Track Work

I've been trying to get a little bit of work done on the track each day.  So far, it's been yet another exercise in frustration.  I thought I could use my little york rake to clean up some of the debris left behind, but it's much too light and no matter how I set the depth, it just lifts over anything I manage to rake.  Also, the bittersweet and Virginia creeper vines get all entangled around the teeth, and it takes forever to clear it.  I've changed my strategy and started hand picking the bigger objects; rocks, sticks, parts of logs, etc.  Once I get a section picked up I then run my mower at half height for a while, go back and pull any large vines or pick up any leftover large chunks of branch, then lower the mower to the almost lowest height and drive around for twenty minutes chewing stuff up even more.  It's hard to see the difference, but trust me, it's a huge improvement.

Pre-mowing

Post mowing

It's easier to see the difference in the photo below; the area in the back has been twice mowed, the area in the foreground is untouched.

It's slow going, but I want as much temptation gone before I let the boys out on it.  I also want to be sure to leave a mower's width on the outside of the fence so I can keep it cleared.  I have some pressure treated posts and no climb horse fence ready to put up as soon as possible. 

And Fargo knows what's up - when I'm down there working he'll stand at the fence and bang on it with his foot as if to say, "Hurry up, Ma!".  He's nobody's fool, that mule.