Wood drop

I woke up before 7:30 to see Dave moving the mares and foals back to the east paddock for the day. Harley stepped out briefly, then returned to bed until we started brewing coffee. It's time for me to post on the blog. I received a text from the Chip Drop app, which is for chipped trees and logs delivered to your home for free. An arborist has a load for us. S cleaned up the pit for the dump before I headed to town. My errands included mailing an Etsy package, picking up creamer, groceries, and a charming little wooden crate. I collected the mail on my way home. I bet it's been a couple of months since I last did that, LOL.

I was back to making grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch. I tried using fancy aged cheese, but it was overwhelming—lesson learned. S also chose pickled eggs, bread and butter pickles, and head cheese, all thanks to his Mom.

The sunshine prompted me to do laundry both inside and in the garage. I resumed work on the chairs I began a few months ago, sanding down the filler and wiping them clean. With S's assistance, we erected the paint tent and swept out the garage. The flies remain a nuisance, so we concocted additional fly bait milk jugs and commenced swatting. It's crucial to keep flies out of the paint.

I also enlisted S's help to clean and set up the crib that Kaylin found for Renn in her room. Note for future - affix screws to metal frame to ends first before adding sides! Thank goodness for smaller fingers. The mattress box even doubled as room-darkening blinds. Now, there's no excuse for them not to come for a sleepover. ;)

The tree service arrived at 5:30. S opened the gate and spotted them while I harvested some fresh potatoes for supper to accompany the prime ribs I had placed in the instant pot. We also had the last of the bland Taber corn, paired with a salad, for another delicious homegrown meal.

Of course it will have to dry - and S now needs a splitter he thinks :)

S headed to Matt's again at 7:30 to work on the chicken coop. Dave and Britt arrived while I was laying rails in the east paddock to prevent the horses from compacting the ground with their pacing. They moved the mares back to house paddock for the night, trimmed Cash's hooves, and fed the horses before heading home. The small square bales have been depleting quickly as the paddocks are barren, resembling a nuclear wasteland with no grass remaining.

Basil always willing to help mutually groom other horses and humans too

I putzed around in my garden pulling all the dill as it blocks the rest and harvesting the first cabbage while S removed all the bolts from his box grader in preparation for the new blades. Afterwards, we enjoyed a hot tub and watched another episode of American Playboy, accompanied by a bowl of yogurt for our evening's entertainment.

these dark sunflowers are so pretty