The scream heard across the farm

In addition to being meticulous, organized, and focused, the other reason I have my sister in law Cindy with me when cleaning the out buildings is the same reason I had her with me in the attic. Cindy protects me.

I don't like mice and snakes. 

Even more than I don't like spiders and stinkbugs.

I told Cindy today, that the workshop freaked me out more than the attic. It was the place I first heard about Slick.

When I first met Ghon's father, he was working in the workshop, and told me all about his friend Slick, a black snake that listened to him.  I promptly went inside and met Ghon's stepmom.

We've been going to the farm for years, especially in the past 3 years. We would spend all day there, and fortunately, I never met Slick. 'Cause apparently, he's still around. My inlaws have seen him, and they would say weird things when I'd get there like "oh, you're a few minutes late, Slick was just here."  No, I am absolutely on time and not sorry I missed him.

Confession: I heard that Slick was spotted multiple times near the front porch and on the side of the house by the hose. I look for that stupid snake EVERY time I walk up those steps and turn that hose on. I don't care if there is a foot of snow on the ground. I look for that snake.

I don't like snakes.

You know where this is going don't you?

I saw a freaking snake.

I saw a freaking snake, and I screamed.

I saw a freaking snake, and I screamed. And I screamed some more.

And yeah, I might have screamed some more. And shook. And did a jig. And cried.

Because I saw a snake.

Yeah, it was raining, and I know it's blurry. I'd already run from it and the crazies are all like "get a picture." Hard to stand still when you are scared out of your mind and a monsoon is blowing in.

Cindy had to leave to use the bathroom. (Note to self, buy her some Depends so she never leaves again.) I kept working, using a stick to pull trash out of a desk, cause you know I'm not sticking my hand in there. She comes back and says "whoah" which of course makes me look out the door and there it is. Big ol' snake. Outside, but right at the door. First was an OMG, then a small scream, then a series of screams and "GHON!!!! GET IT!!!!"  I think I heard Cindy yell for Ghon because I was freaking out. In addition to the screaming, I was doing a little dance. I think I heard something about it being a harmless black snake, and oh, he eats mice. 

After an eternity, it finally moved (OK, a minute or so). I ran out of the building and down the hill. The rain was pouring and I didn't care. I ran. I heard laughter behind me. Then Ghon decides to try to pick it up. OMG, WHAT THE HELL???? It struck out at him, and Ghon says, "Oh, he's angry." 

What was that about black snakes being harmless? Black snakes aren't supposed to strike at you. I thought black snakes are oh so nice. Bull. I don't believe it. I remind them that the devil first appeared in the form of a snake. Snakes are evil.

So if you remember my song about spiders being "creepy and crawly and they have too many legs"? I told Ghon that I don't like snakes because they are creepy and crawly and they DON'T have legs. How is that possible? How is that right?

I hate snakes.

It's coming to get me. And no, I didn't take that picture. It was on zoom and the camera in Cindy's hands.

Ghon wanted to stretch it out. He said it was 5ft long. Cindy thinks it was closer to 6ft.
I was about 15 feet away and not counting.

I married an idiot. It's a snake. You already said it's angry! Why are you bothering it???
I needed consoliation or a machete, and no, he plays with it with a cane.
Ok, he did give me a hug, but laughed the entire time.

I still shudder when I think about it. And now, I'm reliving it and looking at these pictures. bwuggaa. Ghon had the nerve to say that this snake was not Slick. And that Slick is bigger. Slick needs to find a new home. This guy needs a new home.

Needless to say, I was done in the workshop. Cindy thinks maybe we disturbed him working in the shop. She's going to expect me to go back in there tomorrow.

I just might die.

I am going to be worried about that snake coming back out. Coming near me. Going near my kids. I told them about it today when I picked them up. Told them that when I saw it, I was a good girl and screamed for Daddy, didn't touch it and ran to an adult, just like we've told them to do. Scream, don't touch it, run.

Repeat after me. Scream, don't touch it, run.

I hate snakes.

Tonight, I mentioned that I was going to end up dreaming about it. Cindy laughed and said, I wouldn't. Ghon said, no, she will. Ghon said as soon as he heard my scream, he knew there was a snake. They reminded me that snakes are good. They eat mice. I reminded them that the house still has mice and that meant the snake was not doing his job and needed to go.

They keep laughing at me.

That's OK. I'll keep screaming at them. I mean at the snake. Or, just scream. 'Cause no matter where on the farm you are, you are going to hear it.

T-Weekend: travel, toys, trash, tiller

It's never a weekend without work in these parts.

It was another major trash removal last weekend. Ghon took Friday and Saturday off to cook chili in South Carolina and ran off with my Trailblazer. Since I had his pickup truck, I made great use of it for trash removal. Saturday morning, Dad and I loaded up the truck full of trash, the last load from the big clean out the weekend before. After a stop at the transfer station, we were off to Jonathan's first t-ball game, haircuts for both kids, lunch, and grocery shopping. Wow. After unloading the groceries and resting a few minutes at the house, we were back off and headed to the farm.

