Was hoping to enter this to kickoff my PRE-season 2019 log, but it'll have to do here. We did make it up to the farm on Sunday for some work, rooting out critters, and doing some blind maintenance. Camp was in decent shape, no serpents seen and only a few signs of skin here or there, no rodents and no bees/wasps.
It initially took some looking, but eventually located the blind in a huge stand of grass that's grown up more than I've ever seen there. Got lids off, stomped and sprayed the handful of usual widows present. Got blind pumped out (about 5 inches in it) and low and behold there was our leak, a tiny pin hole shooting up from the now-paper thin metal floor. Marked it with a brick and applied a Hail Mary treatment of FlexSeal since we had it on hand. That may not do the trick, but at least we've located it.
Spray painted the blind lids and top lip with flat brown Rustoleum, cleaned up in camp, and did the Tour-de-Boudin on our way back to Baton Rouge. Nice morning up there. Of note, there is still A LOT of water in the area bayous and lakes, lots of flooded woods, flooded on side of I-49. Never seen it like that at this time of year but was flowing/falling. Cleaning station behind the camp looked like it had at least a foot of water over it's floor deck within the last few weeks.
Most importantly, our corner of the farm is wall to wall rice, a huge relief given last year's debacle with the fallow field and it's volunteer bushes that ruined the front cut. Didn't have time to go ride rest of the farm but presume it's planted too.
On way out, lots of rice in the usual places as well so hope that bodes well for holding birds in area. Did notice a number of fields on the drive home that had corners (or even very large areas) of lost/rotted crops from where standing water lingered too long this spring.
IMG_1050.JPG
IMG_1059.JPG
IMG_1062.JPG
IMG_1066.JPG
IMG_1082.JPG
IMG_1095.JPG
IMG_1113.JPG
IMG_E1063.JPG
Sprayed a residual coating of spider spray on the blinds perimeter in hopes of slowing their return. Next trip up there likely not until October.
YOU MUST REGISTER TO VIEW THIS IMAGE.