Describe the most ambitious DIY project you’ve ever taken on.
When we purchased this property over a decade ago, we had it surveyed. That was when we discovered how far off the property lines had deviated since this 100 acre lot was parcelled out 50-some-odd years ago. If you ever visit our rock farm, take a look at 2 artifacts on the wall: the stamped survey hardcopy framed and hanging by the east mud room AND the DIY geolocation poster we made using Garmin GPS — hanging in our office. I still get a kick out of remembering what RP (the prior owner of Mountain Trout Camp) said about drunkenly touring our property lines. He was shocked that 2 city slickers had cut property lines entirely around the lot using only hand tools (pre-chainsaw). It’s been several seasons since we’ve reblazed our property lines. Once we get a tractor, count on that path getting revitalized! There’s punky piles of logs about the edges that need to be collected for soil production (hugelkultur, hugelculture, shredding-chipping for cardboard sheet-mulching).
While we save up for a Kubota or Kioti, I have an ATV and bush buggy we can use to pull out stuff for re-establish ATV-tractor trails. When we did this DIY project = it was done as part of our summer-break PHUN while we were employed at the TDSB and YRDSB. We stayed at the Shasta rental cabin at the nearby Mountain Trout Camp.
truck & driveway drama, february 20-25/26.
After bringing TS home from her sleep clinic last week, we got the truck stuck in the lower parking lot. The happened despite us snow-blowing and digging out the driveway and area. The sheer volume of snow and the recent freeze-thaw events generated about 30 cm of ice along the entire tractor. No walk-behind snowblower was going to break that up. TS can only chip away at the ice so much — it’s amazing what she’s maintained around the house itself!
All 4 tires sank into the snow while I was trying to turn the truck around and have it face the driveway. We jacked up the wheels, stuffed plywood AND sand underneath each wheel. The truck moved forward about a truck length, and then re-sank into the snow THAT TOBEY HAD SO CAREFULLY HAND-SCRAPED DOWN. Emotions were pretty fucking awful around the farm by Tuesday, February 24th. We called CAA and their 2WD truck couldn’t even get up the driveway. We tried another CAA service call and that failed again. Their dispatch called us and told an incensed TS that CAA won’t pull out vehicles that are on non-municipal driveways. By February 25th, we called a local outfit: Rydall’s Towing & Recovery. They sent 2 trucks and…. well, you know what. Let’s let the following vlog outline what happened!!!!
how f*cked up was the truck, stuck in the icy muck?
a local facebook user answered the call = february 25/26.
I have nothing but praise for a local user of Facebook who saw our plight online and texted TS offering his tractor services. Mr. Brock Liverance, it was a pleasure to meet you and your M-series Kubota. You pulled us out of a bad situation. I’m confident we will have future business interactions with you during the construction season.
I have good history with the Rydall family. Their willingness to work with us helped make our establishment possible! Rydall’s Towing and Recovery. Telephone 519-337-9014. Visit their website at the following link: https://rydallstowing.com/
We’ve been having a hell of a winter so far. I’d be remiss if I didn’t share some of the bonker’s snow removal TS has been up to.
As TS said in our vlog, she’s been doing 2-3h of hard labour per day for about a week solid. Her body needs to recover. LIFE ON THE FARM. It’s tough and it taxes our stamina. We’re both looking forward to the 2026 Spring thaw.
BCB&B, neemtree, bdb, and blog 