5-29-2012 Moral Day Over

Welp, we managed to get the Schultz tractor back on line yesterday. Tire’s loaded and aired standing in readiness to mow more hay out here today. When yesterday’s afternoon fell apart with storm warning including zillians of gallons rain we went into a holding pattern. So, Fillip and I spent some time around here catching up some farm/barn yard matters. I tried mowing our yard and the yard tractor refused to run. Might have been to hot for it to run. Might have been vapor locked. Additionally all considered it was to hot for working on. Okay with me. To hot for myself also low to mid 90’s. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Had plenty to do today. Mo’ later……. ….now, lot later. 24hrs later. We successfully ground feed. Boogied a half successful parts trip into Mt Morris. We got what we needed only halving a bis seal set into its engine carrier was denied. Nut’s looks like I’ve got some tools to make to do-it myself engine seal installation. Fillip and I were mistaken for a couple Tennessee ridge running moon-shiners. We could have sold all the white lightening we might have had had we had any to begin with….. I managed to cut another hay field. Fillip started raking another, my finishing it almost late into the evening. And those ka-zillian drops of rain we were ‘sposed to get? We got nary a drop, wasting a whole haying day. (grumble, grumble, growl, growl) Regardless, looks like we’ll be busy again today. Lollipops. Fernan

5-27-2012 Woids, Pics, ‘N’ other Stuff (part3)

Today’s weather turned against us Fillip and I also turned to alternative tasks;…… …..Remounted booted and newly inner-tube-ed tire on tractor, nobody looken to get wet this tire’ll wait another day to be calcium chloride fluid loaded. Alternatively, between showers, Fillip took up taking more the Dumpy truck apart. Meanwhile, I cleaned and listed the need for additional Greenee truck parts. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As ti had continued to rain off’n’on, Fillip to also see what headway we may try to start and make getting this old Jeep back on the road. Primarily, what it needs is a paint job and all the trimming put back on it. Ehh, they’s a wee bit more to it than that: new wheels, new tires, a taillight, windshield(?) (I don’t remember), and a clutch slave cylinder. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Upon coming home early this afternoon, seeing some smoke coming out of a neighboring wood-lot, Fillip and I took the Cushman to check it out. It was a small brush-pile fire. We parked for a few moments watching it in hopes the owners return with hotdogs, buns, and marshmallows. We’s back home now and looken as if Fillip’s got to fix our supper. Hey, a couple guy’s can dream can’t they. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nuts, may have to grind tomorrow. Downed hay, if field should dry enough I must roll over (rake) hay so’s it don’t mold…! Some moral day down on the farm activities inherent with this family’s farm life. “Rainbows.” Fernan

5-27-2012 Woids, Pics, ‘N’ other Stuff (part2)

While I was handily a settin in the Ugly truck backed up to the hay-mow, this Lady might have been asking me, “Just a truck wash or a hot wax job included?” Another oicture these ladies doing a thorough job of giving Old Ugly a good tongued wash’n’dry job. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Get a load of these…… …..wild black-cap (wild blackberries) just a blossoming out along side the last hay field I was breakine-in my second round the field. Remarkably these wild fruit flowers weren’t frozen off with th earlier domestic fruits grown in Michigan. Purrty, hey what? Hmmm, I’m thinken yummy! “Rainbows.” Fernan

5-27-2012 Woids, Pics, ‘N’ other Stuff (part1)

As you may see I’m looken well enough. It’s just my woik days have been capably gotten shorter. Butt, I ain’t given up. I’ve just got way to much fun stuff to do I ain’t given up nor slwen down any more than I halve to. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I’ve been doing a lot of this activity. This was what I was doing a few days ago and a few more days since. And a big additional more of this since also: So this it for theis 1st set of catchen it up woids’n’pictures. More in today’s parts (2) and (3). “Rainbows.” Fernan

been awhile

I don’t know about catching up with my daily activities over the last five days. It’s Saturday and we’ve quit early for a change. Truth is I’m tired. I mean real tired. The last six days hav been long ones, eat, sleep, hay, and machinery repair. Even now while I’m trying to write this I’d rather be napping. So this is the way it has been; cut, bale, haul in, wrapping some green and stowing away some dry. So we’re all alive and well around here. There’s even been a four cattle running them through the chutes. Have enjoyed watching nature’s leafing out, flowers blooming, animals doing funny thinks. Seen turkey, fox, ground hogs, deer, buzzards, hawks, geese, ducks, and more over head and under foot. Maybe pictures another day. Meanwhile. “Rainbows.” Fernan

