Hay gets cut

Dark clouds loomed and distant thunder rumbled when I awoke at 6. The storm drew nearer and thunderclaps intensified until I began working on the blog at 7:30. Lightning flashed, now with only 30 seconds between each burst. Rain followed soon after but quickly passed. It was time for coffee and some brain games. The prince caught up on more sleep before joining me for coffee and browsing his phone.

Little miss enjoying her water table

watch for the end to see how close she is to walking

By 9 a.m., the sun had emerged, and the day was beautiful. He fed the cats their soft food while I watered the planters that hadn't received rain and deadheaded some flowers. I moved the horses to the far paddock as S collected trash. He left for town at 10:30 to pick up swather oil, check on the rental, and dispose of the items we loaded last night at the dump. Meanwhile, I worked on the custom pieces, sanding them lightly before applying the first coat of paint to the mirror and nightstands.

S returned to join Opa for lunch at 12:30, just as I finished up coming in to join him. The meal was delicious as usual. Afterwards, I went out to apply the first coat of paint to the dresser, while S prepared the swather. He began cutting the winter pasture at 2:30. I added a second coat to the nightstands and mirror, then tediously cleaned the edges of the mirror. Before coming in at 4:30, I fed H. S took a break, and we enjoyed a cold beer on the deck, basking in the sun yet buffeted by the wind. The wind, I suppose, will help dry the hay.

Sheldon's views below

He resumed cutting hay after 5 but returned within an hour to replace a broken section. Meanwhile, I updated yesterday's blog with pictures and videos. I picked fresh spinach, radishes, dill, and cilantro to make a refreshing salad for dinner. S completed his repair and came in to enjoy his salad around 6:45, which also gave him time to catch some of game #6. He went back to the swather at 7:30, and I went into town to check on the rental's progress. They said it would take a couple more days, but upon my arrival, that seemed far too optimistic.

partial wall painted

wow... such care.. why not remove the brackets too?

this paint splash still there

S and I maintain high standards, and so far, they have not been met. We'll see how things unfold over the next few days, but it's uncertain. To make the trip worthwhile, I stopped to pick up some refreshments. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Britt was busy with the blade around the house paddock before tending to her horses. Sheldon awaited Matt's arrival for a ride on the swather. I was occupied with finishing the blog post from yesterday. The swather ride culminated in beers while watching the hockey game's finale. Britt and Cooper left for home after 9, with Matt departing at 9:30 following another Oilers victory. Ma and Pa are sure to be ecstatic. :)

We FINALLY got to use the hot tub, which was drained two weeks ago. The soft well water is causing a problem with the pH levels, but S is working on resolving it. There's also a greenish hue, which is typical for well water but not for chlorinated town water. After taking showers, we watched the first episode of "House of Dragons" season 2. Figuring out how to set up Crave on the new TV was a bit of a challenge, but I eventually got it all figured out. I even dozed off near the end so may have to watch a bit I missed before going to next.

while doing accounting tonight I see ATB offers a free credit check so I had to try it out.