Cooler Weather Sure Helps
Get Down …. Boogie Oogie Oogie!!! Get Down …. Boogie Oogie Oogie!!! Off to Freedom Acres I went on a beautiful Florida Fall day. What pray-tell does fall look like in Florida??? Well … kinda like early summer in most places above Florida. The temperature was in the low 70s as I headed out. Make no mistake about it … the thought of working on the property when the temps are in the 70s – 80s is vastly different than when it is above 90.
I got there and drove Athie, the Jeep, onto the property and ready to go with a few projects I was committed to getting complete. It is always fun and a bit mysterious arriving on the property as I never know what I will find after being away for the week. This past week there were a series of tornadoes that touched down in Crystal River, not too far from my place. They wrecked a bit of havoc in that area to homes and structures. So, I was not sure, once again, what I might find.
I drove into the garden area first and took a tour around. My tarp area,. which contains some gardening soils, stakes and plant pots, was still secure. Then I moved over to do my weekly Rainwater Collection Tank. She was standing up a little taller and when I opened her up to check inside she was now clearly filled up beyond the midway point. Yeahhhhhhh! It works! I can’t wait to be able to secure her with a slant panel that will allow me to collect more water faster.
Next I moved over to the home area and parked Athie to settle in for a day of work. The Privacy tent was till secured with stakes at the bottom but had collapsed down. It clearly needs to be staked with ropes from the top vs. just at the bottom … project for a later date I determined. I also have a big tarp area there where I keep containers with all my smaller tools, shovels, rakes, etc and some basic supplies.
Truth is this tarp area always makes my heart race as I get a little spooked that I might find a snake underneath. In reality, I have never seen a snake or evidence of snakes, anywhere on the property yet LOL. Funny how the chance that I could see one is real and I suppose keeps me safe in some way. Not only that but I have definitely had to chase away roaches …. EEEEEEEEEK. Palmetto bugs, a regional roach species that is much bigger, heartier and loves woods, mulch, etc. are the ones that freak me out the most. If you were watching me you would see me squealing like a 5 year old grrrrrl at the site of them! So I use a long pole to tap the tarp and lift it up a little at a time, while I make loud sounds and stomp my feet around like a warning dance … it is quiet the spectacle I am sure. They are probably giggling at me.
Today was going to be one of those days to dance with the fears. I got the tarp up and got containers open and grabbed my tools so I could approach the project I have been avoiding since I bought the property … the old human dump area on the limestone road (West) side of the property. Take everything I just said above about fear of snakes and roaches then add fear of spiders and multiply it by 1000. Before I bought the property it looks like someone had pulled up a small truck of human trash and dumped it off the side of the road onto the property. I could see from the top things like cushions and a frame of a couch, an old VHS TV type player, a tire, suitcases, etc. I had no idea what else was there or was under it all. All I saw was a big mound of creepy things that had been decaying into the ground for gawd knows how long.
This was the week. It all had to get dug up, dismantled and drug over to my other trash pile by the gate so I could begin to get it hauled off the property. So Gracie and I, equipped with the Gorilla cart, an axe, a machete, a shovel and gloves, headed over there. One item at a time I dug up, broke down and separated the trash out. It seemed to be an infinite job with my heart racing every minute of it. I drug big pieces to the gate trash area and loaded the cart up multiple times with tons of smaller items like bottles, cans, plastic, wood pieces with nails in it from the couch, old shoes, etc. Finally, a few hours later, it was DONE! I did NOT run into any creatures … even they were grossed out by it I guess LOL. One more step towards victory. Next week I will break it all down over by the fence gate and begin to get it into bags and then cans.
I must admit that I was communicating with the Universe every minute of that adventure and as Gracie and I headed back to the home area I was expressing tons of gratitude to her for protecting us. Gosh, I am such a wimp! But I moved it forward. Talk about “feel the fear and do it anyhow”! I am so present to how this property forces me to walk my talk with absolutely everything I have ever coached my clients around over the years.
The best surprise moment of the day was when a woman and her daughter stopped their ATV on the limestone road, as I was finishing up the trash moving, and introduced themselves to me. Up til now I had only met a few men from the neighborhood. I can’t explain how great it was to meet another woman in the area. They were so nice and welcoming and real … I felt somehow safer, in a different way than I had with the guys, knowing they were near. I felt myself smiling and relaxing at that point.
I headed back to the home area and Gracie and I rested and played some … she deserved some catch-the-tennis-ball coz she had been such a good supervisor while I did all that work. I just needed to ground myself (no pun intended). I didn’t have much time left before I needed to head home so decided there was just one more project to get done today.
That final project for the day was to get my 36″ fire ring install finished. I bolted the pieces of the ring together and set it all up with the grill cover firmly hooked on the top. As silly as it is I love the little Moons and Stars cut out on the sides … I imagine how cool the light and shadows will be when I have a fire going in it at night. This means I can keep warm, cook things and have a fire circle that others can join me at … all things that I needed/wanted as we move into fall/winter and as I may need to stay on the property again before I get things complete to live here permanently. Progress!!! I could head home knowing I had accomplished things … that was all I needed for today!
As usual, I have posted videos of this week on the Freedom Acres YouTube Channel. There are videos of my the Rainwater Collection Tank check, the trash pile, the fire ring and my Exciting End of Day report I always do. Feel free check them out by clicking HERE. Also, feel free to subscribe and you can get notified when new videos go up! 🙂
The game this week is back to getting Duke energy to get me drawings and an invoice again so we can start the clock ticking to the 4-6 week install time. The tornadoes last week stalled that out. I am 2 weeks into the 4-6 week promise for the survey company to do a topographical survey that I need as the last piece of getting the overall permits into the county.
It all fits into one of my favorite lines from the movie Karate Kid from the 80s: “Patience, Young Grasshopper” … along with “Wax On, Wax Off” … which is also 0-so-very applicable now LOL! Game still rolling!!! I will continue to trust the Universe. As always I welcome any prayers, good MoJo, light, etc. sent in our direction, for Freedom Acres, Gracie and I for all of the continued progress. It is so much appreciated!!! I send you love and freedom til the next week!