Sleep

This day the first after having lived a tougher one yesterday I wake an hour later than my norm. so sore it took me another hour to open my eyes for sorting my meds. I waited an hour, had corn flakes for breakfast while sitting on another icepack, and fell back asleep. I didn’t wake up until near 1:00PM. Fillip managed to find enough to keep himself busy in my absence. Once wakened a 2nd time had a cold lunch and hit the road. Picking up supplements and an empty feed wagon, we had a grinding to attend to. And at just about that moment we’d started the tractor’s PTO it started to sprinkle also cooling the scene down at the same time. The grind finished, the feed filled wagon delivered and spotted, we were off for the supermarket for milk and ice cream. On our turnaround way home we’d stopped for some honest to goodness farm fresh eggs. Regardless all the night’s and morning’s sleep I’ve had, supper eatened, I’m once again ready for a traditional horizontal position in bed. “Rainbows.” Fernan

5-20-2012 Sunday’s rest

But there’ll be none for this old man! Now let me ‘splain. Bro’ under Keith’s influence had decided to run all, and I mean all, ladies and girls on all three farms through the chutes and head gates yesterday. Every one of them was fly tagged and wormed. One female was treated for ringworm and two females were treated for warts. Might be I shouldn’t have given a toad a second look a couple days ago. Does this go to show ya? Not all this activity all that difficult really but for myself all this activity had about worn me down to a knobben. 4:00PM I had hit my physical wall. Why I had even started my parts of the round ups sitting on the Cushman all three farm yards. Well his covers my adventure for all of yesterday. Now on to today. Sure felt good getting in at an early ten to 7:00PM. Finally fed some where’s around 8:00 I was in daylight bed by 8:30PM. Occasioned two side matters yesterday I was delegated to make two fence fixings, one good, the other not so good. The last one I must do over today. And along with it I’m delegated at least two, maybe three gate up in the barn. Then when thes little trivial’s are taken car of I must bale a field of stubborn hay before the rains come. If there’s anything I hate it’s boredumb*. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BULLETIN: Whilst busy baling hay today I saw a Monarch butterfly. Already? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Did the usual chores checking animals, fences, and other things to open the start of the day. Breakfast late on-account of an extra early interruption I had finally got to baling the last of the last cutting’s hay just short our customary dinner hour. Going at it I baled the hay towards the back of the field while Fillip was supposed to rake all the heavier up front hay. While I had gone to my part of the day’s baling Fillip having a bit of a problem with his end, he gave up his seat to Tom. It well into the evening twilight zone I wheel my 1850 Tall Ollie into the home drive at about 8:15PM followed with dark some 15 minutes later. Taking my meds in the field earlier I was ready for supper. Fillip charcoaled a pizza. I choose to let him have the whole thing. I settled for a can of hot tamales, a glass of milk and some cookies, all while I was sitting against a large icepack. Supper eatened, I was readily ready an immediate bedtime laying it all out wanting to put it down. I was totally pooped. “Rainbows.” Fernan

Dumpy’s attention

I’m so tired, hitting my wall as I usually do, I’ve come in with a backache. So I take my seat and lean my spine into an icepack to relieve some of the accumulated inflammation hurting me. First shot out of the driveway took us over to the Sixguy’s Farm for a load of shelled corn. A trip around the block for a weigh slip we were back home in time for lunce. Backing the truck and time up to 5:00AM long lost grandson Scott breezed in. Been a long time since we’d seen him last. He was a welcomed sight all around for us. After dinner taking Scott with us Fillip and I did attack the Dumpy truck showing it no mercy removing the hood, front fenders and the grill. Late afternoon it was we wrapped up our labors. None to soon. My back was shot. And, unlike yesterday’s adventure my right ankle going out, today to be different my left knee near to let me down. It’s becoming habit my carrying my canes with whether I immediately need them or not. No better than my nerves are telegraphing any messages as to what may happen next to my brain it seems I can’t travel without them. Rainbows Fernan

5-16-2012 Haying season’s upon us.

