Well, everyone, after saying that I was back, I had to leave again for a brief time. This time it wasn't due to the family situation back in mid-March to mid-May. Instead it was due to my Beautiful Gal's next older sister, Treasa, and her husband, James, coming in their RV and staying at our place for 1 1/2 weeks. They just left this morning.
While they were here, James and I got quite a bit of tree & brush clearing done. He loves to do chores like that, and he loves to use the chain saw. I will drive the tractor using the grapple to move the fallen trees, shrubs, and limbs. I also use the brush blade attachment on the string trimmer. I improved the brush blade attachment by getting rid of the original 4-sided blade, which didn't cut worth a crap, and replacing it with a circular saw cutting blade. Now it cuts a whole lot better!
The pond got cleared some time in August of last year. Surprisingly, the brush hasn't started growing back all that quickly, which makes me glad. We finished the picnic area back in February, I think. We still have to work on the trails through the woods.
I plan on updating everyone with what we have been doing as soon as I get caught up on everyone's journals.
I improved the brush blade attachment by getting rid of the original 4-sided blade, which didn't cut worth a crap, and replacing it with a circular saw cutting blade.
Just a bit more of what has happened recently that I forgot to mention in my previous post. First, last week my Beautiful Gal and I celebrated our 44th wedding anniversary! Can you believe she would put up with me that long?
Second, we finally broke down and bought a wood chipper -- a Woodland Mills WC68. It came in the day before my wife's sister and the husband came to stay with us. I originally decided to wait until they left before trying to put it together, so we could spend more time cutting trees, bushes, and limbs. But due to a medical problem of mine that made it difficult for me to drive the tractor (more below), we decided shortly before they left to put the chipper together. I am glad we did, as there were some parts that required 2 people doing the work. Once we got it assembled, we tested it on a few limbs near the shop. It worked great. Then as I started to put up the chipper and tractor, my BIL noticed that hydraulic fluid was leaking from the chipper's tank. It turned out to have a hole in the tank. I contacted the company and they are shipping a new tank to me.
We have seen a number of animals on the game camera we have at the pond where we put out corn -- deer, birds, squirrels, raccoons, opossums, etc. But a few rather unusual animals as well:
Canadian geese:
Mallard ducks:
A mystery animal:
We think the mystery animal is a black bear but aren't sure, as it never faced the camera. The Canadian geese have left (the ingrates) but the ducks are still on the pond.
Now for the medical condition for which I would like to get some advice for treatment. I have broken out in a bad rash in a sensitive area (the edges of my butt cheeks), which makes sitting quite painful. I don't think it is psoriasis, which I have periodically. I have used several different medicines to only mild benefit. It got so bad by Thursday afternoon that I have not been able to drive the tractor for the literal pain in the butt, so I have been staying indoors. What do you folks do to treat (and better to prevent) heat rash?
I only have an answer for you because my DH rode motorcycles for many years. He and a friend once took a trip from home (south of Houston) to Mt. Rushmore on their bikes. By the time he got home he had discovered this:
Canada geese and Mallard ducks aren't particularly unusual, at least not here. That really hairy black thing , my GUESS is your guess is right, probably a bear. Now you know not to go for a walk in the dark.
Re the medical condition, I have no knowledge of the product FEM and B&B mentioned though I have seen it referenced on BYC a time or two. My wife uses CeraVe cream for her dry skin/eczema. I hope you find relief for that, not being able to sit has to be really rough.