BECAUSE WE CAN

 THE HEAT WAS HOT AND THE GROUND WAS DRY

(America--"Horse With No Name)

This has been a challenging week here on the Hill Homestead. We have been hit with another heat wave with temps going to the upper 90s and the index reaching above 105 degrees. Needless to say for old folks like us, our time to work each day was cut rather short.

I had great plans for the week, but they got clobbered by my fields at the Stockton house. I had let the grass get ahead of me, so it was necessary that I try to mow the fields regardless of the temps.

That did not prove to be much of a problem. I had a floppy hat that I kept soaked with water and was able to get the mowing done. Problem was that it took two times to get it all down.

Johnson grass had begun to show up in the midst of the fescue I had planted, and some of that tough grass was taller than I.

After I finished the mowing it was evident that I had to rake it, because it lay like a heavy blanket over the entire field. It would have easily killed the grass underneath.

I raked it into piles, loaded those piles by hand onto the truck and the trailer and brought it out here to the 40. It still took another trip back to Stockton, which I did on another day.

All in all, Monday through Thursday was taken up with the grass problem.

I brought it out here and piled it in the garden area. Gracie raked the piles out to cover the ground as seen in this photo. The area is approximately 50x30 feet.

We are using the "lasagna method" to enhance the rocky ground we have been blessed with. I will lay out the pathways and where the raised beds will go. Then we will place cardboard in the pathways, and the enitre area will then be covered with straw.

Sometime in the near future (we hope), I will be able to build the raised beds. Yes, we know that raised beds do not hold the water as well as the ground. However, at 78-years-old I don't need to be on my knees trying to weed a garden or harvest vegetables.

We have made a commitment to NOT plant a garden next year, because the garden has definitely slowed the progress on building our living space. Also, there is no place to process the harvest and we have no freezer as yet.

We both love to eat what the land provides, but it is just not practical at this time.

While Gracie was raking, I was assembling a cart she wanted to pull behind the lawn tractor for watering, weeding and harvesting.

This coming week will also be crimped as I have a doctor appointment Monday which will occupy all of the morning and into the early afternoon. We are predicted to get about an inch of rain and that will be a good thing. All my rain barrels are almost empty, the shower barrel has 4 showers left in it, and the IBC for laundry and dishes is down below 175 gallons.

I meet with a group of area pastors Tuesday mornings, and then do some grocery shopping after that before getting home. Thursdays are done with office time at the church and Bible study in the afternoon. Yet, we are still managing to get things done.

Most of you probably have no idea how much fun this is! Gracie and I ask ourselves on a regular basis, "Why? Why are we doing this?"

Two people approaching 80 years of age who should be finding ways to relax and play cards with friends and neighbors have taken on a project such as this.

Why?

Because we can.

It is that simple.

We are so aware of others our age who spend their time going from one doctor appointment to another to fix what ails them. We have both been blessed with good health, and we do not take that for granted.

If you are in good health, regardless of your age, be grateful. Take care of yourself and those you love.

Until next time, do your work, play hard, and enjoy the life you have been given.