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Post by fanuidhol on Aug 16, 2020 17:33:59 GMT -6
You guys know that I live in a sort of modern day hobbit hole. And unfortunately, we had to put a roof on and make an addition for my mother to live with us. So, it doesn't quite have the hobbity look anymore. This is what it looked like when we bought it. Over the course of the past 2 weeks, I have been mowing about 25 acres, with my little tractor, pulling a 5 foot wide rotary mower. I've just doing a few hours a day. My husband does not do the rough mowing, because I like to do it. Besides that, he'd run over too many of my baby trees. Starting early this morning, I mowed the trails we have in our 10 or so acres of woods. I pretty much honeycomb the woods. You could probably take a walk in those woods and not have to repeat an exact path for quite some time. I, also, like to backtrack to widen the paths to around 8ft wide when possible. But, because there are so many choice of direction, I get confused about which path I want. Kinda like the Old Forest. We even have the Whithywindle flowing through one corner of the property. All I need are Tom and Goldberry! But, I did find an Ent. Not on my property. I have access to a bit of our State Conservation that they can't get to, without going through my property. Sorry, you'll have to click on it to rotate it.
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Post by fanuidhol on Aug 16, 2020 18:09:18 GMT -6
I went out at dawn today to start mowing. I walked out my door and looked left. Ran back in the house for my camera. These cattle are my eastern neighbors. I will learn to use landscape orientation. In the mean time click on it.
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Post by fanuidhol on Aug 16, 2020 18:58:37 GMT -6
A straight path with many paths breaking off. Take a close look at the tree in the far right. Just like the Old Forest, some trees can grab you. A closer look at a different one.... And a bit of the "Whithywindle" You know the drill by now.
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Post by Stormrider on Aug 16, 2020 20:19:46 GMT -6
Oh! An Earth Home? Isn't that what they are called? I love the brick on the outside. You are making me soooooooo envious! We are looking for a nice smaller home with a bit of property 2 to 5 acres would be nice. I love your woods, the Ent, and Whithywindle on your property and the cows in the morning fog look so peaceful.
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Post by fanuidhol on Aug 17, 2020 7:03:16 GMT -6
Yes, Stormy, Earth home, Underground, and a few other names. We mowed the roof. When I was looking to get out of NJ, I was interested having an alternative energy option. This fit the bill and Hubby liked it.
I think it is funny that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. When you talked about the RV life, I asked my husband to consider doing that. He said "No." But, I thought, well if I outlive my husband maybe I'll buy a little RV van and tag along behind you.
What I like about this property is that it has diverse micro-environments. It isn't completely flat. The high point is about 40 feet higher than the creek bed. We own roughly 5-7 acres on the other side of the creek. It, also, has 2 small ponds.
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Post by Andorinha on Aug 17, 2020 8:17:42 GMT -6
Great photos, Fan! Wow, a running creek! Er, no Black Riders hanging around? Sorry to hear about the loss of one of your dogs...
Hope you get some more rain soon -- yesterday evening two small, but potent squalls came through our neighborhood, quarter inch in 20 minutes, then half an hour later, another cell, and another quarter inch in 20 minutes. Yippie!
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Post by Stormrider on Aug 17, 2020 8:59:00 GMT -6
Fan, How much land do you have in total? I like that you have some bonds and a creek along with the wooded area. It sounds really nice. Is the earth home more protected from the environment. It would seem that it would be. Safer from tornadoes, etc.
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Post by fanuidhol on Aug 17, 2020 15:33:45 GMT -6
Forty-one acres, Stormy. Probably not safer from tornadoes. Our neighbor saw an Earth home with its entire roof shorn off. But, hopefully we have a safe area in the bathroom. No black riders, Andy, however once and awhile, an errant black cow makes its way onto our property. According to local farmers, Angus can be temperamental, at best. So, unless I am protected in a car, or the tractor, I don't try to go near those that come our way. A couple weeks ago, Andy and I traded a couple of private messages about the fossils I have found. Since the pond is low, and the light was right, I happened to spy one that I tried to take a picture of but the detail was very difficult to see. You can see the high water mark of the pond in the light colored line. I find most of my fossils there and down closer to where the waterline of the pond is now. They haven't been ided by anyone, however, I think they are lycopods, a plant type.
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Post by Stormrider on Aug 17, 2020 16:35:42 GMT -6
Do your dogs go in the pond? Twizzle would love it although she wouldn't go deep enough to swim. But I wonder if I went in if she would swim to me.
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Post by fanuidhol on Aug 17, 2020 17:00:50 GMT -6
When we moved here, we inherited the 3 dogs that lived here. The Great Pyrenees would just sit in it, but not swim. The chow mix would swim. The dog that had the face, pencil-thin legs and deep chest of a greyhound, mixed with something stocky would barely get his feet wet. Our Lab/Shepherd lived in the ponds. The German Shepherd never missed a chance to go in, but he mainly walked on the bottom. And my mini-mastiff likes to swim, but she's not very graceful. She always looks like she can barely keep her head above water.
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Post by Stormrider on Aug 17, 2020 18:27:19 GMT -6
Twizzle can swim. I've put her in my daughter, Desi's, pool. But she likes her feet touching sand, stones, or slime in the water. She seems graceful enough.
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Post by fanuidhol on Aug 18, 2020 7:03:23 GMT -6
Trying the fossil pictures again. Still not terribly clear. I tried adding some water in hopes to bring out detail. There is a 7" long stem right under the ruler. And a couple of stems? curving below it. Also, there are numerous small bumps all around. Seeds? the rock isn't exactly a "put it in my pocket" size. LOL
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Post by Andorinha on Aug 18, 2020 7:41:04 GMT -6
Good idea to wet the surface and bring out some detail! Check out these lycopod photos, especially the first photo, the "leaf bearing stem and strobilus. Also number five for leaf scar pits. www2.palomar.edu/users/warmstrong/pterido1.htm
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Post by fanuidhol on Aug 18, 2020 14:43:31 GMT -6
Top right hand corner The "fatter" stem might be horsetail? It is segmented. There are finer strands to the left of that, on the same rock. Going clockwise, the almost square piece, the long one at 6 o'clock, and the one that has the dark burn area at 7-8 o'clock are what I believe to be a lycopod root pieces The last shows this best on the side, and I am not sure I captured that. The last one has finer grass like strands, not unlike picture six of the link you gave. For a picture of a root: fossillady.wordpress.com/tag/lycopod/
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Post by fanuidhol on Aug 18, 2020 16:40:44 GMT -6
Taken in 2018. The fossil pond is the one in the upper right hand corner. It was dug 25-30 years ago. The buildings you see are the house (largest), garage (next largest), chickenless coop, a small building near the house is a dog kennel with pen. Under the large American Elm tree to the right (east) of the house is a shed. To the left (west) of the house, you can see "stuff". Metal pile, Steve's saw mill, wood laying around to be cut, firewood, and shooting range. The property slopes gently down to the creek from partway through the southeast quadrant to the southwest. The northeast quadrant is flatish, except in the area of the pond where the land slopes into the pond. There is a steep 25-30ft drop around the dividing line between the Northeast quadrant to the Northwest quadrant. The western break in the tree line shows the creek. The one closer to the middle is a trail in the bottomland. The Bubble/loop in the southwest is where we have access though don't own and where my ent lives. I think the property lines on the south, west and north are self explanatory. The driveway is on our side of the line and you can follow that up. Our driveway is 3/8ths of a mile long going south past my southern neighbor..
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