TODAY'S PROJECT ... BAMBOO

I realize a lot of my blog posts lately have involved stories about one, or all, of my three cats. I guess it is just reflective of the role the three thugs play in my life. For awhile there, I thought I might have to change the name of the blog to "Bill's Big Cats".

It turns out, today was a "bamboo day".

Yesterday -- in 95 degree heat, which was the reading on my thermometer ... the "official" high was 100 degrees over in Little Rock -- I cut grass for most of my property. I took several "breaks" during the couple hours I was cutting; to cool down both myself & my mower. No sense in over doing it in the heat.

Later -- after my shower -- I washed & cleaned the mower, which is standard for me. I like to put the mower away in the shed ... CLEAN. [I wish I was as good to my TRUCK.]

Today being cooler -- it's only 94 degrees so far -- it happened to be a "minor project day", since the grass was cut yesterday & grass cutting is the "major project" each week. The "minors" are plant/tree maintenance, spraying Roundup on weeds, gathering sticks & tree limbs, etc. STUFF ... which the property "requires". Sometimes "minors" get put off/delayed/ignored. I procrastinate.

I "recycle" my trash by burning most of it, and spread the ashes in the garden & bamboo. Very little goes into the garbage can to be picked up & end up in a land fill. [Don't get on me about smoke pollution. My way is the lesser of two evils.]

Since the fire pit was in use today, one of the "minor projects" entailed cutting down some bamboo which had broken from the wind, or storms, along with other cains which had died. [Bamboo is just VERY BIG grass. It has to be maintained, which includes thinning out the groves, controlling it's growth direction & removing old/dead "CLUMS" ... which is what the stalks/cains of bamboo are actually called.]

Today the bamboo needing removing was cut, sectioned & hauled to the fire pit to burn.

I'm often asked how BIG is the bamboo I grow. The above clum is 46 feet long. I have several other groupings of bamboo, where I believe the bamboo is even bigger/taller than the piece in the picture. [Don't know for sure, until I have to cut a piece down & can measure it.]

Along the length of this piece of bamboo, I also found the circumference to be right at 10 inches. BIG BAMBOO !!

When I cut down bamboo, I use mostly a small hand saw. Even that size saw can be dangerous -- to ME. Along with a good size cut on my finger today, I also put a fair size hole in my right knee, which also bled freely, but did not make the camera. This is also an example of why I use my chain saw so infrequently. I don't trust ME. Cut fingers & knees are one thing. Potential missing arms/legs are another.

After several hours outside in the heat, doing a "minor project", I quit for the day. I didn't want to "over do it" in the warm temperatures & the bamboo will still be there tomorrow ... for the next "project".