Sunday Visit and the second contour

We went to church Sunday morning- arrived late because I couldn't find my black pants at the last minute.
We rushed back home because Angie and James were coming from Grant's Pass, and Q was coming from Portland, to meet each other and to see us.

James and I walked the property and we noticed that the water was coming out of the ground in places on the upper and lower meadows. He pointed out that a pond could be placed in an area like this.  I'll have to work this idea. We noticed fruit tree buds getting ready to break on the large legacy fruit tree.  Still not sure if the saplings left here will grow again- so we wait.  Also touring the gnome village we found the year's first trillium, which Angie got in a picture.  Some small purple flowers made their first appearance, and the lawn daisies were out by the dozens.  The oaks may be close to bud-break now.

They asked whether they could help me in any way, and I set them to flagging off another contour line 3 feet below the first.  We took an 8-foot piece of wood and marked it off at 60 inches- eye level- with a screw and had Q sight along a 4-foot level downhill.  Then we took another 8-foot stick and had Q sight the top of it and tell us when it was level with her 5 foot mark, while we moved up and down the hill.  When we had it right, the net drop in elevation was 3 feet, and we planted a marker there.  This was our reference point, and from there we used the beer-bottle level to plant flags on that contour every 8 feet across the meadow.  This is helping me visualize the contours and lanes I plan for the upper meadow, and where I might locate a few small retaining ponds on contour.

Maybe tomorrow I will start stacking logs for the blueberry hill retaining wall, and bring in some sawdust chips. I am thinking of stacking two logs in parallel about 12-16 inches high, and boring the right size hole vertically, then driving a 3 foot rebar through them and into the ground. 2-3 per 8 foot length. This will make a wall for a raised bed which tapers off uphill, which I can then fill with sawdust and manure, and some soil.