Ali, Ron, Wendy and our good neighbor

Cullman, AL

A few years ago we spent some time in Benson, AZ.  While there we found that fellow RV bloggers Ali and Ron Workentin would be passing through the area.   As we RVers and bloggers often do, we meet up with other RVers/Bloggers for a meal.  In this instance we met at a local restaurant for breakfast.  I still follow along via Ali's blog with their travels and adventures.  And on Facebook too.

I was glad when I read they were visiting with friends here in Cullman.  Also, Ali wanted to meet another RVer she had been talking to on Facebook.   Wendy lives not far from Cullman down in Birmingham.    I invited the three of them for lunch on Monday.  Here is Ali, Ron and Wendy.

We had a delightful time.  The hours passed all too fast.  Hope to meet up again somewhere down the road.

This morning we again heard machinery outside.  There was Hilton back with his Bobcat.  The previous owner at one time had a lot of this property fenced in by various means.  There were 4x4's in some places and metal poles in others.  We wanted all of them removed.  Hilton asked if he could have the 4x4s.  Of course.

Today he and his Bobcat with Lens help, pulled out all the posts.

This is an area that was full of trees and a tall pile of branches and other trash when we got here.

Len had cut down most of the trees and we burned the branches and debris.  Today Hilton removed the last tree, the posts and the stumps and roots.

A few things left to remove and we have another cleared area.

It short order Hilton has accomplished what we thought would take us a year of back-breaking work.

We are looking forward to warmer and dryer days.  Would love to plant a garden but that won't happen this year.  We will be gone for the month of March on a NOMADS project and sometime in May will head to the northeast to camp again with my sister and then get the Granddaughters and head to South Dakota, Missouri and back here to Alabama before delivering them back to their parents.

Until next time.....

Something we really appreciated

Cullman,  AL

Friday afternoon we were out working in the yard.  A car pulled into the driveway and a couple got out to introduce themselves.   They live a short bit up the road and across the street. They also own the property next to us on the south side.

We asked them about the property lines.  Hilton showed us where the lines are but said the previous owner used some of their property as the backyard for the double wide trailer that was there.  He said if we want to continue to keep this area cleared and use it that it is fine with them.  As a matter of fact, we have one of our box trailers parked on it.

We asked him about the area we know used to be a pond.  He said  it was a real nice pond but the previous owner wanted it filled in, which he did for her.  But then she let it get overgrown.  Len told him we would like to eventually have it returned to a pond.

After a nice visit, Hilton and Sandy invited us to visit any time.  We promised we would.

Early last week we purchased a Troy Built Zero Turn lawn mower.  Len says it's my Valentines Gift. Well it is better than what he gave me two years ago.....a step ladder.  We will be storing it in one of the out buildings, but first a ramp had to be built.  Yesterday morning, Len started work on the ramp.

I was in the house.  I heard a sound outside that sounded like machinery. Len called me to come out.   There was Hilton bush-hogging the pond area.

In quick order he got most of the growth down.

Before (taken when we first got here)

How it looks now:

To be returned as a pond, fill must be removed and a levee built on the far side.  Hilton said he would do it but no longer has a bulldozer.  We will hire someone to do this.   There is a natural spring in the middle.  Hilton had dug a trench for the water to drain into the small stream that runs along the north side of our property.

When he got done with this area, he got started on the thick growth at the back of the property.  He had his son, Chet, bring their Bobcat to do that job.

The area now:

Our property still goes back as far as those taller trees.  Maybe someday.

Then Hilton went around the yard where we had piles of trees we had cut and others had fallen.  Also the previous owner had left two large piles of tree limbs and other debris.  That has all been moved into a really large pile to be burned.  Even found where they had thrown a mattress and box spring into the wooded area.

We have great neighbors!

Also, gotta love that new mower, now that I have a lot more yard to mow.