Hi, Ho, to the Dump I Go

I'm writing this post this morning because I may no even be able to move my fingers tonight.  Right now I can barely walk and I still have miles to go....

Saturday I spent almost the entire day working on my Dad's yard, cleaning and weeding and doing all those little extras that he has a hard time (1) finding the time for while working an average of 70 hours a week and (2) physically completing because his knees bother him badly when he kneels.  We have a good system worked out--I do things for him like landscaping, and he does things for me like roofing and running the chainsaw.

Anyway, I found out after Saturday that my gardening muscles are badly out of shape.  I am sore in places that I didn't know was possible.  Even my hands hurt from pulling weeds out of the ground.  Simply put, I am really out of shape.

Sunday it took me a while to get out of bed and get chores done, then just as I headed back into the house to recover Dad called.  He wanted to come out to the farm with a welding torch and cut apart the large rows of irrigation metal that I badly need cleaned up on the north part of my little farm.  I want to get this area cleaned up much more than I wanted to nurse my sore muscles, so to work we went.

Only trouble was it ended up being quite a bit of work because the weeds around the metal (see above) caught on fire so easily.  Even after four straight days of rain it was still dangerous work.  I did my best to pre-clear areas where we were torching and then I stood by with a shovel and dirt to put out the mini-fires that arose.  It wasn't easy work, but we got all of it cut up in small enough pieces for me to take to the dump...which I'm getting ready to do today.

Then we got the trailer loaded with the fuel tank and old broken roundbale feeder, both of which have been on this farm for well over 25 years.  I joked with Dad that by now they should become the farm mascots.  I am so happy to finally see them go, though.  I LOATHE having junk around and although this pile is way, way, far away from where the horses are I still hate not being able to make the place look nicer.  I can't wait until this area is totally cleaned up!

So, this week will be many more trips to the dump--lots of loading up of irrigation equipment by myself and lots of trips into town.  By now I think I should have a frequent-dumper punch card!  At least it's all metal so the trips are free, except for gas.  Even a poor girl like me can make some improvements around here with just a little sweat equity.

And a whole lot of ibuprofen.

~J