Catching up

We got the hay in, around 6.5 tons.  I drove the pickup and Mr. President and my nephew piled them onto the trailer.  When we got back to the barn I stacked them in the barn.  So my turn did come and they are heavy and 7 ton is around my limit.  I thought I would die!  I bucked up and did not go take a nap that afternoon.  Mr. President was surprised by a snake under the bale lying on the ground.  It was only a bull snake, but it surprised him.  The sheep dung piles are vanishing.  Mr. President has a small pile left and it will all be located in a central spot ready for water so it can compost. 

We spent the day cleaning up the barn.  Annmarie wants me to get everything out and it all cleaned up so if the new job doesn't allow me to get back out there it will still be useable.  Mind you, I think that I will have some time to work on it but I have no idea what my training schedule will be like so we are just getting ready. 

We put 2.5 tons of hay in the old lamb shed for the cows this winter.  We will feed the cows out of the back of the lamb shed and the sheep will eat in the barn.  I am starting to get tired, going to have to actually take a day off soon.  I cannot keep this pace up forever, and I despise the heat.  It is supposed to be 90 degrees F all week long.  Once we get everything cleaned up I will take a bunch of pictures and catch everyone up. 

I have to buy more wood for the floor.  I am going to buy another unit of tongue and groove 2x6 eight footers, 189 boards.  They are selling it to me for $330/1000bf, an incredible price.  We want to get the whole floor covered.  I think I can finish the floors in three days alone.  This week I will pick up the unit so Mr. President can help me unload it into the barn. 

Jason came over and we picked through the granary and found all the useable scrap metal.  We salvaged two shelves for the tack room (I had to cut them down they were 2 inches too tall).  We pulled out the grain mixer (700# capacity) 1 hp motor and drug it over to the barn with the tractor.  The bucket on the tractor was needed to let the mixer down onto its side.  We salvaged a chatham mill that was full of various types of animal feces. I think it is mostly cleaned out, but boy it needs a bag of charcoal to absorb some of the smell.  I am quickly filling up the newly created storage areas with old stuff.  The front of the barn is mostly missing.  I want to get the boards up but the old wood pile is in the way.  Soon, very soon it will all be done.