After a rocky start, my day really got going and I got the following things completed...
First, I got the triangular chicken coop moved out into the pasture. Draging it with the lawn mower works like a dream! (I had to air a tire up before I could use it.)
First, I got the triangular chicken coop moved out into the pasture. Draging it with the lawn mower works like a dream! (I had to air a tire up before I could use it.)
The black spot in the corner is where the banana box burned up when I had the single rooster in there for 'medical' reasons.
The remains of box and heat lamp.
The shade melted way down...
I went to town later with the idea to get new boots, another 5 gallon water can, a feeder, and a roll of hay. Well, I got everything but the boots. I went into Tractor Supply and poked around among the boots. I knew exactly what I wanted--a pair of Ariat 'Fatbaby' boots (pretty close to idential to what I currently have). I did try on some Justin's which are practically the same cut, but the footbed wasn't near as comfortable--no matter what the lady I was talking to said. :) She says she finds Justin's more comfortable...I prefer Ariat's apparently--even though they are 10-20 dollars more expensive. I didn't want pink shafted boots (pink boots are about like pink guns to me), nor did I really want hot-pink piping...nor blue piped camo or finger holes in the shaft. I wanted that pair of good looking brown boots, but the smallest size they had left was a 7. I don't wear anything over a 6.5...and with the way shoes sizes keep going, I'm going to be wearing 5's again pretty soon. I talked to one of the employee's and she said they were just fixing to unload the truck, so if I came back tomorrow, I might get them. I may go back because Snip needs hay too.
From there I headed over to Bryan's and got the hay, the water can, and the feeder. When I went to put the hay out, I had the foresight to shut the front gate before going into the pasture. The cows were up and I didn't want to risk them getting out. I opened the pasture gate and both Abe and Prancy started to come through, so I in essence charged them with the truck--Abe was almost wedged between the truck and the gate so he ended up backing up at a fairly quick pace. Then he whipped around and took after the truck. I grabbed my hotshot from behind the seat and hopped out (to go close the gates) and shook that at him and he behaved until the truck started rolling again. Abe is a good bull--I was hollering at him and shaking my hotshot and he minded fairly well. I had to play tug-of-war with him with the hay net again today. I have marks on my right thumb from where the net cut into me--but I wasn't going to let him have it. Silly bull...he gets such joy out of tearing a new roll of hay up with those pretty horns of his. :)
When I got home I chased calves out the yard and then got kind of worried about one cow. I think now that she is okay, except that her right front toes cross a little. I need to look that up and what to do about it (if anything). It does cause her to limp a tad.
Savannah and I got the roosters separated out from the hens--I'm still hacking because of the dust I inhaled crawling around on my knees, lunging at roosters. It was actually kind of fun. We only ended up with one dead bird...I had too many in the dog kennel we were transporting them in and I guess he sufficated or something. I pulled a couple more out who looked not so good, but I stuffed their beaks in the water and before I was out of the coop they were scurrying around again. I learned my lesson...
Then we fed the cows and yet again I heard the clank of a chain as the cows trotted along beside the truck. I told Savannah, "There's that chain again!" On our way back we stopped and I found it!! I finally found that chain I lost of the tractor last summer! I carried it triumphantly to the barn and tossed it back onto the tractor floorboard where it's supposed to go.
While Savannah fed the cats, I fed Snip and burned the trash. It really needed to be done. Last time I went to burn the trash it was so windy I could not keep match lit long enough to get a piece of paper lighted--and then when I did get a paper lighted eventaully, it blew out before it had time to take of...
Fast forward several hours...a now clean young woman is sitting at her computer when her cellphone starts ringing. Glancing over, she sees on the lit-up face, "Ricky". Yes, I finally put Mr. Ricky into my phone--that way I don't have to look him up in the phonebook when I need to call him. The long and the short of that conversation was that we will, Lord willing, be working cattle next Wednesday morning! I look forward to getting those calves to market. We'll also worm the cows.
I think that's about it--oh, except for one very special packet that came in the mail today!! :) Thank-you, Missy! I enjoyed reading your letter and staring at faces grown older since last year. :) Some of those young 'uns I would be hard-pressed to recognize if I met them in the street....
From there I headed over to Bryan's and got the hay, the water can, and the feeder. When I went to put the hay out, I had the foresight to shut the front gate before going into the pasture. The cows were up and I didn't want to risk them getting out. I opened the pasture gate and both Abe and Prancy started to come through, so I in essence charged them with the truck--Abe was almost wedged between the truck and the gate so he ended up backing up at a fairly quick pace. Then he whipped around and took after the truck. I grabbed my hotshot from behind the seat and hopped out (to go close the gates) and shook that at him and he behaved until the truck started rolling again. Abe is a good bull--I was hollering at him and shaking my hotshot and he minded fairly well. I had to play tug-of-war with him with the hay net again today. I have marks on my right thumb from where the net cut into me--but I wasn't going to let him have it. Silly bull...he gets such joy out of tearing a new roll of hay up with those pretty horns of his. :)
When I got home I chased calves out the yard and then got kind of worried about one cow. I think now that she is okay, except that her right front toes cross a little. I need to look that up and what to do about it (if anything). It does cause her to limp a tad.
Savannah and I got the roosters separated out from the hens--I'm still hacking because of the dust I inhaled crawling around on my knees, lunging at roosters. It was actually kind of fun. We only ended up with one dead bird...I had too many in the dog kennel we were transporting them in and I guess he sufficated or something. I pulled a couple more out who looked not so good, but I stuffed their beaks in the water and before I was out of the coop they were scurrying around again. I learned my lesson...
Then we fed the cows and yet again I heard the clank of a chain as the cows trotted along beside the truck. I told Savannah, "There's that chain again!" On our way back we stopped and I found it!! I finally found that chain I lost of the tractor last summer! I carried it triumphantly to the barn and tossed it back onto the tractor floorboard where it's supposed to go.
While Savannah fed the cats, I fed Snip and burned the trash. It really needed to be done. Last time I went to burn the trash it was so windy I could not keep match lit long enough to get a piece of paper lighted--and then when I did get a paper lighted eventaully, it blew out before it had time to take of...
Fast forward several hours...a now clean young woman is sitting at her computer when her cellphone starts ringing. Glancing over, she sees on the lit-up face, "Ricky". Yes, I finally put Mr. Ricky into my phone--that way I don't have to look him up in the phonebook when I need to call him. The long and the short of that conversation was that we will, Lord willing, be working cattle next Wednesday morning! I look forward to getting those calves to market. We'll also worm the cows.
I think that's about it--oh, except for one very special packet that came in the mail today!! :) Thank-you, Missy! I enjoyed reading your letter and staring at faces grown older since last year. :) Some of those young 'uns I would be hard-pressed to recognize if I met them in the street....
RSS Feed
