Thursday, May 10, 2012

Going, going, gone

Day 2 of the tree thinning and meadow restoration of the 7MSN ranch was equally as exciting as Day 1. 
Were it not for the deadlines imposed by my paying job, I could easily have spent the entire day 
raptly watching as the Hydro-Ax made mincemeat out of my trees.

Witnessing a machine chew up and swallow a tree in less than five minutes never gets old.


And seeing the vistas open up, and imagining the shredded trees decomposing and enriching the soil, 
and the grass growing ... what can I say? It's every rancher woman's dream.

As if this weren't enough excitement for one week, Mr. Herbicide Sprayer 
will arrive today to commence the eradication of this year's crop of locoweed.

So last night, in the blessed drizzling rain, I marked the areas he would need to spray. 
I started out with 100 cute little yellow flags and used up every stinkin' one
outlining the patches of locoweed.
I took a crayon and a printout of Google Earth's satellite view of the ranch with me
so I could also plot the locoweed patches on a map.
Call me obsessive-compulsive. You wouldn't be the first to do so.
Heaven forbid Mr. Locoweed Sprayer should miss a spot.




Anyway, between the lumberjacks and the locoweed and two sick cats this week, 
I've been a little pre-occupied and distracted.


Which is my excuse for driving through the electric fence gate last night at the conclusion of my locoweed-marking expedition. 
Whoops. Thank goodness that a) the fence was turned off, b) the rollbars got slapped in the face instead of me,
c) I had my camera with me to document my stupidity, and d) enough rain fell that there was mud on the tires.


14 comments:

  1. Maybe you'd best hang some pretty little flags from that little webby "gate thing."

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  2. Thank goodness for the roll bar indeed! Could have been a very huge ouch!

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  3. It's all looking good and coming together. Hope the cats get well soon. And watch out for those fences next time they could be on. Thanks for always having a camera with you. I seldom get to document my less than perfect outings!

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  4. Are your kitties OK?

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  5. thinking that the driver of the Hyrdo-Ax didn't want us to see their smiling face? It's great all the work for your herd!

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  6. I think Mr. Locoweed Sprayer will be appreciative of your careful directions. Helps him do his job better, and signals to him you're not a bimbo out there. Running through the fence notwithstanding.

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  7. Looking good! I have learned so much from your postings, I have to say thank you! I hope that the cats are doing better. Sick cats are no joy at all. I hate dosing a sick cat. I never realized that the junipers were invasive alien. The roots always take forever to rot. The only way I have found to get them to rot is to cover them in mulch as it holds in moisture better, and keep it moist. Good luck.

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  8. Now you have that Google map to refer to next year, in case the locoweed comes back. Smart woman!
    Hope the cats are back to normal soon.

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  9. You do have a lot going on this week. Hopefully your weekend will be quiet. Lot of locoweed on that Google map. And the last pic... it isn't funny but it is.

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  10. you are so lucky to have that roll bar for protection. Years ago a helicopter landed in my pasture to airlift some guy that was riding an ATV in the dark and rode thru a cable across a driveway in the oragne grove up the road. Had severe cuts from the cable. Take care out there in the dark and it was good the fence was off also.

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  11. Anything and everything we do becomes blog fodder doesn't it? ...even the dumbass stuff .... ahhahha....good one Carson.....

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  12. hey girl, ya didn't try the loco weed did ya ? LOL just thought ya might have had a little too much of it and that's why ya ran into the fence??we won't tell, promise :) Jeanne in SC

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  13. Oh boy, that's a lotta locoweed! Oops on the fence - drat, now you have another project.

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  14. How sad is it that I am really, really excited for you and your new vista and lack of water-sucking juniper?

    I don't mean a little excited... I mean, like, REALLY excited. I'm kind of jealous you get to see it first-hand.

    When it's all said and done can you give us before and after pictures side by side? Pretty please, with sugar on top?

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