Denim Deb Hay, hay, hay. Thank the Lord!

[Denim Deb]

I'm beat. I did some work this morning, then fed, then went to work. I worked longer than I'd planned, then headed to the farm. Since it was so late, I didn't want to get too involved in anything. My manure fork is breaking. So I took some epoxy and mended it w/that. I hope this works. I just bought it a few months ago. I also have a plastic table that had a leg break off and got a crack in the top. So, I used the epoxy on the crack. Next time I have a chance, I'll try to put the leg back on. I tried burning some stuff, but everything was too wet still, so it wouldn't burn. I'm going to have to make a proper fire to burn it.

Got home and relaxed for a bit, then fed the goats. I raked up the last of a bale of hay and gave that to them, then started to unload the trailer. DS and hubby were outside, so they helped for a bit. I didn't get the whole trailer unloaded, but got most of it done. I'm happy to report that not only will this hay all fit in my hay shelter, but I'll have extra room. I'm hoping I can get some bales of straw at the auction. I think that the goats will appreciate having it for bedding this year.

Since DS is here, hubby got take outs. I'm waiting for him to leave, then I'm getting a shower and heading to bed.

 

[Denim Deb]

I have so much that needs to get done that I'm not even making a list right now since I'm not sure from day to day what all I'm doing. I don't have my truck right now, which doesn't help. So, no lesson today. Instead, I'll go to work for a bit, then try to fix my table, clean my field and hopefully work some more on the pit. It's going to depend on how I feel. I have 2 more tree trunks that I need to cut lower, but there's high tensile around them which I can't pull off. So, I have to cut that first. If I have the time and if I'm up to it today, I want to get the last of the pit cleaned out-or at least as much as I need to have done. Then tomorrow, I want to spend the day filling it in, especially since we could get more rain on Friday. If I can get that done, then I can hopefully put the fence up on Monday, then get the wood for making the chicken houses and get started on that.

Besides getting that all done, I still need to get the rest of my firewood in. And I need to get my basement cleaned more so I can get to the wood stove easily. I've done nothing w/the garden and I have tomatoes just rotting on the vine. I never picked my corn. I just didn't have time for the garden this year. I'm hoping I can have better control over everything by the time it gets cold out. If I can, next year will be easier on me.

 

[Mini Horses]

So, I read that you live in a house that is not on "the farm" -- is that right? So, you traverse for chores there & have chores at home? Hmmmm....bet that's not always convenient. LOL

ALTHOUGH -- there are days that I don't even want to look at my farm, seeing the work to be done is sometimes as hard as doing it, HA HA. Today I fed livestock, worked at the job that pays me, picked up a load of feed -- now need to unload 16 bags into the hoppers & put up 200' of new wire on a section of fenceline.
tomorrow the old wire will come down...different sides of the posts. Oh, will hang new gate tomorrow also, then I MAY get another 200' up, depends on when that rain comes in. It's my day to work the farm, not work for others. It's nicer that way.

Geesh, I'd love to pic & can your tomatoes -- shame we aren't close. Wow, wasted corn, too? My piggies would love you. I have been using up some milk in freezer from last yr to feed these porkers and they sure do love it.

 

[Denim Deb]

Yep, I don't live on the farm. That's what makes my life so rough since I do self care. If I didn't have the old pony, it would be easy. Misty and Licorice only eat once a day, so I could just go and feed them whenever. But the Old Man gets fed 3x a day. I so wish I had my own farm, it would make my life so much easier.

I'm tired. I was working on some stuff at home thinking since I want to be at work at 9:00, I need to leave at 8:30. Then I suddenly realized I needed to go to the farm first, so I needed to leave! I ate a quick breakfast and left.

Got to the farm, got everyone fed, then went to work. One thing that I had to do was pull out a bush. I can't believe I never noticed it B4 this-a Russian olive! They're an introduced species, and highly invasive. Plus, they have thorns, so it HAD to go. When I went to wrap the chain around the trunk, I noticed a ton of hickories. I had to go back w/the tractor to do something else later, so I took a bag w/me. I filled it up.

At the farm, I got the field clean. I tried to fix my table, but it didn't work. And, the stuff didn't hold on my manure fork either. I need to find some different stuff and hope it holds better. But, I was able to get my field clean. And I did some work for LF that she needed done.

By the time I was done, it was too late to start on the pit, so I rounded up my chickens and went home. It was much later than I expected. Hubby was working on my truck, but complained that he hadn't eaten all day. So, instead of unloading hay, I went and made dinner. By the time it was done, it was just too late to do anything but feed the goats and take down clothes. So, I got my shower and am now relaxing.

