While Rick finished the roof of a wood shelter (for his turning wood) and put tin on the side of the storage end of the sheep fold,
I weeded the arena and started cleaning out the garden, which I totally blame on Mama Pea's
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| Before the bush beans came out. |
You can't tell I made a dent in the weeds of either area; at least removing the pea vines, pea trellis, and bush beans is noticeable. I also saved seeds from the bush beans and mulched all four rhubarb plants.
When Rick left to pick up a load of hay, I walked down the hill to get instructions on chores from a 'neighbor.' She bottle-fed Brigitte several times a day when I was gone for the World Cup last March, so I'm tickled to be able to return the favor while she and her husband visit their daughter and granddaughter in France. After walking back up the hill, I thoroughly cleaned and re-bedded Lance's stall for dust abatement.
Rick arrived with 3 1/2 tons of beautiful third-cutting orchard grass, so it was all hands on deck to get it stacked in the barn. That, added to the first and second cutting we had already procured, should finally be enough for the horses and sheep until next summer.
In spite of the hard work, it was nice to be working outside on such a lovely day with beauty all around.
That's it for now from . . .
7 comments:
Wow, look at that hay! So green and gorgeous! It's hard to find hay like that around here. Our sun is so intense that it bleaches it in the field as it dries. :( I like your sheep barn too!
Way to go, girl! You'll sing my praises in the spring . . . hee-hee.
Leigh, you think it's hard to find beautiful, green hay like that in your area? You should try to find it up here near the tundra! Especially when we've had so much rain that the one bona fide farmer in the county hasn't been able to get even his first cutting in. :o(
Michelle, take care of that achy foot. Stressing it before it gets back to normal will make it worse. (Yeah, right. Easy-peasy. Just stay off your foot.) :o\
Downright cranky this morning, aren't I?
Nothing makes me happier than knowing we have enough hay in the loft to last until next spring. We still need about 150 bales and then we can stop thinking about it. Fall chores never (seem to) end!
It's hard to find hay like that around HERE, Leigh and Mama Pea! Most of the hay around here is one cutting, and because of our rainy springs, it is often too mature to be nutritious (or at all palatable for sheep) by the time it can be cut, cured, and baled. There is ONE guy in our area who irrigates to get more than one cutting, and demand is much more than he can supply. We got some first and second cutting from him, but not enough for our annual needs. Hay is available in/from Eastern OR, but it's much more expensive. Rick found a guy online that's about an hour away with this hay, and he said he usually has plenty available. Not cheap, but a good resource to have, and we don't have to cross a mountain pass to get there!
Leigh, that's not all sheep barn; I'll have to do a post on its evolution sometime.
I'm singing your praises already, Mama Pea. I found that some of the onion starts I gave up on last spring are growing now, so I may get some after all if I weed them!
Welcome, Cheryl, and thanks so much for commenting! I see you have cattle dogs; love that breed.
That is beautiful hay! I don't think there is much else so comforting than having a barn full of hay for the winter. I am with you on the guilting of Mama Pea... :) I need to attack my garden and hope to squeeze it in this coming weekend. Such beauty all around you!
Such beautiful fall color!
Lovely photos, the colours are all so beautiful! Hope your foot is back to full strength soon.
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