no smoking wanted!!

Well at least the sun is out today but it started cold, it actually hit -1 last night, good thing I covered my planters. I brought the red frame in now all dry along with the cork section and put it all together BUT it seemed the double adhesive was not a good product for the job. Time to take all apart again and try a weld bond glue and stack again to dry.

As I was getting all prepared to start hand painting white numbers on the barn board growth ruler I heard a semi pulling in. There needs to be a new rule, even though I am self employed I must be dressed, war paint applied and coffee breath brushed away by 10 each day ;) Scrambling to get out of my warm fluffy house coat (wait it is below 19 in here) and into some clothes quick I ran out to meet the guy. Seems he was told he could pick up the 50 bales today and Sheldon was home to load! Sorry he is not and no I do not load bales ;) He did take the tractor down to load while I gave Julio his food and the cats but was soon back. I had called and woke Sheldon who said he told the guy NEXT Monday. Maybe they will be back then, who knows. There seems to be a list I need to get on of the coming and goings of the agricultural portion of the ranch ;)

how bare the paddocks are getting ;(

Back to my hand painting then a quick lunch. Amanda text with an invitation to joint them on a city run and picked me up within half an hour. We stopped quick at a salon where I scored some new products ;) then spent an hour at Fabricland trying to pick out material for a tree skirt my good buddy Lori offered to quilt for me. The choices and amount to get as no pattern chosen were too overwhelming but once we did the line to have the material cut was 5 deep with one lady working so we left making another quick stop for more yarn for the crochet queen and we were off for home.

It was just before 6 so I quickly ran out to hose and treat Bird and feed the Ju man. I put them both back int he winter pasture and thought to save more pasture damage I would run them out a fresh oat bale. Sheldon had messaged instructions and said it would be easy. These would turn in to not very true words.

The day hit a high of 16, no wind and lovely so off to the skid steer I went. Getting the bale was easy, I even managed to get it tipped up and raised so I could see under to cross the bale laddened field. Things started to unravel at the gate when I must have been too top heavy and the front end nose dived dumping the bale then bucking back on its arse end then bouncing back forward. Luckily I have watched Sheldon do this and know it will not tip over. I tried repeatedly in the thick gravel to get loaded back but no luck instead I got in on a jaunty angle and pushed the gates open with it and then closed quick, just in case they wanted to venture out to all the other tasty looking bales.

 so far so good

 can see on way to paddocks even thru dirty window

 brought my trusty kitchen scissors

Instructions said cut wrap and roll out.. I brought scissors ;) As I began the daunting task of rolling it seemed gummy and not a smooth rolling as when I watched Sheldon so many times. Is that smoke I see? no must be dust, nope there is more and the hay is not dry and green but rather black with white spots or soggy looking. My efforts to roll only ended in a big smoldering pile with 7 horses, the 8th waiting his turn) trying to get food.

Oh My

Panic is now setting in, pictures texted and a phone call saying what the heck! load it up and get it out was the verbal instructions, are you kidding I struggled to roll the mushy pile to where it is and it is smoking! I hiked it at high speeds back to the house to grab 8 halters and back to compost bale. Pepper easily was caught then Switch and Bird but the rebels were not about to be forced to leave this but eventually Daisy gave in. Grabbing these 4 I marched across the field with Baby right behind bossing the ones I had. As I got close to the far paddock Hawk quickly caught up and all went in there.

 I managed to get Switch and Bird out the single not hot now wire (the charge was taken off for Colorado) and put them in the house paddock. Julio and KD decided things were happening and finally left the bale to come see where I had taken the rest. I divided them up then ran to the barn and tossed small square bales out in the paddocks. By now it was getting dark but the quad saved me some steps as I loaded temporary poles and more hot wire up and reinforced the far paddock gate (note to ranch hand, please install steel gate here after 6 years!)

I drove to the melting bale, grabbed rest of halters, closed up double gates good and went to check a few more bales in the field. It seems that about the 5 on north side are very similar silage smelling and warm :( but closer to the house where the wind blew they smell and feel like hay (fingers crossed) It turns out that I was indeed right when I alerted the baler and Sheldon to the greenness of the north side of the field. Being new to tractor driving and never done hay before, my newbie expressed concerns were overruled.

The seemingly quick bale roll out to treat the horses and take a load of the paddocks turned into a 2 hour+ adventure in bad bale hell. Do life lessons ever get less?? Back in my non furnace running house I chugged 2 cold beer, hoovered down 5 chicken wings, pulled on my fuzzy housecoat and made a few calls. I had to write this crazy night down so as I am at 11:30 the coyotes decided to go crazy just outside the tree line again. They have been fairly quiet since Elmer Fudd took the the one last week but 3 am this morning they were back carrying on too... grrrr.

nothing better to sooth my frazzled nerves the the very last toffee tart!

As I closed up my book at 12:30 Sheldon text he read the nitrate to nitrite conversion was 10 times as toxic so need to keep horses away found me pulling on my coveralls and hiking out to the paddock. All 5 were in the center paddock so I closed them in there securely overnight although they will not have water. Better safe than sorry is the motto. Back to reading till 2 to fall asleep again.