This weekend was fully planned out. Saturday we took the day off due to expected rain and the three of us drove to Syracuse. Lots of errands to run, including a favorite, the CNY Regional Market. That opens at 7 am and Ron is a big fan of getting there first thing. He wants to make sure he gets the rolls and bread that he really likes.   We didn’t get on the road quite as early as he wanted to, but I was just fine with the time.   Then Ron realized that he had forgotten his log soaking schedule.  They should have been done the night before.  It was too late to get it done on Saturday if we were going to make it to the market in time to get his bread.

Once the rolls and bread were safely in our shopping bags, Ron was off to the races. He wanted to see and talk with anyone who was selling garlic there.   Can you believe that he hadn’t remembered to bring any of our business cards?  Luckily I had some with me and he was able to hand them out.  Carrying a purse does come in handy at times.   Jo and I picked up a few things and Ron was finally done.  Next we headed to a restaurant supply store to find some of the brown paper bags we use.   The first place we stopped at did not have them but they graciously sent us to another stop that did have them.   Now that Ron’s shopping was done, all I heard was “move along, move along” from him.  He needed us to get home with enough time to get out to THF for soaking set up.  We got the last of our shopping done and headed home.  Grabbed a quick bite, changed into work clothes and drove to the farm.

The soaking tanks had been emptied so it was easy to load the logs in and then fill the tanks.  Our day was done and we went home.

Today the plan was to head to THF later in the day.  The logs need to soak 24 hours, no longer.  We had a few other things that needed to be done before our 3 pm deadline.  A tree to cut down,  the small reservoir we use for log soaking needed to be cleaned out.  Both of these chores were results of the flooding in July.  Jo was going to be busy mowing the field.  Then we still had some storm clean up do to, pull the logs out and start soaking a second set.

The tree came down quickly.  We still have to figure out the right way to get the bird house off this tree and on to another.  But that is for another project.

Next was to get Jo going with the brush hog.  And that is when the day totally changed course.  The key would not go in.  Nothing we tried got it to work so we moved on.

With Jo and me collecting rocks, (just where would we find those?) and Ron digging out the silt, we made good time on the repair.  Ron wired the intake hose to the cinder block, we placed it in the center and let the pump rip.  All was well and we moved on to the next project.  Jo and I headed off the pick up and bring back the 11 logs I found after the flood.  Ron started picking up the odds and ends about the place.

Once we had the logs stacked on right side of the stream I suggested we walk down the stream to see if we could find any more of our missing stuff.  Ron and I had the long boots on while Jo had her shorter ones on.   That turned out to be a mistake on her part.  The creek bed is a pretty one with lots of easy places to walk.  We spotted one of our blue tubs jammed between two trees, but then we rounded a corner and saw……

our water tank.  O frabjous day!  The hose was still attached and there was no damage.  I headed back to our work site to get my camera.  When I got back to the site, Jo and Ron had wandered off.  I took a look around and spotted one of our logs and then another and another.  I pulled them out of the wood pile and started stacking them on the rocks.  Jo came back and said Ron had headed upstream.  All told Jo and I found a dozen logs.  When Ron got back I was still digging in the bushes and handed him his ammo can.  We had forgotten about that.

This lovely pile has to wait for another day.  It was time to head back to our soaking logs.  But we had to take the water tank with us.  That was a serious job on its own.  No hand holds on the blasted thing.  Jo and I carried the back end while Ron wrapped the hose around his shoulders and led the way.  As we struggled back to THF, we were also paying attention to the path we would going to have to use with the 4 wheeler and wagon.

Now we had to pull the soaked logs out and get the next ones in.  And then load up all the garbage and walk to the vehicles.  We got there and Ron discovered he left his keys sitting on the wagon.  Jo was standing in water filled boots and I was not going to have her walk back.  Ron was just beat, so I headed back.  Keys in hand and I walked back to the road.  Loaded up and drove home.  Such a lovely word – home.

Of course the work was not done.  Showers for all and then beers all around.  I still had laundry to get done, dinner to organize, and this blog to post to.

This is not the end of the story.  Stay tuned to see how we pull off rescue part two.