Aerie Report, March 3, 2011

Nice day today at the Aerie. Lots of sunshine but the temperatures ranged from a low of 6 degrees this morning to just over the freezing mark at 33 degrees in the afternoon. It's supposed to stay pretty warm the next few days but there's rain on the way for the weekend.

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Took Terry out to lunch at the relatively new Chengos Cantina & Six-pack Store down in Mansfield. We were curious as to the quality of their Mexican cuisine. We got there around noon and had a very good meal of burritos (pork) and chimichangas (steak) and an side of onion rings. I grabbed a Dos Equis and Terry had an iced tea. The food wasn't what you'd find in the southeast, but it was pretty good. And the portions were just huge! So large, in fact, we needed only a light meal in the evening. And the prices couldn't be beat. The entire meal--including beverages--only cost us $20.

I was really impressed with the selection of beers they had on hand as singles, six-packs and 12-packs. There had to be 30 different brands in all price ranges. We'll go back again not just for the food, but also the beers.

One thing that surprised me was that we were the only ones there for the entire hour from noon until one. Based on quality of food and the price, there should have been more customers.

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After lunch, we drove down to A.J. Outdoor Equipment to "look" at their Kubota Tractors. I really liked the compact model (BX25). It's a 23-horse, four-wheel drive subcompact that comes standard with a front loader and backhoe. And with 0% financing....

Let's just say, that I'll have a new toy to use both here and at the Bolt Hole. The loader and backhoe aren't industrial strength, but they're sufficient for what I have planned. I got the optional 3-pt hitch (with the thought of getting a blade in the future if the loader can't move snow or grade the driveway sufficiently) as well as a mowing deck.

Around the Bolt Hole, I figure the machine will be useful in cutting the larger and larger lawn area around the cabin, wannabe orchard area and the small field I've been brush hogging. The front loader will be helpful in grading the area around the garage, too. The slope of the lawn currently allows rain and melt water to flow into the front part of the garage flooding it with several inches of water every spring. I can also use it to groom the trails through the woods. There are several places where small springs drain across the trails and where a little ditching--and bridges--would make getting through the woods a great deal easier.

At the Aerie, it will help clear and grade some clearings created during the logging process a few years ago as well as the larger acre-and-a-half field to the southwest.

And at both places I can use it to haul firewood and stone out of the forest.

May need a larger flat bed trailer to haul it. The one I got for the ATV is only a one axle deal and may not be large enough. But that will have to wait until spring.

A.J.'s will be delivering either tomorrow or Monday. Then I'll be waiting for the snow to meld so I can put it to use.