Managing Summer Heat, Wildlife, and Getting Er Done!

There is more wildlife making Stony Oasis part of their 'rounds' all the time. Turkeys show up about every day.

Time for a off-grid homestead update of some of my adventures up at Stony Oasis Farms.

August in the foothills of the Simcoe Mountains in central Washington state has a way of testing every single system you put in place. The high desert heat is relentless, the hills are starting to respond to summer beginning to fade, and keeping irrigation water moving to where it’s needed most is practically a full-time job.

Morning coffee tastes a little better when you can sit back and look out over the land, but this time of year doesn’t leave much room for being idle. Between tending the hillside orchard, wrestling with the local wildlife, and taking a sharp reminder from a chainsaw about paying closer attention, mid-summer 2026 has been full of progress and hard-earned lessons.

Filling the stock tank at my nearly completed wildlife guzzler. I am all about the wildlife and making life easier for them!

Hillside Orchard Progress: Pushing Through the Peak Heat

Getting about 75 of fruit trees established up on these rocky slopes is no small undertaking. Between the bare-root stock planted in the spring and the potted trees set out over the last couple of months, the orchard is starting to take real shape.

The drip irrigation system has been the real lifeline. Running half-inch poly lines across this terrain paired with dedicated emitters means every drop goes directly to the root zone without evaporating into the thin mountain air. Banjo fine mesh filters are keeping the emitters from clogging up with sediment (the well water has a few minerals in it), which is working well so far. I just bought 500 feet more 1/2" drip tubing, and will be installing at least that much more drip.

Most of the trees are holding their own against the 90+ degree afternoons, pushing out solid new leader growth and settling their root systems deep into our amended soil pockets. If, I can just keep the deer off of them.

The Deer Dilemma: When Wildlife Decides to Help You Prune

Whenever you bring lush, green growth into a dry landscape in August, word travels fast among the local deer population.

A few days ago, my herd (there are about 15 does and fawns that visit regularly) found their way around the perimeter and decided the tender top shoots of our young trees made an ideal morning snack. Waking up to find fresh tips stripped clean is one of the most frustrating sights on any homestead. And, I have had to take time off finishing my solar install to try to keep the deer from getting inside my hot fence.

Wildlife pressure is just part of living in remote country, but losing new growth you spent months nurturing isn't part of the plan. I’ve had to step up the defense.

The thing about hot fences is if it is very dry (like Stony Oasis) the electricity has a problem finding ground, and shocking properly to deter entry. If a deer goes through the fence touches a wire and gets only a small zap, or even no zap...they will go through and have their way with whatever you have in there. They can also simply jump the fence, although most will not do that.

The fix? I decided to run a ground all the way around the entire fence...hoping they will be deterred. Thing is if they get a good zap...just one time, that is all it will take...that particular deer will likley never ever try the fence again....It is getting them that first good shock to deter them. I will see my next trip up.

I can also put extensions on the top of the fence and make it a full 3 feet taller...then they will not even try to jump it.

It’s an ongoing game of chess with the local wildlife, but the orchard defenses are much stronger now....And my fingers are crossed!

A Homestead Wake-Up Call: Respect Chainsaws, and All Equipment.

When you spend decades clearing land, bucking firewood (literally 1000's of cords in my life), and running power equipment, it is easy to let muscle memory take over. But remote homestead work has zero margin for error, and last week I was handed a blunt reminder of that fact.

While clearing brush and working to build my wattle fence to protect my cannabis plants a bit, a momentary slip with the chainsaw resulted in a quick injury. Working solo in rough terrain means an accident isn't just an inconvenience—it’s an immediate wake-up call to stop, evaluate, and reassess how one handles business.

Fortunately, first-aid was close at hand (I am only about a half hour from town), the cut was cleaned and patched up properly, and it healed clean. But it was a stark reminder to...always be aware, and just don't take chances.

Sorry for the graphic image...but we need to be real....the lower image is my finger today, about a month and a half after the injury...it healed beautifully...and I was lucky to not cut any ligaments nor tendons.

August Snapshots Around the Mountain

Despite the scrapes and the battle with the deer, things are moving forward every week. Here are a few random scenes from around Stony Oasis Farms this August:

Looking Ahead

With the trees fortified against the deer and my finger all healed up, the focus for the rest of August shifts toward fine-tuning irrigation, tracking wildlife on the game cams, and finishing my solar install so I can be there full time. I am so looking forward to waking up there every morning!

Building out an off-grid setup on raw land isn't always smooth sailing, but every bump along the way makes the milestones that much sweeter. Every fix of a problem moves me that much closer to living off-grid....well.

If you are into cannabis my garden plants up there in the mountains are really flourishing in their hugelkultur super soil planting bed! I have written many articles about the grow over on Just Cannabis Seed. Here is a link to many of them...

Thanks for following along with the journey here at Stony Oasis Farms. More updates to come soon!