Wednesday 25 September 2013

Autumn Harvest
On to the field


As we watched the hay on our land consume the view, we waited for the farmer to arrive and bush  hog the area. I missed walking on the land and coming up the drive was a walled entry along both sides. The hay was taller than I was and I couldn't see the animals, if indeed they were even there in the hay. Finally my spouse decided it was time to go after his dream of a tractor and in one day we purchased a suitable sized one  with the help of the salesman man and the research we had on hand.


Proud man
What an exciting day when the tractor arrived. A few days were spent getting use to the red machine and George was finally out on his first excursion on the land. Eventually another neighbour farmer had dropped in to see if he could salvage some of the hay. As we left for a weeks vacation, the farmer had entered the land and started the bush hogging himself. When we arrived home, most of the job was done.The hay itself had not been good enough to cut so that he continued the cutting. George finished the rest of the area and the view was expansive across the fields. We went for a walk across the area and back into the woods. The path itself took time to find. It is amazing how quickly nature reclaims the area if not used by man. Meanwhile we explored one area we had stopped the farmer from cutting. An hour passed as we tried to exit a tractor path maze that he had cut into the area. It's a great place to send some visitors for a maze experience. We will trim that area next spring so we don't lose those visitors.

A bit of polish
With the hay down, the deer returned. While cutting, the red tailed hawk became quite bold and close to the tractor. We have had a few hawks visit since the cutting.They are like sea gulls following a fishing boat and know what the tractor will turn up for them. The garden also exploded in food and we have had to use the tomatoes in a sauce and eat more than our fill of green beans. Bags of vegetables have gone out of the house for others to share. Now the squash and pumpkin are coming into the house. Another successful year in the garden despite an early fight with cucumber bugs.

Now that the air has changed and the trees are showing a small bit of colour, we turn our attention to preparing for the new season. The tractor will do a last lawn cut but the fields are still low and don't appear to need a trim before the winter. George will purchase a blade for the tractor and attempt to keep the long drive clear for the winter snows. Our neighbour that has been clearing us in the past assures us he will be available  if George cannot handle a large downfall. It is a skill and George has proven to be able to handle this new machine. Of course it has wheels so that puts it in George's realm of enjoyment and attainment. It is also good to see neighbour support for his new enterprise in controlling the land.