Yeah-yeah, I had written After I’d finished the rye I’d wait another week ‘fore cutting any further hay. Well, we took a hard look at the most impressive alfalfa field we’d had in years. Today it looked as though it was being smothered under grass. Checking the weather reports the meteor-ill-logical guessers predicted a slew a days continually warming weather through next Sunday. I commenced to cut shortly after dinner. About halfway through the two-thirds the field I had cut a great big fat woodchuck. I had sure had the wanting to fillet that hay field gargantuan hole digger. I’ve seen holes so large a tractor and baler could have gotten lost falling into one of them. (Would I lie?) Whelp, before I had gotten to making more hay Fillip and I had finished preparing the 4-180 While tractor for field work, even to delivering on site. For more needs Fillip filled the Ugly truck’s diesel fuel supply tank for field fill-ups. Even used it preparing the Tall Ollie for more green hay bale making over one of the next two days. The idea is to cut all that grass off the alfalfa to give the hopeful crop under neither a new Spring chance to grow. Whew, only time will tell now. Shall we see unhindered that original planting spring up again. I could be a mirical is in the making if this field services two false Spring starts to have been frozen out by two stints of extremely hard frosts. I’ve no idea why Michigan needs so damned many gambling casino’s, really. Every farmer in my neighborhood is a diehard gambler, all his own. I often wonder just how many of the nation’s populace really has any sense of appreciation what a farmer gambles year after year to make a living for himself while trying to feed his city cousins. “Rainbows.” Fernan

Nerve’s failure

I’ve asked Frieda how she was doing or had even done this mornings and the rest of the day? All I got in return was “Duh?” Okay, so much for her. As for myself, I had a good night’s sleep as far as it went. Then woke up with a back ache. So, I hit my Tylenol bottle on the way out the door. Dressed and was ready to roll when Juan called and we went to pick-up our wholesale grub. Getting back had lunch, finished that, and took off to bale yesterday’s hay cut. That finished we hauled it all in and wrapped it. It were between the loading and the hay and hauling it down the road one of my nerves either short circuited or opened my right ankle letting me down. Crapola! Luckily Ugly truck present, inside were my walking canes. I needed them to hold me up the last of the afternoon. The hay wrapped it was a reluctant quitting time for me. So much daylight left and I had to give up the rest of the day. Nuts! And get off my foot. (grumble, grumble, growl, growl) Lollipops Fernan

Still doing

Was another one them day’s I was worn out by 7:30 PM. This morning’s start was with picking up on those seasonal servicing duties upon the 4-180 White whilst I waited for the morning dew to dry off. This afternoon I finished cutting the Winter rye. Then I mowed the other side of the driveway with the Crapsman lawn tractor. And, filled some waning moments here’n’there with other small jolly duties. Other than being an absolutely gorgeous day, at its Spring best, they wasn’t nothing’ wrong with nothing’. Although the promised Vortex engine gasket set hadn’t come as it was supposed to. But, there will be other days. Lollipops Fernan

5-13-2012 Mother’s Day

Circumstances such they had developed I just reluctantly managed to get out of taking Herr Clink out for another Mother’s Day breakfast. The ladies bawling their heads off required a pasture change. A lot of good it’ll do. They’ve eaten everything down to a nubbin around all the available pastures once already. Come on, grasses grow. The ladies are on their second pasture go around’s and haying, an honest to goodness haying, is still at least a couple weeks off. I write this for I usually hay off all the remaining pastures for hay fields before turning them over for the ladies grazing’s. Meanwhile the weather guesser’s have all changed their minds as to what our weather’s going to be for this next week. The call now is for five/six loosely rain free days. Still the Winter rye so far out of the boot is beyond early nutrition’s best. So, while it is a pleasant day today I might just as well wait another day to let some of these recent rains to both dry some and sink some further into the earth. Motive, avoiding tractor sticking (stuck) sinking mud. While this household’s Mom received a visit and some phone calls from some our offspring I snuck out and went to mowing our yard. Good grief some of it was well over my knee. The grasses so tall I imagined myself breaking trails through ancient jungle undergrowth. (grin) Frieda’s tried taking some acceptable pictures of me. My checking them out over lunch my desired mark had been missed again. The only one or two what might have been acceptable I had forgotten to take my sun glasses off. (grrrr-up) One more E-camera outing for more pictures. I do believe we’d almost gotten it right this supposedly last time. At least I selected what I thought was the best one, cropped it, and E-mailed it off. Hopefully it’ll suffice to complete the book’s back cover. My last accomplishment for the day the yard the house side of the driveway is mowed. Not trimmed yet mowed. The machines put away I was ready for supper, I ate heartily, then skipping this writing’s completion, exhausted I went straight to bed and slept soundly for several hours. ‘Tis either late or early morning, unable to make up my mind, my being up for one of five water hauls, but completing it I’m now doing. “Rainbows.” Fernan

