Friday we went back to the property to put in the second front corner fence posts. My bad knee is not a happy camper with being on my feet at work or anything else requiring being upright and active, much less tromping around on our wonderful land. I offer more moral support than mobility at this point. This is NOT ideal and was not exactly in our ideal plan, and the pain...is a pain.
I know God is in control and knows all this. We're trying to learn from it and do what's repeated so often as His response...get wiser!
Here are a few things we are learning as we go...
The Hard Way.
1. Physical limitations spell a big slowdown in progress. . Physical limitations... we realistically have to allow for them because even if we weren't coming to this equation with them yet, they are bound to happen eventually. Accidents, injuries, life. It happens. Boy, is it frustrating not being able to help like I want to in the meantime. Realistically, our bodies aren't always going to be in prime working order. We will have to deal with it as best we can while trying to think ahead safety-wise and also making things as "handicap ready" as possible, since we plan on being on the land for the long term.
2. The beauty of the natural world can be harsh. Animals are not Bambis, and nature is not Disney World. Even though I already know this, we were reminded of it last week when Jack was digging post holes for the second fence corner beside the front ditch and twice, the non-poisonous black water snakes decided to declare their presence. Not in passing, but approaching fearlessly and rather boldly...as in inches from our feet. It's more than a little disconcerting when YOU try to stay away from reptiles but THEY decide to makes tracks FOR you. Yes, it is likely the season that emboldens slithery creatures as Florida's earlier-than-elsewhere Spring may equate to breeding season around here. Or is that most of the year?? Aggression probably has a very understandable natural reason. It's just another reminder that we are amateurs at this, and this is not a Bambi world.
A second reminder of the non-Bambi nature of nature was as we sat cooling off in the truck's AC. a The day was sunny and hot with a nice steady wind making the tree branches and grasses dance around. Butterflies played on the emerging wildflowers here and there. Two lovely birds alit on a branch right in front of us, ignoring the sound of the truck engine idling. They were grayish with beautiful yellow breasts and slightly crested heads. As we were commenting on their beauty, they each took turns speeding and dipping through the air to grab....what were those bright papery things in their beaks? Ohhhhh, OK. They were voraciously eating... all bright orange butterflies. Crunching them up in a series of gulps till gone. And then off to go find more to crunch. And so we learn that the Great Crested Flycatcher does indeed catch. And I revise some of my expectations for that spectacular Butterfly Garden that exists in my dreams and pare it to something more realistic. And wonder if Flycatchers eat honeybees just as voraciously?? (grrr!) :-)
3. Mistakes are expensive. And we are NOT experts and we ARE inexperienced. This is why it's so important to ask a lot of questions ahead of time, from those who already have the experience.
We did not have the brush cut on the other side of the boundary lines, nor was the line of cut brush fully cut TO the boundary lines. Because the saw palmetto is too dense to simply whack with a bush hog, it requires either big machinery such as that of the contractor we hired, or we need a bulldozer or other scraping/pushing equipment. And it won't be a single day's work...the WHOLE perimeter needs to be expanded to allow room on both sides of the fence for fence maintenance and mowing. Lesson learned, and NOT so happy about how we both missed that one...usually between Jack and myself, we try to troubleshoot situations ahead of time and often get things right that way. We got this one wrong, bleh :-)
This is not a whining rant, but it's a picture of the realism of this step in our progress. It's not defeating us, it's a learning curve.
We are reminded....ask ask ask those with more experience. And then ask some more!
Be thankful in all things, because there is much going right amidst the things we're botching. God is very good to help us through these things, and for allowing other areas to not be the same kind of challenge.
And the timing...goes forward. With a lot of unexpected bumps in the road. But there's still a road :-)
Got any advice for us?? We'll take it! Advise away!!
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