There are days on the farm when you realize why farmers are on farm time. Farm time has its own dictations and sometimes it passes quickly but usually it drags out and sucks you in until the task is done. Farm time does not care for a schedule or deadline. I had plans to go out first thing in the morning and load up some hay in the pickup and move it around to the wood shed. Annmarie and I had talked about feeding Hogs (horse) in the yard daily and how much time it would take. School is starting and we don't have as much time in the morning. It was decided that moving the hay next to the house would make all things easier. I didn't get to do it first thing as I had to run into town for an errand.
I went out to the barn and started loading 8 bales into the back of the truck. They were heavy! I drove around to the back hillside and figured I would just drive in next to the fence and directly behind the wood shed. My handy dandy rock wall is making a fairly level area. It was tight but I made it. I drug all eight bales into the wood shed and started to back up. I tried to back out but the dirt is super light and kinda steep. I kept spinning the back tires. By the time I tried to put it in four wheel drive I was stuck up against the rock wall and couldn't get enough travel to engage the hubs. After 20 minutes I called uncle and got Annmarie to come out and help while I went for the tractor. I chained the tractor to the pickup and had Annmarie drive the tractor. No go, it could not pull it out. I dug a path three more times by hand, threw rocks under the back tires repeatedly and even went and dug up a whole bucketful of dirt to weigh down the front of the tractor! In true guy fashion I just kept trying different things. Two hours later we finally got the pickup out. I then filled the area with a little more dirt and leveled it with the tractor. I really need to work on the wall and raise it another three feet.
Annmarie woke me up from my prework nap so we could change Hog's dressing. She was not very cooperative and threw a little fit. We did get the dressing changed but she is not happy about having to stay in the yard.
After dinner, Donna called to say that the sheep were out front around the houses. Yesterday, we saw them out and just figured it was because our nephew was mowing the lawn and left the gate open. Zeke loved it as he got to go chase the sheep. So today when we told him he could go do some more "work" he was a happy camper. I grabbed two horseshoe gate chains and we went down to chase the sheep back into the correct field. I was able to tell Zeke to go around our in-law's house, he just ran around the house to meet Annmarie on the other side. It is amazing how smart he is and how easy it is to move the sheep. We installed the new gate latches as we think the sheep were pushing on the gates and squeezing through the gap. I sure hope that is the problem.
All these things needed to be done and none of them cared that they were cutting into my chore and sleep time. I do love the farm and our life. Somedays are just easier than others.
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