A New Project

 

I don't think it is any secret I have kinda been searching for what to do with this place recently. With my Mother's death and the end of keeping horses and breeding sheep. Then my son moving to Oregon and now the creeping doom of new houses and civilization. I have to admit I have often wondered why I even continue to bother.

I am too old to start over in a new place I can no more imagine myself living somewhere else these days than I can imagine starting a new family but there doesn't really seem to be a good direction. I imagine I will just continue improving my garden areas and such and maybe add a few more goats to the place as the sheep population declines just to help keep the fields trimmed down and save on mowing.

It isn't like the place has to pay for itself or something although taxes may become an issue if the area keeps growing. 

I had a bunch of things on my to do list after getting hit with our first freeze of the year. Getting all the hoses left wound up and stored, making sure all the tank heaters were plugged in and working, putting the new tire and wheel back on my log splitter and cutting up some old log section for splitting, plus giving at least one of them to the goats for play equipment.

Got all that done yesterday and today so it was time to bring the 8N up from the back pasture and unhook the brush hog so I can switch her over to trailer pulling and wood cutting mode. It was such a nice afternoon I decided to brush hog two roads down into the very back of the old horse pasture. It has been nearly three years since I have been back on that small section of land.

I was literally amazed at the changes.

Now that the horses have found new homes I have a huge stand of Black Locust growing plus a multitude of other trees and the wildlife has moved in. I guess it makes sense now that they need to go almost half a mile in any direction to get away from cattle pasture, plowed fields or someone's yard.

I was just thinking to myself there were deer signs everywhere when up jumped six doe that looked like three larger old girls and three smaller ones just hitting maturity. I just stopped the tractor and sat there a long while observing.

  

Soon a Coopers hawk landed on a large bush right next to me. He or she is a frequent visitor to my bird feeders and the chicken scratch area as it hunts sparrows and other small birds. I see him or her everyday which is probably why it wasn't too put off with my being there. I also heard Bob White Quail calling from this patch of land all Summer and I have not heard Quail out here for a good two or more years before that. I was sad that they were disappearing but I guess they just moved.

So I have made my decision. These critters deserve a peaceful place to live as long as they can same as my retired sheep and goats do. They are as much a part of this place as the rest of us. So for the rest of my time I will let them have it. As long as I can maintain this little slice of history I will endeavor to keep this area as natural as possible and allow the wildlife to live there in peace. I may cull some trees and plant a food plot or two but what the hell ain't like 10 acres nestled in the back is gonna be needed for anything.

I had briefly thought about mowing it and turning it back into a hay field but the amount of new tree growth and wildlife use has convinced me to just let it go. Of course if things continue to slide down like they have been recently those plans can change but might as well keep it natural as long as possible. If for no other reason than finally getting some tree growth around here.

Keep Prepping Everyone!!!