A Perfect Day

The first order of business for expanding the garden is to have a way to get rid of the unwanted stone. A John Deere lawn tractor and trailer had been the tools of choice. When its transmission failed, the John Deere repairman told me that the trailer was really intended to haul only lawn clippings. I failed to ask if the lawn clippings had to be dried before the lawn tractor could handle them. It was apparent to me that I needed a better tool to move the waste stone. The stone is being used to fill the erosion ruts in the farm lane a great distance from the garden. Me pushing the wheelbarrow that distance was never possible. Ford Ranger to the rescue. It will move the stone but I needed an easy way to load the stone into the truck. The stone ramp is nearly high enough after one day's work. A few more stones and some fill and I will be able to push a wheelbarrow load of stone into the truck bed. John Deere can rest in the shed.


Today was a perfect day. Overnight frost left the ground crusty and the grass white. Crystal clear skies and the strengthening sun had the temperature in the 60's by 10am. The air was filled with the sounds of geese but I could not see them. Many times my work was halted by a futile attempt to find the honking geese. Becky quickly found the huge groups of geese. They were flying very high. It is hard to believe that their calls carried all the way to the ground. The geese were a morning event. We worked outside all afternoon but heard no geese after lunch.