April, The month of flooding.

April started out with a nice slow gradual snow melt.This kind of melt was the best possible kind for this province that we could have had.  For the last few months now the 'experts' have been saying the flooding this year will be worse than in 97. I found this video on YouTube. I think the song says exactly why we didn't have the kind of flooding mess they were calling for. Thank Goodness! Watch it then continue reading. 

Of course I have had this song in my head all month long now, as I worked on the headaches we have appearing in the yard. 

Me working on cleaning off, and out the drainage
ditch running through the front yard.

I began last month removing the snow from the yard one wheelbarrow full at a time. By the time it started melting I had removed enough to expose the drainage ditch. I then had to dig out all the debris that had collected in the ditch. The snow varied in depth from about 10 to 24 inches deep.

After almost a week of melting and shoveling and
Hauling the snow off the yard One Wheelbarrow at a time

There was allot of melting during the snow removal that allowed the snow pack to shrink. By the time I got the whole thing cleared off the cow pasture behind the house began to melt, I then had more minor flooding on the yard as it all ran through the drainage ditch I had just opened up.

The Yard beginning to show itself

Last Year The mid yard lake was not draining at all I had this giant pool of stagnant water festering on the front lawn for several months. Even with the drainage ditch running at full bore it still took a few days to empty.

Lake Artmore It gets any deeper I will need a lifeguard!

I found out also the cow pasture had flooded my septic field. The tank was full to the lid! Guess I just gained another summer project. Eventually the whole yard melted.... almost, then it snowed again! 

This is April right?! 

Other Flood fun! 

Marianne went into town for a appointment, on the way back she hit a pothole that wasn't there on the way out. The pothole tried to eat the back end of her car. She jarred herself quite seriously and was in pain for a week or so after.

The hole that wasn't there an hour ago. Notice the tire tracks?  

The road closed sign that appeared
while she was  in town,
 It was on the pothole on this side
of the road

The flooded field that overwhelmed
the culverts.

The ditches and fields on either side of the roadway were filled with water, I had to flag another soft spot just half a mile down the road from our place. Once again we were cut off for another few days while we waited for someone to fix the road.

This poor fellow's field entrance was flooding over the drive
as the culverts couldn't handle the amount of water flowing.

The ditches orverwhelmed

You would never believe that the
ditch is about 4 feet deep here. 

This would make a nice postcard, If it wasn't someones pasture.

 High Voltage and water a good combination?

More ditches further towards home

(sigh)

Another overwhelmed driveway.

Well the flooding was depressing enough. We continued to monitor the flood reports, the news and the weather. No more rain, with the exception of a few small isolated showers here. But apparently the US was getting smashed with tornadoes. The immediate threat to us was minor but it could produce some storm surges later on.

Signs of spring, aka Kritters `n Things

Never seen a rusty frog before. 

Spring is slowly showing its head, almost as if it is afraid of being seen. We have some frogs, snakes and birds. a few more squirrels and a couple of chipmunks. Bugs, Spiders and all sorts of other nasty things

Someone said let there be life and there was...  LOTS of it.

We took a walk down to the beaver dam and the minnows were everywhere. The road is flooded over and washing out in spots. So it will be even harder now to head down that way.

A road runnith through it  But don't tell the beavers that.

If you look close it is full of minnows

I don't know what kind of bug or grub it is but it looked cool.
Sort of like a half flattened oval shape on the cross section.
and about 1 inch long. If you know what it was
don't hesitate to post it in the comments.

We also encountered a Millipede (something I have not seen around for a long time). I didn't have the camera with us or I would have gotten a pic of him too. I found, on one walk, a leach that looked like a thin piece of wire, about a foot to 18 inches long. Don't get me wrong I detest bugs and things, But God made them and I find interesting ones cool.

This little guy was one of the first of the season.

Also we have this big mound of rock out in the back 40 that the garter snakes hibernate in. They can be found sunning themselves on the rocks all the time now. It is kinda cool to see about half a dozen snakes hiding in the rocks working on their tan.

Pete, or as they are commonly known as Killdeer 

Pete found the time to start nesting in my garden this year. Good thing is the spot they are nesting in is a spot I have no intention of tilling up for quite some time, as it is all rock like the other spot I have been using to build the driveway with.


As of this point they have now 3 eggs in the nest.

The first Egg 

April 19 2011

Today started out as any crappy April day should not. It was cold last night so I had to get the fire going before coffee. I look outside and there is a light dusting of snow on the ground. It is overcast and looking like it is going to make more snow. I got coffee ready grabbed a couple of cups and headed back to bed to snuggle up to a cranky and irritable wife. We griped and moaned about the usual issues, having no money and whatnot, it was looking like another lousy day stuck indoors fighting with uncooperative computer issues and idiots on facebook.

About 7am we decided to get going on the day and dragged our butts outta bed. An already crappy morning looking like it was going to go down hill from there. That is about when it ended...

I got another cuppa coffee, and the sun was peaking out, so I looked outside and the morning just looked like it may become alright. Marianne fired up her computer and was getting ready to work on her online job. I opened the front door and the most glorious morning I ever have had was waiting for me. I finished my coffee and got the camera and Marianne. We sat on the steps and enjoyed the morning together.

Robins in the morning frost.

This was my Facebook post after I came in and sat back down to work:

Just woke to the most undescribable perfect morning.
Coffee on the front steps.
Dozens of different birds singing chirping and dancing over the lawn.
A fresh crisp frost covering the grass,slowly melting and causing a light fog in the air above it.
The soft aroma of wood smoke from the fireplace inside.
Woodpeckers in the forest behind the house and geese and ducks circling over the flooded fields across the street.

More robins and other birds
(just ignore the garbage dump behind them.)

I wish I could have shared that morning with the world. After that nothing else mattered. I had a song in my heart and a bounce in my step all day. Sometimes God does remember that we need a little cheering up








Last Notes

The first wheelbarrow full of the spring.

At long last the snow and flooding finally melted and subsided, The final river crests are not expected for another week or so, but so far all appears to be ok.

I started working on the second layer of the driveway, again shoveling the gravel out of the "garden" one wheelbarrow full at a time.

I fixed up ol red and like I figured the head gasket was toast, I used a little RTV sealant and some love. The cylinder walls are scored quite badly but until I get a hone I cannot do anything about that. The battery will not hold enough of a charge to turn it over past compression more than three or four times, so I need another new battery or a bigger one, or both.

I have not worked over the tiller or little red yet, but I suspect they will also need maintenance.

PESTS!

Among the vermin that have also made the return to the inverted cow this year is mice, (so far still in the yard) flys (you name it I got it), Pesky rude insulting arrogant idiots on the internet, (it got so bad we had to contact the authorities about one). I cannot say more about this idiot because I was instructed to keep it quiet. Don't ask and they will not have to kill you. Ok not that bad but  well you know how they can be. and last but not least my least most favorite creature on the whole planet (yes even less than politicians but the election is next week)  Woodticks! Found my first bloodsucking parasite this evening just crawling through my chest hair. YUCK!!! Back to having a bath with tea tree oil every evening, spraying clothing down with tick spray and spraying up with the Watkins bug spray before going outside every morning again. Someone suggested Vinegar and water also works well for getting rid of the pests. but the yard burn is now getting underway soaked grass or not. Rake burn and repeat. (sigh) it never ends.

And last but not least ...

Oh look it is SNOWING AGAIN!