Firewood, firewood, and more firewood!

This time of year is all about firewood. Heck, this entire year has been about firewood! It seems like all I've really accomplished this year is trimming trees, setting the logs aside for firewood, and burning the resulting brush. 

It started in May with a maple tree uprooting along the south stone fence. I got that cleaned up just in time for me and the cousin to rent a lift and top a few maples that were close to the house. Yeah, that happened in July and it was hot, hot, hot work. But we got it done. 

After all that, it was time to call in the professionals to take down a huge oak that was ninety-percent dead. I made a video on that. Actually, I made a lot of videos this past summer. You can check them out on YouTube on the Holly Tree Manor channel. 

I haven't had a lot of time left over to blog about anything, even the writing. I'd like to say I see the light at the end of the tunnel, but not yet. There is still a large pile of maple logs to cut into round, and even more oak logs. The cousin and I will have firewood for the next several years with just what is already on the ground. The thing is, it's doubtful Mother Nature will let the winter pass without gifting us more. 

I get tired just thinking about it.

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor/The Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, firewood, log splitter, John Deere 1023, rural living, country lifestyle, KC Kendricks, romance fiction, Between the Keys, Deuce's Day

Suffice it to say, we've been busy

It seems like "forever" since I had time to sit down and pen a blog entry. I've been busy with a project practically every day. Just this rainy, dreary morning, I finished burning the brush from when the tree trimmers were here to cut down the top of a dead oak tree. And I confess I've been busy with my new hobby - making videos of what's going on here on the manor. You can go to Youtube.com and search up Holly Tree Manor with KC Kendricks. 

I suppose I'm a bit old-fashioned in that I keep a desk calendar. It's a Day Designer, and I use it as a diary to keep track of what I did when. Looking back, it's no wonder I'm TIRED!!!!

• Today, October 13, 2025 - burned the last of the brush, ran a backup, paid my mother's bills
• October 12 - Sunday, domestic chores
• October 11 - worked in the wood yard; videoed it
• October 10 - laundry, worked in the wood yard
• October 9 - grocery run; canned carrots, baked muffins, brought in tender plants
• October 8 - burned 40% of remaining brush, set up new budget sheet, HVAC guy installed new fan motor
• October 7 - worked in the wood yard, the Internet was out, went to Trivia night
• October 6 - cousin fixed toilet, updated laptop, ordered HVAC parts, gave Deuce a bath
• October 5 - mowed grass, HVAC system fan crapped out, called HVAC tech, cousin brought topsoil
• October 4 - weed whacked, spread stone on parking area and lane
• October 3 - spread stone with the John Deere 1023, dismantled bench at shed and burned
• October 2 - weed whacked, load of stone delivered, got diesel fuel
• October 1 - made grocery run; removed shade cloth at sunroom, steam clean LR area rugs

I have no idea why I'd be tired. And that's not all of it, just the major items. But maybe it does explain why I've not been blogging, or writing, these past few weeks. 

I'm grateful I'm able and active enough to handle all the day to day here at Holly Tree Manor. With winter closing in fast, there is still much to do. It's now wood splitting season, and the cousin has mentioned it a few times. We're both set with firewood for this year, but we need to split for next year so the firewood can season for a year. That's the way it works. 

So forgive me for not blogging much. I really have been busy!

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor/The Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, canning, gardening, John Deere 1023, rural living, country lifestyle, firewood, splitting firewood, shade cloth, black Labs

Quick Garden Tour, Cleanup, and a New Greenstalk

The 2025 gardening season is winding down. Was it a huge success? Not really. The extreme heat took a toll on a lot of things, but the Bell peppers thrived. The Roma tomatoes did okay, too, even flowering after ninety-degree days. I even avoided the blossom end rot this year. 

I've harvested basil to make and freeze Pesto, canned tomatoes, and made two batches of stevia. I've dehydrated lemon balm and echinacea, and even dried some patchouli. And I've added another Greenstalk for strawberries. 

