SUNDAY - TIME TO PICK BERRIES - TAKE IT EASY

          I awoke this morning to a latent dawn; the weeping willow tree just outside our bedroom window glowing with happiness; golden tears dripping from its leaves.  As I lay in bed, I could hear forest birds chirruping gaily; many of their fledglings now with lives of their own flitting from branch to branch with merriment.  It's a peaceful Sunday morning here on Golden Unicorn Farm and the numerous thunder storms that have passed over during the past week that cracked the heavens asunder, have helped keep our garden watered and the rain barrels filled to the brim.  I wish that people the world over could awake to such a day; for me a day of accomplishment for working hard last week and then being allowed to rest without the worry of famine and deadly political unrest.

Clayton Clark Bush-Hogging the Goat Pasture

          The past week has rushed on by and if it weren't for some of my friends giving me a helping hand some of the time, I'd be so far behind schedule that I'd be thinking I was in front if it were a race.  Clayton, although at age 76, is still going strong, one evening, after working all day under the hot sun, managed to bush-hog the pasture where the goats, chickens and the dog will soon be roaming.  The tractor has been parked in the back yard the last few days waiting for Clayton to return and patch up one of the big tires that's gone flat because there's still about 7 more acres remaining to bush-hog.  He's a busy man this time of year mowing people's lawns and both the cemeteries but being a man of his word, he'll be by as soon as he's able.  

  Charlie Gould & His Big Rig with Dougie Clark (no relation to Clayton) Looking On

          It seemed as if Clayton had no sooner turned off the tractor's ignition, that Charlie and Dougie arrived the next morning with a flat-deck crane and heavy-duty dump truck to haul away about 7 huge boulders that had been placed in a long row by Bobby Farrell to separate the two properties  - he'd be having a feud with Hayden Higgs (person we bought our home from) about some personal matters.  Since I bought Bobby's 25 acres last fall and as much as I sort of liked the boulders where they were situated, I had them all removed except for two, they were too far back to grab a hold without destroying a chunk of the pasture.

  "Buddy" About to Haul Sign to Woodstock

        

          While all the necessary commotions that were going on, in between working on the attached barn, I managed to letter a 20' sign for the Woodstock Farm and Craft Market.  Although I've been doing most of my signs using a computer and a vinyl letter-cutting machine, I decided to break out the quills and 1-Shot (enamel sign paints) and letter this one by hand.  I was glad to see that I hadn't lost my touch and am thinking that since, I'm not really in the sign game in a big way any longer, I'm going to use the brush a lot more often.  Old "Buddy" our big-ass diesel truck that hauled all our stuff across pretty much a huge portion of Canada last summer is still going strong - hauling lumber, manure and of course the big sign. 

My Friend George Probst Helping with the Barn

          Finally, the roof, which was probably the most difficult to build is completed except for the metal cap, which I will attach tomorrow - today I'm going to pick berries and take it easy somewhat.  I have no idea how many boards it took to cover the roof, then a roll of tar paper and lastly sheets of ribbed metal - by the time I finished screwing all the screws in between thunder showers and radiating heat from the sun, both my hands were sore and my legs ached - first time I ever got a cramp in my hip - must have been the contained position I had to maintain for long periods of time to keep from sliding off the roof.  It was definitely a two man job to get the steel sheets into place and George was amazing when he figured out the last intricate piece to be laid - had some angles that were way beyond me.  Much of the interior has been completed, only the two outside doors remaining before the animals and chickens have a home.  However, that being said, there is still a lot of work remaining on the barn; battens to be nailed in place to prevent the wind and snow from penetrating the walls, laying nests and two ramps yet to build - mustn't forget the remaining part of the fence too; needs some wire stretched across it.  

          Ahh, but it's Sunday now at the base of Green Mountain, and although the day is going to be hot, I shall not work very hard and give my body a wee rest.  Picking raspberries and red currants should be easy as long as the mosquitoes aren't waiting for me.