Ember Days validated

TO: Sam Venable
FROM: Vince Vawter
RE: Ember Days

Your continuous seasonal promotions of Ember Days inspired me to attempt to validate in a scientific manner your supposition that brush cut on those days will not grow back as rapidly and enthusiastically as brush cut on non-Ember Days.

Not that I suggest that you would ever exaggerate, customize or generally belie the truth in any manner.

On March 4, 2009, the first Ember Day of the year, I cut brush on the south side of my driveway. On March 5, a non-Ember Day, I cut the brush on the north side. The brush in question was mostly of the hated common privet variety.

Herewith, I enclose ground-level photographic evidence that Ember Days do appear to have some basis in reality and are not a figment of the heralded Venable imagination. As you can see, the privet in the second photo has not re-emerged. This is the side of my driveway cut on an Ember Day. The privet in the first photo is up and running. I cut this on a non-Ember Day.

Once again, your column gives solace to the lazy of our tribe who would rather spend the afternoon on the couch rather than wielding a sling blade in the hot sun.

Congratulations on yet another contribution to the nurturing of mankind, and if you’re not doing anything in the next few weeks would you mind helping me cut the brush on that north side of the drive.

We struck black gold!

The landowner in back of us keeps a few head of cattle on his 240 acre farm. He invited me to come over any time and scoop up all the cow manure I wanted from his cattle barn. I got my first load today and will be going back soon for more.

I was worried how I was going to amend the soil in my garden and this should do the trick. Never was I so happy to see a big pile of . . . manure!

(No photo for obvious reasons.)

A beautiful day in the neighborhood

I took off from my Deerfield duties to spend the day with granddaughter Keaton. Time well spent.

100th Post: A warren of rabbits

Springtime means bunnies, and we certainly have our share in Deerfield. My neighbor found a nest of five in his yard. Soon they will grow up to eat our vegetables and flowers, but they are little darlings now.

I named them Fiver, Hazel Bigwig, Blackavar and Silver. Those who read "Watership Down" by Richard Adams in the 1970s will recognize the names. I remember reviewing the book for my newspaper and wondering if it would become the classic I thought it would. For the record, it is Penguin Books best-selling novel of all time.

Pruning by the book

In my February 7 post ("A better home for butterflies"), I noted that I was hesitant to prune our butterfly bushes like the book recommended. It advised to cut the canes back to within 6 inches of the ground. My pruning record is not that admirable, more chainsaw than scalpel as it were.

However, the book had it right. All three of our butterfly bushes are coming back healthy and stronger looking than ever. Left photo was taken after pruning. The right photo is today's plant.

Looks as if I get to keep my pruning shears for another season.

A few more "hickory chickens"

We have found another half dozen morels around the place, but they are small and look like they need rain.

We found one stand under our biggest hickory tree. In Kentucky morels are known as "hickory chickens" because legend has it that they grow near hickory trees.

I cross-plowed the garden today in anticipation of rain tomorrow. As usual the plowing brings old roots to the surface. In the last two months I'm sure I've carted off 50 wheelbarrow loads of roots.

I should have some vegetables planted by now, but I'm still prepping.

Easy as 1-2-3 and 4-5-6 and 7-8-9 and . . .

The 21 post holes for the garden fence were dug. The posts were in their holes. All I had to do was align the posts, pour the concrete and I'm done.

Well, eight hours later, I'm done.

Seemingly simple tasks get so complicated. First, the tractor auger does not dig to exact measurements. I had to fill and then dig out other holes to get them exactly 24 inches deep. Also, the auger makes a larger hole than hand digging. It takes more concrete. I ended up pouring 1,200 pounds on the 21 posts when I had planned on just 800.

Instead of using good lumber for supports while the concrete was drying, I used old 2 X 4s which were hard to work with.

What I thought would be an easy half-day job turned into an all-day marathon. But the posts are in and straight.

Now all I have to do is add the 72 1 X 6 X 8 stringers, attach 160 feet of chicken wire and build a gate. That won't take long, will it?