This morning I finished clearing the warning track under the retaining wall. Digging the ground was much harder out from under the valley oaks. I sprayed Roundup to discourage the grass and thistle a little.
I added irrigation feeders to the radiant lantana and butterfly bush in the new back border garden. I am pleased to see the lemon tree and lime tree flourishing. Now if they will just blossom and bear fruit.
I spent the afternoon building boxes, 31 inches square. The concrete footers on the gas tank are 31 inches long. The boxes will be the forms for concrete pads, six inches of concrete Mike recommends to hold the weight of the tank. Eventually we will move the tank on top of the pads, which should keep it from subsiding down the hill and having to be shored up every winter. Reminder to self: when building boxes, always buy new wood and not scraps that are bowed and misshaped from years of storage in the barn.
Three turkey buzzards circled the front driveway late in the day. I thought they only hovered around when ready food was available. I hear ducks often, and this afternoon I saw a pair of ducks paddling around the fire prevention pond in front of the house.
Lingering light at 8.00 in the evening these days. I had a full moon for my late night walk to find a World Atlas and find Cape Horn. The current reading is Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne, and the Nautilus just cleared the tip of South America.
A Year at the Snake 