Homestead mailing list

[clhw AT infoave.net (clhw)]

Hi, Bev! Good to hear you checking in. Things have been very hectic here
and I don't have the employment reason you do.

We're about the same as you on dryness. Just north of us, they have had
some rain. Last week, we complained to the 9-1-1 system about someone
burning and having smoke in the air to breathe. We were told it was a
controlled burn in Georgia of about 2000 acres. So, this morning, when the
smoke returned, husband called the forestry people. This time he was told
it was NOT a controlled burn which was coming here at all. It was the
wildfires in south Georgia. That something had changed with the higher
winds to bring the smoke more north and east than south and east. They said
the visibility in McCormick County, South Carolina (about 30 miles south of
us) was near 0 this morning.

We're seeing some trees which are stressed. This week end, we went down to
Columbia to visit with elder son, his wife and son, as well as younger son
who just returned from the Phillipines without his finacee. The word is
that it may take another month for all the test, paper work,etc. Anyway,
just west of Lexington, there is a good-sized peach orchard which comes
right up to the road. Usually, I have trouble with pesticides blowing off
it. This time, no sprays, and I could not see any peaches at all. The trees
were leafed out, and looking fairly healthy (irrigation, maybe?) but no
fruit visible. I don't know if I should be able to see it from the distance
at this point. But I wasn thinking, "This is scary." We had almost no
pecans on our 10 or so trees this past fall.
Lynn

>I bet you guys thought I had dropped off the Earth; I suppose in some
>ways, I have.  As I approach the two month mark on working off the farm,
>things aren't much better than day one and there is no end in sight to
>the insanity of it all.  I long for the days of relative relaxation,
>working in the garden, feeding the birds, mending the fence, etc.  I
>have no personal time anymore, as I come in, fix dinner, clean up,
>study, and go to bed.  Weekends have been just as crazy, with my parents
>moving(moving prep, moving, yard sales, etc.), housework, and other
>necessary chores and projects.
>I still have a garden, at least for now.

>We had a forest fire on the other side of the ridge a few weeks ago-that
>was scary-my worst fear, but so far most people are playing it smart and
>not burning.  Today, all of north Georgia is covered with smoke from the
>fires in South Georgia over 300 miles away.  It's so thick that I can
>barely make out the horses in a pasture 1000 feet away.
>Well, I thought I would drop in and say hi while the rice/jambalaya
>cooks down...to my steadfast friends who have written but received no
>personal answer, I am sorry...I love and miss you all..
>
>Bev