Friday, August 26, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Earthquake!!
5.8:
We got home at 7:30 pm – immediately brought the horses in, got them water, fed them, April was outside with us – it gets dark around 8:00 now (darn) and he wanted me to clean up the dry paddock – I told him I would have but he needs to empty the manure spreader – where’s the muck bucket? Its full, won’t fit anymore into the manure spreader – He had already talked to his mother – he had to explain to her, slowly with good diction, why the METRO was so slow (15 mph) and why it took so long for the medical emergency to get resolved on the train in the station, blah blah – she was out in the yard when the ‘quake’ occurred, but Rob and Debi were just getting onto the road (Montrose) and noticed the traffic lights swaying – being from California, they knew what it was and immediately turned around to make sure Mary and the house were ok.
Anyway – Those minis are messy! I had cleaned the stalls over the weekend and they purposely go in there to use the facilities. She’s ‘going’ in Fred’s stall, too. With the spreader empty I had plenty of room to dump the muck bucket. He came out and asked if I had eaten, I said I had a pretzel and some dried peaches, what did you eat? Well, it was better than that! OK, but I’m too busy to eat. I got all the manure cleaned up, threw hay, he cleaned and filled the water buckets. The weather was delightful! And then its time for bed, just like that!
We got home at 7:30 pm – immediately brought the horses in, got them water, fed them, April was outside with us – it gets dark around 8:00 now (darn) and he wanted me to clean up the dry paddock – I told him I would have but he needs to empty the manure spreader – where’s the muck bucket? Its full, won’t fit anymore into the manure spreader – He had already talked to his mother – he had to explain to her, slowly with good diction, why the METRO was so slow (15 mph) and why it took so long for the medical emergency to get resolved on the train in the station, blah blah – she was out in the yard when the ‘quake’ occurred, but Rob and Debi were just getting onto the road (Montrose) and noticed the traffic lights swaying – being from California, they knew what it was and immediately turned around to make sure Mary and the house were ok.
Anyway – Those minis are messy! I had cleaned the stalls over the weekend and they purposely go in there to use the facilities. She’s ‘going’ in Fred’s stall, too. With the spreader empty I had plenty of room to dump the muck bucket. He came out and asked if I had eaten, I said I had a pretzel and some dried peaches, what did you eat? Well, it was better than that! OK, but I’m too busy to eat. I got all the manure cleaned up, threw hay, he cleaned and filled the water buckets. The weather was delightful! And then its time for bed, just like that!
Monday, August 22, 2011
Dog Days
Another whirlwind weekend – The usual Friday night blitz (grocery/gas/load the truck); Saturday morning chores routine. Then we hit the road – destination: West, by God, Virginia.
We planned, seemed like at the last minute, to go to our place in West Virginia to mow a little and pick up the box scrapper. We also are having family in Sunday afternoon from California. Too many things going on at one time, bound to be a conflict, right? A blind man can see this coming.
Friday night, we hitch up the flat bed trailer, load the tractor with the finish mower deck on it, pack the cooler with extra drinks. We’re ready to go for early Saturday morning.
For some reason we leave later than expected, he forgot to bring the gasoline can for the mowers up there, we stop at Kerr’s for a new tank and gas. We arrive there around 10:45.
The weeds in the drive way are almost waist-high. He’s lamenting that there is ‘cattle carpet’ under there, shouldn’t have grass and weeds growing. I tug on one of the weeds and it pulls out like a toothpick in a cake. No dirt attached to the shallow roots. This will be an easy task, except there are thousands of plants to pull. We pull and pull, throwing the weeds into a heap. The heap becomes a large mass, taller than the dog. Now there are several heaps, here and there. Taking about an hour, we finally are done.
He tries to get either of the mowers going, and uses up all the starter-fluid. Neither mow is going to run today. I put on the weed-whacker and hit the yard. He unloads the tractor, it’s about 12:30 p.m., and mows around the barns and lots of the pasture. He says he sees hundreds of mice, scattering from his tractor. He tries to run over as many as possible.
