Chapter 10: Spring Construction

I let my contractor know about three new jobs I had for him. I turned him loose on filling in the cellars and building the fence. The contract I'd had drawn up with 'The Friends of Sears Island' didn't really define the division point where the fence would lie. It did specify that the jetty and campground were on their half. That defined one terminus of a diagonal line running west-south-west to east-north-east. I gave them a one quarter mile south of the park for esthetics. I asked that the contractor wiggle the fence-line around a bit to avoid cutting as many trees as they could, but I knew that they'd have to clear a path the width of the island that they could run a truck over. Once finished I approved of the fence's look. The dark phosphate-coated fence disappeared against the woods. The place was posted no hunting and no trespassing.

In keeping with my minimally-invasive principles The contractor used a helicopter to dump loads of dirt into the open cellars until they met or exceeded the local ground level. It was a nice job!

Next I had two dog mangers built out of brick, connected to the first barn. I asked that doggie pass-throughs be opened up between the mangers and the inside of the barn, and between the barn and the enclosed back yard. Hopefully they'd have a place to play in out of the wind and weather. If they started crapping indoors I'd just have to power-wash the area with a bleach solution. That should de-scent the area and discourage them.

The vet had the names of a couple of dog breeders which were raising bloodlines with minimal hip dysplasia or cataracts. The spring puppies would be ready to go near Easter, just after the third week in April.

The state was willing to provide a couple dozen young roe deer to establish a new breeding colony. I had to get the seed for the fodder in the ground yet, so early August was the soonest that I'd be able to accept delivery. I got the clover, inoculate and protein seed mix on order. I'd need a hay loft for feeding the deer next winter. I notified my contractor that I'd need a larger brick barn with a hay loft erected in a field across the island. It was a good time to start as the ground was still frozen and a small cat bulldozer could easily dig out the foundations, dig a root cellar as well as grade and clear the old roads and fields that I'd be seeding. Crap! I had yet to order an industrial-sized Roto-Tiller to haul behind the tractor. The soil needed to be mixed, broken up and prepared for seeding. I planned to cast the seed by hand. It was a busy spring!

I raised the temperature in the green house and started my tomato sprouts about the third week in March. That should give me six weeks to get the seedlings ready.

My first year I planned to raise tomatoes, celery, lettuce, radishes, cucumbers, potatoes, carrots and baby watermelon. Since it was pre-season, I got a good price on three dump-truck loads of well-rotted peat moss. I spread it over the garden and dug it in just before fencing the garden plot.

Once the second barn was up I'd have another bulk LP gas tank put in, shelves, counters and a stove. We'd need someplace to can the tomatoes and such. I needed to buy canning supplies and a big rectangular water boiler to put on top of the stove.