While the kids ran around like crazies, Dad and I started cleaning out a section of the large out building to store some new equipment. Or should I say, a new toy. Yep, after one drive on the 4-wheeler a few weeks ago, Dad had to have a toy at the farm, and went and got himself a Ranger. The challenge now was to clear a place to store it. The kids love riding on it with Pop.

Pop takes Jonathan and Genevieve for a ride. Thank goodness it has two passenger seatbelts.

Bag after bag of trash came flying out the building and the kids got plenty of rides with Pop. We worked for about two hours before heading home for dinner and baths for the kids. Before we left, we loaded the truck with round 2 of trash for the Sunday morning drop off.

Ghon got home late Saturday night after a pretty successful trip to SC. I ran to the transfer station to dump the last load then back to the farm to get Ghon and the kids. We went into town and bought seeds for the garden, fertilizer and ran automatic seed planter. Dad headed back to the farm to clear another trash pile and ride the Ranger/Gator. Haha, boys and their toys.

Back at it the next day.

Anyway, at the top of the hill there was a clearing that was used as a campsite. It hasn't been used for over three years and had been visited by bear in the past. Tents, storage cabinets, grills, a swing, hammock, chairs, canopy - you name it, it was there and pretty banged up. After several trips back and forth up the hill with the ranger, the site is nearly cleared - thanks, Dad! We will need to take the truck up to bring down the last few pieces.

The kids helped Ghon spread fertilizer in the garden while I worked in the out building and sorted the trash coming from the hill. After a bit, our neighbor and friend Daniel stopped by with his tractor and tiller. Daniel whipped through the garden and even extended a section for us in no time! Thanks for plowing for us Daniel, and thanks for making Ghon want a tractor even more.

Daniel tilling in a small stripe. This is where the garden was last year.

Talking about how easy that was.

Beginning to till the main garden. This is the area Ghon tilled with his new tractor the week before.

Let's make it bigger!

Before putting the ranger away for the night, the kids wanted one more ride, this time with Dad.

We had another visitor on Sunday, Ghon's daughter Linda came to visit. We had a little BBQ lunch then Ghon and Linda spent time checking out the house and the property. Of course, Jonathan took Linda on his own special tour of the house first.

Before we left, Ghon and the kids planted our first vegetable crop - corn! Jonathan and Genevieve were each able to take a turn running the automatic seed planter. In all, Ghon planted 30 rows of silver queen and peaches and cream corn. Fingers crossed it germinates and grows - and the deer don't eat it. While Ghon finished planting, I finally let Jonathan ride the tire swing - which was really hung has a horse toy.

Filling the seeder with corn.

Ghon making a test run.

The garden this year is going to be huge!

Jonathan's turn to help plant the corn.

And then Genevieve's turn.

So happy to finally ride the 'tire swing'.

This coming weekend, Cindy is headed our way again for another big purge. This time, we tackle the workshop. I forgot to snap "before" pics of the section I worked on, but I won't forget going into the workshop. I think I might be a little more freaked out about it then I was the attic. Ghon has another cookoff and I will be taking Jonathan to another t-ball game, but otherwise, it's work, work, work!

Flashback photo

I took this picture of a picture from one of Cindy's albums. I see all the work my father in law had done and think of how far we have to go with repairs to get it back to what it was and what he wanted it to be.

So this is the house; white like we want, with level & open porches, clean & green lawn, no extra porch, exposed rock foundation, and happy people going for a ride on a tractor. Amazing.

Not in three lifetimes...

An amazing weekend in so many ways. Ghon and I both had off on Friday, and Cindy drove down to the house for the weekend. The weather started off in Friday in the mid 60's and by Sunday temps were in the low 70s! Perfect for outdoor work and allowing the kids to play outside. Friday, we took the kids to daycare and Ghon ran off to a cardiologist appointment. I met Cindy at the house, and loaded my car UP with a load of trash (and Dad's too!) for the transfer station then ran a quick errand and got to work. The mission? Clean the back trash pile. And clean that trash pile we (Cindy and I did)! I made a few trash runs to our local transfer station and Cindy took a load with her on her way back as well. Should be one more load and all the official trash will be gone! We still have an enormous wood pile and metal pile for the scrap yard, but the trash is gone. Since a picture speaks a thousand words, a few pictures for you.

Before #1

After #1 - the red pick-up bed/trailer is just in the upper left corner of the photo above.



Before #2 - behind the outhouse.



After #2 - Behind the outhouse

Before #3 - Behind the outhouse 2.0 - the other side

Before #4 - back of the workshop.

After #4 - Behind the workshop.

