Anyway, I dug for two and a quarter hours and got myself thoroughly worn out. Broke for a light lunch and a brief sit-down. Then, having brought my mower along, I set out to mow the Hallows Trail on the other side of the creek. The creek was up a bit and I had to splash across, dragging the mower. I got it up on the trail to re-enter my property (my neighbor owns the ford), when what to my wondering eyes did appear but this mess.

Well, there's your problem
Taurannon
A week or so ago, I was out working on joist hangers when I heard the sound of a tree falling somewhere down near the water or just across the creek. I looked, but didn't see what fell. Then I went back to work and decided it wasn't something I had to worry with. How wrong I was. I fetched my chain saw and got to work on the downed tree, which brought a whole bunch of other stuff down with it, of course. Fortunately, my chain saw had a new chain just put on it last week. It cut this stuff like butter. And soon, I had the way clear and the gate straightened.

"We'll find a way or make one"*
Pedo mellon a minno
After I got the gate clear, I did my mowing. My knees were really hurting by this point. I sat down just outside my gate to rest and look at the beauty of my holler. This pic is of the neighbor's ford, up past my upper pasture, to the road going up Woods Ridge. It gives you a sense of the depth of my valley -- and the beauty of the countryside.

Ford over the Pishon, Woods Ridge rising beyond
My little piece of paradise
*1971 OVHS Class Motto (no kidding)