The snow begins. You may have to click on the pic to see the flakes.
Almost post-accumulation. From right to left: See how the cover crop (a mix of rye, vetch, clover, and field peas) doesn't get blanketed. You can also see the row cover over the strawberries. Finally, a field road, covered in snow. Also, we still think that's Bluff in the background (poor AT through-hikers must've had a couple miserable nights, because they got something like six inches up there, so I'm told).
Sunset before the storms.
This is the greenhouse we direct seeded on our first day here, photo taken about a week and a half ago.
Same greenhouse--a few days ago. Somewhere in the vicinity of when this photo was taken, we weeded (most of it)!
Preparing a different greenhouse for tomatoes, which, if everything goes right, we'll start harvesting in June! All the straw-colored stuff is dead rye and mustards, which we chopped up with a giant weedwacker. This here is a no-till operation. We just used shovels to loosen up the soil between the giant t-posts, where we'll transplant our ready-to-go tomato plants. The dead rye will be mulch, which will hopefully inhibit the growth of weeds. Not pictured are the cattle panels we installed. The tomatoes will have lots of opportunity to grow upwards.
Same greenhouse. We needed to replace the aged and holey plastic, and do some repairs on the baseboards (the difference in the clarity of the plastic is astounding). Oh, and scaffolds and front-end loaders are fun (if you're crazy). Don't try this at home.
Finally, today's glimpse from the top of Max Patch. Max Patch sits at about 4,600 feet on the TN/NC border, and the AT passes over it. 360 degree views let you see something like four states on a clear day. It is treeless thanks to years of cattle grazing. Now someone maintains its prairie-like setting. If you can handle the twisty, largely unpaved drive up to the trailhead, it's only a short, mildly strenuous walk to the summit. It was a hazy day today, but what I saw still made me thankful for being alive. (Also see my new profile pic for another shot from the top of Max Patch.)
Posts
Great pictures and you guys are "crazy". Also can't believe the snow, Wow. Take care.
ReplyDeletehi joe- we find our morel patch by accident last year because it is right beneath our hammock and a someone who was lounging and spacing out found them. but i have heard that they grow under old poplars- which one end of the hammock is tied to. i looked around at some other old poplars on our land and found more, so i don't know if it has to do with slope.
ReplyDeletewe are your neighbors, we live a few miles down meadowfork from carl and julie- about a mile past max patch road, behind the bp station. welcome to the neighborhood, hope to meet you guys sometime.