More Barn Digging

Day 2 of digging and spreading dirt to level and smooth barn lot.

I really did dig more sheep turds and dirt today.  I only have one more day to dig before I get tied up with something else so I am going gangbusters.  I cleared another two pillars today.  I also managed to get a bunch of large chunks of dried poop (comes out in huge clumps) out of all the areas.  I then went along and reached in with a shovel and dug back as far as I could standing from the outside.  I would have used the rake, but I broke that yesterday.  I have broken at least five rakes since we moved out to the farm, two different shovels and three post hole diggers.  I was real happy with how the lot is turning out.  There is so much soil under the barn that I am able to really start leveling the entire lot.  I think I will be able to get the entire lot to the same height before I am done.  No more dodging all the rocks sticking up.  I even went over and made our path to the bridge level. 

The most amazing part is with all the different tasks I have completed with the tractor I still have under 20 run hours on the engine.  I am amazed.  The rental guy told me I would probably put less than 100 hours on it per year and he is going to be right.  I will probably only have about 50 hours on it in the first year. 

You can see my shovel.  It is starting to look pretty obvious why I need to fix the supports.

 

Needless to say, I am going to be glad to go back to work just so I can rest.  The upstairs bedroom is not completed.  Annmarie has given me a pass on it and wants the barn done first.  Zeke goes to the vet tomorrow for the "snip, snip" (castration).  I am hoping it slows him down some.  He is all over the place.  We have been actively reinforcing the "down" command.  It means lay and stay all in one command.  We have to give him the release signal to let him up again.  He does it for a few seconds now.  I have to keep reminding myself that he is only 6 months old and has learned far more than any other dog we have ever had at this age.

The sheep are getting out of every hole I burned into the fence this winter.  Fencing is on the immediate horizon, I just need the weather to be a little better.  I have also been getting the old lambing shed emptied and ready for the tractor and all its implements.  Still some more stuff to rip out and I can then put each implement in its own home for easy access.  Our new trailer comes next week.  Things are starting to fall together all at once.