(Originally posted Sept 2 2011)

Today I did not get outside until dusk. In the hour between then and dark I picked two pints of blackberries, and cleared about 2-3 cans of brush and weeds (the cans are the big 39 gallon trash cans). I also untangled a lot of vines. There are big beautiful blackberry vines that are so deep my arm doesn’t reach all the way in, tangled up with grapevines. I’d like to save all of them if I can, but get them to where they are all able to be harvested, so that means a lot of manual untangling and sorting. We’re making some arbors to go overhead so the grapes hang down instead of being hidden by all the blackberries. That will be nice for shade, too.

I also cleared the brush that was covering the door to the chicken run. It may have been used as a dog run by some previous owner, but the fact remains it is solid 4×4 construction with 2″x1″ welded wire covering it, and it’s 5 feet tall and at least 8’x8′ inside. I’ll have to add one more foot to that, and roof it over, but it’s nice to have such a nice start on the run already! In there I’m removing blackberry vine because of the size of the thorns and chance of injury to the chickens, but the rest can stay and the chickens will eat it.  I can ‘t quite see to the back of the run yet, I had to stop when it got too dark.