I suggested a water break. “Uh, we’re not exactly busting ourselves here,” Lars replied. “But okay, sure sweating like I need it.”
One week previously, I enjoyed the conversation of another friend. “I’m gonna go grab a beer, want one?” This last from Becca. Yes indeed, I have been blessed with visits from two strong, willing and cheerful longtime friends. Each capable of mellowing out to match my pace of work here on the farm.
I wasn’t sure how my ‘we’ll see what we can get done’ attitude would go over. Becca has led numerous groups of volunteers on habitat and trail restoration projects, amongst other endeavors. I first got to know her during a stint with the SCA on the Imperial National Wildlife Refuge, wherein our group was charged with removing Salt Cedar, an invasive plant, from the adjacent Colorado River corridor. Lars has most recently put in quality labor for the NGO Long Way Home, helping to construct latrines from used plastic bottles and schools 
from tires packed with mud. Both of these young adults likes to work hard and see results. I knew I had a couple gems coming my way as they made plans for their visits.
For Becca and I, we focused on a skill she has acquired from previous projects: building soil retaining structures for slopes that experience severe erosion. Thanks to the chainsaw work of previous owners, we were able to pull multiple three- and four-foot length, roughly 10- to 12-inch diameter, logs from forgotten piles. These we dug into various places along a small gully on our land’s most significant slope. With this summer’s harsh thunderstorms, the current lack of significant vegetation and extensive degree of slope make for a compelling rushing water area. Having installed eight such bars, I can say that after just one additional thunderstorm, they have helped fill in the little gully by a measurable amount.
Encouraged by this, Lars and I set about installing a larger retaining bar, at the edge of another sloped area experiencing some gullying. This measures roughly 20 feet across, using similarly sized logs. Admittedly, wood is not the best long-term option, but it was an available resource for solving this problem in the short-term. Why do I want to disrupt the water flow creating the little gullies? As Michael says, “the water wants to go back the the little creek and on into the river, etc.”
I suppose the reply for our land is that the gullies are happening in areas that I do not want to wash away . . . just yet. Perhaps we’ll decide on a different use for these areas in the future, but for now, I want to hold back the land with the hope that all of our wonderful topsoil is not rushing away. Gotta grow those carrots somehow.
Here’s to friends who like to work hard! The guest bed is available now . . . any takers?
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