I have been really
busy on the ranch this spring. I have 800 acres I have been
getting into shape. Brush hogging between rains knocking
down broom sedge grass and stickers and blackberry patches
as big as you car. Trying to make the place more productive
in grass growing and less weed spraying.That means trying to
brush hog the weeds out before the grass really starts
growing. If I can get the land in better shape to grow good
grass we spend less money on hay and weed spray. We spent
$7000 on hay last year. So far everything I do looks really
nice. I have to dodge the spring rains. So when it has a dry
day I have to pick my spots so I don't get stuck or make
ruts in the ground. I am working on a 40 acre spot right now
that will be really improved when I am done. So that leaves
760 acres to go! LOL
When I get everything I can ready for the better quality
grass it will be time to check fences again and fix the
water gaps ( places in the creek where the water washes the
fence away) that the spring rains have washed out.
I have most all the fences cleared out at least enough we
can drive down and fix things without having weeds up our
tails. I need to find someone to finish pulling up round hay
bail wraps and take limb loppers or a chain saw for tree
limbs and get small cedar trees off the fence.
I have only 3 places of 160 that has at least one fence I
can't do that with because of woods or terrain I just can't
get to it but most all the other places we can drive by all
the fences without problems.
Hubby hasn't wanted to do much the last few years and
finally turned me loose on the 66 horse 4x4 John Deere cab tractor
with the brush hog. I can only handle 2-3 hrs a time and
then I feel really beat up in the shoulders and arms but I'm
getting it done. I have places that look like a golf course
right now that are soooo pretty!
Lots of catching up to do but it's getting there.
I would like to get me some lavender and chamomile flowers
planted but I don't know if that is going to happen. Will
see.
I need to get my humming bird feeders out since they always
show up around my birthday.
Last week was rough to say the least!
Beginning of the
week started with a 13 yr old cow
going down on us. Weak and couldn't even stand
up. Skinny butt and all that. Don't know what
happened so we gave her antibiotics for 3 days
and fed her by herself since she couldn't get in
with the other cows. On the 3rd day she was up
and walking around thank goodness! If it had
been 100* weather she would have died. We
boosted her feed with some high powered vitamins
that helped. Today we Sprayed her because the
ticks were just sucking her blood dry they were
terrible just making her weaker! Hopefully in a
few days she will feel strong enough to ride the
cattle trailer and bring her closer to the house
so we can get her even better. If she makes it
we will have to take her to town to sell.
Well we finally saw her up
and moving with the herd and she was even baby sitting the baby calves. That is a
huge improvement! We still tried to isolate her and feed her some really good feed on her own.
Even had to fight off the
other cows wanting to steal
her good
feed. We
decided
she
was well enough so we
hooked up the trailer
( I
don't know what was
going on with me
this day, I had
to back up to the
trailer I don't
know how many
times before
I finally got it
lined up rite! )
and
went to get her and
the bull on that
place to move closer
to the house. Well we
thought it was a
good idea until we
figured out she
was still too
weak to step
up into the
trailer!
We had loaded
the bull
up with no
problems
but she took
some
persuading.
She finally
got in and
just sat down
in the
trailer. Crud!
We
just hoped we
could get her
up
and out! Took
them to the
house and we
drove the
trailer out in
the pasture
into a kind of
dip
just enough
we could open
the gate wide
but she could
just walk out
level with the
ground.
We finally got
her up and she
stumbled
out then we
let the bull
out. The bull
was a happy
camper! He
went around
checking every
cow and heifer
there to see
if they wanted
to party! LOL
The cow was
doing pretty
good. Hubby
called them
all into the
small pasture
behind
the house and
the next
morning took
everyone
out but the
sick cow. She
sure did like
having the
place to
herself
and not having
to fight
anyone
for anything.
She was moving
around good to
the pond and
shade trees
and grazing
some nice
tall green
grass. We
looked out
today she was
out swimming
in the pond. I
hope she was
just enjoying
the cool water
and didn't
have
a fever or
anything. We
will give her
time to get
strong (I
hope)
if
we are lucky give her a month and we can
sell her. Won't get much
in her condition but we
can get something at
least.
