I had a really great post written up last night. Then I tried to upload some pictures to add in. At that point CenturyLink freaked out, couldn’t upload, then everything crashed and I lost everything. Someday there will be war trials and someone from CenturyLink will have to answer for this.

So I’ve continued clearing, burning, planting, painting, tote that barge and lift that bail. My to do list has shrunk a tiny bit but only because I’m refusing to add to it at the present time. Also every time I sit down to update it I usually wake up about 15 minutes later with absolutely no idea why I sat down to begin with.

I’ve begun burning small piles of brush and moving the burn sites around. I started close to the shack and am moving outward with every burn. This helps me see what the ground is like plus gives a dead zone to act as sort of a fire break. It can be tiresome in areas where there are a lot of rotten logs. Unless the logs are saturated from a heavy rain they tend to smolder sometimes for hours after the burn. A strong wind can cause flare ups so having a lot of water on hand is a must. In some areas there are so many logs that you can’t touch the ground for fairly long distances. This is exciting at times since you might be walking along, hit a soft spot then sink a few inches up to about a foot into the rotted wood. I’m concerned about sinking onto some snake that doesn’t share my peaceful views.

A few days ago I was cutting a path and across a pile of logs about three feet high, 12 feet across and about 30 feet long. Crossing it while carrying a 40 pound brush cutter was both a job and an adventure. Thankfully it was so high that there was no brush growing on it. At some point I’ll have to level it and spread the wood pulp around.

I put up a hummingbird feeder then sat back with visions of a flock of buzzing little birds merrily feasting on the free buffet. I figured that as soon as the word got out there would be hundreds of tiny emails zipping around at the speed of light which would hook me up with the hummingbird network. So far, I have one bird. And he’s a mean little bastard.

He stops off for a fill up on his way to work in the morning but really hits the sauce on his way home in the afternoon. He has a favorite “flower” and though he samples all the “flowers” he always returns

to his favorite watering hole. Today he came buzzing in right on schedule. I was really excited to see another one approaching a few seconds later while visions of clouds of happy little buzzing birds began to form. No such luck. Though the newcomer was twice his size he went to war and ran him off. I don’t know what’s in that sauce I mixed up but it must be some kind of hummingbird crack. In the picture he’s on the left sitting on his favorite bar stool.

I’ve been planting more bamboo. The other day I noticed that the giant bamboo I thought dead was putting out shoots. This really excited me since it was very, very expensive. It also grows to about 100 feet tall under ideal conditions and gets 6 to 10 inches in diameter at the base. I’ve read that it can grow several feet a day when conditions are perfect so I’m burning candles for the bamboo conditions gods. I was asked what I would do with bamboo 100 feet
long and I thought “I’ll be the only person I’ve ever known who has a piece of bamboo 100 feet long.” Anyway, I planted it. The first two days it grew nearly a foot and shows no sign of slowing down so I am really glad I didn’t trash it while it looked dead. Meanwhile I’m having a hell of a time uploading pics so there may not be many.

Today I made a run out and took my dresser, several boxes of parts/materials and some dishes. With the second floor dried out I’ve begun to seal and paint it with the idea of turning it into living quarters and the first floor being storage, kitchen and utilities. I’ve moved an outdoor shower way up the to do list after my last week spent out there. After about five days of no shower even the boy doesn’t want to get near me so I better start work ASAP.

This is a pic from the second floor balcony looking west. The track in the upper right hand is a shooting lane which will be widened with a feeder at the end. The track is a little over 100 yards long and about 8 feet wide. As you can tell I’m now able to park my truck next to the shack which really helps when unloading. On the left are some older burn areas. For some reason living in a wooden shack in the swamp surrounded by highly flammable brush has made me paranoid about fire. In this pic you’re looking south toward the swamp. The track is only about 30 yards long and currently ends at a woodpile I just don’t feel like crossing right now. I want to cut all the way to the swamp then widen the track so I have a water view from the second floor. The swamp may be anywhere from 10 feet to 200 yards past the end of the track. You can see more burn areas and remnants of logs. At first I was thinking that there were dozens of rotten logs about. Now I believe it’s hundreds.

Bugs are out in full force. So much so I’ve put up flypaper. The first day the count was one fly and one gnat so I’m not really optimistic about how well it’s going to work. Everything out here seems to bite, sting or burrow. Bumble bees are a real nuisance. They are aggressive and like to challenge you. They also burrow in wood which for someone living in a wooden shanty is a mortal sin. I’ve found a shot shell in a 22 magnum revolver will reduce them to a vaporous cloud so I’ve ordered more shot shells. The only thing that hasn’t bit, stung or tried to enter some orifice is butterflies but I think they may be just working on their strategy. I’m keeping a close eye on them just in case.

Back at the trailer my little greenhouse is starting to pay off. The brown pots on the left are trifoliate orange that are going gang busters. The green pots on the ground are five pecan trees that made it through the winter. The Wendys cups are oak trees from acorns I just pulled up and stuck in a glass. Behind them are several lemon eucalyptus ready to be planted. The seed tray underneath has about 20 rainbow eucalyptus, a few bamboo, and some more trifoliate orange.
Well, CenturyLink really sux tonight so I’m not going to be able to upload any more pics. I’m going to publish this before it freaks out and I lose everything. As usual, my back hurts, my feet stink and I’m dead broke. But hell I’m living the dream. Who wouldn’t want to be me?

Be It Ever So Humble, There’s No Place Like Shack