Uncle Fred, King and I
November 29, 2012
Today, I caught up with an old friend. He is not old, it’s just that we have been friends most of our lives. It is a friendship that has cemented over time. I don’t see him as often as I should and sometimes, long gaps fill the spaces between our meetings, but every time we see each other, it is as if we have never missed a day.
Life has a way of filling up our lives. The day-to-day stress and drama, pull at us from all directions , consuming our thoughts and time. I am so blessed to have friends, that all I have to do is pick up the phone and ask… and they would come running to my aid. It truly is “A Wonderful Life”
We spent the afternoon walking in a woodlot that my friend owns. We discussed plans for its future. We decided upon a sustainable plan of woodland management that will pay dividends for many years to come. The woodlot will remain and become even better over time, through selective harvests and longterm management.
My friend and I have had many of the same twists of fate in our life journeys thus far. We parallel in many aspects. We enjoy many of the same things, some of which are environmental conservation, hunting and all things out-of-doors. Sustainable logging, using draft horses, makes good sense to both of us and a great fit for our proposed plan.
We shook hands when we parted. My mind filled with childhood memories that we share. A peace came over me and I felt glad to have such a friend. I am sure that he felt the exact say way. There is no way to put a price tag on friendship such as this. Like the commercial says ….. Its Priceless.
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RicelandMeadows 
Ralph – enjoyed the second part of your article in Rural Heritage. What kind of pumpkins and squash did you grow and did you grow them on plastic? Keep the great articles coming – Tim Struthers
Comment by Tim Struthers November 30, 2012 @ 5:39 pmHello and thanks again Tim, In part one of the article that appeared in the Aug/Sept issue of Rural Heritage, I describe in detail exactly what you ask. I will give you the “cliff notes” :o) We used Howden for jack-o-lantern pumpkins and New England Pie for our small sweet ones.
Comment by ricelandmeadows December 1, 2012 @ 12:24 amThey were planted in raised beds shaped by a plastic mulch layer installing the plastic and drip tape at the same time.
We had a big dry spell that made watering much tougher than expected … BUT I learned a lot for next year!
Ralph I forgot you covered that in the first part. Thanks for the information. Tim
Comment by Tim Struthers December 1, 2012 @ 7:36 pmAsk anything, any time Tim…if I don’t know the answer, I’ll get it for you!
Comment by ricelandmeadows December 2, 2012 @ 9:53 pmRalph – I REALLY enjoyed our walk through my woods. You opened my mind to potentials I did not see. The balance of prudent harvest and preservation makes so much sense – it resonated with me. As always, I am so impressed with your knowledge and passion for all things outdoors and of nature.
More so – I equally value our great friendship. You put it well – even though we go through long periods of not seeing or talking to each other (way too long), It feels as if we picked up right where we left off. I think that our friendship and trust are so deep and long-lived that we just re-open our core selves to each other the moment we see each other – and this is timeless.
When I shared my recollection of our woods walk with Cindy, she said “what a gift to have such a knowledgeable and helpful friend…” I couldn’t agree more! I can’t wait to see what we can do with that woodlot! By the way, Cindy loves the plan!
Comment by John Gaul December 2, 2012 @ 6:11 pmJohn, I am humbled by your words, honored by your friendship and excited to work on the project. Thank you. Hello to Cindy too 😮
Comment by ricelandmeadows December 2, 2012 @ 9:52 pm