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Thursday, May 23, 2013


Yard work during hard times

       First my perspective where I live.

            I live on an old Family place where I have to mow and bush hog about 4 to 5 acres during the warm season, usually twice a month. If one wants to add in all the other trail type areas I also have to maintain periodically, then it is more like 7 to 8 acres, usually two or three times a season. That's a lot of land.

            In another words, it is a lot of work. At my age of 65, I also consider it a good type of work to have, especially since I ran my caretaker off a few years ago. He and his wife were around age 67 at the time, by the way.

            Now there is good news, too. Some of the yard work and trail maintenance I do does promote things like blackberry growth, and that is good, even if the local wild critters eat a lot of it, too.

            But I still imagine if I don't have all of today's advantages, like  a riding lawn mower, really a  lawn mower of any kind, or a tractor with a bush hog behind it, how am I going to do, and how will it look around where I live. After all, my ancestors spent a lot of time clearing the place,  like areas I still enjoy, including my view down the valley. Their work and time was circa 1905.

            And Mother Nature is relentless, like the woods will grow back up given enough time. And I do like my present situation, including the view down the valley.

            So if times should get hard,  I have chosen today  to try maintain my ancestors earlier work as best I can.  And It is now my effort and time these days, too.  Maybe I will choose to give up fighting mother nature in some areas, too.

            Last, what tools can I use, and what is available these days?  Here's a link on the subject:  http://www.americantrails.org/resources/info/tools3.html

            It just so happens I have many of these.

            Welcome to a worst case scenario.

            And I also note where I live most illegal immigrants have already left.  So I am on my own, so to speak, and at age 65. Not a bad problem to have, all in all, I would say.

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