Summer Moon of the First Harvests
Chain saw and ax. The ash is a prolific tree, much like the black locust, spreading itself with some vigor. Two especially large young ash had grown up in the area where we originally planted prairie grass. I cut one down today using the felling ax and the other, too close to the chain link fence for my skill level with the ax, I cut down using the chain saw. The chain saw also took out saplings grown close to the fence. Now the orchard will have the benefit of the sunlight previously blocked by these trees.
These ash were on the west side of the house, which creates an additional problem since derechoes and tornadoes come out of the northwest. In a nasty storm they could be blown into our garage. They needed to go.
Over the next few weeks, picking up the pace as fall arrives I’m going to continue clearing the forest and stacking up firewood for our bonfires.
Having the time without the guilt for these chores has me leaning toward setting aside Latin for the growing season, later April through late September. This is, oddly, the old schedule which most public schools still follow, letting the kids out for farm and other agriculture work that 99.9% no longer have to do.
