Wicked Wicked Winds!

Ever try stapling hay down to feed equine? Gusts were said to be something like 45 mph!

Dang! 

The winds were incredible today and happened just to come the right way down through the hollow. The pines did the Hula, and the Locust trees whirled like dervishes.

I swear, it sounded as though we had a freight train running overhead.

Lil Richard is indoors as his pen had no place for him to get out of the wind. He is my only equine that doesn't mind being penned indoors. I put out a fresh pile of shavings for him to spread out.

Funny pony! He deposits his manure directly on the pile of shavings and beds down in the dry dirt. 

We noted that Fred [37 yrs old] is losing condition. Poor fella, his teeth are pretty much gone [molars and premolars]. We feed him Senior Feed pellets and he still acts as if he were just a teenager. He chases the gals around and herds them when he decides their hay pile should be HIS!

Fred and Hubby 2005
Wildcat Mtn State Park

I sure would love to ride there or Duck Egg again. 
That is if I could get a truck and trailer! 

So today after checking the fences and dodging blowing branches, I settled in for the day.

I did some research on a tow behind brush mower for the 4 wheeler. I think using the scythe might be a bit much for me this summer. I would still love a UTV but I'm still working on that. It also depends on what my Bird Bone meds may cost me for the next year or so.

After reading about all my horse friends riding adventures, I get the yank to get back out and ride. I really do miss it. Worst thing now is, I have no truck to pull a trailer. 

Oh, and I completely stink at pulling anything larger than a two horse trailer. I can't really get away for a nice trail ride. I have to settle for riding around here. 

Enough of that.

I had my afternoon tea with Mr. Charlie on my lap. The howling winds didn't seem to bother him a bit!

Tomorrow is Good Friday. Have a wonderful one.

Maybe Charlie and I can get outside tomorrow and inspect pastures and take a walk!

Meanwhile

On the farm...

Who thought I'd be doing this?
Hard enough to find the right tool for the job of taking the ice piks off from the skid steer tracks, especially when you haven't done this before and don't know what size tool you need.

I spent a good 40 minutes sorting through 'his' junk pile of tools to find the right size.
Good.
Job half way done...

Then I went indoors to do this...

another job I am not very well qualified for. I sort of burned the edges.

However I am very good at raking and cleaning up the yard....

I make tiny piles and burn a bit at dusk.

Then back to the Sven Pen to put in a gate and get everything set up for Sven's homecoming....

And then back to the inside of the shed. This pile of windows and screens has been here forever. This is 1/2 of the pile and it resides in the area where Sven is going to have his 'stall'.
I have no idea why my husband has kept all the windows from his folks' old house, our old house, and some other house. I found 3 different styles of windows.
As soon as I can pull the truck up to the shed the windows are making a one way trip to the dump.

This was wire from the old catch pen that was destroyed years ago when trees fell on it. Yesterday I removed all the old bent up pieces by cutting them with a bolt cutter and then raking all the dry grasses and weeds into a dirt area to deal with later.
I've wanted to do this job for a while.

It is back breaking work but I did it.

I have to finish up a few more things in Sven's out door pen too. But it is getting there.

I'm happy I joined CrossFit. Much of this work would have made me sore last year. This year my stamina and my strength are beyond my expectations.

Hank update

From...this wet shaking cold little thing....

to

But the clean up every day!

At least it is all frozen stuff.
I have a wheelbarrow, but the 'carcass' sled is much easier on the snow.
The little apple picker doesn't work on cow piles so I've resorted to the shovel.

Hank makes a bed out of any new hay in his pen and Stella has to eat around him.
This weekend it is going to warm up so the heat lamp will go off and I will take the sides off the makeshift pen.

I've got to figure out what to do with the pair after a month or so. Stella was always 'picked' on by the other girls and I don't want her and Hank pushed around. I may rewire a pen near Little Richard and put them in there. I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to do yet.

However. Hank is doing fine. He is running laps around Stella and kicking up his heels.

Stella is being a good mother and very patient.

Stella is also really good about me being in the pen with her and Hank, of course I have to watch her, but she allows me to capture Hank and hold on to him.

And that is your Hank Update.