On Thursday afternoon I got Tim to start up the garden tiller for me. I was feeling like I needed to get that done. It was a beautiful day, sunny with little wind, perfect for tilling and planting. I love being out there working my little piece of ground. I prayed that the tiller wouldn't quit for any reason and that the gas would last while I went over the garden twice as Tim headed off to work and hadn't showed me how to start it. He just said, "You won't be able to start it."
I did get through the garden twice and even got my little flower bed tilled. After I got the tiller into the quonset I tried to shut it off like Tim had showed me. It is self propelled and the wheels kept going even though I did what I was supposed to. After it ran into the log splitter I just messed with the throttle a bit and it stopped.
There was still time to get some of the garden planted. Daniel helped me get things ready. Then I dug holes and he threw a potato in each. We are trying some organic fish fertilizer this year. So Daniel gave each seed a drink of that too. We planted our corn, peas, beans, carrots, and lettuce too. It felt so good to get that done.
By that time Leah had woke from her nap and wanted to plant too. So she helped me plant my flower seeds.
Then Daniel said he felt like going fishing to the creek or Schlenker Dam. I told him I was too tired to walk down to the creek but would drive him to Schlenker Dam. Since he was really dirty (he had buried himself in the garden) he went up to take a bath while I put the gardening tools away. When he was finished I had him put everything he needed in the back of the van including a chair for me. I cleaned up a bit and by that time he was ready to go.
It was so beautiful at the dam. I'm really glad I took the time, even though I was really tired and hungry, to go over there with the children. The birds were singing and the geese were honking. We saw an American Bittern not far from where we were sitting and fishing. I didn't know what it was at the time as I had never even heard of it. When we got back home we looked it up in our "Birds of the Dakotas Field Guide." Here's what the book had to say about it:
Very secretive bird that seems to be on the decline. Hunts by walking extremely slowly, looking for prey along edges of ponds, streams and wetlands. Strikes an erect posture and points its large yellow bill straight up into the air to disguise itself. Carries this camouflage one step further, swaying back and forth in wind to match surrounding cattails and other aquatic vegetation (reeds). Strikes quickly at prey with its sharp bill. Usually solitary, roosting in trees at any hour. The male's loud booming call sounds like a slow water pump, hence its other common name, Slue-pumper.
When we first drove up and parked I thought I noticed something moving in the cattails just in front of the van about 20 feet. I kept looking at the spot but didn't see movement. I kept looking even while the children got out. Finally I got out but kept my eyes on the spot. Then I saw it move again. The bird was hard to make out as it was well camouflaged. But I could see that it was some type of water fowl that was standing almost straight up like a heron. I left it alone.
After having his line in the water about 10 minutes Daniel thought it might be more fun to play and explore with Leah than fish. So they were walking around the area a bit when they saw the Bittern. They got a little too close for the bird's comfort so it flew away. But they did get a good look at it.
We enjoyed a walk looking at the dam. It really was full. There was a pair of geese across the dam from us that honked at us until we went back to our fishing spot. We didn't stay much longer as the sun was getting close to setting.
On Friday afternoon Tim and I worked on the play set again. We had left off at the anchoring step. We had to screw big stakes into the ground and then bolt them to the base. We got three in just fine. The fourth hit a rock. So we had to find a different spot to put the base. After some discussion about where it was level enough and far enough away from the tree and where the slide will be out of the sun we finally got it anchored. This time there were no rocks that hindered us.
By the time we finished for the evening we felt we made some good progress. The children were excited that they could climb on it. There's still a lot of wood in those boxes but it is getting easier finding the pieces we need for each step. That's my job. I look at the directions and find the wood and hardware needed for each step. Then either Daniel or I or sometimes both of us hold boards while Tim puts them together.
I had turned this photo but it showed up like this and I don't know how to change it once it is on blogger.
We had an awesome Sabbath. But I don't have time to write about it now. Tim is awake and we have plans to work on the play set before he has to leave for work.
No comments:
Post a Comment