MAKING THE HOMESTEAD BETTER

What would make the old homestead better?  Clean it?  Paint it? Plant pasture grass?  Build your own home?  Buy your beef and raise it?  Grow a garden?

One goal we have been working on is making the old homestead to look like someone cares.  Saturday, Sept. 22 Keith removed the junk surrounding the house to a place designated for each type of  item.  You can now walk all the way around the house.  While he has been cleaning the pasture and lot he has designated places for each of the items. 

Scrap lumber is in a scrap lumber pile and can be used for firewood or anything else useful.

There is a scrap wire pile and a scrap steel pile.  We think the steel might be sold to a scrap yard, unless any of you want a piece of it to take home or use at your own Pine Valley place.

The pasture continues to improve as Keith has mowed off the sage brush.  He continues to clean up the acreage across the creek.  It is a bit rocky over there and the brush is huge so mowing is slow and difficult.  Wouldn't it be great if we had a foot bridge so we could cross? 

Water availability has improved greatly and this last two years there has been plenty of water to make the field into a beautiful meadow.  It has taken some time and effort to build the ditches and diversions to make that all work.  Here's how we have experienced the irrigation water:  For several years we hardly got any irrigation water.  The Water Master is who regulates that and you are sort of at his mercy.  Keith would call him several times a year asking where the irrigation water was with very little response.  About three years ago, I asked Maree Gardner why it was we couldn't get him on the phone and if she knew a better phone number to contact him.  We never did have to call him again, as the irrigation water finally was turned to us.