Work Work Work

We took the opportunity to work for three days of this four-day holiday. Skip was 'off' and had a big gouge out of his side, and there are things to be done around here that will take 'manpower.'
By manpower I mean tractor/chainsaw/hedgetrimmer/loppers, etc., and as many hands as we have (four). We concentrated on the steep hillside behind the boy's pasture. Lots of decent trees, but so many are deformed by Honeysuckle, Virginia Creeper, and Multi-flora Rose, the Poison Ivy is rampant.
The days were beautiful; low humidity, clear skies. We really did get lots done. The hillside is steep, and the tractor needs the four-wheel drive engaged to make it. The most effective assault on the hill is to start from the bottom, and back up with the brush hog running. It takes no prisoners.
A snake was trying to head for safer ground, while trying to remain unnoticed. We waited until he got out of there.
While he was using the hedge trimmer, he knocked a Cardinal nest, dumping three squabs onto the the ground. He felt awful, picked each one up, back into the nest. The parents were upset, as were the hatchlings. We moved on from that general area.
At the far end of the hill we encountered a Catbird nest with three eggs. Another area to avoid. We'll get back to these areas, but not now.