There is evidence that it has flooded, one of the bridges is moved about three feet down-river. The grass is still flattened from the rush of water. I weed-whack for about three hours, three tanks of gas, and lots of string. I try to kill or damage as much multi-flora rose as possible. I see a couple frogs and a mouse. I’m watching out for bees and snakes, see none.
We take a break, eat the lunch I've packed. I drank most of a bottle of pink lemonade. We hit our machines again; working, working, working. Now my hands are buzzing, numb. My shirt is wet, my hair is damp, I've got mud on my glasses. We're having a wonderful time!
He finally comes in about the same time my string is short and ratty. He moves the truck and trailer to mow where that was parked, then e hastily load up the tractor. He says we don't have time to pick up the box scrapper. What? Next time? We have to have the tractor to lift the box scrapper, it's like 600 lbs.! Next time.
We take the same way home and it was really a wonderful route; no Route 81 or 66 or Beltway. Scenic views. We get home at dark and everybody is at the gate, wondering where in the hell we've been! Tom fills the water buckets and I dish out the grain. Instant happiness all the way around. We eat the rest of our lunch. I'm pooped.
Sunday: another beautiful day, get up early like normal. I had things planned that I didn't get to the day before and it is heating up out there. He decides he's going to prep the exterior walls for paint; my new job is to scrub the walls. O boy.
I do get lots of dirt off, but the more I scrub the more the paint peels, a lot. It dries quickly and he starts painting with a primer. It loosens the existing paint. This is going to be futile. It looks like a Paint Horse. Then it starts raining. Great!
Retreat into doing household chores. Lightning and Thunder. Rain, heavy at times. O boy.
We planned, seemed like at the last minute, to go to our place in West Virginia to mow a little and pick up the box scrapper. We also are having family in Sunday afternoon from California. Too many things going on at one time, bound to be a conflict, right? A blind man can see this coming.
Friday night, we hitch up the flat bed trailer, load the tractor with the finish mower deck on it, pack the cooler with extra drinks. We’re ready to go for early Saturday morning.
For some reason we leave later than expected, he forgot to bring the gasoline can for the mowers up there, we stop at Kerr’s for a new tank and gas. We arrive there around 10:45.
The weeds in the drive way are almost waist-high. He’s lamenting that there is ‘cattle carpet’ under there, shouldn’t have grass and weeds growing. I tug on one of the weeds and it pulls out like a toothpick in a cake. No dirt attached to the shallow roots. This will be an easy task, except there are thousands of plants to pull. We pull and pull, throwing the weeds into a heap. The heap becomes a large mass, taller than the dog. Now there are several heaps, here and there. Taking about an hour, we finally are done.
He tries to get either of the mowers going, and uses up all the starter-fluid. Neither mow is going to run today. I put on the weed-whacker and hit the yard. He unloads the tractor, it’s about 12:30 p.m., and mows around the barns and lots of the pasture. He says he sees hundreds of mice, scattering from his tractor. He tries to run over as many as possible.
There is evidence that it has flooded, one of the bridges is moved about three feet down-river. The grass is still flattened from the rush of water. I weed-whack for about three hours, three tanks of gas, and lots of string. I try to kill or damage as much multi-flora rose as possible. I see a couple frogs and a mouse. I’m watching out for bees and snakes, see none.
We take a break, eat the lunch I've packed. I drank most of a bottle of pink lemonade. We hit our machines again; working, working, working. Now my hands are buzzing, numb. My shirt is wet, my hair is damp, I've got mud on my glasses. We're having a wonderful time!
He finally comes in about the same time my string is short and ratty. He moves the truck and trailer to mow where that was parked, then e hastily load up the tractor. He says we don't have time to pick up the box scrapper. What? Next time? We have to have the tractor to lift the box scrapper, it's like 600 lbs.! Next time.
We take the same way home and it was really a wonderful route; no Route 81 or 66 or Beltway. Scenic views. We get home at dark and everybody is at the gate, wondering where in the hell we've been! Tom fills the water buckets and I dish out the grain. Instant happiness all the way around. We eat the rest of our lunch. I'm pooped.
