Heeeyho Readers! More updates from our little ranch!
In Off to the Ranch 12, I talked about water and expressed concerns about this year's drought. Temperatures have been merciless, which delay tasks at the ranch since we can only withstand work before 10 AM and after 4 PM. Southern brazilians are not used to over-thirty-five °C temperatures the same way as northerners. Despite the hellish sun, rain is picking volume each day. Thanks God. Weather forecast says we can expect lesser temperatures for the next week. Now, to today's post, shall we?
Fencing & Field evolution
I went to the ranch to help dad with the fencing two weeks ago. We started by cutting eucalyptus posts, carrying them uphill, digging holes, placing posts, laying concrete and all that etc. Sweat dripping, finger smashed, profanities shouted. All twelve posts were placed. As we waited for the concrete to fully cure, I took care of the trails, which resulted in the first of a series of posts.
Dad bought a new chainsaw. He insisted that I added pictures of the new toy in action, so here it is. The one in the back is an old Stihl N° 8. It weighs a ton, explaining why dad bought a smaller Chinese one. Is there anything that isn't Chinese these days? Anyways. The new chainsaw is surprisingly lightweight. And cheap. And does the work.
Making posts
End result
Four rolls of wire fence later and we are 90% done, with only the gates missing. I won't go into details of fence installation because there might be an Indian instructor (if you know the meme) doing a better job at teaching the process on Youtube. Let's jump to the final result.
Fruit tree field
Our fruit tree field is quite large and provides enough space for the chicken and the dogs. The main reason we had this field fenced was to avoid having the chickens visit the neighbors. It also provides the dogs some more space to run when we are not around.
Wine growing
Gang enjoying a last bit of freedom
You can see our chicken coop in the background ins this picture. There will be a gate to the back field in case we want to release the chickens so they can walk in the forest. We cannot afford, nor do we want, to feed them corn all day long; the chickens need to find natural food. {bastards}.
Grass is growing nicely
Just as a comparison, look at the photo below taken in November. The angle is more or less the same as in the first picture of the field. It's amazing to see the evolution; the verdant grass taking over, and how fast the trees have grown. I can't wait to see the first lemons popping. Which one is going to bear fruits first?
Picture from November
I believe farm life is the best of all trades. We gain the benefits of physical hard work, which enhances our body, regulates our mood, makes us stronger. Second, seeing the evolution is one hell of a happiness boost. There's no easy reward, the type that vanishes after a click. One gotta fight for it. And because we fight for it, we don't feel dopamine-dependent. I recommend to those who are struggling psychologically (anxiety, depression, etc) and do not own land, go try some sort of voluntary work at a small farm. Tell me later about the experience.
Until next post.
Peace.
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Disclaimer: The author of this post is a convict broke backpacker, who has travelled more than 10.000 km hitchhiking and more than 5.000 km cycling. Following him may cause severe problems of wanderlust and inquietud. You've been warned.