| March 2010 Daniel Taylor |
March 1 (Monday) 7:15 pm
We finally got back to work on the TVA job, and for me today is the first time since my late 20's that I have
done this kind of manual labor. I shall let you know if I am still alive by tomorrow morning. All in all, today
was a good day and satisfying, although I am a bit sore and tired. I really do not have the energy to write
much to the journal. Maybe more tomorrow. For now I must tend to the crew at Willow Oak.
We finally got back to work on the TVA job, and for me today is the first time since my late 20's that I have
done this kind of manual labor. I shall let you know if I am still alive by tomorrow morning. All in all, today
was a good day and satisfying, although I am a bit sore and tired. I really do not have the energy to write
much to the journal. Maybe more tomorrow. For now I must tend to the crew at Willow Oak.
| By the time that this picture was taken (today) I was thoroughly worn out, but still managed a smile. |
March 4 (Thursday) 5:10 am
Rain knocked us out of work on Tuesday, but I put in a full day yesterday. I must leave in a few minutes for
another grueling experience -- for me, anyway. I am tired and sore, and it has been years since I have done
this kind of work, but I am happy and satisfied that I am holding up so far.
All of the Willow Oak crew are doing fine.
March 5 (Friday) 8:20 pm
I managed to get 31 hours work in with the TVA job this week. To be sure, I am sore and tired, but there is
no doubt that I can do the work. Rafael was pleased enough to express his desire to Larry that both he
(Larry) and I work together on the TVA project as soon as Larry is available to work. Larry has informed me
that he has placed his notice at his current job to resign within the next couple of weeks.
In a day and time when many are losing their jobs, and jobs are at a premium, Larry is taking what many
would consider a risk, but he feels that he and I together can make a go at working our stump grinding
business full time. TVA will keep us in work whenever the weather is conducive, and when not, Larry and I
can continue the tree work and stump grinding that we have done until now.
I haven't said much about how much TVA pays us, but in 31 hours I made nearly as much by myself as what
the average Mississippi worker earns in one month. So the potential for a good income is there.
Darkly is begging to be released from his room. I have allowed him a few minutes respite the past couple of
days, but I have kept a close watch on him. I do not fear for his safety, but I truly cannot allow him to wander
off and find himself back at his old haunt. If I do let him go, and he returns to the neighbor's house I shall
have a time getting him back, after which I would know for sure that he is not to be trusted to roam freely.
That old, ugly hygroma that grew on Horace Lucky's side is gone. I don't even remember on which side it
grew.
Is she, or isn't she? I truly cannot be for sure that Sasha is pregnant. I know that the vet expressed that
she is pregnant, but even he was not 100% sure when he said it. She does not look any bigger or any
nearer to delivery. My hope is that all of the worry turns out to be for nothing.
I continue to give Ethyl a bit of attention each day when I can. I have been very busy this week, so I have
not been able to give her much time, but she seems to enjoy being held, and I shall continue to do so for
the immediate future. All of the cats whom I have rescued have managed to adapt themselves to Willow
Oak well enough for me to allow them to roam freely. Am I being a bit overcautious with Ethyl? She spends
most of every day all alone, and I cannot stand that. Of course, some animals suffer no significant
emotional injury from being alone, and Ethyl strikes me as a loner anyway.
All of the other Willow Oak crew are doing well.
March 6 (Saturday) 11:40 am
According to the weather man Monday is expected to be a clear day, but the prospect of good weather for
the rest of the week does not look good. We may only get to work one day next week.
I have released Darkly from his prison. He really became forceful about wanting out of the room, even to
the point of scratching heavily on the door. He has never behaved this way before -- even when he was
outside in the cage. Darkly is neutered, but the guy just simply wanted to go outside, so I relented. I
opened the door to the room and let him out, and he eventually found his way outdoors. I have gone out a
couple of times this morning to see if i can find him, and he appears to be hanging around nearby for now.
But let me tell you! He has been rolling in the dirt and rolling in the grass: he found a patch of green
dandelion leaves and was rolling in those as if they were catnip. Darkly is like a kid in a candy shop, and I
am oh so happy for him. I hope that this time he stays on Willow Oak property.
March 9 (Tuesday) 8:40 am
TVA did not work us yesterday, and today is wet, as will be the rest of the week; so ..., another week lost.