We finished
moving cows and
thought we would repair a log chain that broke
when hubby had to give the
gas delivery
truck a
tug and get him unstuck.
Well wouldn't you know
it the welder battery was dead!
Of course! Just
par for
the course
today. So I
cleaned up and
went to town to
get a new $120
battery, came
back and
we installed
it. We had
recently
installed
new ones in
the other 2
welders we use
for emergency
generators so
I guess we got
everything all
caught up now.
We
repaired
the chain and
decided
to fix the four
wheeler tire
with some fix
a flat since
it just kept
having a slow
leak. Naturally
the battery
was dead on
that one!
Hubby put the
charger on it
and I pushed
it back enough
we could get
to the tire to
repair it.
This was all
in the shop
and it can get
crowded
in there. We
go to get the
air hose to
air up the
tires
and figure out
the nozzle
that holds the
attachment on
the hose
was broken!
Great! Looked
for a extra
and couldn't
find one.
Never had one
of those
things break
on us in all
these years
but daughter said
it
happens to her
all the time.
Hubby said,"
You feel like
another trip
to town?"
I said
sure why not.
So here we
go again,
changing clothes
and I
said to
heck with the
hair
this
time. Made
it to town and
showed the man
(long lost
relative that
owns a part store)
what size
we needed. He
pick out one
and I told him
get 2 so next
time we would
have a extra.
$15 and a few
minutes later
I was back
home and helping
to get it all
back
together.
Finally
got back into
the house and
cleaned up. I
told hubby he
is getting a Marie
Colander
pot pie
because I
can't wiggle!
After
all that day
we wake up the
next morning
thinking
ok we got all
this fix it
stuff
done now lets
get something else
done. Today
my aggravation was hubby decided to let me put on the bucket
and blade on the tractor to smooth out the driveway and to
go to one of the places we feed and use the bucket to fill
in some really bad holes in a crossing so we could once
again drive the truck across without getting stuck.
What happened??? Sure I learned a lot using stuff on the
tractor I have never used but the bad part was when I used
the front bucket to get the dirt for fill he had me dig a 3
or 4 foot deep hole the size a truck could fall in! I am
trying to level things out for smoother ground not dig damn
holes to fall into when I am working!!! GRRRrrrrrrrr. Done
exactly the way a man does things! Ok it's done and it was
quicker and it works but damn it I now have a big hole I
didn't want! My daughter from Arkansas called when I was
driving the tractor home and I was fussing and cussing all
the way home driving the tractor about it. She was laughing
at me because she has the same problem with her husband
doing things only the way a man can do it!
The next day I told hubby to open the gates for me and I would try to smooth out the crossing we worked on
since it had some time to dry out. Oh my, that was
interesting! You learn
real quick the hydraulics
for the blade are just not a sensitive
as you need. I am trying to get it a
certain distance
high and it just wasn't going to do
it for me. It
took a bit and a few back and forths and using the bucket but I finally got it smooth enough the
truck wasn't going to bounce too
bad. We had another place we had been using to go around
this spot that had some holes and I tried filling that up. I went back
to the "pit" hubby had me
dig since it was already
started. I tell you
what..... doing this without someone up
front telling you
how far to dig down
and when to push forward is not a
easy thing! He had me getting whole buckets full but
when I was doing it "blind"
you wouldn't believe how
many "spoonfuls"
of dirt I got in the bucket!
This is a
big 66 horse cab
tractor. You really
can't see what you are
doing with
the bucket like
that. I finally
learned to look
to the side and I
could see when the
bucket was on the
ground
and then
I would tip it
and when the
bucket raised
up a few
inches I could
see how deep I
was digging. I
would push
it forward and
when the wheels
started
spinning I
would stop.
You don't know
if you got a
bunch of dirt
or hit a rock
and just can't
go any
more. Well
after a few spoonfuls
and even a few
5 gallon
buckets LOL
maybe I
finally got
some holes
filled. Hubby
fussed
it wouldn't do
any good
because it
would just track
out on the
wheels the
next rain and
I told him
well at least
we won't be
falling in a hole
for a while!
