The Long Day

It started with a trip to the ridge to enjoy the morning purples and the emergence of the summer sun through the fog. I checked out black bottom creek and it was so dense with fog that there were no opportunities there at all.

I moved Annie and Valerie to a holding paddock. They are being sold soon.

This lot looks barren because the mules had used this spot for mud bathing and standing.
However the Dexter cattle love to strip burdock so it is a good thing! They have cleaned up the ox eye daises in their other summer pasture and will devour nettles if I knock them down first.

These cows are the forest gleaners and do an excellent job.

I finally got tired of looking at the mess of the west yard. It still needs to be landscaped and is a mess of lumps bumps and weeds with some areas that are washed out. Rich keeps saying that he will get to it.

I attacked it with the weed wacker. I'm getting better at it. I even trimmed around the garden before I nearly ran out of gas. That is my stop point. If I keep going and going the tendons in my forearms will be extremely painful.
My intentions were then to mow around the back of the red shed with the mower.

I chose instead to have a late lunch with my sweet guy and after a glance at my garden, I decided that a short siesta was in order.
I guess that is one good thing about being home all of the time. I can afford a short rest before heading out again.

I walked past the mower and it begged me to push it and make it roar. However I decided to do something enjoyable.
I caught up Fred and cleaned him up. He got his summer haircut.

After...

After.

Sundance pushed Siera and Sunshine out of the way when I put Fred back. I worked on her tail and ended up cutting it shorter. She was not receptive to the clippers but she also ended up with a summer haircut.

Rich helped me. I decided that was enough for the day and spent some time grooming Sundance before putting her away.

I then went to get 15. Her paddock had gotten muddy and she needed a grooming plus a drier place to be.

With her done, it was time for chores and other things.
I walked by the lawn mower again and assured it, its day would come soon again...and again...and again.

I called the neighbors and asked if they'd like to celebrate the Summer Solstice by lighting a couple of Chinese Lanterns.
And we did.

And the day ended full of joy with children's laughter and cattle complaining about being moved.

Such was the Long Day.

Summer Solstice

The day began with heavy thick fog.  I looked out the window at 5am and decided that I'd just go back to bed and relax.

After chores Rich moved the skid steer and parked it under the pine trees so it was in the shade.
The day's project was to take off the ice picks on the tracks of the skid steer.

After that, I thought it would be nice to hike down to the creek with Morris to cool off our feet.

Huh.

Here is the creek in February.  This is normal water flow for the creek.

Here is the creek yesterday.

Can you find Morris?  No?  I could barely find him and he had trouble getting through the growth.

Now a few things have happened to make it this way.
Wet, warm, humid spring with rain coming just enough to keep things growing, but NO gullywashers that  normally keep the creek bottom nice and clean.

Morris began to sneeze like crazy.  I know he has some allergies that are pretty bad during the ragweed season, but he was having no fun at all.

We simply turned around and went home.  I was greatly disappointed.  But then again I haven't kept my trails clear since April.  I'll have to check out my other trails.

Since the owners of this land have not fixed fence and pulled all of the cattle out nearly 10 years ago, the forest in some places has grown into an impassable gnarled prickly nightmare.

I guess that is why I enjoy winter, early spring, and late fall so much in this forest.

We arrived at home and Morris got a bath, I got a shower, and then I read a book for a couple of hours before chore time.  Lady of leisure right?
Hah!

Just before sunset I went out to check on Annie, one of our Dexter cows.  She really looked ready to calf so I got Rich and we watched the sunset together in the cow pasture.

It was pretty peaceful and quiet.  

We left the pasture after dark settled in sure that we would have a newborn calf by morning.

Oh...as of this evening, Monday night.  Annie has not yet had her calf.