Sorry I haven't said anything for several days...I spent Monday and Tuesday, between animal feeding morning and evening, working on my Cow Cavalry documentary in one capacity or another. I also squeezed in a cello practicing session one of those days.
Today I rode Snip...he was something of a booger all morning. At one point, he got away from me and took me under the trees out by the pens. I had enough control over him to keep from being scraped off anywhere. I finally got him stopped before things got bad. I'll admit I was pretty shaky all over from it, not so much because I was scared (I was a little--I don't want to be cracked open by a tree branch or drug behind a horse or break anything else anytime soon), but because of how hard I was hanging on with my legs in order to have both hands free--most of the time--so I could get him stopped. It looks easy snatching a horse's head around, but that animal has more strength in his neck than I do in both my arms. I'd have never got him stopped if I hadn't had a curb bit in his mouth.
Don't ask me why critter's behave very well for a while than get stupid. I can't explain it really.
After I was done riding, I went and helped Daddy work on fence. He built a new corner out by the road. My corner I put in back in November (or whenever it was), wasn't done right. I rather knew it at the time, but it was an emerency situation and I hate digging post holes in tree roots. Still, no excuse.
Once we got the corner mostly finished (I say 'we' because I did help a tiny bit!), we came in for lunch and promptly after coffee (and for me Hawaii Five-O) we were back at it. The fence along the driveway got stretched nice and tight. :) I did my share on that bit of the job. I loosened staples all the way up the line for starters. Next, Daddy got the come-along hooked up and tightened the first wire and sent me up to see if it was hung up anywhere (at this point I was using the golf cart). I got part of the way up and zipped back to tell him that the side towards him was nice and tight, but as the wire was grown into this big oak tree that the rest was loose. He had been going to cut that out, but had gotten distracted doing something else (trimming trees over the drive, I think). Anyway, we trundled back up there and he cut the wire out and I did about half the wire twisting necessary to mend the break. I ran him back down to the come-along and then finished my job. Once I reached the top and determined it was good to go, I gave him the signal--basically, me standing there with my arms over my head in a circle. (Imagine a peep sight if you will...)
We started at our respective ends and hammered in the staples. Daddy had the hatchet (I believe he called it a box hatchet--anyway, it's a fence building tool. The head has a 'hatchet' on one side and a square hammer head on the other) and I was using a regular claw hammer. About the second wire, I got a compliment on my use of it...Daddy said, "Well, I guess you are doing alright. I can't hardly drive a staple with a hammer like that." I wasn't having any problem really, but anyway, that made me feel pretty grand. :D
The above process was repeated three more times (minus the golf cart). On those wires though I helped with the come-along hook-up. I made out great with only two real wire scratches. The ol' farmer's (rancher's) tan got another layer today...I realized that at some point when I went to scratch an itch and felt sunburn.
By the time we got done, it was almost 6 and I had hungry animals to feed. I didn't get the chickens moved...they rather need it by now. It is currently raining! We need the rain pretty bad. It's dry so the grass isn't growing as fast as we impatient ranchers would like. However, what is coming is nice and green and the cows are nice and busy on it.
One funny story before I finish boring you...as is my usual habit when I come in at the end of the day, I took my hat off and hung it up, and headed to the bathroom to scrub my arms from the elbows down. I looked at myself in the mirror and had to laugh. I had my hair in pigtail braids and my hat naturally pushed my hair down out around my ears. It was wet and plastered to my fore head and I looked so silly! I walked through the house to show Daddy and Savannah explaining, "I have a Hollywood Indian style hair-do--only the mussed up version!" I don't think it's very attractive at all but Daddy said, "It's cute!" So...we'll say it was. ;)
Today I rode Snip...he was something of a booger all morning. At one point, he got away from me and took me under the trees out by the pens. I had enough control over him to keep from being scraped off anywhere. I finally got him stopped before things got bad. I'll admit I was pretty shaky all over from it, not so much because I was scared (I was a little--I don't want to be cracked open by a tree branch or drug behind a horse or break anything else anytime soon), but because of how hard I was hanging on with my legs in order to have both hands free--most of the time--so I could get him stopped. It looks easy snatching a horse's head around, but that animal has more strength in his neck than I do in both my arms. I'd have never got him stopped if I hadn't had a curb bit in his mouth.
Don't ask me why critter's behave very well for a while than get stupid. I can't explain it really.
After I was done riding, I went and helped Daddy work on fence. He built a new corner out by the road. My corner I put in back in November (or whenever it was), wasn't done right. I rather knew it at the time, but it was an emerency situation and I hate digging post holes in tree roots. Still, no excuse.
Once we got the corner mostly finished (I say 'we' because I did help a tiny bit!), we came in for lunch and promptly after coffee (and for me Hawaii Five-O) we were back at it. The fence along the driveway got stretched nice and tight. :) I did my share on that bit of the job. I loosened staples all the way up the line for starters. Next, Daddy got the come-along hooked up and tightened the first wire and sent me up to see if it was hung up anywhere (at this point I was using the golf cart). I got part of the way up and zipped back to tell him that the side towards him was nice and tight, but as the wire was grown into this big oak tree that the rest was loose. He had been going to cut that out, but had gotten distracted doing something else (trimming trees over the drive, I think). Anyway, we trundled back up there and he cut the wire out and I did about half the wire twisting necessary to mend the break. I ran him back down to the come-along and then finished my job. Once I reached the top and determined it was good to go, I gave him the signal--basically, me standing there with my arms over my head in a circle. (Imagine a peep sight if you will...)
We started at our respective ends and hammered in the staples. Daddy had the hatchet (I believe he called it a box hatchet--anyway, it's a fence building tool. The head has a 'hatchet' on one side and a square hammer head on the other) and I was using a regular claw hammer. About the second wire, I got a compliment on my use of it...Daddy said, "Well, I guess you are doing alright. I can't hardly drive a staple with a hammer like that." I wasn't having any problem really, but anyway, that made me feel pretty grand. :D
The above process was repeated three more times (minus the golf cart). On those wires though I helped with the come-along hook-up. I made out great with only two real wire scratches. The ol' farmer's (rancher's) tan got another layer today...I realized that at some point when I went to scratch an itch and felt sunburn.
By the time we got done, it was almost 6 and I had hungry animals to feed. I didn't get the chickens moved...they rather need it by now. It is currently raining! We need the rain pretty bad. It's dry so the grass isn't growing as fast as we impatient ranchers would like. However, what is coming is nice and green and the cows are nice and busy on it.
One funny story before I finish boring you...as is my usual habit when I come in at the end of the day, I took my hat off and hung it up, and headed to the bathroom to scrub my arms from the elbows down. I looked at myself in the mirror and had to laugh. I had my hair in pigtail braids and my hat naturally pushed my hair down out around my ears. It was wet and plastered to my fore head and I looked so silly! I walked through the house to show Daddy and Savannah explaining, "I have a Hollywood Indian style hair-do--only the mussed up version!" I don't think it's very attractive at all but Daddy said, "It's cute!" So...we'll say it was. ;)
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