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- #571
Denim Deb
More Precious than Rubies
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- Oct 21, 2010
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I'm getting tired of the rain! I'm trying my hardest to get my pasture all cleaned up. Once I've gotten that done, I'll be able to figure out how often I need to clean it. Since it's small, I want to keep it picked for several reasons.
1. The horses won't graze where there's poop.
2. There's less chance of parasites if the pasture is kept clean.
3. Since my manure pile will be next to the chickens, that should cut down on the flies. (And, if it doesn't maybe I'll get a couple of ducks.)
4. The pasture is next to the road, so it will look nicer.
5. I'll be able to compost it easier for my use. Every month, I'll be turning over what I've already piled, and keep turning piles until I get to a certain point. That will be what I'll use. I'll also add old chicken bedding as well as weeds to the mix. That will help it break down easier.
6. There'll be more grass for the horses to graze, thus cutting down on the amount of hay I need to buy.
7. I'll be able to get rid of the weeds easier since for the most part, seeds won't be added back to the ground.
Only problem being right now is the weather. I have a certain amount that I want to get done everyday. But, if it rains, I can't rake. It makes the bucket get heavy quite quickly. Yesterday, I spent some time just picking up piles. And, the mud was so bad in places that I almost lost a boot! I went to take a step, and my boot was almost pulled off my foot. Now, I don't know about anyone else, but I prefer NOT to step in mud in a sock. Last year, I did lose a boot, and it was in snow! That was no fun. This time, I was just barely able to catch my balance, and get my foot back in the boot. I did get most of the piles picked up, and it looks much better. Of course, I did have horses trying to help me. The only one that didn't come over was Stormy.
RU's method of feeding hay has always been to just take a RB, and dump it over the fence. When the bale is gone, she just dumps another one over. More often than not, she doesn't clean up the old string, or net. When I first took over this field, I spent quite a bit of time getting all this up. I had gotten it all caught in my mower blade at one point in time. Believe me, that was no fun! So, after it rains, I normally check to be sure there's nothing I missed. I will at times find a piece of baling twine sticking up. Normally, it's not a very long piece. Yesterday, I noticed a piece sticking up. So, I pulled on it. And I pulled on it, and I pulled some more. I followed twine going all over! When I FINALLY had it all up, there was enough twine to about fill a 5 gallon bucket!
When I got home, it was later than I had planned on it being, and I was going to prayer meeting. So rather than working in the house, I decided to do some yard work. I'm trying to get as much done as I can when it's not raining out. So, I went and worked in the garden. There's a section I can't do anything to right now. It's covered w/old leaves. I need to rake them up, but it was too wet. So instead, I dug the rest of the new section. Then, I dug out a couple of small trees that had come up. And, I got rid of some grape vines. The grapes have never tasted any good, so they're just taking up room. Today, I should have the rest of my garden ready for manure. I'll bring home a truck load or 2 next week, then I'll be able to get some early stuff in! :bun I also cut up a bit of firewood. Today, I'll be cutting some stuff up that I got last fall. It was green. Don't know if it seasoned enough over the winter to use it or not, but I can put it right in the wood shed. Then, if I don't need it for this year, I'll have a start on my supply for next winter.
I've decided not to dig up the pipe for the clothes pole. It's just not worth it. Instead, I need to get my hubby to move his saw. Then, I'll put a bird feeder up there. That way, I'll be able to watch the birds either from my bedroom window, or from my son's old bedroom. I don't know when he's going to get my clothes line up, so for now, I'm going to string a line up on the old framework for a swing. I cannot dry everything in the basement, plus I prefer putting a whole load up at a time, instead of putting it up bit by bit.
It's going to be warm today. Right now, it's above 40*. So, I'll be riding my motorcycle to the farm. If I didn't have to go to work, I'd wait and go a bit later. Sometimes I'll be a bit cold by the time I get to the farm, but I always warm up-eventually.
Once I get home, I'm going to do some more work in my basement. I'm also going to start tomatoes, peppers, artichokes and eggplants. I don't start them in individual pots, I start them in those aluminum cake pans w/the lids. By the time they get big enough to transplant to pots, I should be ready to put them in my green house. Then, I can start all my melons, squash and cucumbers as well. I'll probably need to start them in the house as well. Otherwise, the mice just dig up the seeds and eat them. Then, by the end of April, beginning of May, I'll be able to put everything in my garden!
