Catching up.

I did my stretch at work so now it is time to relax and do some farm work. Due to the warm temperatures and moisture we are getting the barn lot has turned into one large mud pit. It is so bad neither Annmarie nor I want to walk the fifty feet to the cow feeder from the barn. Another method involving less mud was required. We had tried the back lean to behind the lamb shed but the horses ended up being pigs and chasing the cows away.  We needed some way to feed the cows and keep the horses away.  Annmarie and I came up with a new design that would allow us to feed the cows, store hay and keep the horses out.  We removed one feeder panel, moved one back in 8 inches and put up two movable cow panels. It works very well.  We lock the horses up at night and open the feeder panel for the cows. In the morning before we let the horses out we cover the feeder panel. I can store hay in the back of the lean to and no one can get to it. 

I dug out the horse stalls and gave them new clean straw. I filled in the pump hole from our latest water line break. I will need to dig it out again in the early summer to repair the electrical conduit. I need to unwire the pump and change out the conduit that is broken. 

I have some water getting into the lamb shed since I dug it out.  I need to dig out in front of the lamb shed and drag it down near the old granary. This area has poor soil and I want to replant the entire barn lot. 

Solar power in the barn would be ideal but it is going to have to wait at least one more year. 

Zeke was so filthy and muddy he had to get a real bath in the house.  Usually I just hook up a short hose to our outside spigot and hose him off.  Yes, I do this regardless of the outside temperature. He gets go come inside, I dry him off and he dries off in front of the stove. It took me almost fourty minutes in the shower go get him clean!  The dirt just kept coming off him.