Author: Diana Blakney

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Watch out, Scotch broom!

Zachary, Alex and Robert discuss how best to discourage Scotch broom and its progeny.
En route to our mission, we found three blockages to the forest road on the Rock Creek trail.
Bill and Zachary seek and destroy.
Robert and Zachary are mortal enemies of the dread invasive.
Robert and Zachary spot some Licorice fern growing on a Big Leaf maple and insist on tasting its tasty roots.
Tory’s tulips are so pretty.
Torti takes a much-needed break from hunting.
The chicken house is really going to be nice.
Sid cleans the old hive in preparation for the new bees.
The new bees are eager to start work.
The Annex is looking good now that dry wall has been applied.

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Rock Creek map from 1851

The attached 1852 map shows the Marys River flowing right by Shiver River. According to the local historian who sent this to me, this means that what is now Rock Creek was considered the primary source of Marys Peak and it directly connected Marys Peak and Marysville. This also means that the Rock Creek dam and other human impacts completely changed the hydrogeomorphology of the area until the drainage from Summit and the Tum Tum River overpassed the drainage coming from Rock and Greasy Creek. You will also note that Marys Peak was called Mt. Snelling. That was but one of 8 names for the mountain over a 40 year period. The name Marys Peak did predate 1852, but each mapmaker just used the last parochial name they heard from a local person as there was no consistent naming database that had yet developed.

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January

Alex is back at the farm, ready to start another term. Zia (Sandra) and Rossana admire the work Alex and Sid have done on the chicken house, and Bill, Bianca, Julius and Jessica admire it as well.
Wood from Grampa Brent’s tractor shed adds a touch of nostalgia to the chicken house.
Jessica and Julius walk down to the creek.
The creek is fascinating … too fascinating for comfort.
The rip rap stayed solidly in place throughout the recent high water!
Sid had one of the two farm milk cans sand blasted to get rid of the rust. It worked so well we will do the second one as well.
A pear tree was needed to replace one that died.
Pear tree in its new home.

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Winter preparations

Bill and Bianca inspect Sid’s road repair.
Is Sid dressed for winter? I think not. Alex and Bill give his outfit a critical look. Bianca turned her back.
Progress on the chicken house!
Alex takes a much-needed rest after working on the chicken house.

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Late October rain

Trenching added watering options in three additional spots.
Chicken house will go here.
Chicken house in progress
Bianca politely asks if she can play with Finn.
Just playing!
Horse burial site is leveling over time and with the rain
Looking at the neighboring clear cut from the now-passable loop trail
The loop trail is rugged going, but doable.
The woodshed/tent is full, and there is more, tarped wood outside.

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Trenching

Alex operates the trencher as he and Sid prepare to put in water lines that will access well water to plantings.
Bianca looks on approvingly.
Bianca helps to pack the dirt over the pipes.
In case you wondered how in the heck Unk’s pickup could haul the 20 foot PVC pipe from store to farm? Look how cleverly Sid managed the task!

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