After running many errands in the morning, Woodchuck and I headed to the land on his day off this past week. Storms were in the forecast literally all day, so we weren't sure if we'd make it or for how long, but it ended up that the weather peeps were wrong and although drizzly and everything was soaking wet, we really lucked out while we were out there! The plan this trip was to start removing honeysuckle from the second CRP forest, assess how bad it was, see what else was going on in there, and to try one more time to plot the house and garage. It had been MONTHS since we stepped foot in those trees, and I wasn't expecting a whole lot of anything that would be time consuming. I need to stop thinking that way!
I remember the first couple of times I walked in that forest, it seemed so...dead...to me, energetically speaking. Now it's usually reversed and it feels so wild and mystical! We found our first row in and right away were greeted with honeysuckle. So many that we filled the large bag before we even finished walking the first row! A new plan had to be formed, so we decided to stop with that and walk the forest to see what we were up against.
Last year we had made some wooden arrows and sprayed them fluorescent colors and put them at the corner points. There's a bit of a cut-out that doesn't belong to us and I was always confused which way to go. Woodchuck did NOT want to spend the time on that project, nor seemingly any project that I need done, but he made the comment on our walk that he was glad that I had foresight to have him put those up because it makes it MUCH easier to know where to go. Point for me!
We found LOTS of honeysuckle, which was disheartening, especially when they are larger than I can handle on my own, but I am not entirely surprised. I am irritated, however, that the peeps that own the rest of the CRP around us have done nothing to eradicate the invasives in their portions. Not only does it make it harder for me to keep that shit out of my part of the CRP, but it is mandated that they do so by the USDA as long as those CRP's are in the land program. But I have already seen from the state of our land that guys buy that stuff up, accept in the tax-exception terms, hunt them, and then don't do the work otherwise. I told Woodchuck that maybe that's my new business adventure. Charging people around me to go into their portions and clean them up. Nah. I've got my hands full with what we own.
Here's the first spot we worked on. The before 👇
The after 👇 Though I can still some green in there....
I found a Valentine's Day Mylar balloon along our walk, so I picked that up to carry it out. Also found a couple of bones and 3 turkey feathers.
So, we found more honeysuckle than I anticipated to, some multi-flora rose (luckily just babies right now), and the garlic mustard is starting to pop up. It will to be a weekly thing to get out there and walk the land to look for those things, and to catch the garlic mustard and pull it before it seeds. We also found a very large grapevine wrapped around a tree and Woodchuck wasn't leaving until it was out, and he also macheted the vine near the ground.
We marveled at how beautiful the land is, how lucky we are to own it now, some of the projects that we need to think about getting started on, and when. Unfortunately, with all of the rain and not being to clear out the ditches yet, the second ditch is now full and the drain pipe to the pond is blocked. We used branches to try and clear the opening as much as we could to get the water flowing again, but we already knew that every spot that holds water out there needs work. I hate relying so much on Woodchuck, but I just don't have anyone else that can help me.
For the first time, we saw a Hooded Merganser on the main pond, along with a nesting pair of geese. I couldn't get a picture of the Merganser, but this is what they look like.
What I thought was the female goose is actually the male! Woodchuck had to show me where she is nesting, so perfectly camouflaged! Male 👇
Can you spot the female on her nest? 👇
One added bonus gift from the land? Lots and lots and lots of wild garlic/onions, though they are usually mowed over before it can continue to grow. Every once in a while I pop one out and nibble 😉
Over the next couple of weeks I would love to get out to the land as much as possible. Once May hits, things likely are going to get crazy, especially at the beginning of the month. Woodchuck has some health issues going on right now, one of which we'll find out a longer term plan for on the 4th, then he has surgery for another issue on the 5th and I need to pick up the youngest boy from college on the 6th. I'm in the process of making a back-up plan for picking up the youngest on a different day, but our options are minimal due to the dorms closing on a specific date and when he has finals. I also want to get a large amount of art ready for the next art drop that will happen THIS month at my friends shoppe so that there's enough to get her through most of May without me having to fit in working on art. I have a feeling that month is going to run away with us, because how is it already May anyway?!?!
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