Finishing up some housework and getting ready for more planting

The attic vents 

With the weather warming up I really wanted to focus on getting the attic vents up (before the bees and critters get too active!)  I went to the local hardware store and got some aluminum window mesh and some hardware cloth to enclose then vents.  I found some of the old molding from the downstairs doorways and made a light frame that I stapled together (air-powered staple gun - 1.5" staples!) and attached the aluminum mesh to.  These frames fit inside the front edges of the vents.  The mesh-frames couldn't be made to fit too snuggly because the paint on the vent frames was latex and "sticky".   The fit, however, was tight enough that I decided a simple caulking fit would be ok.  I simply staple (manual staple gun - not air-powered) the hardware cloth on the backs (inside face) to help keep any animals that might make it past the mesh frame cover.  I removed the temporary cover that I put in place last year, surveyed the area, found everything to be ok and then placed the new vent in the hole.  It fit perfect.  I came back and screwed 6 2.5" (3" ?) deck screws through the frame into the wall to hold it in place solid.   I also placed the triangular top piece (I just reused the old one - after adding a thin piece of wood to help fill some extra space that appeared for some reason) and then caulked everything in.  It was messy, but I got it all don!  I even went and caulked some holes that the wasps have been coming out of (or going into )!  I sprayed white paint over tings that looked like they needed it.

Showing the front mesh in place.

Its up and caulked!

Looks much better then the piece of plywood i had covering it last year!

Wasps hole caulked and painted!

Still working on finishing the canning shelves!

After trying to sand the first coat of the polyurethane by hand, I quickly decided to go get a palm sander!  Again, local hardware store!  I have tons of sandpaper and even though it was a little rougher than recommended (100 grit vs 200 grit) I made do.  Sanding the shelves took FOREVER!  Seriously, like 3-4 hours!  It was 54 square feet - times 2!  108 square feet to sand.  I applied the first coat a bit thick and there were some blobs of polyurethane that had not fully set; these blobs load the sandpaper very fast.  I spent a considerable amount of time just changing sandpaper!

I also started applying polyurethane to the shelf frame.  I started by applying poly to the feet since I want to make sure moisture doesn't get absorbed from the damp basement floor!  

I did finish applying the 2nd coat of poly to the shelves but didn't quite get all of the first coat of poly on the shelf frame.  The shelf frame needs to be stood straight upright so that I can get the top areas, and I couldn't do that since the feet were still curing.

Some of the shelves sanded and cleaned before applying 2nd coat of poly

Also started application of poly to the shelf frame.  I did the feet first to make sure moisture stays out!

A new sheep joins my neighbors flock!

While doing a farm survey last week I noticed a new lamb appeared in my neighbors flock!  I finally took a pic of him this weekend while doing another survey!  I swear he grew at least 4" just this past week!  He is still cute little bugger though!

Little lamb!

Grape arbor posts milled

I put a huge effort into milling the posts I will need for the grape arbors for the new grapes.  The new grapes are expected soon and I don't want to delay planting because I don't have the posts!  I had 5 locust posts (3 milled and 2 raw log) that i prepared last weekend, but changed my mind and decided that I would use all milled posts.  I got 8 6x6", 4 4x4" and 3 5x5" posts milled from the logs I had laying around the farm (rotting).   There were some rough edges, but not a problem for arbor posts.  I plan to paint these with copper naphenate like I did for the woodshed posts.  I put them in the barn on sleepers to dry out a bit before I paint them next weekend.

15 posts overall

Most are oak, a couple maple and 3 locust (I think)

You can see I tried to make an octagonal one - it worked, but the method needs to be improved.

 Tree removal to make room

I want to expand the front garden this year - I want to extend it towards the house.  Unfortunately, this meant that I had (and still have to) remove some trees from the front lawn.

The tree that's missing from this picture was leaning toward the road!
I used rope to tie to the tractor and pulled it down safely (relatively)

Closer up - see the stump?  I will have to trim that down too.

Lots of branches need to be chipped and more firewood! Yay!  LOL - I am going to have to build another woodshed!

Getting ready to plow

Weather turned nice and dried up lots of the moisture - so much so that I think I could have actually plowed!  Well, except that my plow was in pieces and the main part was in the barn, behind tons (literally) of logs!  Well, I managed to get the plow body out of the barn using chains and creative use of the front loader.  I hauled the plow body over to the garage and found the missing plow blade (I had removed it last year to help dig a ditch).  I got smart and used a ratchet-chain-tightener to help move the heavy metal pieces so that I could align the bolts and re-assemble my plow.  I think it is good to go now!

