Busy Week

I've been busy all week trying to get pictures taken and the new items I picked up last week added to Etsy. Before I got 3/4 of it up one of my best customers purchased it.  I have about 50 3 piece Amish/Mennonite dresses left to photograph and list.  I will work on that on Monday.
Today Ron and I did the yard work.  There were more weeds than grass but it needed to get done.  We also pulled the tomato plants up and that garden is not empty.  I will keep adding grass clippings and shredded leaves to it so it will be ready for next year.
Ron also had to take the truck and pull a dead deer that was in the field behind us farther down the field because it was beginning to smell.  I said something to the owner of the field and he wasn't willing to do anything with it but said we could pull it down the field farther so we didn't have to smell it.  It was about 30 feet on the other side of our turkeys and besides the smell I was afraid that a coyote might come up.  I'm not sure what happened to it but it was probably hit on the highway and managed to get that far before he died. It was a 4 point buck.  

Yard Work Monday

I was up and outside yesterday at 8 AM to start my yard work yesterday.  I first started out using the new weed whacker we got a couple of weeks ago.  It has a non pull attachment that you put on a drill and it starts it.  I do not have enough energy to pull the cord to start it and decided to purchase one I could start.   We also got a straight gas model which is a little heaver than a gas/oil model.  My arms are really sore today.  After 3 + hours on the weed whacker it was time to get out the mower.  Got the yard done WITHOUT getting stuck in any ditch.  Then I picked tomatoes and cucumbers from the garden.  When I finished it was 3 PM and I was filthy dirty.
We desperately need some rain.  The garden is pretty dry and the grass is starting to turn brown.  I would rather have to mow the grass and have it green than to have it brown and not have to mow it.  I love having a yard that looks like a park

Yard Work Day

Up and outside at 8 to start the yard work, it was already 78 degrees.  By 9 I was stuck in a small ditch and had to call Ron home to get the lawn tractor out.  Its been a couple weeks since I've been stuck in the ditch so I guess I was overdue.  While waiting for Ron I got out the weed whacker and tried for 20 minutes to start it without any luck.  I hate that stupid thing.  I am in the market for a new one, one that I can start easily. Finished the mowing part about noon.  It takes me a lot of time because I bag the grass and then use the grass to put between the rows in the garden.  After the mowing I trimmed the trees in the back yard.  They have needed to be done for months now and since I am the only one who knows how to use the loppers I decided to trim them.  When your hot and dirty you might as well do everything that needs done.
After the tree trimming I took all the poultry water containers out of the cages and scrubbed them down real good, they really needed it.   Then I picked about a dozen cucumbers and a dozen tomatoes.  I also watered the garden with the hose but used water from the rain barrels to water the herbs and pine trees.
When I came in a little after 3 it was 94 degrees.  I am beat, tired, and drained and ready for bed and it is only 6 PM.

Ring around the trees from trimming them.

Pile of limbs.

Turkey Coop and Yard Work

We had finally had a small window of dry weather yesterday and when Ron got home from work we started staining the turkey coop.  We picked up a sprayer at an auction and thought this was the answer to the the hard work.  Well for us we just couldn't get it to work smoothly and gave up trying to use it after doing just one side.  Ron had about as much stain on him as he had on the coop.  We both worked on it and then got to a point where he was doing it by himself.
I decided to start the yard work and got out the rider and worked on the front yard.  Our front yard has a slope towards our lane and when one of the neighbors was coming home I slowed down to let them down the lane. I noticed that the mower's brakes didn't seem to work real well but just blew it off.   On the other side of our lane is a strip of land that is the right-of-way then a ditch.  The village did some work on the ditch last week and added some huge white rock to keep the lane from washing into the ditch.  When I was mowing by the ditch I put on the brake and it did not work at all and down over the rocks and into the bottom of the ditch and the mower started up the other side and then the back wheels got stuck into the mud and water.  By the time the mower stopped I thought for sure I was going to loose it.  It scared me half to death.  Ron was out back working on the coop and knew nothing of what had just happened.  I called him and he came out to see if I was OK.  We then had to get the truck, chain and pull the mower out.  I just wanted to get it done before someone came by and saw the predicament.   Well that didn't happen.  A couple of young girls from the end of the lane came by in their truck and offered to help.  Ron thanked them and said we've done this before and thanks anyway.  Total embarrassment.  I was so happy that when we got the mower out and Ron drove it he said you are right the brakes are not working.
Let's see, front ditch last year; garbage truck came by and helped me and Ian get it out.  Side ditch earlier this year; Ron came home from work on his lunch break to get me out.  Then last night front ditch again.   When I think about it I have gone in the front ditch every year.  Sometimes I've gone down backwards when I got to close when backing up and sometimes I've gone down front first.  The only difference is sometimes you can see what your headed for and sometimes you don't.