Rain ... Rain. Go away

Since the second batch of hay it has rained ... Actually since 1 hr aft finishing last Friday. There has been 2-3 days of low level probability followed by a disastrous level of precipitation. So we do other things in the woods and in the barn, not feeling like we are getting the major thing done. Marnie has a bad case of the poisons on her arms from pulling invasive stuff and we both itch from ivy. Have had to reschedule bike trip around Lakes Superior and Erie because of the rain. Now expecting to see KELZIE compete in a 70.3 mile Ironman in Racine on the 17th. She will do a Ironman in Muncie the week before and spent the time between here on the farm. 

Our weekend guest were Stuart and Louise Keely, our next door neighbor in Madison from 2000-2005and here is Stu holding his first chicken.  Cleaned sheep barn today and sent Dorsey and all out to graze... rain expected again today..

---- The Flannel Mullen are beginning to fully bloom ----

we also trapped Raccoon #169/37 this morning.. Tim will be around later to move him to the Coon Dog training area.

Monday was the last rain for this week... we cut grass for 11 hours and teted 15 acres in anticipation of baling the 15 on Wed.  Cut 12 more acres on Wed so all the hay is down and to be bales by Fri-Sat to avoid the rain on Sunday.  RELIEF !!!

More later

Starting Haying... Finishing Hay

Monday -John Lawson started cutting the 5 acre back field today. two minor breakdowns before the first field was finished. Tuesday- chance of rain today. Beginning to tet the 1st fields and cut another.  ... and the flannel mullen is blooming:

Tuesday put up 15 round bales and had them stored by 7pm.  most of the hay was great for 1 day drying and some was a little wet but we had to bale or let it get rained on as it is raining on  Wednesday.

Friday - cut field #1 in the am and it was ready to bale by 6 pm - a first time occurrence for this part of the country. finished at 7 pm and made 12 - 1700# bales. Now rain for several days so haying is heldup..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fw-snZQ2UyQ / http://www.tuckerobr.com/Public/VirtualTours.asp

The 140-acre Chittenden Brook Farm
is a working farm that includes a
spectacular custom house and a rental
home along with rolling hills, pastures
and forest. A private driveway
leads to the Cape Cod home overlooking
a three-acre lake. With three
bedrooms and 2.5 baths, features include hardwood flooring with inlays, open floor plan, white woodwork and cabinetry, a huge stone fireplace, vaulted / cathedral ceilings, 80’ of porches, and French doors. The detached garage includes a well-finished guest suite with bath and
kitchen, and the large heated workshed has automatic
doors and water.
The remodeled investment property has three bedrooms,
1548 sq. ft. and detached garage. The large
equipment shed has open bays and storage room, the
fenced chicken house has water/electric and the livestock barn possesses all necessaries. Sturdy new tensile wire fencing encloses three pastures; there are 58 acres of hay fields plus equipment to work and manage
the property.
--
Rick Beebe Chittenden Brook Farm 9513 N. Mount Pleasant Road Gosport, Indiana 47433 812/876-9513
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fw-snZQ2UyQ http://www.tuckerobr.com/Public/VirtualTours.asp

ANIMALS & ANIMALS

Trapping, moving and releasing a skunk at Possum Pluge by the preeminent Expert Marnie Bankson Beebe             Here Trapped by cat food

covered by tarp and cargoized -  then released at Possum Plunge

15 new lambs and Sam's eye had to be stitched open so the lid would not grow inward

new Guinea chick hatched and mother by this Hen along 30 new chickens and 14 adult guineas

Hot Hot Hot

The temperature is up with the humidity. We therefore work early and go to town or do inside work. Getting ready for our 5th showing on Saturday. All is mowed, trimmed organized with neat interior. Chickens have not been attacked by coyotes, the sheep are all stble but hot, and the cattle have messed up the pond. The cattle will go back to fresh water in the tank rather than the pond. We start cutting hay tomorrow. We had problems with one ATV which gets picked up tomorrow and the mower was out of commission needing a 16' belt replacement which took 3 days.  Her is our plot:

our favorite plants:

Flannel Mullen

Maintenance... Maintenance

Greased and checked tires on tractor in anticipation of hay time and did routine on our 5' zero turn mower. Then went to mowing only to have the big, long belt break. Trip to town with mower-no time to fix and wrong belt. Mechanic would come independently a 6 but showed at 8 to confirm wrong belt. Lawn half finished. Promised to be here Sunday noon- no show. No belt. Monday nite now.

There 20+ guinea chicks -hard to count with the milling minatures huddling around and under mom. Sheep look terrible after their haircuts but appear vigorously healthy.

Wind in the rain last nite brought down a rotted limb. So after church I string trimmed and chain sawed the limbs for disposal. String trimmed around the house in anticipation of getting the mower going again. Mrnie home tomorrow from Kelzie's. sounds like they were very productive and had a good time.

Just to Complicate Matters

Started day with relax/read time. Then outside to trim the bushes in the north gardens. Up to the work shed to grease and clean the mower and grease the tractor in anticipation of many hours of running to make hay. Then computer work. Finally to the barn to feed and inspect the sheep, feed the goats and collect eggs (2 doz). While in the chicken house a discovery - mother hens had hatched out an unknown high number of guinea chicks the size of mice. Isolated them with mom, provided feed/water for mom (chick do not need to eat for 3 days), and rushed to the house for other supplies in a sweaty, foggy haze. No caughts today - so far this year far 24raccoons and 161 over3 seasons. Back to the barn later to check everyone out......

Friends to Visit & work on the CBF

Ross and Elaine Jett came for the weekend from Mattoon IL. They are old friends from graduate school at IU. Elaine is an avid fisherwomen who has only caught fish in our lake. She cught many this trip and took three large enough catfish to eat at home. They left on Monday and we worked our 15 lambs on Tuesday - shearing, worming, trimming hooves, & tagging their ears. Our sheep expert friend from whom we buy lambs will master mind the operation and shear the lambs. Our shearers are the Hamiltons- Brian shears and Julie catches. She has been the catcher (since they dated) - they now have 4 children so in addition to sheep she has caught a family. We also need to mow and prepare Chittenden Brook Farm for the feature, full page expose' in the Saturday newspaper.