A Man's work is never done

The dependable Jeep threw a shoe!

Himself is looking to see what caused the slow leak.

Discoveries

We are at III every other weekend. This visit, Saturday midday (after I had been to Bethany to shop, of course) Himself asked, as he always does, what is on your agenda today? Don't know, I said. Can't get motivated to do one thing yet. Himself agreed and we sat on awhile. Then we got up and went our own way. It was hot and humid and I walked across the clearing, moving rather slowly when I spotted some nails on the ground. One can tell, there once was a burn pile here. Himself has trained me well and just last visit the Jeep had a low tire as a result of a stray nail. So I picked up the nails and screws and as I did, I found more. And more again -- so I went and got my metal detector that I've had for 6 or 7 years but never really knew how to use. I sat, then, and read the book, set the dials and went to work digging out a cupfull of nails and screws. I learned to use my metal detector.

It finds nails and screws amazingly well. I hope it finds gold and silver as easily!

But there at III I'd get a "hit" and hunker and search and might only find a half inch brad but I would always find something. Sometimes it was just a piece of shiny tinfoil -- but that detector works!

I took the metal detector up the drive to the front gate and my first hit was a square nail! I was thrilled. The old farm house that used to sit "up top" has been dated -- at least part of it built with square nails. Unfortunately, the farmhouse was bulldozed and only an old cistern remains. I will take the treasures I find and make a memory board to those that walked this land, planted flowers, planned and dreamed, worried and schemed, way before my time.

And my unplanned, no agenda afternoon led to several hours of playing in the dirt, learning a new skill and discovering just a little bit of the history of III.

The Enemy

This is the critter that almost got my tomatos at III! Two weeks ago the tomatoes were looking poorly. I thought it was just the result of the deer chomping on them and I built a chicken wire cage over and around the cherry tomatoes. I want those cherry tomatoes to go to seed so they'll volunteer every year. I won't have to plant new ones; just wait for the little rascals to grow from last year's seed. But then! Then, I found one of these ugly little creatures. I tried knocking him senseless with a stick. If he would have let go, I would have stomped him to Kingdom come but he hung on for dear life. Not having the courage to just pluck him off, I roared off to town for tomato dust and dust them I did! This past weekend, two war-ravanaged tomato plants still survived. I dusted them again. Let us hope for a late frost. Those plants need to bear fruit and make seed. And next year, I will be prepared with my cage and my Sevin!

4TH OF JULY 2006

We headed to II on Saturday, July 1 for a full week, actually 9 days of "vacation".
The first 3 days and nites we spent at II, just doing minor repairs, cleaning, etc. It was nice, as the previous year, we would to go to II just to mow on a Friday nite, then immediatedly take off for III. Which was all right, but now i am realizing that work must also be done at II. We had a very relaxing week, at least I did. I worked when I wanted and just sat and did nothing the rest of the time. Herself just couldn't seem to just sit and relax for more than a few minutes, and off she would go to find something to do. With the screen room done, most of the clearing done, and the trails in fairly good shape, i spent considerable time just soaking in what all we had done. I will try and finish another trail this fall, and i will try and get a bridge built. Will depend alot on cooler weather.
boi