New Things

Phil spent the morning moving the cows to a temporary paddock where we'll plan to plant garlic in a month or so. I wanted to get a little boost to the soil, and since we have to feed hay anyway, it's nice to have a mulch and manure layer where we'll need it soon.

We have a new bale feeder. Phil was enthusiastic about this one because it can drag the bale in the feeder. And since we want to move the cows fairly regularly, it'll be nice to have a way to move their feed with them. I took some photos of its new glory.

Sadly, in the photo you can see the cow eating on the left. Actually, I think her collar had just stuck in the bolt ring, and she was trying to free herself. As I realized that she was stuck, she suddenly pulled herself free.

The feeder tipped over, the bale went flying down the hill (where it was graciously stopped by the sole remaining tree).

But that was okay in the end: the bale replaced, the feeder set in a more secure location, and the bolt ring covered. We'll hope it works better.

We also received a delivery of cement and rebar. On the phone, the woman said, "We have a piggy on the back that can deliver the goods you need where you need them." I was curious about this "piggy."

What a cool piece of equipment! Telescoping arms, quick detach from the back.

It carried our 20' rebar downslope with ease (and a close fit in places). And the name? It's a Piggy-Back!

Phil reached extreme pleasure today, when the awaited forklift connection arrived. He spent some time in the Blue Barn, and managed, on his own, to get the forks connected. He immediately went to move the seven remaining hay bales in out of the rain. The outsides are thoroughly soaked, but the ease of moving! Yay! It's a ground-breaking day.

Isaiah and Joe spent, literally, seven or eight hours outside on the sand pile. A friend told me recently that every Easter the "Easter bunny" would bring them a truck load of topsoil, and by the end of the summer, the load would be evenly spread on the yard. Our pyramid pile of sand is now more flat and plateau-like.