Pictures

The day’s before daylight determination it rained, rained, rained all day today. My (we’re) not doing a any bonified bottom line farming thing today, Fillip and I did took to holing up in the shop cleaning and inspecting heavy engine parts for the Greenee truck rebuild. So, as long as it’s rained all day and I’ve gotten behind with so many recent social functions I’m about to take an hour or two this very evening and try to make a few amends. So, again, I’m going to take a few steps backward and ‘splain a few pictures involving a few of my Shorthorn country environments. 1st picture, a snap of some of the 2012 up and coming replacements, steers, and bulls; as the individual cases may warrant to be. 2nd picture, The end result of some now’n’then rainy day tinkering. 3rd picture, had to sadly conduct this funeral plus a couple others. She was a good old girl giving us many healthy calves. The new born calf she’s left us with this Spring, his care and feeding has been taken up by another cow who had just lost her newborn. 4th picture, While riding fence caught sight and snap the cow on the left busily watt-to-sing scratching her rump against the thorns a multi-floral-rose. 5th picture, here I am cutting our first haying harvest this haying season, between Spring rains. Since this cut, this hay had been baled and wrapped. So my only confession’s involvement concludes I’ve been very busy. Rainbows Fernan

Been Lax

Yes I’ll admit my folly….err…..AWOLness. I might say I’ve been busier than a one wheeled unicyclist making hay the last few day one way or another. I have done it two ways managed to make it rain all over Shorthorn country, either washing a car (tractor in this case) or cutting hay. The last worse yet three weeks before the official Michigan Memorial Day’s weekend haying season’s kick off. The tractor had been repeatedly lambasted with wild birds fallen-out poop for many months. As for the early haying start the Winter Rye we had planted had matured well enough it’s grain seed was correctly in the boot for optimum nutritional livestock’s hay value. Perfectly ready to harvest the rains predictably came again this Spring as they had in years past. However I’ve (we’ve) been trying to do our level best to cut, bale and wrap the crop regardless. Now that the absolute prime harvesting time has past we’re trying to save what we may of the crop’s palatability for next Winter’s feeding. Along with working the fields tractors and implements are in need the regularly seasonal attention lubricants and greasing’s. And then there are other required discoveries needing correction one of the more difficult task for me, my time continually passing on, are the replacement of one pair tires on the disc. What is most irksome is the involvement of heavier unforeseen problems requiring a fixing. This is the way it has been all across Shorthorn country these last few days. One unusually bright bit of light these last few days to have been enjoyed, during one rainy afternoon Fillip and I managed to put in a little preparatory cleaning on Greenees replacement engine block. Additionally wild life sightings at the most unexpected time continue to thrill us. Yesterday during one of our road trips between farms we sighted an immature fox crossing the road completely ambitious to our approach. Perhaps more later, pictures even…. Rainbows Fernan

Rain…

Was a slow day, encouraged by liquid sunshine falling all over us. Cheese”N”crackers, I slept in at least an hour’n’half this morning. Yesterday’s long trying day must have made me do it. (grin) Cow 960 died this afternoon. Luckily her calf has taken to a new surrogate mother. The rain coming down, the low prssure system hanging over our head giving Fillip a headache, it allso made me just plain ache all over. Time for a drive. Fillip and set driving NE for a burn permit, some grocery specials, a milk and medication stop, and plastic gauge for checking the Greeny’s new engine bearings. This was the first all around successful shopping trip I can’t remember when I’d had the last one? Weather beatened and tired, any more material I may have wanted to add to this will have to wait. Nite! Lollipops Fernan

Where to begin?

