Coyotes, Sunflowers & Heavy Bales

The night was anything but quiet — a full-on cacophony of coyotes broke out in the wildest, loudest serenade, only to be cut short at 1 a.m. when S fired a warning shot in the air. At 3, pantry plastic rustled thanks to the same night wanderer, and by 6 the magpies had joined the chorus. More coyotes carried on past 7, as I fed the cats some dry food, let Harley into the garage, and settled in with coffee to catch up on blog work. I also published my oak nightstand tutorial then did all the usual shares and posts.

S woke at his usual 9, coffee in hand, scrolling his phone and making a few calls. A bright and early call from the vet confirmed Harley is cleared to travel stateside with her rabies certificate and microchip — relief! After a quick refreshing shower, I cut a handful of fresh sunflowers for Amanda before heading to town late morning.

S was loading three bales into his dump trailer as I left. My errands included dropping off a parcel, picking up AJ’s birthday gift and some milk, grabbing Cooper, and delivering gifts to Amanda (with a quick vacation recap from her before heading back to the ranch). By then, S had gone off to hockey, leaving the hay to “dry.”

I walked the dogs in the blazing 28° heat — slow going but we managed — and started working on two round trays from Grama. Their barking soon announced visitors: the buyers who had wanted first cut but changed their minds to this one. S arrived not long after, having weighed his bales on the way home in time for the 3:30 meet.

On our dog walk to check water I found this huge weed pile at the far paddock gate after we added new soil to the gate area in the spring.

Loading their 8 bales onto two trailers took about 45 minutes in the growing heat, so I cranked the A/C back on once they were gone. S finished the baling, while I cut the first cabbage from the garden (Roo happily munched a few of the outer leaves). A lazy cabbage casserole went into the oven, and S rolled up the swaths in the house paddock before coming in to relax in big brown.

We ate supper just as B arrived after 7. She headed out to feed while I edited blog photos. S hauled the house paddock bales to the pit (lots of manure in that hay) and rolled a couple more. Then came a text from B — Switch had knocked a chunk out of her hoof. I went to catch her while B grabbed Roo. In the barn, B glued Roo’s shoe flap while I trimmed out the chunk from Switch’s hoof, which she then filed smooth. Both mares got a spritz of bug spray before being turned back out.

After buckets were filled, B and Cooper set off for home. S, meanwhile, took the trailer to weigh it, calculating each bale at a hefty 1,460 pounds. I snuck in a little Love Is Blind before he returned, and then we finished the night with more Waterfront while he updated his bale ad (as the photos that somehow went missing).