All together!  No room in garage right now.  I don't want to put it on the tractor until I have augured out my grape arbor holes!

Finally planting some trees!

Nut trees!

Well, just as I got back into the city I received an email from Willis Orchards informing me that my nut trees were on their way and should be at the farm Wednesday morning!  Ack!

So I make arrangements at work to take Wednesday off and work at home Thursday and Friday.  I head up early Wednesday morning in order to be there for the Fed-Ex delivery.  I was just starting to head down the final road to my farmhouse when I see a Fed-Ex truck coming toward me!  I figured that I had missed it and got real depressed.  I unpacked and texted Katherine the situation.  As we were texting back and forth I see the Fed-Ex truck pull into the driveway!  YAY!!

So I got my tree shipment on Wednesday and immediately started reviewing my planned planting locations.  Its one thing to plan something out on paper, but quite another when you take a look at the terrain and soil.  I made a few changes to my plans that involved removing quite a few trees back along the upper-north edge of my hayfield.  It was a lot of work, taking me all of Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evening, and a good portion of Saturday.  I finally got to laying out the pecans and walnuts Saturday, but didn't get anything planted until Sunday.  Sunday I got everything planted!  After planting the pecans and walnuts I laid out the hazelnuts and planted them too.  Then I put on the trees protectors and mulched in all the new trees.

30 trees total planted!  10 pecan, 10 hazelnut, 5 butternut and 5 black walnut.  I hope they survive.  I have concerns about the suitability of the soil and the climate.

Here are some pics:

The hazelnut trees to the left of the grapes

closeup of the hazelnuts.

There are Yamhill and Jefferson varieties there, alternating rows.

If you look close along the upper part of that field you will see the tree tubes around the pecans.

That dark trail is where I dragged down a log.  It was a poplar tree that I cut down that was straight as an arrow for 35 ft!  I had to cut it to mill it (I didn't mill it this weekend, but i will soon)

Looking North from the top of the field - these are butternut trees - also called white walnuts.

I left a few spaces for the english walnuts that I am getting from the Fulton County Conservation District.

I still need to cut more trees out to allow for these trees room to grow - but I think I have the difficult ones out.

The pecans - looking south.

Some of the logs that I have left over - these are mostly firewood.  There is a sassafras tree in there - biggest I have seen on my property - but mostly decayed and in pretty rough shape. 

The stump left from the poplar tree

The northward side of the hayfield after I cleaned it up.  Its a lot steeper than it looks.

Almost cleared all the way down to the stream.

I still need to saw off those stumps closer to the ground.  I hate leaving them up this high.  Sawing them off makes it safer for the equipment, but its hard on the chainsaw chains!

Looking down east from the upper north end of the field.

Here are the black walnuts.  They are just across from the neighbors sheep  barn.

Some of those trees on the right in this picture need to be removed yet, but i think there will be room to take them out between the pecan trees.

 Getting ready for the grapes!

I am taking steps to get ready for the grapes I have coming soon.  Some of the trees I cut down in the upper field were locust, so I milled them for grape arbor posts.  I got a 6x6 9 ft post and a 5x5 9 ft post from one tree.  The other locust wasn't big or straight enough to mill, but I can strip the bark off of them and still get 2 good arbor posts.   I found one old locust log that I milled to another 6x6.  So I have one row of posts ready.  Just 10 more to go!  I don't think I will be able to find enough locust trees handy so I will probably just mill some oak and maple for the rest of the posts.  non-locust posts should be treated with copper-naphthalate before placement.  I hope I have time next weekend!

I still have to strip the bark off these two.  Ugh.

Last, but not least...ventilator progress!

Yep, I have not been working on these much but they have to go in soon - hopefully before the bees and creepy crawlies awaken!  I used the framing left over from the pre-hung basement doors that I installed last year.  I used deck screws to attach the framing to the ventilators because this framing is how they are attached to the house - it must be strong!  I did pretty good at screwing it all together, but I did break out the sides in a couple places, so I had to use a little wood putty to patch things up.  Here ate the vents laying in the basement waiting for the putty to harden.  I will need to sand and paint them yet.  I will paint them with spray paint because I just don't have time (and am not fond of) for the exterior latex paint.