Over the course

You'll remember our neighbors, the ones who mow their lawn twice a week, sometimes twice a day. Industrious folks. Well, I should take a picture of their yard right now, and if he isn't taking the day off tomorrow I might just do that before the sun reaches their side of things and poses a problem for my lens.

Yesterday morning they received a log truck's load of fir logs, I counted about twenty in all with bases all around eighteen inches in diameter and tips a good fifty feet further on. Just as they have every other year since we've been here.

By 10:30 he had his 30-inch chainsaw in hand and started bucking away in eighteen-inch lengths. He took a half hour break at dinner time, worked another hour and a half and packed it in after a total of ten hours of sawing. It being the Sabbath and all today, he waited until 10:00 to begin again and by 4:30 he was done.

While he cut, the wife moved the cut and stacked the pieces end-to-end and three high all about a perimeter until a nice little fort was made, the yard of the enclosure covered in chips. This is what I'd like to photograph. I would have earlier today, but like I said, the sun.

Always impressive, even more so given he's likely five years my senior.

I am curious about the removal of the wood chips, how they will do it and where they will burn them, but more what direction the wind will be when that time comes.

So, in response, I painted weeds blue for four hours. The yard is pretty much under control but the back paddocks and pasture had  their surprises. A few previously camouflaged scotch broom presented their green selves amid the dying grasses, as did the tansy that had yet to bloom. All were dispatched. And I put a dent in the blackberries as well. But Lord, the thistles this year! An impossible feat.

"Can you mow them?" asked my wife.

"I could." But I changed my answer to "I will later" when I remembered what I wanted to tell her earlier in the day.

"There's a turkey hen sitting on eggs in the east field, not too far from the pond."

"Are you sure?"

The type of bird and gender, yes, although I will admit that I saw no eggs. Yet, given that she did not move as I hit a bit of tansy five feet away and my nose detected a funk I hadn't experienced since we offed the ducks, meaning that she wasn't moving for much of anything, I figured she had her reasons.

So, we wait.

If the neighbor took the week off from his job, I could be SOL on the photo because he will no doubt split tomorrow and the next day while the wife stacks in the shed.

Then I reckon it'll be time for them to paint their house as they do every year.

And the heads on the thistles turn purple.

UPDATE

Got it.