A weekend of nothing but mowing!

I was able to get up to the farm last Friday and try to catch up on the mowing before the lawn was totally untamable!  There had been another heavy rain like a day before I got there (maybe that morning even).  The grass, however, was dry enough to mow at least some of the areas.

The gardens were showing some damage from the heavy rains - washouts and standing water on both of the freshly planted gardens.  Some of the corn and beans were coming up in the big patch - and I think I saw a cucumber coming through the soil!  Its too early to tell how bad the rain affected things until more plants are up.  I didn't take any pictures of the gardens this past weekend - I don't know wy I overlooked it.

Fruit sighted!

I did, however, get some pictures of the fruit on the fruit trees! I read in the online forums that you should take these fruits off the first 2-3 years to make sure the trees puts all of its energies into growing strong limbs - ARG!  Maybe I will leave one or two on.

A little peach!

Asian Pears!

Pears again

more pears - they are hardy and robust trees!

Peach?

See the little apples?

more apples

There are little cherries and blueberries on those trees and bushes as well.  The cherries are actually getting pretty big - a bit surprising.  Also surprised to see the blueberries - quite a few for plants that were just transplanted a month ago!

Waterfall

As I said, there was plenty of water running off the mountain yet when I got there Friday.  I did find a neat little waterfall on the upper end of "Lake Walipini" (the hole I am digging for the underground greenhouse).  Here are some vids:

Grease fitting and loader pin - found!

Oh, and good news!  I found the grease fitting/front loader bucket pin that I lost over 3 weeks ago!  I was out mowing near the sheep pasture and it was uncovered by a previous pass by the mower - laying there in the weeds!  I was able to re-install it after I went to the local hardware store to get a new snap-ring for it.  Also, while re-installing it I found out why it came off - the ring slot in the pin is too close to the sleeve the pin sits in and it doesn't let the snap-ring seat correctly in its notch.  Once I get my lathe up and running I may be able to make the notch wider and fix that problem!

Grease fitting pin for tractor front loader - found!

Those are the highlights for the weekend.  Mostly.  I did fix the Huskee mower (installed the blade deck belt), repaired and re-broke the Husqvarna (I broke a bushing mount of one of the blades  - I need to get another one - Kubota or TSC might carry these?).  Oh, and while moving some old brush with the tractor I inadvertently backed up and jammed a limb into the cooling fan (and radiator?)  After that I noticed the smell of antifreeze and small amount of steam from the front of the tractor.  Sigh.

I removed some more of the barbed wire fence above the orchard and below the garden and mowed the brush down in those areas.   Accidentally mowed over a snake.  I have no idea what kind.  Mower chopped him up pretty quick.  Not pretty.  I did lots of trimming around using the push mower.  I did as much of the elderberries as I could but it was so wet there; the water was deeper than the mower blades!