We need some
gravel in both
places but
don't have the
money for
that. The next
day I told him
to open the
gate
to another
place
a let me see
if I
could smooth
out some rough
places
with the
blade. Well I
tried! It had
rained
a few days
before
but the ground
was already
dried out
enough
it was just a
joke to do anything
like that. I
gave up
called him
and told him
to come open
that gate and
let me out.
That
66 horse
JD cab tractor
is great for a
lot of things
like cutting and
bailing
hay,
moving
hay bales to
feed and brush
hogging but
when it comes
to dirt work
it is like using
a rinky
dink tonka toy
! So aggravating!
I called
daughter in Arkansas
fussing. Told
her I need
that CAT 305
excavator
I got in my
name on over here
to do some
work! She said
hubby
is using it in
some town in
NW Ark
now.
I told her I
know but it sure
would be nice
to play
with over
here.
I was planning
on getting on
the tractor
this weekend
and doing some
brush hogging.
Hubby
said he had
birdhouse work
to do and no
time or
energy for
much. So
I talked him
in to
unhooking the
bucket
and the blade.
With me
driving and
him directing
and unhooking
that isn't too
bad. Went out
in
the pasture
to hook up the
brush
hog. I backed
up to it
pretty good. Aiming
for
a
quick hook up
attachment
with just a
couple of
inches wide is
a challenge
for sure. I
finally hit
the hole and hubby
had the shaft
trying to hook
it up to the
tractor. I was
told to move
the hydraulics
up or down so
he could hook
it up.
I don't know
what was going
on with the hydraulics.
It was doing
something crazy.
I would move
it a whole
bunch but
it
wouldn't
respond and
when it did it
was sudden
and too
much! Well hubby
had the shaft
under the tung
and
when it came
up it bent
the shaft.
!@#$@@ !!! I moved
the tractor
and he
unhooked
everything. I
got off to see
what kind of
mess we had.
Couldn't even
pull it loose
to take the
front part of
shaft
off to see how
bad it was. It
was bent royal.
I was
surprised how
calm he was.
You see last
fall? he
whacked a rock
and had
to get some
new parts for
the brush hog
and had bent
the shaft
just slightly.
Well I just
finished it
off.
The
next day
Monday we
get
the
helper to use
his big
6'5"
250# muscles
to pull
it apart. Well
evidently
the metal
relaxed and it
almost
fell off. LOL
Didn't really
need his
muscles. LOL
Great!
So we go to
feed cows.
We feed and check
the cows
about every
other day on
all the other
places when
there is good
grass and
water
available like
in the spring.
We count,
make sure
everyone is
there and
check them
out. Well
considering
how last week
was I was
really hoping
this
week would be
better. NOPE!
The second
pasture we
go to we are
greeted with a
cow that
has a dead calf
hanging half
way out of her!
Oh crap! We
can't handle
this by
ourselves
anymore. Just
too much
energy is
needed. We go
back to the
bird house and
get
the
helper. Gather
up all the tools
like gloves
and the but*
jack to pull
the calf
out. Put Heidi
Ho in the
garage since
we sure didn't
need her help
any. Grabbed
some
antibiotics
and drinks and
headed over
there. Hubby
got lucky and
got her into
the corral
earlier. So
when we got
there
we unloaded
everything
and hubby got
her into the chute.
We don't like
this head catcher
because
it is
one of those
you have to
use pully's to
pull up the
gate and
stuff. Too
much energy
and too many
hands
to use
it but that is
what was there
to use. Got
her in and
head caught up
the helper was
behind
her and hubby
was on the outside
showing the
helper how to
use the but* jack.Got
every thing
situated with
the chain
on the one
foot that
was out and
started
jacking that
calf out of
her. It was a
big
one but it had
one leg stuck
behind it and
couldn't come
out.
If we had been
handy and seen
it we could
have helped
her with pulling
the other leg
out and she
would have had
it just fine.
This happens
all the time
the vet said
one time
but it has never
happened
to us. The
helper
was
having to
really do some
work on this
calf,
it
was stuck
good. Poor
cow was past
pushing but now
had started
to
try and
deliver again.
Helper had to
kind of pull
it down and jack
out the baby
at the same
time. Finally
go it out.
Thank goodness
he
was
here!
Hubby could
not have done
that anymore.
