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Monday, March 21, 2016

Spring!!!!!

Spring is here!
Well, I suppose based on the weather, spring has sort of been here since fall, with winter trying to break in once a week or so..

But the trees knew it was winter, and now, they know its spring!!!!!!!


This is my second favorite season, with Fall in first place by a wide margin :)
Being in a new place for spring is very cool, I get to see what is growing where, and what is no longer living, and what needs to be trimmed/pruned back.





And almost all the pasture seed I have spread is growing, with the exceptions being the areas the girls decided to race and spin through.






I've still got about 1/2 a pasture to finish seeding, and there is a large are I'm not to sure what to do with yet- it is covered with dog fennel, which can cause health problems in horses. I've been digging it up as I find it through the rest of the fields. Its a tricky weed- spreads by root, runner, and seed. The roots break very easily. I've even found where last years stems were broken off, and just by touching the ground these dead looking stems are sending out little roots and little sprouts. I am building a pile out of them, and going to burn them when I am done seeding. But that large area is really to big to pull individually, and if I till I think I would end up with thousands more. I'm trying to contact the county Ag Dept to see what they recommend. Maybe burning? 

But Back to Spring!!! Woot!!




Sunday, March 6, 2016

And onto the next project.......

Now that the pasture is finally done, Ive started working on the pasture the girls have destroyed over the past 3 1/2-4 months.

 Pasture seed.

Working with the tools I have on hand and trying to re-seed everything they have turned to dirt, and overseed where grass is coming back in... Its quite the task with just a rake, hose, wagon, wheelbarrow and a great use for the bermuda hay they refused to eat over the winter months.

Day one, yesterday, they were both super curious. And they both decided the bermuda hay that they wouldn't touch past the first nibble all winter was suddenly super yummy, and that the little bags of seed was actually  their feed, and that my water bottle was supposed to be their new water source, and that my every move needed to be supervised and inspected by a horse.

Fortunately for me and their future grass needs, they got bored and wandered away after about an hour. After Sierra rolled on the freshly raked soil and Litta almost opened a bag of seed. Silly Mares :)



Hand raked

Seeded

Watered and old hay spread on top.

one strip done...

a lot more to go 
End of day two, left side

End of day two, right side
While I was hand raking a horse pasture- which, by the way, is not something I ever thought I would be doing- I got to thinking about all the hard working people I have known in my life, and wishing they were allllll here to help out. I think I will be done by the end of the week, should be anyways. Though I may run out of old hay before then.









Wednesday, March 2, 2016

It Is Finished! Yay!

:) For now anyway... for today really.

Hubby and I got the rest of pasture #2 finished today, he helped this morning by cutting down some dead small trees til the chainsaw broke and helping me move the temorary pulling post from one hole to the next- I tried and tried to move the thing yesterday but the suction from the water was just to much.

Then he had to leave for work again. thats been the pattern this past week, he helps out as he can in the morning, then heads to work, and I do what I can til I cant move much anymore for the day, or until its time to feed the horses/dog and make dinner.

But- TODAY IT IS DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOT!!!!

Yesterday was a bit crazy. We (I) decided it was a waste of time to attach the temporary pulling post brace to the corner posts, figuring the pressure from the fence being pulled would keep the brace snug, which it did, however, getting the whole thing started solo was a pain in the... well, actually a pain in the entire body. I ended up (after the temporary brace dropped twice) using a chain to hold the temporary post forward while I hammered the but end of the temporary brace onto the pin. Not sure how well thats translating................ We did this : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysGIoTsmbUI but cheated a bit. My arm and back are paying for that shortcut.

I did get the back fence line stretched and set solo though. Just took me an awful lot longer than it would have with help.

Today we got the remaining fence up, so now the pasture looks like the original plan (almost) and the girls have more space and fresh grass (YAY) which means less hay and less money and now I'll be able to put the pasture seed down in the field they have turned to dirt, and it should be up and growing by the time the consume the grass they have access to now :)



















Pics not in order, and the breakaway halters came off with evening feed. Goodnight!