First mowing of the season

First mowing

I mowed a lot of the place, but some wasn't in need (back toward the mountain) and some was too wet.  The cub cadet really moved though.  Blades nice and sharp and was able to go everywhere on those hills!

The orchard really needed it.  Was too tall in many places.

Much of the black walnut area was "field" grass so it was a challenge.  It will get easier as the grass comes under control.

Lots of field grass here too.  

I don't plan on mowing all these areas forever, only as long as the trees are too small to fight with the grass!

New tool sharpener attachment

The "wide blade" attachment for my worksharp came in last week so I got to try it out over the weekend.  Overall it is well made and seems to keep the tool in good alignment (possibly  even better than the "under the disk" default method)!  Also, it is  nice in that it comes with some templates for determining the bevel angles and for setting the bevel angles.  The basic worksharp only allows for between 20-35 degrees (if I recall).   The only problem I have noticed so far is kind of unavoidable:  big blades take longer to sharpen!

Look at all those angles!  15 to 60 degrees!  The big planer blade I was doing was a 15 degree bevel so this capability really helped.

Saw-milling 

I continued to work on milling up the old tree trunks laying in front of the barn.  I don't really need the lumber right now, but those logs are rotting and in the way! Also, I could really use more wood chips for mulch for all the new trees.

I was surprised to find a decent sized locust log in the pile.  It milled into some nice boards and some good wood stakes.  It had degraded a bit, but not near as bad as many of the oak logs.  Most of the oak that I have milled this past weekend had the sap wood all rotted out.  I was able to get some 5x5's out of them, but little else.  Oak is not great for fence/arbor posts, so I ordered some copper napthenate solution to treat them with.  I wish I had more decent sized locust trees!

Locust boards from 4(?) year old log!

I thought about using this locust log to make a post, but the pattern of insect damage really didnt work in my favor.  

I brought the rough sawn boards over to the shop to clean them up with the 19" bandsaw.  I have a carbide tipped blade on it and it goes through this lumber like butter!  

Pretty Spring Flowers

We stopped by Mom's place for a visit.  Her flowers were really out in force!

Last two plum trees in. First lawn mowing of the season on the farm.

I got a call from the Fulton County Conservation District, Thursday, saying that I need to pick up my last two trees - they were in!

So, on my way up to the farm this weekend, I stopped at the USDA offices in McConnellsburg and got my trees!  It rained heavily at the farm on Friday night but I was able to get the trees planted.  Before I put in the trees though, I needed to relocate the electric fence because the location I wanted to place the trees was outside of the fenced portion.  I dug the holes for the trees by hand since the tiller was on the tractor from last weekend (and switching out the auger is a pain!).  It turned out that hand digging was probably best anyway because the trees were small and they needed more "width" dug, then they needed depth!  I did mix up some rhizome slurry like i did for the other trees I planted this spring but I added too much coagulant so it was too thick to dunk the roots - so I just poured it over the roots after I placed the tree in the hole!  I also used a couple of the slow release fertilizer packets each tree, just like I did for the other trees.  Here are some pics of the new trees:

The two new ones are the closest to the camera.  You can just barely see the electric fence there just to the left of the frontmost tree

From a little further away.

Showing the electric fence a little better.

I really needed to mow the orchard lawn as the grass there was getting pretty tall. I fired up the Huskee riding mower and mowed most of the lawn (not in front of the house though - that sections grass wasn't very big yet).  Then I got into the mud and somehow snapped the mower deck belt.  The Huskee doesn't protect the mower deck like the Husqvarna does so when it hits something immovable the belt evidently takes the brunt of the impact.  Anyway, I didn't have a spare belt so I got the Husqvarna mower out and finished (well - I bent one of those blades too - but I straightened it out and finished the lawn).

I also,assembled the push mower that I bought at walmart last weekend and used it to clean around the left of the house driveway and trim in general (I really got it for the elderberries).  I am thinking that I might clean some trees out of the section of the yard and plant berries there.  Mom has some berries that I could get cuttings of and I could use more berries!  It's at least worth a try!  Anyway, I also removed some of the old barbed wire fence between the big patch and the road.  I cleaned the posts out and removed old posts and rocks and mowed that area.  Eventually, I am thinking I will remove that entire section of barbed wire along the road and put up a wood "slat-type" fence.  Anyway, while mowing around the elderberries I ran the push mower into a bunch of mud and it bent the mower blade so bad that I couldn't finish mowing!  I went and got the battery powered trimmer and trimmed around the elderberries; just around the berries - not the grass in between.   Anyway, I went to TSC and got a new belt for the riding mower and blades for the Huskee and push mower.  Here are some pics of the orchard after mowing:

I had to get this picture of Smokey.  He was attacked by a sticker bush over there.  I got vengeance for him though; I tore that fence out and mowed that whole area!  No more stickers!

It as too wet to plow/till this patch - I really wish I could have.  It's supposed to rain all week and I really need to get the tomatoes and other transplants in ASAP!

Oh, and the peach trees are starting to bloom:

The cherry trees will be coming soon.  I hope that there is no frost!  Would be interesting to see a peach or some cherries this year!

8/31/2013 update

Worked on chipping. Done!  Whew.  Was so dusty and sweaty and dirty that I took a shower midday!  Clothes were soaked.  When I got up I weighed in at 202.5, after shower (stull wet), I weighed 197!

Started mowing the front lawn.