Along the way this summer, I've been making videos! I love having a video record of what's been going on here at Holly Tree Manor. 

So check out my YouTube channel, Holly Tree Manor with KC Kendricks to SEE what's been going on. And if you would, please like and subscribe to help the channel grow. I want to be an old, old woman with a bunch of videos to prove to old, old men that yes, I did indeed know how to operate a John Deere tractor. 

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor

Holly Tree Manor, KC Kendricks, YouTube, gardening, John Deere 1023, Greenstalk, container gardening, rural living, country lifestyle, a writer's life, woven weed cloth

Seeing is believing!

Have you ever started something and then wondered why you did? I'm sort of at that point with the recent spate of videos I've posted at https://youtube.com/kckendricks. I'm having fun (sort of) learning to edit a cohesive video so that's a good thing. I've joked I'm going to be ninety years old in the nursing home and pulling up these vids to prove to the old codgers I really did operate a John Deere tractor and I really did use a chainsaw. Ha ha. 

But seriously, a conversation with some friends got me to thinking. Myself and another member of our "dinner group" live alone, and we are not afraid to cut down a tree and chop firewood for ourselves. Several other group members have no clue about how to garden, how to can food, how to take their car in for service. They just don't know where to start. I want these videos to show women in my age group that they can do it. 

So what have I been recording?

Using the Brush Crusher on the John Deere tractor to remove fallen tree limbs, brush, to aid cutting firewood, and using the backhoe attachment to dig out stumps and a clothesline post among other things. I'm going to run out of ambition to keep making videos long before I run out of projects. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUYFmD6rG3c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZLTCa_x19g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVIhb51F6hE

Of course, I manage to get video-bombed by Deuce at least once per video. 

I try hard to not allow myself to get annoyed by women who think they can't do for themselves. So many times it's conditioning from their parents. You can take care of yourself. I'm walking proof of that. I had good examples of strong, self-sufficient women to guide me. I had a husband who believed it was part of his duty as a husband to teach me all that he could. His life was my biggest blessing. 

Sooooo, if you'd like to see me in action, visit the YouTube channel. If nothing else, you'll get a laugh or three as I blunder my way through projects here at Holly Tree Manor.

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor/The Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, John Deere 1023, strong women, self-sufficient, tractors, chainsaws, gardening, cooking, rural living, country lifestyle, a writer's life, greenhouse, YouTube channel

Tree topping in Triple H weather - not advised

I've been a bit MIA lately, and that's because I've been working with the cousin in Triple H weather. That's hazy, hot, and humid in case you don't live in the Mid-Atlantic region and don't know. I can only work for a couple of hours at a time when I'm on my own. If I get heat stroke, I'll lie there and be dead before someone misses me. We don't want that to happen! 

My property is a three-acre lot and two of those acres are wooded. That's fine. I like trees. The only thing that beats shade in the summer is central air in the house. But I digress...

Back in 1981 the trees were not this big. They grew, and some of them became uncomfortable neighbors. Cousin Dave and I rented a "cherry picker" lift and topped out six of them. I'm in the midst of cleaning up the brush so we can cut firewood rounds. It's going to take many, many, many days to get it all finished, but in the end, our firewood rounds stockpile will be in good shape. 

Deuce has a bit to say about the lift we rented. He was not impressed. https://deucesday.blogspot.com/2025/07/whats-this-thing.html

Years ago, I began to post short videos so my husband could see what was happening around the manor in places he could no longer physically get to. There were also dog vids, and vids of walks and such, all posted in the hope he'd feel included. 

After he passed, I pondered whether or not to start a more intense video project, and to that end I've been recording my activities on the manor. My YouTube channel is called The Hideaway Between the Keys, and as with all things, Google knows where to find me. I think YouTube has changed up some things and it's now youtube.com/@KCKendricks. I think. I'm still figuring a lot of "stuff" out. 

