And before I forget, ...

today, March 4th, is the only day of the year that gives a command.

Corny, I know, but I learned this many, many years ago and haven't had anyone to tell it too for a long time. Plus this time I don't have to listen to any groaning.

The "falls"

Last week it rained heavily on and off for a day or two. It was still raining when I took these pictures. That explains the watery look caused by rain on the lens. I think it makes the pictures even better.

They show water flowing over the large tree root from under which the spring emerges when it hasn't been raining. The lower picture is from a bit lower. Along the length of the stream, starting at the spring, and before it levels out into a year-around damp area, there are a series of small pools. I am enlarging them a little at a time. This whole series of ponds, as well as the spring, will be visible from the west end of the house.

Usually the water flows under my little dams. After it rains, though, it just gushes over them.

A few views from last month

These pictures were taken about a month ago. I forgot I had them. They're just too pretty to spend the rest of their lives in an unseen album. Both were taken from the apartment window looking east-southeast on the same very cold morning just as the sun was coming up.

At last, visible progress

After months of investigation, discussion, drawings, more discussion, and a few decisions, we finally had some action.

A few weeks ago the county highway department began cleaning out the ditch along the county road. Then we had a string of snow falls and some really cold weather that halted the progress. Monday, while I was outside, a county dump truck stopped on the state road and backed down the driveway. It was one of the guys coming to say they would like to install our culverts the next day. The ditch was ready on our side of the road.

"Great. Go ahead," I said.

So yesterday the county installed two 18" double-walled plastic culverts. One is at the bottom of the hill where almost all of the surface water drains through as it leaves the property. We had already decided that we would not use the existing opening in the fence there for our primary access because of all the water that is often there. It's too wet and slippery for a few days after it's rained, and it would sometimes be impassible in frozen winter weather, especially with the added problem of having to climb the hill almost immediately after entering the property.

The second culvert was placed about halfway up the hill where we can come onto the property at almost the exact same altitude that we plan to place the parking area. Though the driveway will meander to get there, it will not run up- nor downhill more than a foot or so all the way across to the parking spot.

The county crew was great. They cut down some of the trees that we would have had to cut ourselves and dragged them down the road and onto the property where I can cut them for various uses. The culverts were covered with a gravel-dirt mix and limestone blocks were stacked to protect the ends from erosion. The flow down the ditch along the road can be very strong sometimes.

Here are a few pictures of the installation.


Covering the lower culvert


Removing trees at the driveway


Covering the driveway culvert


Placing limestone end wall

Hawk eye

Yesterday afternoon as I was using the laptop in the living room, something moved outside in the trees that caught my eyes. One of the hawks that usually just soars overhead took up residence in a tree outside for about an hour. I suspect he was hoping he'd have a shot at some of the birds at our feeders below the window. No luck. Yesterday, and almost every day, the birds had cleaned out the feeders by mid-afternoon, and that's after the second filling.

Sandy checked to be sure. It was a red-tailed hawk. There is a tell-tale speckled band of brown across the white breast that is visible in the picture.