1. The horses won't graze where there's poop.
2. There's less chance of parasites if the pasture is kept clean.
3. Since my manure pile will be next to the chickens, that should cut down on the flies. (And, if it doesn't maybe I'll get a couple of ducks.)
4. The pasture is next to the road, so it will look nicer.
5. I'll be able to compost it easier for my use. Every month, I'll be turning over what I've already piled, and keep turning piles until I get to a certain point. That will be what I'll use. I'll also add old chicken bedding as well as weeds to the mix. That will help it break down easier.
6. There'll be more grass for the horses to graze, thus cutting down on the amount of hay I need to buy.
7. I'll be able to get rid of the weeds easier since for the most part, seeds won't be added back to the ground.
Only problem being right now is the weather. I have a certain amount that I want to get done everyday. But, if it rains, I can't rake. It makes the bucket get heavy quite quickly. Yesterday, I spent some time just picking up piles. And, the mud was so bad in places that I almost lost a boot! I went to take a step, and my boot was almost pulled off my foot. Now, I don't know about anyone else, but I prefer NOT to step in mud in a sock. Last year, I did lose a boot, and it was in snow! That was no fun. This time, I was just barely able to catch my balance, and get my foot back in the boot. I did get most of the piles picked up, and it looks much better. Of course, I did have horses trying to help me. The only one that didn't come over was Stormy.
RU's method of feeding hay has always been to just take a RB, and dump it over the fence. When the bale is gone, she just dumps another one over. More often than not, she doesn't clean up the old string, or net. When I first took over this field, I spent quite a bit of time getting all this up. I had gotten it all caught in my mower blade at one point in time. Believe me, that was no fun! So, after it rains, I normally check to be sure there's nothing I missed. I will at times find a piece of baling twine sticking up. Normally, it's not a very long piece. Yesterday, I noticed a piece sticking up. So, I pulled on it. And I pulled on it, and I pulled some more. I followed twine going all over! When I FINALLY had it all up, there was enough twine to about fill a 5 gallon bucket!
When I got home, it was later than I had planned on it being, and I was going to prayer meeting. So rather than working in the house, I decided to do some yard work. I'm trying to get as much done as I can when it's not raining out. So, I went and worked in the garden. There's a section I can't do anything to right now. It's covered w/old leaves. I need to rake them up, but it was too wet. So instead, I dug the rest of the new section. Then, I dug out a couple of small trees that had come up. And, I got rid of some grape vines. The grapes have never tasted any good, so they're just taking up room. Today, I should have the rest of my garden ready for manure. I'll bring home a truck load or 2 next week, then I'll be able to get some early stuff in! :bun I also cut up a bit of firewood. Today, I'll be cutting some stuff up that I got last fall. It was green. Don't know if it seasoned enough over the winter to use it or not, but I can put it right in the wood shed. Then, if I don't need it for this year, I'll have a start on my supply for next winter.
I've decided not to dig up the pipe for the clothes pole. It's just not worth it. Instead, I need to get my hubby to move his saw. Then, I'll put a bird feeder up there. That way, I'll be able to watch the birds either from my bedroom window, or from my son's old bedroom. I don't know when he's going to get my clothes line up, so for now, I'm going to string a line up on the old framework for a swing. I cannot dry everything in the basement, plus I prefer putting a whole load up at a time, instead of putting it up bit by bit.
It's going to be warm today. Right now, it's above 40*. So, I'll be riding my motorcycle to the farm. If I didn't have to go to work, I'd wait and go a bit later. Sometimes I'll be a bit cold by the time I get to the farm, but I always warm up-eventually.
Once I get home, I'm going to do some more work in my basement. I'm also going to start tomatoes, peppers, artichokes and eggplants. I don't start them in individual pots, I start them in those aluminum cake pans w/the lids. By the time they get big enough to transplant to pots, I should be ready to put them in my green house. Then, I can start all my melons, squash and cucumbers as well. I'll probably need to start them in the house as well. Otherwise, the mice just dig up the seeds and eat them. Then, by the end of April, beginning of May, I'll be able to put everything in my garden!