I'll have upcoming videos of the tree trimming and cleanup, as well as some general gardening and general manor activity vids. It really is my life unscripted. 

But back to the Triple H weather, I'm pretty much done for the day with outside work. I grabbed the chainsaw around 7:15 AM and worked clearing the brush from the top of one of the downed maples until the sunshine stole the shade from me. I'll go at it again tomorrow morning. Once I have the smaller, lighter brush removed, the cousin will return with his big saw and finish the heavier work. Sooner of later, it'll all get done and I'm fine with that. My plan is to get to the end goal without giving myself a heat stroke. 

Good plan!

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor/The Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, KC Kendricks, YouTube, country lifestyle, rural living, tree trimming, firewood, weather, heat stroke, Milwaukee chainsaw, John Deere 1023

Didn't plan on having this work to do

In the previous post I mentioned we were hit by a big wind during the night that caused minor damage to the deer barriers around the garden. It also snapped the top out of a cherry tree. Thankfully, this tree was not near the house, but it did fall across my tractor path. 

I wasn't planning on having this clean up to do, but it's not going to be a difficult job. I have a Milwaukee chainsaw that runs on batteries, and I made sure the batteries are charged. I'll take the John Deere 1023 over and start cutting and clearing. When I've used up the juice in the four batteries I have, I'll move on to what I actually did have planned for today - mowing and moving the remainder of the seedlings to the greenhouse. 

It's going to take several days to completely cut this downed cherry into firewood rounds. I'm okay with that. Running on battery power will keep me from working with the chainsaw for too long and getting tired. Running a saw when tired is not a good idea. And being retired, I have no need to remove this tree in one day. There is plenty of room to maneuver the tractor around it. 

Do you know what will keep me focused on the task at hand? Cherry is excellent firewood and it dries, or seasons, fast enough that come next January I can begin to burn it. That's just in time for what is typically our cold stretch. 

Life on the manor requires some hard work, but rarely is anything a singular endeavor. Every "chore" reaps multiple rewards. Processing this tree will be great exercise and will keep me warm next winter. I think it's win-win. Except for the tree, of course. 

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor/The Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, cherry tree, John Deere 1023, Milwaukee M18, firewood, rural living, country lifestyle, a writer's life

At it again - the never ending brush pile

I have a lot of trees, ergo, I have a lot of brush. Mother Nature likes to toss sticks into my yard. Every year, there is a tree or two that for one reason or another needs to be harvested. The aftermath of a tree being felled is brush. January and February are my favorite months to burn brush.

Why? Because of the weather, specifically snow. Burning when there is snow on the ground is pretty safe. Same goes for during a rainfall. 

Yesterday, I braved the cold and lit a small brush pile. I wasn't sure the fire was going to catch and get going, but it did. The flames had died down to mere embers, and I was ready to call it a day. I'd no sooner taken off my wet jeans when a gust of wind rocked the house, and then kept blowing. 

I did not like this. Would the wind reignite the embers in what was left of the brush pile?

I pulled on a pair of sweat pants and went back outside, hopped on the John Deere 1023, and scooped up a few snow piles leftover from a few days ago when I used the snow pusher attachment on the lane. I dropped the snow on what was left of the smoldering brush pile. And you know what happened then?

Yep. The wind stopped blowing.

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor/The Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, country lifestyle, rural living, John Deere 1023, snow, rain, burning brush, resources, wind, fire, work smart

 

Winter Storm Blair

I don't know when, or why, the weather guessers began to name winter storms. What's wrong with The Blizzard of '77? It works. We remember it. 

The forecast is for Winter Storm Blair to reach us around 10 PM tonight. I've made sure I have plenty of dog food and doggie treats, cat food, KC food, firewood, and water for coffee. The snow shovel and snow melt are on the patio, under roof. So is a gasoline can and the transfer pump. My cousin came up and made sure my generator would start. It's a pull cord and my hip is bothering me and I couldn't pull it hard enough today. And lastly, the snow pusher is on the John Deere 1023. I'm as ready for this weather event as is humanly possible. 

