Clearing out trees

View from Whittington's front deck

After sleeping well, we had a full day ahead. The cool nights and warm days are perfect for sleeping. We had a quick snack of banana bread or mini bagels before taking the dogs out for a long walk in the desert. As we walked, we continued to look for interesting rocks that might polish well in the rock tumbler. We also found an old mortice lock that had been in a door of a house or possibly hotel. Mark thought he could clean up the lock.

After the walk, we had a good breakfast of waffles and planned the day. Mark and Steve took down a section of fence around the chicken coop. Cindy and Carren Morgan wrangled the chickens into the chicken house and locked them in.

Mary talked to Doreen, Carron’s mother, while the chickens were dusted for insects and parasites. Mark and Steve were able to take the six-foot tall fence loose at a seam to create an opening in the fence about ten feet wide. This was the window through which the trees inside the chicken lot would have to be felled to avoid damage to the fence, house, barn or other structures.

Back of Whittington's house from the pong

Mark notched and cut the large cottonwood trees, while Steve connected ropes to assure that the trees fell in the correct spots. Steve helped Cindy position the tractor attached to the trees with the ropes, and Cindy drove the tractor pulling the trees. Steve cut the downed trees into manageable lengths, then everyone loaded tractor bucket with the tops and logs. Cindy drove the tractor to the burn piles along the edge of the alfalfa field where they would be burned during a wet period of weather.

During a lunch break we enjoyed cold cut sandwiches, watermelon and Ruffles chips while we rested.

Mark's trout pond

After lunch, Mark and Steve finished taking down trees inside the chicken yard. Mary and Cindy put the fence back together after Mark and Steve stretched the fence back in place with the tractor. They cut down the final large cottonwood tree outside fence, but left most of that tree for Sunday clean up. Since the tree fell into the dried-up irrigation ditch, it could easily be cut into sections and loaded into the tractor bucket. The chickens were happy to be back out in the fenced chicken yard and pecked among the piles of sawdust scattered about.

Cindy made broccoli elk stir fry with rice. Mark’s homemade dark chocolate chip ice cream was dessert. As always, everything was very good.

We watched two episodes of Kingdom on Acorn although Cindy and Steve slept through a good bit of the shows. We were all tired.