Spraying fool today.

Roof cross pieces going up

 I started spraying today first thing this morning.  I am going to need more 2-4-D.  The really expensive herbicide I had extra, but I am going to run out of 2-4-D tomorrow.  I forgot how rough the ride can be when you are creeping over and around the rocks on the steep hillside.  Luckily, I wear the seat belt provided in the mule and did not get bucked out.  Almost slid out one time as it was.  I am about 1/4 done with the spraying.  The stuff is amazing, just 2 hours after spraying the weeds some of them were already wilting.  All you non chemical people can just come to our house and bring a shovel and all summer long and you could not do all the weeding I am going to do in 5 days on the mule with some modern chemicals.  Once we get the star thistle back under control then I can go back to spot spraying. It has just been let go too long. 

Lamb shed ready for a new side.  Dung pile gone.

Dexter cows hanging in the shade.

Mr. President finished up the dung pile next to the old lamb shed today.  It is all ready for siding (after I put in some cross pieces to attach the siding.

We did manage to get about an hour on the barn roof.  I screwed down the supports today and we started to put in the cross beams.  I am hoping to get those fully installed tomorrow after the weather quits cooperating with the weed spraying (wind blows).  Mr. President is going to start tearing off the old granary tin roof tomorrow.  We have to install two safety points so he can hook in his fall harness.  Plus the cell phone in his pocket is necessary to call for help.  He tells me he does some rock climbing so he can probably get himself upright.  Hopefully, he doesn't fall and the safety equipment is just a pain in the butt.  I will make him wear it.  Better safe then sorry after falling off the roof.

The mule spray setup has arms that you extend, four feet to a side so you can spray a 12 foot swath.  These arms are on a swivel/spring setup so if you hit something the arm bends back and then snaps back into place.  What they don't tell you is the plastic nozzles do not tolerate getting banged into hard objects.  I broke two this morning and had to have Annmarie pick up spares.  The nozzles have very small holes and kept getting clogged up with particles.  I would stop and clean out the offending nozzle and then continue on.  I now have a bucket in the back with some tools and the spare parts needed to fix the sprayer instantly.

Stupid horses got in the yard and would not leave.  Hogs, kept eating the green apples off our apple tree in the front yard.  I tried chasing her away but she just kept coming back.  I finally just gave up.  Especially, since I cannot let the dog chase the horses out of the yard.  Zeke is adjusting to his life in lock down.  When I was off spraying he had to stay on the run, and as soon as I got back I let him off.  After three weeks Zeke will finally let Mr. President pet him.  

The green/blue color on the hillside is star thistle a noxious weed.  The reason I am spraying every thing.