My grandparents used to say that Ohio's weather today is our weather tomorrow. It's surprisingly true, most days. Now we have the Weather Channel and the Internet and a lot of confusion. I took a photo of the sky just before dark. Yep. It's coming. 

Ron and I used to like to watch it snow. We'd cuddle-up on the couch with a cup of coffee and gaze out the living room window. I'll probably sit and watch the snow fall for a little while, but I will need to go out in the storm and run the tractor if it starts to get deep. And who knows how much we'll get? The predictions are never dependable. My location is protected by a very tall hill (a mountain), and the worst of many a storm goes south of us. 

I moved the table on the sunroom porch close to the door so I can stick a ruler in the snow and measure without walking outside. Foresight. Amazing. 

There's nothing left to do tonight except put my jammies on, snuggle with Deuce and Loki, and watch a little TV. I may even fix myself a little something-something to knock the chill off. 

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor/The Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, Winter Storm Blair, rural living, snowfall, Weather Channel, preparedness, generators, a writer's life, black Lab dog, John Deere 1023

An amazing job well done

The well drillers left a huge mess in my backyard. Even with the John Deere 1023, I wasn't sure I could get the area cleared of that nasty clay slop that went everywhere. Enter my cousin Dave, whom I can never repay for all he's done for me. 

My cousin brought his Kubota tractor up and we got to work taking bucket-full after bucket-full of the muck down the old tractor path and depositing it on a pile. Any dreams I had of restoring the old tractor path to the condition it was in when our grandfather used it are gone. But thank the good Lord I had a enough land to get that clay muck out of sight. 

We spent several hours a day for five days getting the backyard ready for grass seed. The first three days was all tractor work and not too strenuous. The last two days required raking, picking up stones, and shoveling. My shoulders and back still ache. 

It is regrettable we can't go back and make different decisions. I wish I'd never started this project. I'm not any better off than before I spent all that money. Live and learn. 

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor/The Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, well drilling, rural living, John Deere 1023, Kubota, family, grass seed, hard work, mistakes

Twelve days straight

It rained for twelve days straight. I'm feeling very low on vitamin D. BUT... Today started out overcast which has now given way to sunshine! 

Sunshine means one thing, and one thing only, on the manor - time to get outside, see what needs to be done, and get moving on it. 

There is a strip along the edge of the driveway, close to where I park, that anyone and everyone who comes to my house lacks the ability to STAY THE HELL OFF OF!!!! Seriously. How hard can it be? I manage to keep my tires on the stones, but I know how to operate a motor vehicle. But I digress.

I repaired the mudhole by adding some topsoil in preparation of reseeding. Then I added a thin add of gravel to redefine the edge. Suffice it to say, I won't be ordering anything from Amazon for quite a while because those drivers are the absolute worst. 

With that done, I turned my attention to the old tractor path. The entire top broke out of a maple a few days ago and there is some okay firewood in that. I cut the leafy bits off and took those to the burn pile and set aside the bits that are suitable to cut, split, and age for the 2025-26 season. After being trapped inside for twelve days, I was more than happy to be outside and moving around. 

I may be done for the day, but I'm far from done. There is still the mess the well drillers left behind, but a few more days of sunshine will make that easier to scoop up and drop in the corner of my property where it won't impact anything or anyone except the deer. In time the clay will disappear, claimed by the weeds, leaves, and greenbriers. 

Sunshine is rejuvenating. It imparts renewed energy not just to the land, but to me as well. I've been grouchy these past days even though in our modern world we still find things to do in the rain. I had lunch with friends, did some writing, did a bit of promotional work, and gathered up Ron's Civil War books for his youngest brother. It's not that I want to dispose of those books, but he asked for them since he shared Ron's interest in the Civil War. 

