tier is filling with dirt

brave bloodroot wondering where the forest went

I don't even want to know what I am doing in this pic

Ashlee showing her guns

queen of her domain

planting daiseys

Matt doing the least fun thing imaginable.  Moving dirt from down below to the next veggie bed

at least the view is pretty good at the work site

Barb's Queen E. Wave

Matt and Ashlee: Pictures taken Feb 13, 2011. Today we cleaned and organized the shed, and worked on the wall around the shed.

Snow solutions

The snow has been rediculous.  I am determined not to be marooned by it so here is yet another attempt to keep the roads open.  This snow is 15 inches deep.  The blower can clear it off to within about an inch of the ground.  I would go lower but it begins to throw gravel if you plow too deeply

It takes about four passes to clear a lane wide enough to drive on.  Next step is to spill a barrel of gasoline on the snow and light it.

SNOW!!!

Snow everywhere!!! Are we really going to live here?