Jan/Feb 2024 Island Trip – Day 5

The day started with a short but ambitious list. By lunch I was unsure that I’d meet half my goals. I did well:

• After dealing with garbage and compost (not a huge accumulation for one person) I gathered tools and headed to the apple trees. Half way through pruning one of the trees my neighbor to the east stopped by and we took a short walk before she went to work. I finished the tree and suddenly it was lunch time.
• I finished the other two trees, noting how very differently the third tree grows as compared to the first two. It’s the third tree that wants to produce 2500-1” apples… This year, should we prevail against caterpillar famine, I will selectively prune fruit from this tree so it can put its energy into, say, 200-300 larger apples.
• Next was more gorilla drainage work. I dug another 10’ or so of the ditch, ending it into where the creek meanders through the tall grass. I strolled to the east to look for muddy water, which I found. This lets me know, at least, water from where I was digging is heading in the right direction. I feel like a child trying to direct the water flow. I also know I’m going to hire one of two friends to come in and dig a real pond to handle this problem in a real way… Like a grownup! 😂
• Next was to take a stab at the open wall in the pump room. It’s been this way since we got the deep well going. This is one of those projects that you always find something more critical to do. There are pipes, a service panel and electrical cables and cords sticking out of it. I found a piece of masonite and started at the bottom. I am please with my start. It doesn’t have to be pretty. It just needs to keep the insulation in place, and protect it from critters and humans.
• As I was putting tools away, and scoping out my next piece of salvage wood to advance the wall project, my neighbor to the east texted that she was home, and asked if I was still up for our next walk. Yes, Ma’am! We walked almost two miles, uphill both ways 😅 (almost!).

My butt is seriously kicked. Gorilla drainage work is not for the faint of heart. And climbing up and down and moving an orchard ladder all over the place is a work out. Oh, then I strolled in the woods, and hiked the upper 5 trying to spot little trees I planted some years ago. There’s only one that’s gone AWOL. Yeah, so tomorrow I’m gonna slack off a little 😂.