Sunday: another beautiful day, get up early like normal. I had things planned that I didn't get to the day before and it is heating up out there. He decides he's going to prep the exterior walls for paint; my new job is to scrub the walls. O boy.
I do get lots of dirt off, but the more I scrub the more the paint peels, a lot. It dries quickly and he starts painting with a primer. It loosens the existing paint. This is going to be futile. It looks like a Paint Horse. Then it starts raining. Great!
Retreat into doing household chores. Lightning and Thunder. Rain, heavy at times. O boy.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Clean-Out Connector, Guttering
On Sunday, late afternoon, Tom started digging into the sewer line to connect the RV clean-out. He bought everything he needed, he thought. Apparently the sewer line is not the measurement that he thought it was, so we had no in-door plumbing for Sunday night and Monday morning. He took Monday off to correct this problem.
By mid-morning he had resolved the plumbing issues and had guttering for the run-in shed. By late afternoon that was installed, too. This will cut down on the muddy spot in front of the shed.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Third Monday in August
The day started off with a shower in the horse trailer – Tom was unable to finish the plumbing job because of the horrific storm Sunday night. When I walked back into the house, Irene was in the back hallway, battling a snake! A little Ring-Neck, the sixth this season.
That evening - around 6ish - I get home earlier than normal because I don't have to wait/pick up Tom. I hear dogs (at least two) barking/yapping behind the house, but down at the bottom of the hill, behind the pasture fence. Tom says it’s been going on for about a half hour - and you didn't try to figure out what is going on? Sounds like they’d treed a ‘Coon or something. Anyway - I walk into the other field because I know a way across the creek and into the bean/corn field and there are THREE people sitting on the edge of the hill (where David would stand to shoot his guns). I run back to tell him, we get in the RAV4, April is with us, and there are three sitting there, a man with two kids. They never heard our car, so we drive back. He said if it was three GUYS he would have said something. He’s been home but not home (went to THREE Home Depots, local hardware store, too, to buy guttering materials for the run in shed) and didn't see them come onto the property. They've got the dogs in the woods, and the guy is yelling at them. Never saw the dogs. The horses (4) are concerned about what's going on.
I'm nosy so I climb the fence and can see the tops of their heads from there. Then I walk onto the big berm next to the landscaping bins - and can see them walking back to the house next to us - on the other side of the power lines. Never met the Widow that lives there, but know that she has others there because of the amount of yard work/bonfires that happen (can see that from our house when the leaves are gone).
I see them walk back over there and tell him that this must be the guy that is stringing aircraft cable across the paths that we are creating in the woods - he thinks it couldn't be - why not? Logical deduction - it’s not the horse barn people; they would NEVER carry that kind of obstruction into the woods. This is a guy that is staking out his 'territory' to use his dogs to hunt. Why is this so hard to imagine? From the widow's house, walk straight out and anyone would be on the top of the hill where the cable was strung. Duh? Anyway, I'm sure that's the guy. We’ll continue to make our paths in the park as we see fit - it's 'public' land, not somebody's territory, even if he did grow up there. He’ll be surprised when he sees new fencing going in, right?
That evening - around 6ish - I get home earlier than normal because I don't have to wait/pick up Tom. I hear dogs (at least two) barking/yapping behind the house, but down at the bottom of the hill, behind the pasture fence. Tom says it’s been going on for about a half hour - and you didn't try to figure out what is going on? Sounds like they’d treed a ‘Coon or something. Anyway - I walk into the other field because I know a way across the creek and into the bean/corn field and there are THREE people sitting on the edge of the hill (where David would stand to shoot his guns). I run back to tell him, we get in the RAV4, April is with us, and there are three sitting there, a man with two kids. They never heard our car, so we drive back. He said if it was three GUYS he would have said something. He’s been home but not home (went to THREE Home Depots, local hardware store, too, to buy guttering materials for the run in shed) and didn't see them come onto the property. They've got the dogs in the woods, and the guy is yelling at them. Never saw the dogs. The horses (4) are concerned about what's going on.