Brightly awakened, the boss lady was making an announcement, “I’m was taking a shower.” “Ugh?” I asked. Uh ugh, She’d been making mention several mentions we’re to begin times this week I was taking her out for a Mother’s Day morning breakfast, more specifically over to the Clio Catholic Church Fellowship Hall. Okay she was showering. Oh yeah, I’d been told she’d gotten me out some clean clothes for this morning’s excursion. So, myself cleaned up, dressed in my cleanest finery (bibs and tucker). I stepped out of the house heading down to the barn t see to a cow and calf pair (I believe I explained them in my last journal entry), and of course to feed the cats. On my way I spied a distressed cow (960), with her hungry calf beside her, laying down in the deepest wettest mud near the ladies water fountain. The other animals taken care of I approached her. All the critter who had been either near bu or keeping her company moved away with my approaching presents. Changing my work boots for chore boots I approached her, but a foot on her rump and gave her derriere a couple of leaned on pushes. She stirred got up and with a disgruntled attitude and fire in her eyes charged me head on buting me maybe twice knocking me down in the same mud she’d been laying in. Whoopee, just freaking whoopee, clean clothing on to squire my lady to a Belgian waffle wit strawberries breakfast. She already knew what she wanted! I visioned my back side plastered in black caked on wet mud. Ornery (960) had dually let me know she didn’t appreciate my bothering her. Well, truth be known I wasn’t any to happy with having t deal with her either. A cell call to Bro’ he’d be along Shortly. Meanwhile I turned the ladies out on to right-o-way fillip and I had so diligently worked on preparing that area for them. Of-course that hadn’t been the smoothest transitional move for some time. Pressured I didn’t dwell up on it. My thought I’d let those what moved wrong could figure it out in my later absence. A calf having died shortly after birth’s the last two days, their mother’s candidates for a later road trip to the livestock exchange. I put them in the loader-backhoe material bucket. Keith joining me, a halter on (960) he leading, my reserved position encouraging her rear we finaly got her in to the chute. The calf our second required guest finally came in (went in) along with the second cow’s mourning her calf’s loss (yesterday). (960) treated and released into a sick-bayy area we turned our attentions toward the ignored calf and the mourning cow caught up together. Confining the pair in a much smaller confining’ area Keith succeeded to get the cow to accept this hungry calf’s nursing. Keeping the pair locked up for a few days will surely help them bond. Something both these critters badly need right now. As for (960), she’s suffering mastitis in one quarter her udder making her one of the two candidates getting a free ticket to the livestock exchange later. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The drive for MD breakfast on the road an hour and a half later than I had planned was a pleasant drive keeping my lady happy. Upon our return I had other things to do. Another flat tire replacement need. Coupling more implements with their proper tractors. And immediately pressing getting on down the road for yesterday’s hay cut baled and wrapped today. “Twas another beautifully fun filled day in Shorthorn country. More than reasonably tired by the 7:00PM time we got in I’ fed by now and more than reay for collecting some zzzzzzzzzzz’s. Lollipops Fernan

nerves

Yeycks some of my nerves have seemed to start some lives of lively actions of their own. For the last few days I’ve been experiencing some fluttering jeelings around about my middles waist area. Some times almost ticklish, most of the time annoying. Frieda says, “You hungry.” So I eat. Says-shisooks, If I do all this feasting to keep my middles nerves pacified I’ll once more grow out of my boyish figure. I don’t want to lose the excesses I’ve already lost. I’ve lost? Both of us ever since Fillip’s rejoined our family household. With his muscle its been much more fun taking on some them old tasks that had, (shall I put it this way?), I out grown. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It is feeling way past my bed time. Really! What we did today was finish greasing and air the tires onn the Shultz Oliver. Then we brought out the hay wrapper for servicing, more grease and air to put it back-out into the hay-yard for tomorrow’s first wrapped green cutting. When we should have been caught-up Bro’ had goofed and broadcast the first cutting rather than windrowing it. So when it was our time to go home, it was liking fat chance our getting into house. Fllip helped me service and hook up the AC hay-rake before he made for the house and making supper. Meanwhile aboard the WD45 with AC rake attached I went down the road to rake our 1st cutting hay. Tomorrow I’ll likely bale it and we’ll wrap it. Tomorrow’s going to be busy. I’ve got to officiate a Shorthorn country funeral, give the ladies new pasture, and take Herr Clink to church for a Mother’s Day breakfast. How do I manage to get myself into these fixes? Lollipops Fernan

