Today Dec. 21st, 2022 ( Winter Solstice ) Michelle and I took a morning walk with Togo ( dog sitting for a few days ). We walked on the main road to Bear Lake. It had been about a month since I had been down that road and it was clear then. Today we encountered several treefalls that will require some chainsaw work. Also, I noticed many baby bushes popping up in the road that will need pulling up before they become adults and are much more difficult to remove. I call it road and trail grooming, and it is best practice to groom all roads and trails several times a year.
We got snow! As usual after a good snow storm there are several trees or branches that fall across the road, so getting in and out to town is best done with extra time, a chainsaw, shovel, rubber boots and gloves, and extra time. Last year and the year before it was REALLY big trees that fell across the road and they took all day to get a small passage through. This year ( so far ) the tree and branch falls have been smaller but more numerous.
This morning Juan and I went to inspect the broken water pipe that runs from the storage tanks to the homestsead. Yesterday Juan had done his routine inspection – every 5 to 10 days depending on the time of year – of the filter and storge tanks. He found the tanks completely empty but plenty of water coming from the spring. Checking the pipe below the tanks he found a broken pipe at a place in the line where I had placed a shut off valve some years ago.
It is both raining and snowing right now. The break is such that we have enough water at the homestead for domestic use so I plan to wait for dryer warmer weather to repair the broken pipe. After repairing the pipe I will add a valve cover box to protect the valve, and cover the rest of the pipe. I’m not sure why or how the pipe broke. Could have been a bear stepping on it, or a person stepping on it. We do get people messing with the water sytem, but it is rare.
Nice and cool in the winter. A bit like Hades in the summer.
There is a rock formation like a tower which you can hike to from the homestead. You can look way across the Chico Creek Canyon and see a similar rock formation as a really large cliff wall. I think this must be the Tuscan formation. I would like to establish a narrow trail from the house to this “tower” and then farther up the ridge and around to connect with the “High Road” where it merges with ” The Middle Path”. We could all this trail The Higher Trail. I walked the general area this morning and can see that it will pass through some very nice forested areas.
Today was comfortably warm ( low 80s ) until about 1:30 pm when it became uncomfortably warm ( low 90s). The sun just seem stronger up at the canyon. You can still work outside but you have move slower and take breaks. As usual there were some repair jobs to do before I could start on what I had planned to do. ( The weed wacker needed its head taken apart, cleaned and put back together ) Below are photos of odds and ends worked on this day.
Spice Bush flowers! Their fragrance will always remind me of the “Creek”. This bush is blooming strong, sitting by the path to the spring head. I check the water source(s) about twice a month. About 2 to 3 times a year there is something to repair or improve. Got some late additions to the summer garden at the Farmers Market. GRUB. The glue is going back into the shop where it belongs. I have been gluing together some of the dining room chairs that have been drying out too much. I also oiled the chairs some, so that should help. Welcoming HydrangeaDrying 2019 garlic harvest in the basement. This crop was planted by Estella in 2018.The Black Walnut slab is getting ready for a new life as a kitchen countertop! How long has it sat patiently in Woodland, then Davis and then Chico Canyon?
Today I measured the distance to the Creek, both ways to get there. See my post How Far Is It To The Creek? Also I did a bit of gardening and harvesting. I weeded the garlic patch, harvested some purple kale, It was in the 90’s today. Good by lovely spring! This week 105 is expected. Hello happy summer.
Well, today I measured it, with my trusty rolling tape measure!
From the light post by the YAHB, it is 1.33 miles to the Mermaid Rock by the main road and it is .95 miles to the Dipper Pond by the Old Forest Road and Juan’s Trail. It takes about 20 minutes to get to Dipper Pond and about 30 minutes to get to Mermaid Rock. This is a steady but unhurried pace. The trip back takes about the same amount of time! I was surprised because the trip back is quite steep as you know! I was walking easy, not pushing it going to the creek ( downhill ) and back to the Ranch ( uphill ).
From the light post by the YAHB to the end of Old Forest Road, which is where Juan’s Trail begins, is 4,474 ft ( 0.847 miles). It’s about a 15-minute walk, on the Old Forest Road and then another 5 minutes carefully down Juan’s Trail to the Creek! So Juan’s Trail is 531 ft. ( 1/10th of a mile )Old Forest Road
Juan’s Trails is a narrow sidehill path just a bit wider than a deer trail. It slopes down to a single switch back and then that last 50 yards is a steep rock side hill with some exposure to falling so I have added a nylon safety rope to make the climb up and down much easier, and safer.
Juan is standing by the creek at the end of “Juan’s Trail” . The heavy winter has cleaned up the beach area and that flow behind Juan is the highest I can remember for around Memorial Day!
This Saturday was a great set of weather conditions for burning piles that we created in the summer of 2018 in the forest by “selective thining” and fuel reduction. There have been several good burn weekends this year – 2019. We are finding that by cutting up the branches and trees into smaller pieces before stacking into piles, the piles are denser and burn better. Also covering the piles with plastic after they have dried out for the summer, and before the fall rains come, makes the piles possible to burn when the rest of the forest is soaking wet or even covered in snow! We have done the plastic covering for several seasons now and are saving the plastic sheets for reuse. We just fold them up and store them in the shop or storage shed. Here are a couple more photos of forest controlled burning. Chipping would be nice to try, but that equipment is too expensive, not in the budget.
Here are a couple photos of the tools of the trade. When you are burning and the litter is dry enough to “creep burn” you must be very careful to not let the creep get to big or it will soon too big for you to be able to stop it! That is how a controlled burn turns into an out of control burn.
pitch fork, diesel trip torch, backpack water pump!
Today Saturday April 6th 2019 Juan and I planted some potatoes in the three old wire bottomed planter boxes. It was overcast with light rain showers in the morning. We planted about 1:00 pm. after sandwiches under the mulberry tree. To prepare the bed I spread a bit of organic fertilizer, ala Steve Solomon, and just for a little extra boost I spread some chicken coop floor straw and lightly worked these into the top of the soil with a rake. I did not turn hoe or spade the soil. Last Sunday I got the potatoes in the mail from Peaceful Valley. I cut them into planting pieces and set them out to scab over. See the photo below for the varieties planted. I just layed the potatoes on top of the soil and then covered them with a thick heavy layer of grass straw.
