The lawn is mowed... Finally

The Farmall Cub has a Woods Mower Deck that we've been trying to get working for a few months now, with limited success.... That is, until yesterday!

Under the Mower Deck

Old Blades are rounded & warped, which explains why it bogged down so easily when it hit thick grass.

Blade assembly with new blades...

...which have an edge!

After mechanical failures in the Cub, missing and wrong sized pieces for the mower deck, we THOUGHT we had finally got it right! Hubby mowed the lawn all around the house including the front & back yards, the 1/2 acre on the other side of the "privet hedge", all the way up to the pond... then it just stopped! Turns out that the belt was splitting and had come too lose to stay on the bearings. It pulled off the pulleys and the mowing stopped. Yesterday, Hubby went to get a new belt for the Woods Mower Deck we have hooked up to the Cub. This morning while I was at my MG class, he tried to put the new belt on, only to learn that it was 4" too short! No amount of adjusting the pulleys would even allow him to get the belt ON the pulleys! So he put in a call to the place we got the part from... they're trying to find the right belt... again.

Go Hubby! GO!

The 1/2 acre is mowed!

 Oh well, at least the lawn is mowed... for now.

Addendum:
We got the 1st 2 belts from a parts distributor in Headland, AL (about an hour away). The 1st belt we had used was not the correct one- it was an "equivalent" (as in if you don't have the one listed, this will work). Though it was the right size, it was not the right materials nor was it designed for the job we had intended it to perform- despite the fact that it was the part listed in the dealer's parts book. The 2nd belt, while model number correct, was 4" too short to even be put on the pulleys. The 3rd (& hopefully final belt) was found thanks to the Farmall Cub Forum at farmallcub.com (Their shared experience and wisdom have been a wonderful help on a nearly daily basis) supplying the correct part number (not the one in the manual) and a local parts dealer. We'll be putting it on tomorrow morning to see if it actually DOES work.

Clearing the Hiking Path... Again.

OK. So, apparently, if you don't keep at the whole "Property Maintenance" thing, plants will try their best to take over whatever project you've started.... Ours was the hiking trail through the woods. But, I digress...

With the summer heat, it was near impossible to spend more than an hour outside... even less if there was heavy labor involved. Since clearing a path by hand involves heavy labor, it didn't get done this summer, though we did manage to cut down some of the trees in the way of our desired trail. Mind you, we are doing all this by hand... that is to say, with hand held saws, hatchets and an ax. Like I said, LOTS of labor involved. Cutting these things out took much more effort than expected and after nearly passing out from the heat a time or 2, we did manage to get the path cleared... that is, of the heavy debris.

While we focused our efforts on the BIG things, the little things fell by the wayside... things like making sure the brush didn't grow over the path too much... or clearing out debris from the few rain storms we DID get... so, we decided to hike the trail a couple weeks ago to take stock of the work ahead. Our cat, KC (short for Kitty Cat), who loves to go on our hiking adventures through the woods, came with us. Wearing our Camelbacks and armed with a machete, hatchet and a pistol, we headed out. Why a pitsol? You'll see...

Here are some of the pictures from that excursion:

Looked like rain might come. It sprinkled. Nothing more.

Beginning the trail... Lots of vines had grown and some new trees popped up, but we were able to clear most of it by hand this time.

This is the pond by the house. It's VERY low. The drainage pipe is sticking out on the left and the pond floor is a deep green from all the little plants growing on the exposed lush ground!

KC, the adventurer!

Hubby was clearing the path with his machete while I, er... um... documented the event! LOL!

Did I mention that a LOT of vines grew over the summer?

This is why we carry a pistol when we're out here. I'm glad it's only the shed skin! I'm keeping my eyes peeled for the former inhabitant, though!

Once we did get it cleared out, the vines, along with the wood we'd cut, made an excellent bonfire! YAY wood ash for the garden!!! Here's some pics for all you Pyromaniacs out there:

Keep in mind that the flames were taller that our house by this point.