There is hope, however; yesterday I picked up a couple of jobs for the tractor and the stump grinder, which
jobs we may be able to squeeze in during this week if we do not receive an excessive amount of rain.
In the meantime I noticed this morning that Sasha does not have front claws, which would ordinarily
indicate that she has been de-clawed. If she has been de-clawed that would indicate that she did not come
from whence I had originally thought she had. I wonder, however, if a cat can be born without front claws?
I am always puzzled whenever I find a cat in the wild that does not have claws. Claws on a cat are an
essential tool for survival, without which the cat not only cannot protect itself, and the cat cannot catch
food.
Darkly continues to hang around. I hope that he does not remember the old place and decide to venture
off again. Buddy does not appear to be anxious that he has lost his old roommate, but at least he does
have Sasha. I am beginning to wonder more and more whether Sasha is indeed pregnant. It would be a
great relief to find that she is not "with child."
March 13 (Saturday) 1:35 pm
The weather continues to be unkind to us work-wise. We did not work a single day this week with TVA, but I
did do a small bit of work with the tractor, cleaning up a job left by another tree company. We do have work
waiting. We've put in a few bids on some jobs, and a couple of those have been accepted. Now we await a
break in the rain.
The Willow Oak crew is doing well. Darkly is asleep in the table near me. I hope that he continues to hang
around. Buddy does not appear to be depressed over the loss of his roommate of that past two years. Of
course, he does have Sasha, about whom I am becoming more and more convinced each day is not
pregnant.
Larry has plans for him and me to work on the front end of our truck sometime over the next day or so. I
bought a good set of used tires for the truck, and we need to align the front end.
March 17 (Wednesday) 4:45 am
Larry decided to take a day off from his regular job yesterday, and he and I did some work together,
including grinding a few stumps in our area. In the process of sawing off one of the butts, my chainsaw
jerked about and caught me in the shin of my right leg, just above the ankle. Fortunately no major artery
was cut, but I did receive a very nasty cut all the way to the bone, about two inches in length. I continued to
work, and after I got home I managed to do some nifty doctoring on the open wound, which was still oozing
blood. I am not feeling well this morning, but I am up and about and ready to return to work. Time to "man
up."
The Willow Oak crew are all fine; I shall be leaving from home in about an hour from now, so I am allowing
them some time outdoors, even though it is still dark outside this very early morning.
March 20 (Saturday) 9:45 am
Stump Busters managed to do a little work this past week, but we need the weather to continue to improve
so that we can get back on the TVA job. In the meantime I am still sore from what heavy lifting I have been
doing and from the cut on my leg.
The Willow Oak crew continues to survive. I am convinced that indeed Sasha is not with child. Ethyl is
becoming more comfortable with my holding her each evening for a few minutes. Fred and Horace Lucky
have not tangled in quite a few days.
I have been working with a friend's daughter over the past few weeks, helping her to prepare for a big
algebra test. The graphing calculator has taken over the task of learning algebra. I noticed that the girl
was using her graphing calculator on all of the problems, and when I asked if she was allowed to use the
calculator her response was that students are allowed to use the graphing calculator on all problems. The
test in question is the Mississippi Subject Area Test, which is part of the "No Child Left Behind Act,"
instituted under president Bush. From what I can see, the test, which is required for graduation, is not so
much about "can the child do the math," as it is, "can the child use a calculator?"
March 22 (Monday) 7:00 am
Spring has arrived, but the cold and the rain have not yet departed. We had rain all day yesterday, and this
morning is starting out cold and wet. The forecast calls for clearing skies and warming temperatures.
Yesterday I parked the television set on the CSPAN channel, and what great theater it was! The House of
Representatives spent the day in debate over the Health Care Bill, and as I said the entertainment could
not have been exceeded by anything else.
For some reason the dogs bothered me a bit during the night, and I awoke this morning with a headache. I
haven't had a serious headache in a long time, and I have hopes that this one will wane quickly. Ethyl has
been yelling at me through her door this morning -- something I don't recall her doing, so I went in to get
her and hold her a while, but she wouldn't let me near her. Sometimes whenever I go into Ethyl's room she
comes to me, and other times she avoids me. Typical female, I guess.
