When A Dozer Will Do
Mike has said on more than one occasion that I only like him for his bulldozer. It is true that is one of the reasons I like him, but I also like him for his tractors, and the Gator and his dogs, some of the cats and the cows. It is when the the dozer is needed on those pesky chores that are more than a person or tractor can do that really makes him appealing.
That dozer (along with Mike) was needed for one of those big chores the other day. I had several patches of blackberry briars that were taking over areas of the riparian area along the river. These non-native, fully barbed, 9 feet high blackberries were trying to take over. There were spots where Mike and the bulldozer were nearly hidden with the thicket around him. The tangle of briars was choking out small cedar, hemlock and vine maples that we had been trying to grow to shade the river and stabilize sandy areas along the river.
Mike was able to get in there with the bulldozer and push wide swaths through the brambles. Then he went back through widening the cleaned path, in essence clearing from the middle to the outside going forward and backward. I now have several cleared areas in which to replant with hemlock, grand fir, cedar and big leaf maple.
November 1st is the date that experts say that the trees are in a dormant state and can be moved easily. I have already contacted the local nursery for native trees and have have about 200 hemlock, 50 cedar, 50 grand fir and a few big leaf maples ready to pick up. With the weather calling for east winds with lows in the 20’s for the next couple of days I will hold off picking up the trees until the possibility of rain is in the forecast.