Tomorrow's weather should be much like today's. I'd like to get outside early and see what is ready to be done. Or what I'm ready to tackle on my own. There is that to consider.

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor/The Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, rural living, country lifestyle, sunshine, John Deere 1023, woodland, energy reserves, Civil War books, rain, a writer's life, romance fiction

Perfect weather!

Suffice it to say that August got away from me. I accomplished very little. Looking back through my day calendar to see what I did do was depressing. Yes, Tropical Depression Debby was a hindrance, but I can't blame it all on the rain. I think my ass grew into my recliner, which I do not like. It can't be allowed to become a habit. 

In my defense, August was stinkin' hot. Hazy, hot, and humid hot. Not the sort of weather anyone not accustomed to it needs to be doing yard work in. I busied myself with several canning projects. Broth, three different soups, and a lot of applesauce made it onto the pantry shelves. I'm not finished yet. I still want to process some beef stew, pork stew, and jardiniere (pickled veggies). 

But today was for something different. Today was my kind of weather with sunshine, almost no breeze, and the mercury in the mid-seventies. I got busy and cleaned up several months worth of downed sticks and had a little 'campfire'. 

I don't know what we did before we got the John Deere 1023. Having a compact tractor makes life a lot easier. I filled six buckets full of debris and burned it one bucket at a time. I took my time and took breaks sitting on the tractor to watch the fire, too. I kept it small and it worked out great! 

It feels good to get that much done. At least now when someone comes to visit, the lane and approaches are tidy. I call that a good day's work.

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor/The Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, rural living, country lifestyle, John Deere 1023, campfire, burning brush, yard work, a writer's life, outside chores, good weather, autumn

That was close!

A line of severe thunderstorms barreled through our area last night. I'd seen the radar and knew it was coming sometime after 10 PM. About eleven-thirty, Deuce jumped to his paws and barked like someone was coming up the lane. I have a sensor that dings if that happens, and it was silent, but I knew he heard something. This morning I discovered what.

I always take Deuce out between six and seven every morning. What greeted us was a large tree limb in the middle of the parking area. No wonder the dog raised hell about it! I'll need to put the Brush Crusher 4200 on the tractor to move that to the brush pile. 

I can do that. I'm just grateful it missed hitting my Colorado. That would have made me very unhappy! 

When you live in the woods you expect these things to happen, but it seems the wind is getting worse. I suppose it's a direct result of the solar maximum and the solar flares. There's nothing much we can do except trim the trees closest to the house. Like I need more firewood at this point. (I don't.)

The branch will lie there until tomorrow. Another line of storms and rain is bearing down on us, and I'm not going to be sitting outside on a big chunk of metal when it gets here.

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor/The Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, storm damage, John Deere 1023, Brush Crusher 4200, country lifestyle, rural living, solar maximum, guard dogs, a writer's life

My favorite part of spring

The daffodils are in full bloom! It's my favorite time of spring. I've spent years planting daffodil bulbs all through the woods and all over the manor, and it's beginning to pay off. Down in the lower forty, there are blooms scattered about, enough that I can see the areas I need to plant this year. 

Planting daffs in the woods may seem silly. Flowers need sunlight to thrive! In early spring, the trees still need to put out leaves. The daffs get plenty of sunshine. 

I'm getting older and smarter, too. Yesterday, I was giving the lane its spring tidying with the John Deere 1023 tractor, so I took a moment to drag the backhoe bucket through the trees to make a little trench. When I separate the largest daffodil clumps, I'll have a place to drop the bulbs and dirt to cover them. My knees will be grateful. Shoveling can be hard on them. 

There are more annual chores to be accomplished. The mobile lawnmower repair man is due to arrive today to change the oil, put in a new spark plug, sharpen the blades, and if necessary, put in a new air filter. I paid a good price for the John Deere x370 mower and I like to keep it serviced. 

