Sun Dog at Dawn

Yesterday morning dawned with a sun dog near the horizon, and the early flights out of Chicago, St. Louis, Memphis, and Minneapolis leaving their condensation trails overhead.

Looking to the east at the sun dog:

A little later to the west:

And to the north:

On Monday afternoon, friend Tim repaired the mowing deck parts that connect to the little tractor, and beefed-up these welds with quite a bit more metal than was there previously. I used a bench grinding wheel, drill-powered cone grinder, and rattail hand file for about an hour and a half to shape these welds sufficiently for the connector to fit its receiver points, and then we were back in the mowing business. Everything is looking mighty nice now, and very green.

We've got some steep slopes that when I first attempted to cross them, in April when I arrived at the farm, produced terror. I felt certain the tractors, especially the big one upon which I felt I was sitting so high above the ground, were about to tip over. Now it feels quite routine, though I sometimes have to lean far to the side to maintain my balance and stay in the seat. They are amazingly powerful and versatile machines and a pleasure to operate.

A cold front moved through this morning in the predawn hours and I was out in the west garden nearly as soon as it was light to knock down more of the purslane with the tiller before things got wet. Now the rain falls in gentle showers and it's become an indoor day of study, correspondence, writing, and rest.