Spent the past 8 days on vacation in Pigeon Forge. First vacation we’ve taken in two years. Went to Jacksonville, FL twice, but that was to the Mayo Clinic so I don’t count that as a “vacation”.
Spent half a day catching up on emails, mail, paperwork, etc. more reminiscent than I would have anticipated of going back to the office after a vacation. Our campsite had a lovely maple tree that dropped so much sap on my truck by the time we left I couldn’t roll the windows down and touching the any part of it was like touching a half worn out fly strip. Everything we had outside at any point had varying degrees of the same sap buildup. I got to spend nearly a full day pressure washing myriad stuff, then put it all up this morning after it all dried overnight.
Finally made it outside to catch up on some outside maintenance this afternoon. Didn’t get any rain while we were gone, but despite lack of storms, one of our plum trees let go of a large limb. Trimmed it up and two grapple loads got it to a brush pile to be chipped on a day it’s not quite as hot and the list of chores is shorter.
Then put the camper back in it’s parking spot. Could do it with the truck, but it’s easier with the tractor’s short wheelbase and much tighter turning radius.
Then dropped the loader…
and picked up the bush hog from the shed.
Mowed the smaller of two little fields we keep in grass. To the right of the strip below is one of the two fields we mow at 8” once a year in the winter when everything is dormant to control tree saplings, but allowing native flowers and other forbs to grow along with whatever grass grows there.
To the left of the strip is one of two small fields closer to the house we mow two or three times a year at about 4” to keep them almost exclusively grass. The grasses are fine with 4” as long as we let them go to seed between mowings. Forbs and saplings aren’t very successful competing with the grasses with the more frequent mowing schedule.
Normally I’m using the L for something or other at least 3 to 4 times per week. It was a little weird not touching a piece of equipment all week. Briefly considered going to one of those places where you can get on an excavator, bulldozer, etc. and push dirt around just to get a fix since there was one not far from where were staying.
Even though I didn’t really do much tractor work today, it was really nice to get out and burn a little diesel. Hopefully will get the other grass field mowed in the morning.
