The Native Iowan

A slow Sunday here. The dogs are all in varied states of repose. They go from sound asleep to up and barking in an instant. When something, something unknown and inexplicable, penetrates their slumber.

Fourth month almost gone. Weather changing where I am. Noticeably shorter days, much cooler nights. Had to get the big, heavy feather-comforter out. It’s nice and heavy. Either makes you warm and happy or makes you sweat. Very little middle ground, but it is nice.

I feel things drying out. FINALLY! After more than a year of wet. Slowly the wet areas are coming good. I still get stuck when I mow and slash. Always some spot, in a drain or an area I have not gotten to yet, that hides a mud hole. It’ll look dry, it’ll appear to be ok, but when the wheels on the machine hit the wet-spot, when the wheels lose traction and start to spin, its best to simply shut down. It’s rare when I can drive out of a wet spot. I normally have to go get the buggy and chain the stuck machine out of the mud. a very common occurrence.

This past month has seen much accomplished here in my little valley.

I probably have 10 acres or more well under control, maybe 3+ hectares. As the ground dries I will extend what I am or have tamed. The problem with this is that once I have slashed the big, thick, heavy grassed areas, I need to stay ahead of the growth curve… It takes at least 2 big slashing before I can really start mowing. The grass here is hard to tame.

Slashing requires the big 50hp tractor and the big 72inch PTO slasher. A lot of machine that does a big job but is slow, messy. I have a small PTO ride on slasher that works well, once the first couple slashes are complete. Tho uncomfortable its is a great machine to bring the wild grasslands into the realm of domesticity. But the driver sits only a foot or so off the ground. It’s like a little go-cart with a PTO slasher. Very cool, Very useful.

But the MACHINE is the 40hp Zturn John Deere. It runs at a good speed, is quite comfortable, and can cover a lot of area. Once I get the JD on an area I can gain control of it very quickly.

With the season changing the grass is growing less, is easier to manage. As it dries I will get ahead of it all.

I sound like an old fart, talking about the ancient and fine art of cutting grass.

After living here on the farm for 24 months, full time, I have set up my workshop. Finally. Which is very, very good.

For the past many years my workshop has been in the suburbs, at the house/shed in Palmwoods. Over the past couple years I have shifted some, maybe most of my tools to the farm, but not everything. And I never got my shop set up properly. Set up the way I like it.

And I do like it.

Some Picts to end with:

This is what the place looks like once tamed…

This is before its been slashed a couple times, beaten into submission, tamed…

Last thing I did to make my workshop complete was get my old Bose radio plugged in…

New workshop going to be nice…

And the beat goes on…

More later