One for the Blackbird......

Life in the 60s as in age it has been a well traveled road to get here but we made it this far and things seem to be about the same as always.  Good times, bad, happy, sad and sometimes miserable.  The miserable always gets pushed aside with thoughts of....."it could be worse", "never cry for anything that can't cry for you" and last but not least, "family is healthy and happy" and "everything else is just material stuff".  How did I get on this subject?  A day of starting to brush hog and the tractor wouldn't start!  No problem, Dick knew what was wrong and had to clean the celinode.  While he was starting that I said, where is the oil dripping from.  For about 5 minutes his words were less to be desired.  I decided to get the zero turn and mow the barnyard.  After 3 swipes it just.........stopped and shut down.  If you could have seen Dicks face come up over the tractor!  I felt the same way.  He left what he was doing and came over....again he knew exactly what was wrong.  The plug under the seat came out, you know the one that won't let it run if your not setting square on the seat.  Well the oil leak on the tractor turned out to be the filter.  It was due for an oil change, all is well with the mowing equipment for another day.  My other favorite saying is, it's a good thing our livelihood does not depend on our little 25 acres and equipment.  Unlike the farmers that have to tend with all the mishaps and breakdowns when it is time to do the fields or milk the cows to keep a farm going and a living for the family.

Oh, how I dreaded telling him the zero turn wouldn't run!

This morning Dick walked in from the barn and said.........."I know what we are doing today".  I kinda gasped and really didn't want to hear because it sure sounded like something was very wrong.  The crows had pulled a row and a half of our corn that was up about 3 inches!  I was worried about the frost last night, the garden survived but the crows took a share.  When my dad would plant sweet corn he would always repeat an old saying and this is the first year it came to mind and actually makes sense.  One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow, One for the Cutworm and One to Grow.  Dad always planted his corn in groups for the garden corn, field corn was planted in rows.  We do our garden corn in rows. Maybe next year I will try 5 in a group and thin if need be.    Although it was a little upsetting the thought only lasted a few seconds, it is what it is and all the above reasoning thoughts came to mind. 

One thing I have learned this spring, love the wheelbarrow!   It has been my best buddy.  With the cabin work it is easier to load up the wheelbarrow rather than carry.  Same with the garden work, it is getting used overtime.  We have two but mine I bought at a yard sale last year.  Old, but just a little light weight one that fits my size!  It is great for weeding flowers, planting and transplanting new ones.  Amazing something that has been around for years and years still works better than anything else around. 

How about these wild blackberry blossoms?  If the berries are as plentiful as the blossoms this year we will have a bumper crop for the freezer.  The apple trees and blueberry bushes are the same.  In fact they already have tiny little apples and blueberries started.   Might be a great fall for "apple squeezing" at Cook'n by the Creek.

Blackberry blossoms at our back door.

Today is hot and the sun is shining,  a  breeze little to none and the humidity......terrible.  I love the temperatures to be around 70 with sun and a breeze.  That is a great work day for the cabin or fields.  With this high heat it is early morning and evening get it done and relax during the day with a little knitting, blogging and what else needs attention indoors.  Today we set the countertop and I must say we did great.  Not one harsh word, dirty look, eye roll........nothing.  Tomorrow  it will get one last sanding, stained and a 2 part epoxy put on.  Actually we are doing a sample piece tomorrow and if it's a go then we will do the countertop.  EXCITED!   By the weekend we should be ready to paint the base cabinets and set the doors.  I have been working on a recycled shelf unit for the top cabinets and maybe with a little luck and no disagreements (nice word) it will get hung.  I could go on and on with the little things but won't, it will just get me in a state of  "we have so much to do" I will just forget the list.

Cabin work is getting to the finer things for me. 

Privacy etching on the bathroom window.

Recycled door from the old house on the property.
 

The before while taking off a kazillion coats of paint.

Today I am thinking of a couple headed west for a summer adventure!  Have a safe and wonderful time where ever the road takes you Donetta and Everett!