11/25/12

Today was warmer than yesterday, although it was still quite cold until up in the day. After lunch I went out for a bit, but didn't stay out too long since we needed to go to London to do some grocery shopping.

I was able to rake enough leaves to finish mulching the section of the herb garden that is fenced in. This was an area approximately 150 square ft. I normally hate raking leaves, which is the reason that I haven't already completely mulched everything. It wasn't too bad today, though, because I had a good process. There is a trail leading from the edge of the yard, westward, past the old house on the property. There are plenty of leaves on the trail, as it is wooded on both sides. The trail is level and relatively flat, which makes it easy to rake. It is also close to where I wanted to use the leaves, so I didn't have to haul them very far.

After I finished with the leaves I rode on out the trail to see how much work I need to do to get it cleared well enough that I can keep it mowed next year. It doesn't look like it'll take much work. The biggest issue, actually, will be turning at the end. While I was out there I took a few minutes to check out the cistern up behind the old house. The cistern is made of concrete blocks, which I hope to salvage. I need to figure out the best way to safely dismantle the cistern, without damaging the blocks. I'm hoping that having the tractor will make this easier, although I'm still not sure what the best way to attack it is going to be.

On our way back home from London Andrea and I were talking about the fact that we need to get some gravel for the driveway. I think we are going to wait until it dries up to get a big load hauled, which probably means waiting until summer. We do need to go ahead and redo the walkway, from the driveway to the back porch, though. I need to get a measurement tomorrow to figure out exactly how much we need, but my rough guess is that gravel from the hardware store is going to require 5-7 bags. I'm thinking that it may make sense to buy a truckload from a quarry or landscaping supplier, instead. Once I have the dimensions we can call around and get some ideas.