March 24 (Wednesday) 2:40 am
I typically go to bed between 8 and 9, and almost always awake and arise between 4 and 5. Grace decided
to worm her way outside this morning, early, and raise the dead; so here I sit at 2 o'clock in the morning,
wondering why I cannot get back to sleep. In the meantime, Boots has landed in my lap, purring and
kneeding, so I cannot go straight back to bed until he has received his adequate attention.
Spring has spung, as they say, and the temperatures reflect that. The rain hasn't noticed, but at least with
warmer weather the fields and meadows will dry out more quickly, and we can get back to work. It has been
more than a week since I carved up my leg with the chainsaw, yet I am still sore and hobbling around. My
cell phone appears to be on the wane, so later this morning I shall have to go to town to remedy that
situation.
The ramblings of one who cannot sleep ...
March 25 (Thursday) 6:25 am
Rain is pelting us this morning, so there will be no work for Stump Busters today. Larry and I did a couple of
stumps yesterday afternoon.
Darkly is still hanging around. I had been afraid to turn him loose -- afraid that he will eventually return next
door, and I would have to retrieve him. So far he has not done that, but I still worry that he will. Buddy and
Sasha are doing well together. I had been concerned that Buddy might miss Darkly, once I turned Darkly
loose, but Buddy appears to be none-the-worse for his disposition. I notice him lounging in the window,
not necessarily anxious to escape the room, but enjoying the ambience of the outdoors and the fresh air
from the safety and security of his room. Often when I go in the room Sasha is lounging next to Buddy, so
those two are getting along well.
I continue to give Ethyl her attention each day, and she seems to enjoy our visits. I hope that someday I can
loose her from her prison and allow her to roam freely about.
The nasty hygroma on Horace Lucky is completely gone. Lucky has grown into a full-fledged, barrel-chested
brute. Good for me that he has such an even disposition. I believe that right now, at his age Horace Lucky
would be a tough out for any other dog.
I recently heard from Reuben and Clawdia from Wisconsin. Reuben, adopted from the Corinth Alcorn
County Animal Shelter by Roger and Sharon Carlson from Wisconsin, has turned five years old. Happy
Birthday, Reuben!
March 29 (Monday) 5:25 am
Sunday was a wet and rainy and somewhat cool day. But the forecast calls for an increasingly warmer and
drier week, and TVA called to tell us that much chipping awaits to be done. Larry and I put in a bid on a tree
job, which should get us off to a good April start, and there are numerous stump jobs to be done as the
ground dries out.
The Willow Oak crew is present and whole. Sasha and Buddy continue to get along in their room. Darkly is
absent for most of the day but has put in an appearance at least once each day since I let him out of his
prison. I am letting Ethyl out of her room for increasingly longer periods of time each day, as I can, and I
hope that she can eventually be trusted to go free.
March 30 (Tuesday) 5:15 pm
Stump Busters had a relatively full day today, but it could have been better. The weather appears to be
improving, and even though I will regret the long, hot days, it is about time that we begin to see some
consecutive days of warm dry weather. For now Larry and I are working alone, and the good thing about
that is that we are 50-50 owners, and we are under no obligation to work a particular schedule or pace in
order to pay hired labor. We have a minimum amount of time below which we work to avoid, and at that we
work our own pace. This arrangement is refreshing. We would not mind being so busy that we have to hire
additional labor, but in this business good help is extremely difficult to find.
Arriving home on any day is a difficult time for me. The dogs must be kenneled while I am gone, and when I
return they cut up something terrible until they are freed and have settled down. The first few minutes
between actual arrival to the premises and complete freedom of all dogs is the most critical time -- anything
bad can happen and sometimes does. The worst thing to happen is, of course, a fight between or among
any of the big dogs. That kind of fight is not easy to break up. Most days arrival time occurs and nothing
bad happens; but today -- today something bad did happen. Bonnie is one of the more aggressive dogs
and perhaps the oldest and smallest, and today she picked on the wrong dog at the wrong moment. By the
time I arrived -- perhaps within 20 seconds, four or five dogs were on top of her, and had I not arrived when
I did Bonnie would not be with us now -- not alive, anyway. As it is, Bonnie suffered a nasty gash under her
left leg, and I received two puncture wounds on my left forefinger.
I cleaned Bonnie's wound and bathed it with Hydrogen Peroxide and Neosporin, and then I bandaged my
own wound. Bonnie is cowering under a cabinet as I type, and I hope that psychologically she is okay. I
don't know -- her feelings are awfuly damaged.