Well Friday was another perfect day with moderate temps, no rain but plenty of sunshine and blue skies and no humidity. This weather is why we come to the mountains for the summer as the heat index for our area in Florida was 110 degrees this day. It was a work day here at the cabin despite the lower back pain which is still upon me. Its worst in the early morning but I was able to do some work as our friend Jake came around 10'ish with a huge stump grinder and worked until nearly 7 before we finished up on the last large oak stump.
I started the day with a before 6 roll out to my usual routines that start with the cup of tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble, spent some time with the LORD giving thanks and lifting up several myself included for comfort and healing. Afterwards I piddled around in the yards and gardens and noticed the deer ate down the new growth on the black raspberry bushes.They were just starting to send out pods of berries and now that the Browns place has sold we won't be picking from their bushes which are fenced in and we noticed many are turning and ripening as we speak. They sure are the Cadillac of berries for jellies and cobblers. My wine berry bushes are loaded and we should have plenty for eating and cobblers but they just are quite as good for jelly making as the raspberry. But they are delicious for just picking and eating off the bush. Ansley and Gabe should have plenty for when they come on the 9th of July.
Jake fired up the grinder and went to work on the huge oak and maple stumps but first he cut them off closer to the ground so I used neighbor Gerald's tractor with the front loader to lift them onto his flatbed truck. Wow did that ever save us time and effort especially with my back being in so much pain. I then used the front loader to haul away the grinding and dump them up into the woods throughout the day. The grinder made huge piles of mulch none of which Nancy want to use around her front hydrangeas so I dumped it into the woods. I got about 4 stump piles raked up until my back could take it no longer despite wearing a back brace. At times it felt good to use those muscles which seemed to loosen up. I was pleasantly surprised and thought just maybe this is what I needed as I've been mainly walking to try and stay active and the back muscles loose.
Katelyn, Jake's wife and the baby Skylar came by and spent the afternoon until Jake finished around 7'ish. We will see them on Sunday at Cornerstone as he is involved in the wood ministry which he is very good at. He has all the tools and the "know how" plus he is a big strong young feller. I doubt very seriously I could have handled these large trees anymore especially with this muscle issue in the lower back. I'm so thankful I can now count on his help which he made know he was only a phone call away.
Well we settled down to eat a salad for supper around 8'ish and then it was time to hit the hot shower and give myself an ultrasound treatment before hitting the sack around 10'ish. I'm hoping the back will hold up enough to clean up the other 5 stump grinding today with Nancy's help and that the weather will hold with no rain, LATER