 

[Denim Deb]

Today was a fairly good day. I got the dishes and laundry all caught up and worked in the basement some B4 heading to the farm. At the farm, I worked Licorice in the RP. And boy, did she drag her feet! I told her to trot, and she did, but it was the slowest trot she could do. So, I worked her for several minutes, making her change direction, etc. Even if I don't ride her, I need to work her in the RP more. She really needs to lose weight. I thought of working Misty as well, but we're going on a weekend trail ride, so I figure she's going to get enough work then.

I also worked in the pit. The automatic waterer in the field has leaked for ages. It's been fixed! So, that means no more water going into the pit. I'm done w/the chainsaw! I was able to get the last 2 trunks cut out. I had to cut the one in half so I could pick it up, but there's nothing else I need to cut. I had planned on doing more, but I was out of Stormy's supplement, so I had to go and get more. Plus I need the tractor for everything else. Someone dumped a big stump in there and it's in my way. If I can't move it, I'll have to move the pen up about a foot or so. But, once I get that moved, I can start filling in the pit! And, it looks like the corner posts will all be outside of the pit. I'm glad about that. I think they'll be more solid that way. Oh and B4 I left, I picked up a 5 gallon bucket worth of black walnuts. I don't know if they're still good or not, but I figure nothing ventured nothing gained.

I don't understand people. There was a grill in there. It had belonged to one of the boarders who used to be in there. And, they had it all set up under the trees so they could have a fire and watch the horses. But, they left it there. Then there was a whole bunch of high tensile all wrapped up around 2 of the trunks. It took me awhile, but I was able to get it out. I cannot understand why people were OK w/that being in w/their horses. I look at the pit and I don't want my horses near it until I get it more cleaned out. I'll be putting up electric to keep them out. Am I just strange?

Went and got Stormy's supplement and some fly spray. I'm almost out and I want it for the ride. I made a little detour going though. There's just 1 store in the area that carries his supplement at a good price. And the road I had to go partway down is the same one RU and I took to get the hay. When we were coming back, I noticed some trees I wanted to check out. So, I went farther down the road than I needed to go. I didn't see them going the one way, but I got to a point that I knew was too far, so I turned around and went back. I found them and they're persimmons! There were 2 guys standing by the side of the road just a bit farther up, so I stopped and asked about them. Neither of the guys own them, but the one told me I could go down the one side road and he owned a persimmon and I was more than welcome to pick all I want! So I'm happy about that. The only other persimmons I know of are too tall.

Got home and got the rest of the hay unloaded, got animals fed, got the horse blankets off the rail and got some stuff dumped in both the garden and the composter. Came in and got a shower. I had just turned off the water when the lights went out. They came back on right way, but I had had no dinner and they were calling for some nasty storms. So I threw some frozen pizza in the toaster oven, then finished getting dry and dressed.

Tomorrow I have a few things to do B4 I can leave, including going to the store. I hope I get everything done.

 

[Britesea]

Sounds like a decent day. I hope tomorrow goes well; is that when the weather is supposed to hit?

 

[Denim Deb]

We had a line of storms come thru last evening. This weekend is going to be gorgeous! But, tonight is going to be a tad bit chilly-42* or so. I'm taking my heavy sleeping bag as well as my propane heater! I won't leave the heater going while I'm sleeping, but it should warm up my tent enough.

Today is going to be busy. I need to clean my bathroom, do dishes and go shopping B4 I leave as well as pack stuff in the truck. I don't know if they still have the port a pot where we're going or not. I have a shelter for one and RU says she has a camping toilet, so I'll take the shelter. I won't be using it. I have my port a pot at the farm. I'm taking it w/me and will have it in my trailer. I don't let anyone else use it. It's easy to clean. It takes plastic bags, so when I need to empty it, I just remove the bag. No one else cleans it nor buys the bags for it, so why should I let them use it?

 

[Denim Deb]

It's early, and it's cold. I'm hiding in my tent. Since I didn't bring my heater, I have my lantern going. It's doing a pretty good job of warming it up in here. Yesterday was rough to start with.

First off, we had showers come thru at the wrong time on Friday. I had planned on going shopping. I HATE to drive in the rain. By the time I was able to leave, it was getting ready to storm, so I didn't go. So instead I had to go on Saturday morning. But that meant that hubby went w/me. I got back much later than planned.