I'm nosy so I climb the fence and can see the tops of their heads from there. Then I walk onto the big berm next to the landscaping bins - and can see them walking back to the house next to us - on the other side of the power lines. Never met the Widow that lives there, but know that she has others there because of the amount of yard work/bonfires that happen (can see that from our house when the leaves are gone).
I see them walk back over there and tell him that this must be the guy that is stringing aircraft cable across the paths that we are creating in the woods - he thinks it couldn't be - why not? Logical deduction - it’s not the horse barn people; they would NEVER carry that kind of obstruction into the woods. This is a guy that is staking out his 'territory' to use his dogs to hunt. Why is this so hard to imagine? From the widow's house, walk straight out and anyone would be on the top of the hill where the cable was strung. Duh? Anyway, I'm sure that's the guy. We’ll continue to make our paths in the park as we see fit - it's 'public' land, not somebody's territory, even if he did grow up there. He’ll be surprised when he sees new fencing going in, right?
Monday, August 15, 2011
Second Weekend in August - Wrap up
Nothing new with reporting that weekends fly by, evaporate. So many things planned, can only accomplish what can be done. The most important thing is to get hay - one bale left in the hayloft. Rain is in the forecast.
Todd Greenstone was supposed to come by Thursday night but didn't make it. I would have liked to have ridden Thursday - full Moon and low humidity. That didn't happen. He came over Friday night with his two Vizsla: Angel and Hank. Since they apparently follow him everywhere they got chased, rather aggressively, by Lil Fred and Sprite. We walked around the place, him giving us advice on this and that, estimates on the fields, what not to waste our time and money on. He also gave us a bale of timothy/orchard grass hay.
Saturday morning, overcast, Tom called around for hay and hay prices. They must belong to a Union or something - all the same price, unless you go North, but that costs fuel. We'll get it locally from Tahill Farm in Lisbon.
On the way to get hay it started sprinkling. Great!
it poured buckets last night - everybody stayed IN ALL NIGHT - it was still raining at 11pm so I left them all in with hay.
yesterday - i finished cleaning/waxing the shower - scrubbed the floors, vacuumed, finished up the laundry - dusted (yikes!) - tom finished mowing - he also trimmed trees on the roadway! and pulled all those branches into the truck - now in the burn pile - we need a bonfire! then he dug up the sewer line to install the RV clean-out - the sewer pipe is an odd size so he couldn't complete the job before the rain came - and it rained - from 8:00pm to after midnight. The clean-out will be at the back corner of the house in the 'little woods.'
Anyway - no water can go down the drain in the house - I showered in the trailer this morning - boy, that water is blazing hot! hahaha - and peeing in the yard. Country living! He is home today to fix that problem. We want to be able to dump our black/gray water tanks after camping like we did at Grandin.
We lost two bales of hay on the way back from Tahill Farm - HOWEVER - Todd Greenstone gave us a bale Friday night and then on Saturday afternoon Chris said there was a bale at the end of Annapolis Rock - Tom got that bale - so we actually aren't missing any hay.
Not as hot today, which is a good thing - I'm wearing long sleeves because of the poison ivy/grass rash I have on my arms. Also went grocery shopping yesterday late in the day.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Snakes, Bees and Groundhogs - O My!
There has been four snakes, so far, found in the dining room this summer. Two live, two dead. If we don't find them soon enough Irene kills them. Three have been obviously Ring-neck snakes, the first one was a black snake. Why are they in my dining room, second year in a row?
Last night we were relaxing with the gang at the gate. I noticed a weird, elongated shape just past the back fence. It was as big as Skip's head. I hadn't noticed it before. I walked most of the way down and realized it was a HUGE bee's nest, could see them buzzing around it, coming and going like an air traffic controller was coordinating their flight.
It is still pretty hot around here. Tom decided he would try to blow up some groundhog burrows, hopefully with them in it, hiding from the heat. The last straw was while mowing grass and nearly losing the tractor in the vertical holes. You can see to China in a couple of these things!
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