We gave the
helper $50 for
doing it which
is much
cheaper than
the $100 plus
vet bill
we would have
had. Goodness,
that calf came
out and that
cow emptied
out at the
same time
making a heck
of a stinky
mess! I was getting
the syringe
ready and I
stayed way
the heck away!
I told them I
don't
know how they
could take
that smell. It
was nasty!
Yes it was
dead but I
don't think
she had been
in that shape
too terribly
long. It could
have smelled
worse. She got
her shots and
turned her
loose. You
know she felt
better for
sure. Hooked
up the dead
calf to the
back of the
trailer hitch
on the truck
and pulled
it way to the
far west
side of
the place
away
from everything
for the clean
up crew
to take care
of it. Between
the coyotes
and the
neighbors
dogs it won't
be there
long.
Well that was
our
Monday
morning. I had
to get in the
house to clean
up to go to
the lung
doctor
to do
the yearly
bribe so
I could get
my medicine
renewed. Funny
for a 3pm
appointment it
takes forever
to stop
everything get
cleaned
up and drive
almost a hour
away. Then
I have to wait
almost a hour
to get in. Naturally
I have to get
weird when the
doctor walks
in...... I
suddenly was
feeling a sick
stomach.
It wasn't me
either it was
him.... something
to
do with him.
I asked him if
he had a sick
stomach or had
been around
someone that
day with one.
He said it was
going around
but not
contagious.
Like I couldn't
catch it from
him. I told
him no..... I
was feeling it
now but it
wasn't
me. I also
pointed to a
spot on his
stomach on his
right
side
that had
a problem. Finally
after a few
minutes my
stomach
behaved and
wasn't so distrstracting.
At least I didn't
scare him off.
Evidently
he has
encountered
people that
are sensative
as he says.
LOL
Walked all over
the place
for
ex ray etc. I
was way past
my breathing
treatment and
in a world of
literal hurt.
I finally made
it out to the
truck and a/c
and sitting
still. Got
something cold
to drink on
the way home
30 minutes
later and
recuperated
enough I could
actually get
out and shut
the gate. Made
it into the
house got a
breathing
treatment and
fed hubby. My
pulse was 125
with O2 of 90.
I had to just
stop and sit
and rest. I
was about to
pass out.
Hubby was just
fine since he
was getting
fed. I told
him he is
going to be
picking me up
off the floor
if I don't get
done here. I
sat down ate a
little bit.
Took some
belladonna to
calm the pulse
and I guess I
passed out
about 7 pm.
Woke up about
11pm.
Tomarrow is
another day. I
am going to
be so sore and
hurting but
surely it will
be better.
Have the yard
being mowed by
someone now
and hubby is
one happy
camper not having
to do that! The
shaft
is fixed for
the brush hog
now. Don't
know how much
that is going
to cost but at
least it is
fixed. I think
I will rest
up and not do
anything but
what I have to.
It is Tuesday
and
I
will be going
Wednesday to
the city to
deliver birds
with hubby.
Surely this will
be a much
better week!
Turns out the front part of the shaft was repaired but when we tried to put it on the back part of the brush hog shaft was bent also and we had to get John Deere out to take it off because we had no clue how to do that one. I told hubby to watch him so we can do it ourselves if we needed to.It took a few days but we finally go the back shaft repaired, put on and I had the man check out my hydrolics to make sure everything was adjusted correctly. Much better! So a total of about $1300 later we now have a brush hog that is not only working but doing a much better job than it has been the last few years. Yea!!!
We finally had some comic relief. Here is 81lb Heidi Ho carrying her bowl around . No she isn't hungry. She has never done this before. There is dried on canned dog food around the edges. She must think it has a few good licks in it! Lol She even had hubby open the door so she could enjoy it outside. It's the little fun stuff like this that let's the tough days be a little easier.
Oh yes....
I forgot.....
last week I
also went to
the lady
doctor. That
is such a whole
nother
adventure. Hadn't
don't that is
30+ years so
with testing
and all it was
something
else. That is
another
seperate
story. (aren't
you glad?LOL)
Love
Ranchmama
(P.S. ..... This all happend about 2 weeks ago. Seems like things got busy and it took a while to get this typed up. )
