What a view! More progress on the driveway cleanup. This property is shaping up beautifully. We nicknamed the driveway The Bates Scenic Byway. The birds and squirrels are in full force now. April is chugging along, and nature is ramping up with new life.

We also started an experiment with Jamie's garden. The dogs are constantly trampling her plants, so we installed a few t-posts and 24" chicken wire. It's not meant to prevent the dogs from entering the garden, but rather, to give the dogs the opportunity to respect the boundary. So far, it has worked quite well.  

Affiliates/coupons:

JK Boots:

Hands down, without question, the best outdoor working boot that I have ever tried. They aren't cheap and they aren't inexpensive. The break-in period was brutal for me. But after some boot oil and a few working days for them to conform to my feet, I've never worked in anything as form fitting and comfortable. I wore mine all summer and immediately realized how comfortable they are after being forced to switch to a mud boot when the wet season hit. Once we get the extreme mud under control the rubber boots will get the boot and I'll be back to good foot comfort in my JKs. I have the O.T. Bison - Canyon. Yes, the JKs can handle mud, but excessive full submersion in mud is unnecessary. They have a good sizing system and you can order different sizes for each foot if necessary. JKs are an investment, for sure, so I wanted to wait until I had 6 months of experience before I promoted them. THUMBS UP. Here's my affiliate link. Your cost doesn't change but if you use my link I get a commission when you purchase. USE THE CODE jaybates TO GET 10% OFF!

https://www.jkboots.com/products/o-t-bison-rust-roughout-smooth?bg_ref=BwlWA71DVt

Update 4/5/25
My O.T.s are still great. Heavily worn and holding up great. Still my go-to work boot. I recently got a pair of the square toe western boots (The Buck - Indigo | Chocolate) for days where I prefer the speed of getting in and out of the boots or days where I'm mostly on hard surfaces all day or running errands. Very comfortable right out of the box with zero break in for me. THUMBS UP AGAIN.

https://www.jkboots.com/products/the-buck-navy-chocolate?bg_ref=BwlWA71DVt

P.S. I just found out Albert Einstein was a real person! All this time I thought he was a theoretical physicist.