Enjoying Guahan's 69th Liberation Day at the Ranch.

Guam Liberation 1944.

 
Today is Guahan's 69th Liberation Day.  American Forces retook the island from Imperial Japanese Forces during World War II.  We celebrate that event every year.  Most of us have not forgetten the stories that our elders went through during the war.  The torture, slavery, food rationing, and killings of our people.  The assimilation of our people into the Japanese culture through their education programs.  

Our history was one of the main reasons why I voluntarily joined the US Army years ago.  To give back, what was given to my people, then when I volunteered, it was 42 years ago (69 years ago today)...FREEDOM.  

BIBA LIBERASION!  BIBA GUAHAN!


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Instead of heading down to Hagatna, our capital, to watch the parade, I decided to work the ranch after Sunday morning service.  I could have put off the chores but I did not.  After a quick lunch of bbq flavored stew...yeah...it was nasty...so I drowned it in ketchup to mask the bbq flavor.  I went into the ranch.  I checked on all the livestock; untangled the goats, checked on my RIR/WLH cross Rooster, checked on the kids and rams, and serviced my chainsaw and got it ready to cut down some trees.  


I brought Gera, our karabao, a 10 lb flake of alfalfa hay.  Went around again and filled up all the water containers.  Then I went and started felling some trees.  My goal was to get the sun rays to penetrate the canopy of the trees.  I'm following Polyface Farms methods and trying them out again on the ranch after a couple of years break.  I'm combining the Polyface method with Permaculture method and not traditional farming where you clear the whole acreage. 

I started cutting trees that were growing at angles to the ground.  Then lots of dead trees that were still standing.  A whole lot of them came down this afternoon.  With the trunks and branches I made some sanctuary hideaways for the chickens to lay their eggs under.  I'm able to walk straight away to the herd from anywhere on the ranch without have to take detours and climb over any obstacles.  I was able to fell most of the trees I wanted today.  I'm not done yet.

I've identified trees that I'll use to harvest timber for fence posts and rails.  Next week, I'll cut those trees down, stack the timber to dry out, then cut them down to post size.  I'll try to take pictures to show my progress.  Years ago, we didn't have to put up a fence line.  Today due to many two-legged predators, "Predatorcus", ranchers and farmers have to protect their investments.  A fence is the first line of defense and determent.  

Gera's draft training is coming a long.  He already knows, in Chamorro, the following words: Come, Keep Still, Go Back, and Pull.  He's good and complies with my commands.  I'm teaching him Down, in Chamorro.  But I'm mixing up the commands to other languages.  That'll throw off anyone observing to closely.  

I'm debating whether to make him a yoke or harness for pulling loads.  Need to do more research on that area.  



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