Manning Up

With the big men out of state working, the younger guys have had to step up and get things done.  It has been physically hard at times.  Lifting heavy things, trying to figure out how to work the power tools, taking care of all the chores - including digging holes for the animals that have died.  

It has been difficult but we have done great.  Starting the tractor (and remembering how to shut it off!), attaching the hose to the air compressor without getting killed, catching the bead on the flat tire of the wheel barrow.  Finally!  Cleaning up each night (even if we have to go out after dark to do it), picking up gross remnants of trash that the neighbor's dog has strewn around the yard, building a fence around the garbage to keep the neighbor dog from ripping the trash bags to shreds, fixing a tarp over a dog kennel to use as a make-shift chicken coop after the sudden acquisition of two laying hens, redoing the roof with vinyl siding panels after the tortured beheading and death of our beloved hen Red Rosie by a raccoon, clearing all the little trees away from the chicken coop in order to set up a deer-cam to see what was terrorizing our lovelies in the night.  Putting up a huge garden, clearing and hauling tons of rocks and grass and dirt to make the garden better.  

This is just a small sample of the many, many things we have done together in the last 5 weeks.  I am very proud of what we have been able to accomplish.  They all take there responsibility very seriously and want everything to be done the right way like Papa would want it.  It is impressive and heartwarming how well they work together to figure solutions and muscle the load.

Josiah and Silas took on the task of securing some low hanging wires under the truck.  About 50 wire ties later, you can be sure that wire aint never coming down!

Dirt falling in your face is part of being a man

Assisting

My big little men