I hope the daffodils are still blooming at the end of this week when the Lord of the Manor will return home from his stint in a care facility. It's anyone's guess if he'll get to see them next spring. 

In the bulb there is a flower

In the bulb there is a flower; in the seed, an apple tree;

in cocoons, a hidden promise: butterflies will soon be free!

In the cold and snow of winter there's a spring that waits to be, 

unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.

There's a song in ev’ry silence, seeking word and melody.

There's a dawn in ev’ry darkness, bringing hope to you and me.

From the past will come the future; what it holds, a mystery,

unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.

In our end is our beginning; in our time, infinity;

in our doubt there is believing; in our life, eternity.

In our death, a resurrection; at the last, a victory,

unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor/The Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, John Deere 1023, John Deere x370, daffodils, care facility, In the bulb, country lifestyle, rural living, end of life

Four to eight inches - sounds risque but it's not

 

We went to bed last night with a fair amount of dread hanging over us. The weather forecast was for up to eight inches of snow. I anticipated a morning spent on the John Deere 1023 pushing snow. I should have known better. Once again, the weather guessers missed the mark. 

Yes, it did indeed snow. I put the total at 2.5 inches. That puts our February 2024 total-to-date at 10.5 inches. Not bad for us in our little micro-climate, in fact, it's typical of the snows we get. Historically we get a lot of these little snows in January and February. 

I'm happy not to need to hop on the tractor and push snow in the cold. I did go out (in my slippers) and take a measurement and a few pictures, though. We don't need to go anywhere today, and if I did decide to make a fast trip to the grocery, the Colorado is a 4x4. No problem. 

The snow covering the trees is lovely in the morning light. I've created a page for the photos here. 

I'm not sure what this day will look like now. I'd planned to be outside for an hour or so, but that won't happen. I'll take Deuce for his morning stroll and come back inside. I can enjoy the snowy woods just as much from the comfort of my recliner. Some days, I like to act my age. 

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor/The Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, snowfall, rural living, country lifestyle, winter weather, John Deere 1023, snow removal, Colorado 4x4, beautiful woods, snowy woods

Hard work helps

 

The past two weeks have not been anything to brag about. The Lord of the Manor's illness has tested us yet again, and this time we've failed. It's easy to blame one or the other, but we've both allowed anxiety to overcome us. It has not been pretty. However...

The Lord of the Manor's situation is improving, and I've taken the opportunity to escape the house. Granted, I'm only doing things I'd be doing anyway, but it's away from his demands. Today went well. Yesterday, not so much.

We're in the middle of what the old-timers call the January thaw. Yes, it started in January so the term applies. Yesterday and today, the weather was perfect for this time of year and I took full advantage of it. 

• Pick up sticks and limbs blown down
• Burn the sticks; brush
• Bring over firewood
• Spread mulch from tree-trimmers on tractor path
• Restack parts of the woodpile needing it (sort out the too-long pieces and throw on brush pile)
• Spread clean crush gravel
• Prepare and set Brush Crusher 4200 on the new pallet

City dwellers may think that a short list, but anyone living out in the country knows just how much time is involved. And I did all that while running in and out of the house to check on the ailing partner, doing a load of laundry, and preparing two meals and an evening snack each day.

I may be woman, and I may roar, but bedtime is nine o'clock. 

I'm very pleased to have this "pre-spring" clean-up almost finished. I've got one spot to get the fallen sticks and limbs from as soon as the ground dries up enough to get the tractor in there. 

What did I do before I got the John Deere 1023? I worked harder! The tractor is a game changer. 

I wish I could say I feel at least a smidgeon of guilt about running out on an ailing spouse, but I don't. The outside work is therapy for me. I'm physically tired, but I feel so much better. Today there were no harsh words spoken on either side. This is a good thing. 

