A ranch day – I did not leave except to pick up the mail and run the truck over the hill.
I pulled the last of the cement barriers off the back lawn and carried them to the new edge of civilization. I dug out the space for the water trough herb garden yet again. The Bermuda grass is tenacious. Afterwards I applied Roundup with the new optional face mask. My lungs also seem to be irritated by the dust and particles in the air and the face mask may help that irritation.
The third and latest crape myrtle is having a fine final bloom. The largest one has gone dormant for the season. I doused myrtle the third with a full watering can and will try to remember tomorrow.
Mike was up midday to pull down the fallen branch along the driveway. Attach a chain to the back of the truck and pull forward slowly. Though the tree is dead, it still sprouts a few living branches. We trimmed the dead branches, and left the main trunk for roots and water retention and a bank against erosion of the driveway.
Mike and I worked together clearing brush down to the conservation pond. He is quite the hand with a chain saw. The work goes much easier and faster with two workers. We piled the brush onto his trailer. Mike ran the trailer up to the wood pile in front of the house and used his chipper to create a mulch pile. All this and he brought up a loaf of banana bread that I made short work of.
I also began cutting back the lantana. I reduced the sprawling lantana in the strip along the house by a third and left enough for show. Later I will trim it back all the way to the core branches.
A Year at the Snake 