Andrew - the Yard Boss

We have the good fortune of having Andrew working for us part time this summer. I have been looking around the yard all spring and despairing at how much work there was to be done and how long it would take me to do it. I knew I would have to hire someone for some of the heavy work so I was excited when I learned that Andrew would have some time to work for us.

The first project he worked on was redoing the little stream bed in the front yard. It had gotten filled with pine needles and dirt. He took all the rocks out, dug it a bit deeper and relined it. He also dug out a deeper area in front of the irrigation box so that the water won't get backed up so easily and run out onto the sidewalk.

Andrew and Lindsay dug up all the weeds and whatever else was planted in the back corner and planted dwarf arborvita. If they all survive and grow up it should be a nice backdrop for the swing.

This area use to be full of trees (some dead, some volunteer), piles of branches, weeds, metal roofing, the hay stack and general farm debris. Andrew cleaned it all up, plowed it and got it all ready for planting. We now have the whole area planted in pumpkins. We should have enough for the whole neighborhood if all goes well.
Our raspberry patch was a rambling mess with a lot of dead wood in it. Andrew cleaned the whole patch up and put up new supports and pruned out all the dead parts. It looks so much better now and will be much easier to pick.

The Izzy and V younguns brought home some darling baby chicks this spring. They have now grown into much larger hens. They need a much bigger place to live and so Dizzy has been working on a new home for the chicks. We call it the Chicken Palace or Mansion. I'm sure eventually it will have an official name.
The chicken palace is built behind the sandbox that now has a covering (tower) over it. The project is just kind of evolving and it will be interesting to see how it all turns out.
This is the last calf of the three that Izzys have been raising. I'm not sure what it's name is but I've heard that D calls it Hamburger. The young Izzy's have been talking about getting some baby lambs. Never a dull moment in the Heartland estates.

The irrigation company has been working on improving the irrigation line that supplies our place and our neighbors with water. That has meant pulling out a lot of big old trees along the ditch line along McM's and Gun's properties. This has changed the look of the neighborhood a lot. They put in a couple of new headgates and we had them dig a new line for us from the pond to a pump that will be used to water the back part of the both properties (if I understand correctly what is happening.) There will be lots of work involved in getting the pipe layed and the trench filled back in as well as preparing the pond for use. I sure am glad we have Andrew's help!