5-4-2012 six to six

6:00 to 6:00 makes for an old coots long day. Reminiscing within my aging mind I remember a sex to sex all nighter that had left me totally drained, but that’s another story….. In both scenarios I slept the next several hours away. Day’s start was with a 2 cow round-up. Then it was breakfast. It seemed we were trying to do what we had gotten drenched out of doing the night before vettening. A couple shots and the ladies continued good health is assured. Once we’d gotten underway for real we changed power supply’s (tractor) in front the newer 554 baler. Had to have a small bit of memory help as to how to set up the baler. (grrr) Poking and prodding with electrical tester, and flushing out electrical connections with WD40; the electric bale tier finally working. The new baler ready to go we turned our attention toward the newer rotary-mower-conditioner. Principally taken care of last Fall it was near ready to go. The turtle bar oil required changing. Wasn’t easy removing the drain plug. Oil drained couldn’t find a n input plug we could remove. We spent hours working and worrying these problems. During all that w&w-ing I sharpened the mower blades. The solution finally came to me going down like this. My bright light bulb idea came to me we park the drain end of the mower as high as we could do it and lower the opposite end as low as we could literally drop it. Into the gear oil drain opening I threaded a piece of ½”IDx16” vinyl tubing, passed up under and up past the machine’s end, pressed into the free end of the hose the I/2” OD 80/90wieght oil pumper nozzle, and pumped in 40 strokes gear oil. Even removing the hose scarcely a drop of oil was lost. “Where there is a will there is a way!” If I may toot my own horn. Fillip finishes greasing the tractor these machine’s will be ready to go. Tomorrow (today) we take on the bale wrapper. Our first hay cutting (winter rye) we want to green wrap it to make and keep it as fresh as a spring breeze when we may package it. Yup, the winter rye is in the boot and ready to Spring harvest for hay. Lollipop’s Fernan

A hopeful finish

Eleven hours sleep right on through unheard thunder storms. I must have really worn myself out yesterday. Up an at them again today going to try and finish all that we didn’t get done yesterday. The ladies have been given additional grass. They’ll eventually figure it out and find it. (grin) Need to engage the loader-backhoe in two more tasks hoping a weak hydraulic hose holds it fluid. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Once the day did get underway Fillip assisting we took up one of the hay-yard fences giving it to the ladies. Yes they did, the ladies had finally found the hay-yard open for their appetites perusal. Next, Fillip and I went straight to work finishing up the new fencing we had worked so long and hard at for the last mixed up few days. Here’s an after shot all our clearing labors: Remarkably it’s ready for the ladies grazing pleasures when required. In that elongated bit of somewhat grassy area we’ve still some more clean-up to do. A couple brush pile fires to set and watch, a slew of lengthy cuts of cord wood requiring re-whittling to stove sized pieces. But alas these last requirements may be hangled during spare moments in time when out attentions are not required elsewhere. Even during mid afternoon we broke away for a quick trip over into Otisville for a burn permit, some meds, milk, and truck parts. Haaa! We got our meds, gasoline for Ugly truck, found the TWP offices closed long before their posted closing time (shame on them) for a burn permit, and the auto parts store will have in by morning product what they should have had on the self in the first place. So, we managed to complete two and one half stops out of a possible four. I should send somebody a fuel bill for my wasted travel time! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Weather threatening Fillip finishing our last survey of the next and last available pasturing we got in just ten minutes before the clouds darken our skies and poured tons of rain water all over us. The barnyard creek ought to be running water full once again come morning. Lollipops

Sunny day

Try and figure it. Yesterday was supposed to be bright and sunny therefore it about drizzled on’n’off all day long. Then again today it was supposed to rain all the day therefore we enjoyed clear skies bombarded with oodles and oodles of warming sunshine. Temperature went all the way up to 84* this afternoon. On the fun side of things, while it took us most the day Fillip and I have gotten at least 90% of the muti-floral-roses, thorn-apples, wild raspberries, briars and brambles cleared away. Come morning fillip and I may give the hay-yard to clean-up, while we go to setting some rather heavy electric fencing to keep these ladies honest out along the old RR right-of-way. I‘m beginning to sense maybe we‘re starting to catch-up a little bit? We’ve 12 calves here. The last calf of 14 was born shortly after dinner today down in the hollow. Only 2 calves at Bro’s. Hard telling how many more there’ll be if that pasture’s last season bull was purely vacationing the entire Summer season. Was a good day as far as feeling good’s concerned. Lollipops Fernan

What plans?

Yup, I had a plan for today. It was a good one too. I had visioned Fillip and myself finishing up the fence line clearing. Wrong-o, Was called upon to grind feed that chore taking president over my forestation clearing. The closest we got to working on fence was putting the fixed tire back on the Ford loader-hoe. No new calves born today. (sniff) Any afternoon chance I had of working out my plans was interrupted with another call to tractor, picckup a spreader load of fertilizer, and spread it. By the time I had finished all those intervening farm necessities it was getting close to supper time. The closest I got to even one of my off-handed wants the little Ford and myself back-bladed some of the ridges left a-side some leftover Winter driven pasture ruts. Here it is evening and I’m just as tired as if I had done what I had wanted to do with my day. Oh well, as always what I didn’t get to today will still be there for doing tomorrow. Lollipops Fernan