Week 2: The forms are all set!

October 22, 2010
The forms have been set for the basement walls, so it looks like they'll be ready to pour the cement the beginning of next week! Everything seems to be going smoothly, so far, and at a steady pace.

Mark and I met with a forester, Steve, on Wednesday who walked with us through the woods and educated us on trees, critters, and streams. I learned that healthy walnut trees are a sign that there's good moisture in the soil; but, the fact that they don't like standing water means it isn't a flood plain. The silver maples and I think, Alder ( I wish I had taken notes!), like moister ground and may be in areas where there is potential flooding. For our paths, he recommended not using heavy equipment. Since a tree's root system spreads roughly the same diameter as the canopy, or branch spread, the bulldozers, Steve said, would "bruise" the root systems of the trees along side the paths eventually causing decay or a hollowing of the tree. We'll have to use a more labor intensive approach, but in the long haul it will be better for the woods.

We learned the terms for different types of streams, such as "ephemeral" and "perennial", and Steve showed us sink holes from underground streams. We also learned about the life cycle of a forest by looking at the branches of the cedar trees and the type of hard wood growth near by. Apparently, as the lower branches start to die out on the cedars, they're ready to be harvested. They've lived out their cycle and are getting ready for the hardwoods to take over.

From the sounds of it, we're likely to see all kinds of critters! He said coyote, fox, and deer, as well as wood and mallard ducks are pretty common. Deer are, of course, everywhere! There are also bobcats and black bear moving into the area but are rarely seen. Apparently, the black bear like the Kentucky River because it stays pretty rural and there are lots of tributaries for them to water and feed along side. They're slowly moving down from the mountains and making camp in our neck of the woods. The numbers are under reported, said Steve, mostly to keep people from panicking. Hmmm...I wonder what else we don't know! Wild hogs are becoming more of a nuisance too.

He recommended planting dogwood and wild plum next to the road to give us more privacy since they're native to the area. Another suggestion was to use the deer trails for our own trails since deer usually take the easiest route...a concept that Mark and I had already figured out on our many hikes in the woods! We also talked about the type of culvert or bridge we'll need to cross our little creek once we decide to build cabins or the outdoor chapel along the big river. The best option for the creek and us is something high enough for us to cross the creek, yet low enough for water to run across. That will keep branches from backing up in the stream during spring flooding as they'll be able to flow right over the top. So much to learn, but I love it! I could have tagged along side Steve all day! We're definitely going to have to invite him back!