ROCK WALL

 

Yesterday we worked on the south side of the house. This area needs a rock wall to hold the berm in place. You can see the dirt piled high in front of the far windows.

Once we had the dirt pushed back we went searching for rocks large enough to do the job.

We made a good start but we are far from done. Today we need to find more rocks and

extend the wall to the corner of the house. This is a very tight area to work in especially with the skid-steer. One moment of distraction and major damage can be done. I will need eyes in the back of my head for sure. Of course Penny likes to be right on top of the work which makes for added stress when we are using the heavy equipment.

Always something to keep us busy.

Stay safe and well and thanks for stopping by..

ANOTHER GARDEN BED

 

When the weather co-operates we work outside and today's job was a new garden bed.

We use Hemlock which we can get from the local mill and with a little effort we soon have a bed assembled.

This we will fill with decaying logs, branches and leaves then top with soil. 

The top rail still needs to be added along with a  lid made from chicken wire to keep the deer and raccoons out. This we will do in the spring after our first planting. We are still eating kale, swiss chard and spinach from our garden and hope to do so until December.

NO NEWS

No news at this end. We are safe and healthy just trying to stay that way. It's that time of year when the days are getting shorter the nights colder and the weather unpredictable. 

When we have something new to report you will be the first to know

Until then stay safe and well.

Thanks for stopping by

FIREWOOD 2022

 

Today I started getting our winter firewood ready. First job was to gas up the log-splitter and see if it would start. After several attempts it finally caught and purred perfectly,, with a steady rhythum and full power. 

This is the wood we will burn starting in January 2021. It has been drying for over a year.

Today's job was to get this wood split and stacked so it can dry and be ready for 2022. I have a simple setup, everything is close at hand and I can toss the split wood into the skid cube where it can sit and dry out of the rain.

This might not be a daily job but I will be cutting, splitting and stacking wood until the end of March for sure. No rush, just steady easy work to keep me active and burn up a few extra calories.

Stay safe and well and thanks for stopping by.

WEST SIDE

 

Fall is quickly disappearing and we expect snow within the next few weeks,

This is the time of year we start thinking about garden changes we need to make.

Yesterdy we focused on the west side of the house. Years ago we built "Hugel" hills that you see covered in black tarps in the above picture. These beds make excellent gardens for squash, and pumpkins. 

We also added a new potato bed as we've been using the same location to grow potatoes for the past four years They recommend growing the potatoes in different locations to avoid potato bugs which we haven't seen yet. So next year we will plant our potatoes in the black soil you see beside our "Hugel" hills. The west side garden will beome much more productive.

More trees were marked for cutting this winter. If we plan to use the west side we need to give the area more sun.

We also want to add two more raised garden beds up near the house before winter sets in. We will be busy.

Penny likes to help and although she can't cut wood she does like to chew on it.

If we could just get her to swing a hammer the work would go so much faster. 

Thanks for stopping by and keeping an eye on us. Time to get back to work.

EAGLE'S NEST LOOKOUT

 

 A popular hiking trail in Bancroft is the "Eagle's Nest Trail"

It climbs across granite rock to a perfect vantage point looking across the valley.

The trail takes you to a number of spots where the views are well worth the climb.

Far below the York River meanders through town and curves around the Tim Horton's donut shop. Years ago you could see logs floating down to the mill and before that the natives used this area as their summer hunting/fishing grounds. 

This summer considerable improvements were made to the parking lot, trails and signage so if you haven't been be sure to plan a trip a.s.a.p. 

Bring  your lunch or enjoy one of the many fine restaurants in town. This trail makes a perfect reason to visit and explore Bancroft.

Thanks for stopping by and stay safe everyone.

THANKSGIVING

 

Usually for Thanksgiving we head to Toronto and gather with family for a large celebration with good food and conversation. This year, because of Covid 19, we stayed home and celebrated with Sean, Maggie and Frankie.

The weather was perfect for being outside so we planned several hikes to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air.

Sean and Maggie had never seen Egan Chutes so that was our afternoon destination. The trail was busy and Penny wanted to jump and lick everyone. Many people were wearing masks and trying their best to avoid any contact with other hikers.

Always a beautiful site to visit and we plan to do it again this winter.

Earlier we bundled up and hiked the bush behind our place. There are still lots of leaves and colours to enjoy but not for much longer.

Frankie had the best seat, bundled up against her mom.

She was so comfortable she fell asleep on the hike

No chance of Penny falling asleep, she ran nonstop.

It was a wonderful way to spend Thanksgiving.

Thanks for keeping an eye on us and stay safe wherever you are.

DAILY WALK

 

At least once a day we take Penny for a hike along the snowshoe trails through our bush.

She considers herself the lead dog and prefers to be out front most of the time.

Our trails are marked with red tape which you can see tied to the tree by Mary's shoulder. It makes it easy for neighbours to follow and it's always a delight to meet someone unexpectedly on the trail. 

Water crossings are always fun as Penny prefers to avoid any bridges and go directly through the water.

By the time we get home Penny is exhausted.

Stay safe and well everyone and thanks for stopping by.

TIME TO RELOCATE

 

Time to move our clothesline. The tree we used as the far post died and started to rot. Rather than wait for the tree to fall with a full load of clothes  we decided to relocate the line today.

Keeping everything simple we selected the tree on the right and got things ready to disconnect the line.

Ted (neighbour) suggested cutting the tree down rather than going up the ladder; great idea. We first disconnected the clothesline at the house and then got busy with the chainsaw.

Once down it was much easier to remove the clothesline and relocate it.

Almost done.

And it didn't fall down.

Once the line was up Mary brought the "bobcat" around and removed the logs. Another job done.

Stay safe and well everyone and thanks for stopping by.

COVID-19 SCARE

 

Still lots of colour in our bush but about 30% of the leaves have fallen.

Last week Leanne came for a four day visit and it was wonderful to have her here. When she got home she learned that a friend was sick and being tested for the Covid-19 virus. That was a concern for Leanne as well as us. It took four days but the results came back negative today.  It was a wakeup call and a reminder of how easy this virus can spread.

This little guy doesn't have to worry about Covid-19 but we do.

Stay safe and well everyone and thanks for stopping by.