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We Are Flying Solo

April 20, 2014

I'm Not Dead!

Or at least I don't think so?  I want to go for a walk!  *insert gong here*


Perhaps the whack in the head would be simpler...  But before that, despite brain overload and resulting AWOL status, I can throw distracting shiny pictures at you!!

The sun gets tucked in for bed over the driveway
Farm life, as my peers know, holds never a dull moment; just this morning it was CSI Wildlife in the front pasture while I investigated last night's very odd doe-icide with all the fascination of a curious biologist.  With nothing left at the scene of the crime but a tail, two ribs sucked dry of marrow and a pile of intestines, this experienced predator profiler was interested indeed -- I love having predators around, they are so vital to the ecosystem and there are so few of them left to do the work, but each species leaves its own calling card with the remains and this one fell outside the lines.  But that's another story for another day!

Off the floor, YESSSS!
Despite the unexpected, I love it all.  Too much, in fact, it pains me to have to leave when there are so many fun projects!  And, true to the horse person nature, the house itself sits in chaos, boxes covering the floors, still holding their forlorn contents.  The feed shed however, finally got its own shelves and I spent a good 45 minutes organizing and finding a place for ALL THE THINGZ.  I love interior decorating...when it involves hay string and blanket bags!

I took this Monday off to make a four-day weekend, filling my planner pages with overly-ambitious lists.  Only I forgot to include "exhaustion recovery" in there.  But every tidbit I cross off is insanely satisfying.  Although naturally, since the tractor remains in the spa for its freshen-up, the mower has decided it would rather not use its blades either.  No bush-hog, no lawn mower (although I've been poking at it and I feel close to figuring it out), plenty of spring rain and 10 acres of lush grass...and all I can do is pick at it with my electric string trimmer until the batteries need recharging (I wrestle with enough two-cycle engines at work, HATE).  Yep, it looks just as hilarious as your mental picture!  Hey, I love my trimmer!!

We have progress though --

That run-in that started (9 Jan) with my stunning foundation skillz?
By Feb 2nd, it was sheltering some...things for me (why do farms make us instant hoarders?)
By March 21st, it was a fully tricked-out facility -- don't show these to too many folks, I know I'll have 4* riders beating down my door for space any minute!


Dang, I should raise board!!
New, windproof small court dressage arena
In addition, thanks to my horses' morbid fear of all things resembling white tape, I was able to close the end of the top field with the Dollar Store version (don't tell them it's not even hot -- and not even close to the quality of my wonderful Horseguard) and the boys are getting their spring shine on, frolicking in long gallops across 3 acres of grass, grass, GRASS!

Can't complain about the kitchen window view
Encore:  Dude, have you been polishing your ass??
But I think we're all about ready for a very long nap...can someone call my boss and let him know?

15 comments:

  1. Ooooo Indoor Grazing facilities!

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    1. Hey, we spare no expenses here -- you expect horses to eat grass IN THE SUN??? Horrors.

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  2. ♬♪♫ Faaaaarm livin' is the life for me... ♬♪♫
    Loving farm life too, but it is difficult to get away, or god forbid even to hash out a decent blog post. Busted a gut on the second to last pic ;D

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    1. Since my job requires it, getting away isn't the problem -- it's staying and enjoying it as long as I want to! And LOL, you should see dat ass now that Solo got his bath today!!

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  3. Hey, no one cares if you take shit out of dumpsters. It's when you put more in that people get cranky. ;-)

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  4. You need a donkey for a good ass-polishing. Just sayin'.

    And yeah, farm life. You love it, but there is never, ever, EVER enough time to do it all!

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    1. I know, I have missed daylight so! I don't really want to get a donkey -- I love their cuteness, but the noise sort of makes my head explode. But I may have to reconsider -- bleh, no moar animalz!

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  5. Windproof dressage arena made me literally laugh out loud. And love the Monty Python reference, my favorite movie.

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    1. Heehee, mission accomplished!! And there is nothing that can ever top the cinematic masterpiece that is The Holy Grail. Would you believe the first time I ever saw it was in my HISTORY CLASS IN HIGH SCHOOL?! I sure loved that student teacher -- I literally fell out of my desk laughing at the French castle.

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  6. You are right on about hoarder status once you own a farm - part of the fun!

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    1. I know -- and can you believe my awesome neighbour, who also has farm and horses which he hardcore trailrides was going to throw away STRAIGHT, STILL-GREEN T-POSTS AND WOODEN PALLETS????!!!!

      He's lived there for 40 years or so, so has all the decades of stuff and is cleaning things out. He does fencing, so he's replacing all his t-posts with wooden posts (has hydraulic post driver) and got some of the new plastic pallets.

      After I shrieked, I put dibs on the unwanted stuff and told him that he is not to get rid of so much as a rock without asking me first! He's all, "you want rocks??!" Yep, if they are the right shape.

      Broke girl = master of improvising and hunting for free shit.

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  7. I love your farm! The idea of the windproof dressage arena... that has potential...

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    1. Thanks! I really like the arena -- I got the cones ages ago for like $24 in a Valley Vet clearance sale so they've just been waiting. I've observed through the years that so many kinds of letters blow over and then it's so annoying to remeasure!!!

      I have a ton of leftover cinderblocks from my craptastic foundation attempt (which the builders mostly disassembled, heh) so voila -- they won't move unless I move them (or the apocalypse hurricane visits), they keep the letters up out of the grass for visibility, the horses can't chew them, I have a re-use for baling wire, and I CAN move them around so I don't wear a track in my riding field, which is also pasture.

      Note: if you do this, DO make sure you put the openings on the sides so a horse can't step in. I am tempted to try to pad/file the corners of the blocks down, but my horses would just find something else to hurt themselves on and they are at least smart enough that if they do hit a solid thing, they don't do it again!

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