Trail Tour

Today I mowed my walking/jogging trail for a first time this season. It is .8 mi long (I clocked the mileage with my 4 wheeler) and it goes down one side of the field then across and back up the other side. As the land dries up I'll be able to make it longer but for now this is what we have. My goal is always 3 miles so I went 4 times around today. The first time around I took my camera so I could give you a little tour. This is the beginning.....


The trail starts just before the "duck" pond. There goes Pebbles, she was just chasing Callie (our dog). It is hysterical and I never seem to be able to capture a picture or video of it.
This is a make shift blind that we hunt out of. I have yet to shoot a deer probably because I do not put my time in and I am not nearly as passionate about it as John is. I sat out here twice last year, one time with each kid. We did not see anything except other hunters on the land. I went out with John a couple other times as well. I had not been out since BK (before kids). I applied for a land owner's permit and was granted one so I did not have to pay a fee this past fall.
The field is a carpet of wild strawberries and there are patches of these little white flowers. Anyone know what these are? Our goal for the summer is to identify as many things as we can on the land and the kids will journal about it on their blogs.

Heading back to the house. Check out the back of the barn. No siding or metal roofing, they only did the front and sides. Good selling feature or they ran out of cash??? Notice I did not include a close up, it is a bit of an eye sore. It needs lots of work and it is on our endless to do list.Our land is bordered by rock walls, all 93 acres. I cannot even imagine the hard work and time involved in constructing them. This farm dates back to the 1800's. Our back lot which is now wooded use to be all fields and there is fencing surrounding it to prove it. I cannot imagine the livestock having so much acreage to roam on.

As you can see we have lots of clean up to be had on the rock walls. It is physically impossible to maintain so much land! Sometimes when we are out exploring the land I get overwhelmed looking at the downed trees and brush but John reassures me that Mother Nature will take care of herself. I hope to get the rock walls by the house in better shape and work on our trails this summer. John has been shopping for a tractor so we will put that to good use when we get it.
Next to the right of my path is the "frog" pond or the "deep". The kids spend a lot of time out here frogging. It is a little ways from the house so the kids usually go out there with walkie talkies or if John or I are out back. I am nervous Nelly having worked in the ED for the past 7 years. I have seen and heard of more child drownings then I care to!

Almost to the end of the trail, just behind the gardens is Anna Belle and Oreo's pen. Oreo is not a happy camper today as he was banded. My goat mentor, Melonie gave him and injection for the pain and then applied a rubber band around his scrotum and testicles using a metal tool called an Elastrator. I felt bad having it done but I am all set with having a billy goat. I gave him a bottle of milk and some extra grain and attention. I was silently begging for his forgiveness. John was a bit distraught of this whole process.

This is the last destination of the trail, just behind the barn by the back two gardens. John had just finished planting our pumpkin garden. The kids are hoping to grow a big one for the fair. Last year they entered a Hubbard squash and won first place and even received a check for $2, they were psyched! We had never entered anything in the fair before, I am sure we will enter a few more items this year!