I talked with Catherine at breakfast this morning; she is two weeks past her surgery to correct a potential heart aneurysm. I told her that while we talked I was watching Mr. and Mrs. Drake make their stately progress around the fire prevention pond, just beyond the window in the breakfast nook.
Today I transplanted the lemon tree into the double box at the far edge of the back lawn. I hauled in topsoil and added packaged soil amendment and leaf mold from the gutters. The root ball came out mostly intact and promises an easy and successful transplant. I applied the Quick Start and set a drip overnight.
I cut a pressure treated log to size and sealed off one half of the box. The water feed comes above ground in the other half and connects to the irrigation line running two-thirds of the length of the lawn border. I will ask Mike to add a six inch extension to the current feed so that it will not be buried when I fill that other half and plant the lime tree.
I made a trip to the lake for more stones. The lawn edging needs even larger stones to be effective against erosion and to bank up the soil. I found several stones on the order of 30-40 pounds. Another egret walked casually across the roadway as I came down the hill. in the truck He also appears to soak in the peace and contentment of the ranch.
Mike tells me that the water in the main pond is so high that it has spilled over the concrete viaduct across the road. All the ponds are now full and are draining steadily into Pardee Reservoir.
A Year at the Snake 