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“Exactly like that. We need to get rid of the bacteria that’s keeping them away. But we also need some of the dead stuff around.”

His eyebrows shot up. “I didn’t expect that. Why?”

“Dead branches house lots of species of insects. Then those insects attract bigger predators. And so on up the food chain. Dead logs and branches also give protection for frogs and toads. Good places to hide from birds of prey looking for an easy meal.”

Which reminded her about the owls and bats. “Any chance you’d be willing to build me some bat and owl boxes at some point?’

He grinned. “I haven’t got a clue what those are, but I’m sure I can help you out.”

“The owl nesting boxes are similar to bird houses, just bigger and higher up, preferably inside the barns. Bat boxes are a little more complicated, but not too complex. I’m guessing Knox won’t mind me adding them to the exterior of the barns.”

“It’s your property, too, Jolie. Even if it wasn’t, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.”

That lit her up. Itwasher property, too. It was weird to think of it that way. Knox had been the first to visit, the one who’d convinced them to give him a chance to make it a profitable venture. She’d been thinking of it in terms of his farm or their farm. Not hers. But it was hers, too. And that was amazing. “I also might need a fence down here.”

“To surround the pond? Won’t that deter the wildlife rather than encourage it?”

She nodded. “Not around the pond, but maybe around this clearing. If no ducks or geese visit the area regularly, I might get a flock of ones that could free-range here within the fence. If there are enough birds coming here naturally, I won’t need a fence, but I suspect that’s not the case.” She’d seen no evidence of bird droppings anywhere in the clearing.

Over the next hour, Jolie took pictures of the pond from dozens of angles. She figured out where it would be best to add that slope and where she should add to the natural buffer that was in place.

They’d need to find some larger rocks to add to a couple of places. That would help with the buffer and she could add plants that enhanced it as well.

She’d learn more about the bat species native to southern Vermont. Bats needed a long enough pond to act like a runway. They didn’t stop to drink. Instead, they swooped down from mid-flight and drank that way. Once she explained that to Ford, he helped her measure the length so she’d know if she needed to extend the pond. Hopefully not, as it fit nicely into the landscape as is.

At one point, Ford asked if she wanted him to start a list of all things she wanted to change. She shook her head with a grin. “No, thanks. I’d rather keep it loose, in case something better comes to mind. Just saying it out loud helps cement it in my brain.”

When his phone beeped, he sighed. “Annie needs me to give him a hand. You okay here?”

She nodded. “I’m good. Thanks for your help getting the tote down here. And thanks for listening to me ramble.”

His eyes were warm. “I didn’t hear you ramble at all. This whole biodiversity stuff is fascinating. Text me if you need anything or if you want a ride back.”

She waved him off with a smile, then blew out a breath. The man was delicious. Too bad he was her brother’s best friend and that jumping his bones would make everything incredibly awkward if things didn’t work out.

Jolie waded into the pond and eased along the edge. She didn’t want to disturb anything, just wanted to build up her knowledge about the place.

She confirmed the best place to adjust the slope and found out the pond was deeper than she’d expected. She was only a yard off the edge when the water reached her waist and she didn’t go further. Accidents happened quickly on unfamiliar ground.

Maybe there was a small boat on the property. That way, she could explore the middle with a long stick. A lot of deep ponds needed help keeping the bottom healthy. This one might need to be raked out. And she’d maybe need to add something to keep the water moving. She’d rather keep it all natural, but if necessary, she could add a fountain or other feature that moved the water. Something solar or wind powered that she could remove in the winter.

She could also add a load of gravel or sand to the bottom if the depth was causing problems.

From her spot in the water, Jolie checked out the orchard. Eventually, she’d need to run irrigation lines from the pond in several directions. That should keep the back half of the orchard healthy.

Did they want pure water, or was there a way to use some of Thea’s worm poop tea to add nutrients to the trees in the back? They were definitely not as vibrant as the ones in the front.

The compost tea would soon go directly into the irrigation lines that were already in place. Would transporting the nutrients here be too time consuming or cost prohibitive? How else could it be done?

So many things to know, so many things to figure out.

So much potential.

Add in a sexy man she found fascinating, and the farm was turning out to be the perfect place for Jolie to figure out how to best help her family.

The next day, Ford secured the extension ladder with some sandbags. He’d have to look into buying scaffolding. With the height of the barns, it would be safer than using a ladder. And less annoying. Up and down to move the ladder every few feet was a pain.

But this was an initial survey to see if any work was necessary in the eaves. So far, he’d found a few birds’ nests. Normally, he would have checked to make sure there weren’t any eggs, then he might have tossed the nests.