KN called and hubby overheard part of the conversation. He heard me say 45 minutes, and thought that was when I was leaving the house. So he started to rush, and broke something. If he had asked, I would have told him the 45 minutes was how long it takes to get where we were going. So then he had to go out to the store to get the part. I was able to get everything together that I needed (though I forgot butter and a hairbrush-good thing I have short hair!), then got the bathroom clean and put dishes away. I had hoped to get the dishes washed, but he came in and needed my help to finish what he was working on on my truck. And while it was something that needed to be done, it wasn't the problem. So, I put everything in his jeep and left. So that meant no port a pot.

I got to the farm and fed Stormy. In the interest of saving time, rather than transferring everything over from the jeep to another vehicle, I just loaded the rest of the stuff in the jeep. But, while I was loading it in, I had someone come and start talking to me. I lost my concentration, so I forgot to grab my heater, aluminum foil and salt and pepper I have in my shed. Then Misty didn't want to get caught. I finally get her caught and go to load her on RU's trailer. She balked at that.

I finally got her loaded and we started. In a way it was kind of funny. There were 4 of us going. KN drove since she was sleeping in the back of her vehicle. I drove cuz I had all my stuff thrown in the back of the jeep. RU drove because she was hauling our horses. We met a friend, DF. She drove because she was hauling her horse. So, we had 4 vehicles for 4 people.

We get here, pull in the field and unload. It was later than we'd planned on getting here, but that it was still light enough to ride for awhile. So, we saddled up the horses and rode for about 1.5 hours. Then came back and got stuff set up.

Since we're in an enclosed field, RU, KN and I let our horses loose. But, DF didn't want to turn her horse out since she was afraid of fights. Plus, the guy has been doing some work at the back of his barn, and there's some debris. We told her her horse would be fine, but she didn't think so. So, she set up her portable corral only to find the charger wasn't working. She was hoping the horse would respect it anyway.

We get a fire going and are siting around eating, and just enjoying ourselves when she realizes her horse is NOT in her corral. She broke 4 of the posts and was w/all the other horses. They were fine, just doing a bit of squealing from time to time, but that was it. Horses do that. My 3 will and they're together all the time. But, she didn't want to leave her out. The guy tells her he has a stall she can put the horse in. She didn't like the looks of the stall, so she finally stuck her in the trailer. This is a horse that does NOT like to be in a trailer. All night long, the horse was kicking and fussing in the trailer. Of course, this kept waking everyone up. Finally, w/out telling anyone, KN let her out and stayed out w/her for about 45 minutes. She was fine. I noticed she was no longer making any noise and thought about checking on her. I was afraid that since she wasn't making any noise something was wrong. But I was also afraid that if she had finally settled down that I'd disturb her and she'd start again. When I got up, I noticed her in the field and she was fine.

Today we'll be going for another ride and packing up. In a way, I'll be glad to go home, but in a way, I won't be. It's nice and peaceful out here. Plus, this is a very nice place. I'd love to own something similar.

 

[Britesea]

Was DF upset about KN letting her horse out of the trailer without telling her? I might be.

 

[Denim Deb]

She was at first, but if she hadn't, I honestly don't think she would have been able to ride her today. The horse was very upset and soaked w/sweat from all her fussing. That's why KN stayed w/her. She wanted to be sure she was cool and calm. We were all afraid that she was going to hurt herself w/the way she was carrying on.

I'm home and I'm beat! We rode for longer than we were expecting. We followed the directions we were given to get to the one spot. There's an outhouse there, so that made a good place to stop for a break. It just took longer than we were expecting, and the trail was not quite how the guy said. It was only supposed to take us about 1 hour, 15 minutes to get there. It took us closer to 2. And at one point in time, I had to get Misty into a canter just to keep up.

Once we got to that point, we relaxed for about an hour B4 mounting back up and heading back. Since we're not real familiar w/the trails, we went back the same way we came. There are other ways to get there, but we don't really know them. Misty and I were actually in the lead and Misty would not slow down. And since she was going so fast, so were all the other horses. Finally, they asked if we could get in the back. We did and what a difference! KN's horse was now in the lead. Being in the lead calmed her down. And w/another horse in front of her, Misty calmed down. So, we'll have to work on that.

The good thing? The trip back only took us an hour and 10 minutes. We relaxed for a bit, then loaded up the horses and headed home. Got back to the farm, got the horses unloaded, got the jeep partially unloaded, got the chickens and horses cared for, then headed home. Got the rest of the jeep unloaded and now I' relaxing for a bit. I think I'll sleep good tonight!