The little rain we DID get didn't even make a dent in the fire... We watched the flames until the mosquitoes got too thick to enjoy it. Hubby used the hose to back the pyre down to something that would safely burn itself out. Ah, what we do to entertain ourselves!

Thar be Humming Birds, Cap'n!!!

Hubby & I had bird feeders out to attract various birds to help with the mosquito and fly problems here at the farm. The birds would come and help themselves to the birdseed, but occasionally we'd see a humming bird poke around, poke at the window, hover a moment and then fly off as if to say, "What about us? Can't we get food, too?"

So we went to our favorite local store, Tractor Supply Company, and picked up a cheapie humming bird feeder, made some "nectar", filled the feeder and put it out. So we watched as one, then 2, then 5 humming birds were flying around, taking turns drinking the nectar. They've been back every day since!

Now, while we're eating our meals, we watch out the window as the drama unfolds!

Apparently, ants, bees, butterflies, wasps, hornets and all manner of stingy-type flying insects ALSO enjoy the nectar! Some even give the hummingbirds a fight in dominating the feeder! It's funny to see these beautiful birds that are no bigger than my thumb fencing with other species of flying things. It's almost choreographed! Sometimes the birds get to eat, sometimes the wasp gets to. It's a neat little drama that happens on a daily basis.

Overgrown!!

Well, the tractor WAS working... kinda. The lawn was beautifully mowed and looked lovely! (Pictures soon to follow). In fact, it was SO nice that the deer came & visited, munching on the newly mowed lawn.

That was 15 days ago. Now, you can barely tell it was ever mowed! Bahia grass grows so quickly! It's back to thigh high (granted: my thighs are a little lower to the ground than most). There is buffalo grass taking over the place.

But, I'm told that this could be a good thing. Apparently, Bahia grass will penetrate the hard pan to the water table which will make it easier for other plants to get the water they need to survive. The Buffalo grass is supposed to be a haven to doves making dove hunting an excellent option once it goes to seed in a few more weeks.

So, despite looking like we could mow the grass and find a car in true red-neck style, we do have myriad food options that don't involve the grocery store or the factory food system: Hogs are eating the corn in the field, Doves will be eating the Buffalo Grass, Deer are eating the grass. Yay homesteading variety in meats!

After a few days working on the tractor, we figured out what we think is wrong with it: The PTO gear is too small for the mower, the blades are so dull that they are actually round where they should be sharp. So, Monday we'll be ordering more parts and waiting for their arrival. Ah, the life!

Another one bites the dust!

Well, our vacuum cleaner bit the dust a little over a month ago. We've been doing OK, but dusting just doesn't seem to be cutting it... especially since my folks will be visiting soon. My dad has allergies to cats, dust, pollen, etc. So, naturally, I want him to be comfortable while he's here. So, I must choose a vacuum. Since the budget is tight, I've gotta do some comparison shopping.

Here's the one I'm now considering:


Any reviews?? Advice?? I'm all ears.

Update: It works wonderfully!!!

Herding Humans proves harder than cats.

You know, I believe that any other animal on the plant would be easier to organize in groups than humans. They could be lead to take action (be it stampede or hide), organized into subgroups with specific abilities and work together towards a common goal. I've been trying to get a parole package together for a friend of mine. This includes letters from friends and relatives regarding his character. People have known about this for months. Still, the letters from my husband, my mother in law, and me are the only reference letters we have collected. Sheesh people! Don't say you'll do something if you won't!

Chemical Warfare with Dangerous 8-legged Beasts in the Garage

I realize that I can't get rid of them all and that more will eventually come, I know that I live in the country, I know that some spiders to play useful roles in the delicate balance of life... but I feel better knowing that the nest of Brown Recluses I found is no longer a threat. I counted 5 full grown adults, 2 younger ones and 4 egg sacs. Gone. No more. I hope that means I have successfully avoided an infestation, but time will tell.