Looking up the road - wood pile dug out of the woods/trash pile.

Much better looking!

All that is left are tractor tools - most semi buried.

The organized trash pile. Plenty of wood and piles of plastic, metal and misc. furnishings.

Boat up, middle cap pulled from the pile/woods.

Trash haul - from the end of the first day.

While Cindy and I worked the trash pile Friday and Saturday (minus my step out for tball practice!), Ghon plowed the garden with his new/used lawn tractor and tiller.

Trying out the new tractor.

It works! Tilling the garden to be.

Drinking and driving.

Saturday evening, our friend Tim stopped by. Cindy couldn't wait to hear his opinion on the field. I missed the initial reaction, but have been told it went a little like this: "Not in three lifetimes would I have thought that would be cleaned up." Yep, three lifetimes condensed into two weekends. Of course after taking in the new scenery, Ghon and Tim have a bright idea and start chipping some of the wood pile down. While drinking. I was waiting for a Fargo moment...

The decision to chip/shred the wood was a good one, although I'm not sure how I felt aobut 2 rednecks doing it with beer in hand.

A few fun pics from the weekend.

Sassy hot mess.

Jonathan wanted to take a picture of me.

Aunt Cindy taking a rare break with Genevieve.

In addition to the garden plowing Ghon and the kids started planting our orchard. Three apples, 2 peaches, 2, pears, and two cherry trees.

Jonathan and Ghon planting our orchard.

He couldn't wait to use the watering can.

If trees were not enough, I planted 8 blueberry bushes on Sunday. Actually, make that 7 blueberries and one pink lemonade blueberry bush. Aunt Cindy bought Jonathan his very own bush and bought a pink blueberry (pink lemonade) for Genevieve. We also planted 5 grape vines, but no pics of those.


6 of 8 blueberry bushes.



Sunday afternoon we had a little help, our friend Aly playing with the kids, and Travis helping Ghon with the chicken runs.

Begining the new coop and run aread.

We also had a visit from our friends Mike & Faith Williams. A wonderful way to round out the weekend.

Two rednecks, beer, and a woodchipper. Another interesting day at the farm.

Fruit Trees

Apples, peaches, pears, and plums! Using coupons to build the orchard.

Weekend Work

We had a good balance of family and farm time this weekend. It was a beautiful spring day. Between t-ball practice and a birthday party on Saturday, Ghon spent some time at the farm digging new post holes for his chicken run. The bock-bocks are getting an extra foot in width and about six feet in length in their run. After we all partied at Chick-fil-A, we made yet another stop at Lowes for blueberry bushes and grape vines. Jonathan picked out his own work gloves and a watering can. He has been so excited to help plant flowers and plants in the garden.

On Sunday, after tearing through Easter baskets, the kids and I headed to church while Ghon went to the farm. In the rain. He dug more holes and worked on removing brush behind a few of the out buildings. He also started emptying a section of the building. There is furniture, camping gear, lanterns, and miscellaneous...junk. After service and lunch, we all headed back to the farm since the rain stopped. The kids rain around the yard while Ghon and I surveyed the junk piles, and found a stove. For real, there was a stove in the yard and we didn't know about.

Ghon took the three of us on an adventure. We tromped across the back yard and down the hill, through the trees and brush, to the creek. I wished I took my camera! Ghon helped the kids cross the stream and we walked along through the squishy mud to the spring. The spring still has a pipe near it that previously fed the house with water. Ghon pulled some leaves, sticks and rocks out of the spring head and found a few crayfish. Jonathan thought they were pretty cool, and of course Genevieve proclaimed how cute (sounds more like "kwoot") they were. On the way back to the house, Jonathan tried climbing a tree branch that was down across the creek. He slipped and fell butt first into the creek and freaked out! He was scared of getting bit by a crayfish! He finished crossing the creek and finished stomping back up the hill, leading the way for the rest of us. Genevieve was a trip, moving branches and plowing her way through the muck. She was in the back of the line, but wanted no help.  The only bad part is that I had no idea where Ghon was taking us, so I didn't have a camera with me to take pictures of all the fun!

After our hiking adventure, we took care of the chickens and sorted through some more junk in the out building. We didn't finish planting the bushes, but finally let Jonathan water an existing plant wth his watering can. He was so worried about using it all day!

Today, Ghon purchased a used yard tractor/riding mower that came with a tiller attachment. Hopefully it will last us a few years. Ghon is hoping to use it to prepare his garden.

This weekend, we are hoping for more good weather for outside work. Cindy is coming back to stay with us for the weekend and is going to tackle the trash pile. Ghon will be doing yard work and cleaning the out building. As for me, I have plans to pack up some of the items we pullled from the attic into containers for storage back in the attic. Going to put my label maker to good use. After Jonathan's t-ball practice on Saturday, I'll be back to the yard!

Operation clean the yard in full effect!