Toys

My wife calls them "toys," but I like to refer to them as "smart tools." It all started with the chain saw to help clear the land some three years ago.The list goes on, so I will not bore you with details, but I will say nothing is more exciting than the new "toy" I am looking at getting. There is a water conservation shop about 10 miles from my house, and as usual, I am looking out the window as I drive by the store on my way to work, but on Friday, I actually stopped at the store. After about 30 min. talking with the owner, I realized it would be a great investment. There were about four or five alternatives, but it seems like two 500 gallon above ground tanks will work perfectly. The real excitement comes from not having to convince the wife with a bunch of "If we had this ..." or "You know we could do this if ...." She thought is was a great idea as well, and she even thought we should get some for the house. So, I am glad to say that we are saving to get "our new toys" this spring. Hopefully, this will save time when it comes to keeping everything watered ... hard to explain, but our land is about 300 feet down the mountain, and we don't have water access, so we have been carrying water, as well as doing "rain dances" every other day. "Smart tools" the only way stay efficient!

Thanks to the Neighbors

As a child, you are always told to "be nice to your neighbors." I am thankful I have great neighbors because if I didn't, Hobby Berries would not exist. First of all, about four rows, 32ft long, were created with a huge "dirt pile" from one of my neighbors. He built a pole barn two years ago and saved the dirt from the excavation, so I decided to use that, along with other composted material for my raised beds. From this dirt, we have five 12x12 raised garden sections and four rows of berries, plus the pile still exists! Another kind person in the neighborhood helped dig my holes for all of my fences ... he has a tractor with an auger! As well as the equipment, he is always there to offer a wealth of information about our garden and any other problem we may encounter. This is also the same individual who helps move my compost pile when it becomes to large for my little bucket I have on the Polaris. My next two neighbors allow me to travel on their land to my land via logging road. I was allowed to extend the logging road past my house to the main road behind their houses, which becomes a huge help when traveling with my two active dogs to the bottom of my land. Moving dirt, clearing land, and picking up rocks on a mountain is time consuming and lots of hard work, but with my kind neighbors, we have been able to accomplish a lot over the last couple of years. There are a few more tasks that need to be done, and I am confident that the neighbors will help with anything needed, so I say "Thanks to the Neighbors" every time I travel the .4 miles to Hobby Berries. I am sure they appreciate my thanks, but if not, I know they really are thankful for the jelly and vegetables they get throughout the year!