High in the Center...

Another interesting day- to say the least.

So when I woke up this morning I had no idea what the day would hold..After doing chores Ross and Dean and I grabbed our horses and the flatbed pickup and headed down to Scott's to get those two bulls that I saw yesterday out of the pasture. I parked the pickup right in the middle of the trail hoping that that would mean it would have to go quickly and it did ;P We cut them off and they put up a little fight but we got em goin' in the right direction. As soon as we got them back through the gates and into their pasture Dean went and got hte four wheeler and fixed the hole they made in the fence and Ross and I each took a bull on a treck that seemed like forever but thankfully there were cows at the well. I was laughing later because as i was pushing this bull across the pasture I was trying to figure out what my next plan woudl be if there were no cows at the pump. It turns out it was a good thing there were because I didn't have one at all!

We put Nelly and Joe and Andy back in the trailer with the four wheeler and headed back home, unsaddled, and started on the next project. Ross and Dean went straight out the hayfield to cut hay and Merle and I drove around checking some bottom ground. We found a lot of uncured stuff and very little dry hay. It's so hard in those draws because the thin stuff of way too dry by the time the wet stuff dries down- but there arent a lot of options really. After looking over some spots I got sent to rake just a couple little areas and then Merle and I headed in for dinner. I helped Adrienne make some fish and pancakes and it actually turned out pretty good- which is amazing since i had anything to do with it!

After we ate a played with the baby :) I went back out and loaded up some salt and mineral and headed to Techs to string just a few bags and check the cows and wells. I found the troughs and gates easily and remembered the trail pretty well. The wells were working and the bull was there with the cows. I actually had to get my spade out for one well and clean out some moss. It had literaly grown so much that it was plugging the tank...nasty. I dont' know how the cows were even drinkign out of it! But, I got it cleaned out and then went out the wrong gate. But, of course I didn't realized that until I was through two of them in the corner with them both shut behind me. I knew exactly where I was and an easy way home but didn't know that trail's condition really well for a few hundred feet or so. So...I took off up the hill and managed to get almost to the top when the pickup fell into a huge rut. When I say rut I mean washout. Then, I was basically SOL. I tried everything to get it out and even dug some with my spade- but it wasn't happening. So I had to break down and call Merle. He came right over and pulled me out- although it did take a couple pulls and some heavy duty four wheel drive to do it! Again, just like the last time I did this last summer in a very close spot with the same pickup...Merle showed up basically laughing at me and I was super upset with myself. It's always funnier after the fact! But, no harm done other than time lost and my stress level. He took off for home to get ready for Delbert's son, Tanner's wedding this afternoon and I stayed back and checked out some wheat.

I am not the best with wheat at all but I just gave it a look over and looked at some brown spots within the field. I called my agronomist friend Sam and he helped me out with some stuff, but we both admitted that wheat wasn't our specialty. I guess I'll have to work on that. If anyone that reads is an expert..you should let me know. Then, I checked the gates at Chief Bears and headed home for my next task. Merle and Adrienne and Rylee were off to drop Rylee off at Grandma's and head to the wedding. Dean had the afternoon off and Ross was headed towards the wedding as well so I just kept on pluggin away. Next task: go see if the black bull that I fished out of the red cows the other day is back. I was supposed to go string salt at the pow wow ground but Merle told me just to do this instead. I'm pretty sure that was because i don't know the trails that well and no one would be around to pull me out! lol So, I drive the four wheeler over there to check it out and sure enough- there he was. I tried adn tried and tried but couldn't get him out, I was right by Chief Bears' house too so I bet they got an entertaining show. I could get him within about 100 feet of the gate, but no further. That was super frustrating so I just gave up because it wasn't going to happen. Then, I had to go shut the gate I had opened to push him through. This was an experience. A lot of times I can open a tight gate but of course, I can't get the dumb thing shut. Such was the case. After a lot of grunting and bending, I ended up taking the piece of wire that hooks the gate post to the brace post apart and lengthening it. Whatever it takes I guess...sometimes when you're little like me you have to be resourcesful or learn to compensate! So I did.

After getting it shut I ran the fence to find the hole where he got out and again, I found more than one spot. But one spot was by far worse than the rest and it was right near the gate I put him back through the other day. I put some staples real temporarily until the posts get replaced in that spot. So, I guessing that as soon as I put him with the heifers at the gate and turned my back he probably just jumped right back out of where I put him in. How nice.

Finally, I got the fence up and headed towards home to do chores a little later than usual. It took a while due to a fight to sort out bucket calves, but I got them done either way. Then, I finally headed back home and have been working on paper work since. I'm definitly ready for bed.

"live and learn"