Taming the Jungle

I've gotten into the swing again at last and have been going every weekend for the past couple of months. I even had a 3 dayer the weekend before last. But no matter what I plan to do on a weekend it's like the bush over rides those plans and needs to be tamed before it gets too big.
Last weekend I heard a radio and some macheteing down the back. I thought that odd so went to check and found Ashley my neighbour at the back fence. He told me he wanted to put his cows in the paddock next to mine and needed to check the fences before he did so.
Of course he found the huge tree that had come down on our fence and was about to cut it up so he could mend the fence. I was rather embarassed because it was my tree but it was too large for my chainsaw.
Of all the neighbours I've met I've found Ashley the most likeable. Not too sure if the feelings mutual.
I offered to help but he seemed very independant about it so I set about clearing the fenceline from the top down to where he was working to reduce any further problems with the fence in the future.
I still need to continue down from there to the gully where the back boundary is.
However my new weapon against the lantana arrived last Friday and I diverted to making a path down from the back of the shed to the back gully. It's a circular saw blade for the brushcutter and let me tell you this is a scary thing. You have to be conscious all the time where you are putting that thing because the way it melts through not only lantana but modest sapplings and branches as well tells me it could delimb human or animal easily.
It was so overgrown down the back it was hard to tell when I'd reached the gully.
Unfortunately I've never been able to get the tractor down there because there was no route gradual enough to drive. I may need to get an excavator in to make a shallower track down there.
Oh and speaking of the tractor, another part failure and repair job in the last couple of months. The casting for the thermostat cracked and started leaking. I bought one on ebay and fitted it but it must have been a one hung low job because it wasn't a perfect match in that the water neck sat lower than the original and there are two bolt holes for the front of the fuel tank that don't line up. They are further forward.
Let me tell you there was more swearing than on a ship full of sailors when I discovered this.
It meant another trip before I could have it running again as I needed a longer radiator hose.
As if to really get under my skin after thinking I'd finished at a new hose and cable tying the fuel tank. The bloody thing wouldn't start. Fortunately for me I remembered seeing what looked like oil leaking from the ignition coil sometime before and was able to pinch one off an old ute I have lying near the shed. That fitted I was in business again.
I made a second path down from halfway down to the dam but looking at it now I think it may be too steep for the tractor as well. If not going down then probably to drive back up.
Anway I went to check the fence at the gully where I remembered another huge tree had fallen and woe is me it was gone in one section across the gully and very worn in another.
There must have been a huge amount of water through there after the last time I'd been there.
It's a nice spot when it is hot and the water seems to have redefined it prettier even than it was.
Perhaps because there was still water in it even after it hasn't rained for a while. It's usually dry except for after rain.
Unfortunately I haven't taken any pictures for a while but I will stick some in my next post.