Tomorrow will bring another test. I need to go to the landfill, and I must stop at UPS to send an item back to Amazon. How will he react to being left alone? Will he be patient and stay in his recliner and enjoy a leisurely cup of coffee? Or will he pull another stunt and end up lying on the floor until I get home and pick him up? 

It's a coin toss, but I will leave and run my errands in the morning. And when I return home, hopefully, I'll be able to get into the lower section of the woods for the deadwood. 

Spring is coming, though. Working in the woods, I've spotted daffodil sprouts everywhere! It gives me hope that this time of trial will pass and I'll come out the other side even stronger. 

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor/The Hideaway

Holy Tree Manor, The Hideaway, John Deere 1023, Brush Crusher 4200, rural living, country lifestyle, daffodils, caregivers, firewood

This is not good

Oh, dear...

Having a couple of trail cams scattered about is a lot of fun. You never know what the footage may show. It could be the Lord of the Manor on the John Deere 1023 or the cousin wielding his chainsaw. It could be me and Deuce wandering about so the dog can have a good sniff. He likes that sort of thing. Then there are the things I want to observe: the wildlife. 

THIS was not a welcome sight. I don't like skunks. I really don't like skunks in my yard.  

Eradication could be very, very stinky. I think I need to hope for the best and this critter moves along on his own!

The Lady of The Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, skunks, rural living, wildlife, trail cams, country lifestyle, varmints, a writer's life, John Deere 1023, Labrador Retriever

The days go by fast

I'm happy to have completed a six-week stint filling in for the young woman who took my position when I retired. She's been on maternity leave and I was asked to help keep the office afloat. It was a lot more stressful than I thought it would be, but now it's in the past. I posted a bit about it over on my writing blog, Between the Keys. The bottom line is that I'm delighted I can return to my real life here at Holly Tree Manor. 

Even with spending time back on the job, I managed to get a few things accomplished. The gardening season finished and firewood season began. The firewood for the 2024-25 winter got a big boost when I hired a service to take down the leaning maple. That maple had been leaning since 2003 when Hurricane Isabel hit us. 

The Mad Canner was busy, too. I made and canned apple pie filling and curried apple chutney, plus chicken and beef broth for the pantry. 

Autumn is waning and we're drifting toward winter. The nights have really cooled down and I've had the woodstove burning. We get some rather wide temperature swings this time of year so I need to pay attention to the weather forecast to balance using the woodstove with cycling the heat pump. On sunny afternoons, I don't need either one. 

I don't mind the changing of the seasons. There is beauty in each one, and each brings a set of chores to be done. Yesterday, I worked in the woodyard for about an hour and a half, then hopped on the X370 John Deere mower to chop leaves. This time of year the leaves are a never-ending task, but I can't let them smother my poor grass. I estimate I'll need to mow the leaves two, possibly three, more times, and the leaf blower will get a workout, too. I don't mind that job, either. I love being outside. 

Dawn has passed and there is blue sky overhead. It's time to join the Lord of the Manor for morning coffee and to find out if he's feeling up to helping me any today. I'll get more rounds cut if he's on the tractor using the brush crusher to lift and hold them for me. But I can do it by myself if necessary.

That's one of the things living in the country has taught me. It is up to me. 

The Lady of the Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, firewood, John Deere x370, John Deere 1023, autumn, country lifestyle, rural living, empowered women, home food preservation, apple pie filling, a writer's life

It was a long time coming, but it's done

One of the items on my To-Do List never seemed to get done - until yesterday. I've long wanted to redo the hardscape at the gable end of the house, beside where I park.  The old underlayment had dissolved over the last thirty or so years, and the space had turned into a weed garden. Try as I did, I couldn't keep up with it. It had to go! 

Yesterday, I moved six big flower pots, lifted out sixteen pavers using the John Deere, and gathered up all the other loose pavers I had scattered about. Then I used the tractor to rake the pea gravel out and away from the area. 

