Yesterday afternoon Doug and I took a walk.  In all of my life living with this man I have learned that when men and women take a walk they are doing it for different purposes.  While I am walking along enjoying his company, the scenery, and the general loveliness of the day, he is looking at Ian's wheat field assessing how well Ian did planting it, looking at the pile of bad round bales to see how fast they are decomposing, and scouting dead and down trees to be cut into stove wood.

After that pleasant little interlude it was determined that there were quite a few trees down in the valley past the wheat field that we could spend a productive three or four hours making a load of wood for the basement.  So, back to the house we trekked to get Matthew and the equipment and so I could change my shoes.  The dogs and I went ahead because I would always rather walk than ride.  We headed down the slope behind where the barn used to stand.  This pond is in the valley below our house.  The valley is about 23 feet deep there.  My husband used to swim in this it when he was a little boy, although I cannot imagine it since it has always been brackish and green since I have known it.  When we were first married there was even an outhouse standing at the head of the pond right in the bend of the path.

Across the path from the pond is the creek that carved out the valley.  According to the abstract of our farm there used to be several sawmills on this creek over the years.  It's hard to imagine this gentle flowing body of water supplying enough power to run a sawmill.  But I have seen it in flood several times now and I know the awsome power of that water.

My silly dog, who doesn't like getting into his bath, spent a great deal of time in that green slimy water.  He was having a grand time.

When they finally came down into the valley with the tractor and the wagon they had to clear the path that is there.  There were several fallen trees across their path.  This one, unfortunately, was box elder so it was merely cut up and pushed aside to rot back into the earth and sweeten the soil.  Not a lot of heat in that tree.

Matthew went ahead of the tractor pushing brush aside and cutting some of the larger pieces with the chainsaw.

The dogs and I followed in the trail made by the wheels of the dumpwagon.  The farther back we got into the woods the deeper the underbrush got for awhile.  Then we came out into the trees and it was nice and clear.

Now it's time to get to work.  Doug ran the chainsaw cutting up anything that had fallen down and wasn't rotting yet.  There are quite a few trees down in the valley so that we can make another couple of loads. 

Matthew went after him standing up the blocks that were made with the chainsaw and split them with the go devil.  This not only makes them of a size that will fit into the furnace but it also helps the wood dry out better.

One swing of his mighty go devil and each piece goes down.  The wood was surprisingly dry so it split fairly easily.  After splitting it we threw it up onto the dumpwagon to be taken home and dumped down into the basement.

I think this does as good as any shot with my camera of showing how deep the valley is.  Up above where Matthew is working is the field of wheat that Ian planted. 

Across the valley from where we were working the creek flows slowly along as it always has. 

Last night when Doug got the tractors stuck I didn't have my camera with me.  Also, I didn't think they would have appreciated picture of their efforts to pull them out, it was too dark in the valley for photography, and they made me stand way back for safety.  All very good reasons for not getting pictures of the action.

This morning, though, Doug has to wash all the tractors.  He has to wash the neighbors 5140 before he returns it.  That one isn't so bad since all it did was pull and it stayed high and dry most of the time.

The Kubota, however, was sunk in to the hubs and was splashed up onto the cab.  The steps are so caked with mud that they are solid.

This job is going to require a special outfit.  Doug was already speckled with mud when I went out to take these pictures and he hadn't really started yet.

The Matthew says the tractor was stuck so deep that the step was in the dirt that is why the bottom step is caked with mud.  It was sinking slowly into the bank of the creek.  I fear if we had left it until this morning we may only have seen the top of the cab.

The backhoe is the worst.  That was sunk in to the top of the hubs.  All of the steps on that are solid with mud and the back and one side of the cab are totally covered in mud.

I think I know what Doug is going to be doing for most of today.  Guess that will keep him out of my hair.