Eating the Elephant

When I started this (yeah, just last week) I was worried that there wouldn't be enough to write about, but, as I've been thinking about it I've wanted to write about how we decided on the right amount of land, the search over the past 6 months, and a host of other things... to include things that have bitten me (Clearing land is not for the squeamish and in only 2 weekendss a couple of things have gotten a hold of me, btw that's what the panty hose are for... yet another story).

I was having a conversation yesterday with a friend of mine who was talking about how to work through things when circumstances feel overwhelming. I forget where I picked up this saying, but, times like those are like eating and elephant. How do you do it? Simple really, one bite at a time.

I have 22 acres to clear and get ready, 21 acres of scrub... 1 of pine debris. I've been out there for 2 weekends and I've not yet cleared 1/4 of the acre of pine! You see, I have to rake it all into windrows. Just these long narrow rows of pine debris to be dealt with later (Oh... I so desperately hope I get to burn it!). The work is back breaking and exhausting, and after 2 weekends I haven't even scratched the surface of the 1 acre. But, if I focus on that, I'll get discouraged, so, I take it one little bit at a time. One bite at a time. And I have a goal, be done with that one acre by the end of June (else it'll really be hot!). I want to be on the tractor clearing scrub when its really hot, not, raking pine! BTW... I have no tractor... yet. Another story.

So, I have the beginning of a plan. Done with the pine by end of June. That gives me something to shoot for. And every windrow finished is one of those bites.

It also doesn't hurt to have a boonie cover. (Marine speak for wide brimmed floppy hat). When the body gets tired and the mind numb, I just look down at whats in front of me. The brim of the hat blocks out the rest. So, I'm not stuck staring at the huge elephant carcass I have to eat. Its a trick I learned as a Jarhead. Long way to go? Tired? Don't want to go on? Put your head down, and keep moving. Is it going to make it suck less? No. But, you're moving. Keep moving and the next thing you know you've done 25 miles, with a full pack, weapon, and an old PRC-77 radio (Yes, I'm old enough to have humped the PRC-77).

With that said, all this talk about figuratively eating elephant carcasses reminds me of something else. After overcoming the shock of being stalked in my tent 2 weeks ago in the middle of the night, I got adventurous and decided to scope out what it was that was investigating me. Apparently I have all sorts of tasty friends roaming my property, though I have yet to see one. Saturday morning I heard a wild turkey hollering out there somewhere (bipedal, not bottled), and there's deer tracks galore. For those who have never had wild turkey, you SO haven't ever REALLY eaten a turkey. A few weekends ago we had rain one night at the property and the next morning I found the tracks of a 'Jurassic Park' sized turkey. He is fortunate for now, I haven't time to make a feast of him while I'm out there. And I have a strict rule about not killing tasty friends unless I intend to eat them.

But, let that turkey be forewarned.... in a year or so things'll be different. And by forewarned I'm assuming that turkey has internet access and can read this. That sounds fair.