It was a good Saturday. We got a lot done and hope to get a lot more done tomorrow. I am sort of getting into a routine of updating you on the farm animals, though I am not sure why.
Today we put cowbells on both cows. Cory thought we could let them roam a bit while he worked on the fence (he wired the entire perimeter today). He says it was my idea but I don't remember that part. They went into the woods behind the house farther than I was willing to follow them in snake season, then something spooked them (my guess? A snake). They took off, past the house, up the driveway past Cory working in the field, and just kept on running.
So Cory jumps in the truck and a few minutes later comes driving behind them back. Buttercup started going into the neighbors' yard, so he got out and corralled them on foot when I snapped this picture. His hand is in the air because he is telling me, "enough with the pictures!" The cow bells work though! We could hear them tinkling all day. I tried not to imagine how I would feel if a bell rang every time I moved. I tried really hard. So I overcame that thought with the Saturday Night Live skit mantra: "I got a fever, and the only prescription is mo cow bell!" [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qWCOJPwdXw] Then I felt better. I don't know if the cows ever saw that, though; so they might still think it is, well, maddening. That's probably where mad cow disease came from, come to think of it.
Anyway, we ended up staking them in the yard for the day since we have such nice tall clover right now and they loved it. The only down side is that now I have to clean up manure from our yard...which is why I don't let them usually do that. Oh, and I stepped in it. (sarcastic) Yippy.
On Friday I went to the grocery store, came back, and there was one chicken too few. After making sure the other six were all right I checked the woods and could see a white feathered body. When Cory got home he examined it and then checked our chicken book. The verdict was that it was a weasel; there was a broken neck and 2 small puncture marks on the neck. All is back to normal with the chickens except they are starting to get a little rowdy. It's about time for the roosters to start fighting and that they are... we will have to decide what to do about that very soon.
The ducks have finally feathered out enough that they can swim; so we modified the kids' old swimming pool for them and they had a grand old time. As soon as they can fly we will transition them down to the creek, but right now they wouldn't be able to defend themselves against predators.
The boys must have gotten the idea from the ducks, because they decided it was a good day to get wet too.
Cory finished putting together my garden boxes so hopefully tomorrow I can actually get my garden planted! He is hoping to get the starter on the tractor too, so the garden may be depending on that. We need to grade the driveway so the area where the boxes will be won't be washed out next rain.
The really good part about a working tractor will be that we can get the other unwooded plot of ground near our house (that was the previous owners' garden) all prepped to plant grass seed for a new pasture. I don't know if it is too late in the year for that but we are going to do it anyway... as soon as it is growing we can switch the cows over and improve the pasture they are on now. We did get a new paddock ready for them, so we moved their shelters and all their feeding implements to it; then fed and watered all the birds. I cooked dinner while the kids showered and Cory tried to get a part of the tractor. And what would be a country weekend without a tick removal (yuck!!!)
Inside the house I am hoping Cory can get the kitchen cabinet doors he made for me hung. I just finished painting them on Friday. There is still so much to do but we are wonderfully tired from a day outside. It's the best kind of tired.
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