Today, I put down the new underlayment - woven weed ground cover from Grower's Solution - laid out the pavers for stepping stones and shoveled the pea gravel back in.

Yes, I shoveled it by hand. With a shovel. I have a blister, too. I asked the Lord of the Manor for help, and oh, yeah. He fucking helped, all right. 

I asked him to scoop up the pea gravel and then drop it in close to the house. He dug down and got dirt, the very thing I told him needed to be avoided. 

I didn't want any dirt going on top of the woven weed cloth that could harbor seeds and grow new weeds. I thought I was very concise. He just didn't want to help me, just like with the knee wall I built. 

Well, guess what? I got it done. I worked three hours yesterday until I lost the shade, and about four hours today. The hard work was finished by the time I lost the shade today, but finishing up was done with the John Deere, so working in the sun didn't affect me too badly. 

I'm going to spend the winter haunting the dollar stores for suitable pots, and next year, put the flower and herb-filled pots between the stepping stones. I want the plantings to look unplanned even though some planning has gone into it. 

It feels great to have the project finished and even better to have done it myself. Did I get angry with the spousal unit? Yes. I hate it when he looks at a project based on what he can't do instead of what he can do. You might think that's sad, but after thirty years, I'm out of patience with that mindset. 

Don't avoid a difficult project based on what you think you CAN'T do. You CAN do it, even if you need to break it down into stages and take several days to get it done.  YOU CAN!!

The Lady of The Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, John Deere 1023, gardening, home projects, do it yourself, DIY, pavers, empowerment, rural living, country lifestyle, a writer's life, hardscapes, flowers

A very busy month, lots to do

I can't believe it's been weeks since I blogged here at The Hideaway. To say we've been busy would be a bit of an understatement. Spring is a time of preparation in the country.

My little garden is planted and thriving. The tomatoes are ready to bloom! The inner leaves of the cabbages are starting to curl. The sugar snap peas are vining and climbing their guide ropes. After a tentative start, the cucumbers are gaining traction. The butternut squash seeds have sprouted as have the cantaloupe and watermelon. The Contender green beans are looking good and I wish I'd planted more of them. Five of the six green pepper plants are thriving. 

If there is anything I can call a disappointment, it's the Greenstalk. Hopefully, it will improve as the summer progresses.  

Other activities include mowing, weeding, mulching, some tractor work, helping a neighbor with the removal of a downed tree, and the usual household chores. I even uploaded a short video. I wanted to have the pool set up by now, but that hasn't happened. 

It feels good to have the work done. For the next little stretch of time, I'll need to water the garden (possibly daily) and mow once a week or so. During this "break in the action," my one cousin and I may drop a large cherry tree that is leaning out over the yard. Cherry makes great firewood and we'll each take half the wood for the winter of 2024-25. 

One thing is for sure - there is never a day with nothing to do.

The Lady of the Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, country lifestyle, rural living, gardening, Greenstalk, cutting wood, mowing grass, John Deere 1023, helping neighbors, hard work, loving life

Now I have to clean it up

We have over two hundred trees at Holly Tree Manor, which means Mother Nature throws a lot of firewood at us. Our decision late last year to harvest three trees was not the norm. Those trees posed a somewhat immediate threat to the house (the big poplar was very much a threat) which was why we made the decision to cut them down. If a tree dies naturally we harvest those and we don't lack for firewood. 

Last summer I gathered up bits and pieces of downed wood and such and piled it out by the little woodpile. That woodpile is one of Loki's favorite perches but it's really sort of community property for everyone's campfires and fire pits. Well....

Now I have to clean up those sticks. I'd hoped they'd get burned but it didn't happen. It's not a difficult task with the John Deere tractor but it's something I need to take the time to do when I'd rather be planting tomato seeds. 

Lesson learned. I won't stack anything in front of the woodpile again. 

The Lady of the Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, woodpile, firewood, rural living, country lifestyle, John Deere 1023, a writer's life, gardening, homestead prepper