The fortresses of vine-tangle are gone. Now our fields are bordered by meandering piles of rocks, with occasional rusted-metal debris. The good news: there are plenty of rocks to rebuild the walls; and the trees, freed from their poison-ivy strangulation and deadwood crowding, are already coming back to life. Maples, cherries, hickories, oaks, birches, lindens—beautiful big trees that will become features of the landscape.
However, rock-and-metal debris: not the ideal boundary for turnout pastures. One such derelict wall bordered a field we liked for the retired boys. We asked Halmer, stone wall craftsman extraordinaire, to come over and tackle the project. He and one assistant worked for five days, and now Grappa, Otter and Kondor are out there enjoying the sun. A taste of what’s to come!