August on the Mountain

Sun and Storms

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August on the mountain started out a little weird. Nights got cold, mornings were nice but made way for rainy afternoons. Getting things done was a challenge. For the first half of the month, I spent my afternoons inside. It was a good reminder that although it’s not fall yet, it’s time to start planning for winter.
Wood. Water. Transport. Food.
There’s still lots to do before the snow flies, which in previous years happened at the end of September.

Working with repurposed materials can be tedious but the result is worth it

Finishing Touches on the Greenhouse

The greenhouse still needed a lot of finishing touches, including door handles and hinges. When a friend started renovating and replacing theirs, we got their old ones. I feel lucky that they came up just when they were needed.

Next up, I ordered polycarbonate roofing. Though I wanted the ‘vapour barrier’ plastic to work - it kept getting ripped off by wind. No matter how we secured it, the wind found a way to grab it and send it across the yard. I’m looking forward to seeing how the new polycarbonate holds up to the elements.

A quick pick after a day of building

Bountiful Wild Berries

Though wild mushrooms have been next to non-existent this year, the berries have been off the charts. Huckleberries were the first to ripen and now the wild raspberries are going wild. We’ve been enjoying them with breakfasts and desserts, as well as preserving them for a taste of summer on the dark days of winter.

My preferred way to preserve berries for later use is to freeze them. At least, until I have time to can, or the attention to dry them without forgetting them in the dehydrator. Also, the days have been so hot, that the last thing I want to do is stand by a hot stove.

I hate that the kitties get birds too

Caught in the Crosshairs

The three black kitties are very good at their jobs as Hired Assassins, almost too good. Having cleared the yard of their usual targets, they’ve moved on to birds. I find myself chasing the cats around daily, trying to get to their victim before it’s too late - usually without success. That said, this little fella spent a night in the house before being released the next day.

Tanning hides and filling the freezer

Food and Furs

The plan to generate 500 lbs of rabbit meat hit a roadblock when one of my main girls, Fawny, suddenly passed away. In her place, I’ve been breeding a smaller type of rabbit. Though they give me less yield and are more tedious to butcher, they make excellent meals for two people, with a little left over.

I like to wait until the weather cools before tanning hides. By the end of the month, the nights got cooler and I was able to finish a couple of beautiful furs. For now, they’ll be added to the pile to be made into things this winter.

Hiding from the afternoon rain in the new woodshop

The Woodshop

In addition to the barn and greenhouse, we’ve now built a wood shop. Until now, the workbenches have been in a car tent, and building things has meant being exposed to the elements. The workbenches were the first thing to be moved in. After that came my old hand tools. I’m ecstatic to have a real working space, out of the elements where I can tinker.

Cute Little Stinker

Furry Eviction

I’ve learned that with building new structures comes new tenants. As soon as the new woodshop was built, a Bushy Tailed Woodrat decided to move in. Though awfully cute, with white paws, a furry tail and huge ears, they stink. I knew by the smell that we had a rat before I found any other signs and caught it in a live trap. I’m not here to kill every furry thing that stumbles into the yard. Since they’re territorial it would be unlikely that another one would show up, we relocated it to the nearest neighbours. (haha- kidding, of course)

Going into September I’m feeling the crunch. There are a lot of new projects still to be finished. The evenings are already starting to feel like fall, and a few nights dropped below 10C. Before the snow flies, firewood needs to be collected and a new winter storage plan for water is in the works.