Good Fences #13

This is a different angle than most see this fence from. 

 It is the other side of the driveway on some land that we rent.

I love the curve in the fence.
For more Good Fences click HERE.

Short Grass

The thistle problem at the farm we call BJ's was so bad the J had the farm sprayed in the fall 2012.  It created so many bare spots that the thistles started coming back so he sprayed again.  I think even though they say it doesn't affect the grass that it still stunted it's growth.  

 The pasture still isn't as lush as it use to be and J is having to rotate the cattle every couple of days.

 He wasn't planning to wean the fall calves until next month but decided to wean them early and bring them to the house because we have extra grass here this year.

 So after they quite pacing and bauling,

they will get turned out here.

DollyWood 2014

J is with a group of local cattle producers that send their calves to the same feedlot in Nebraska.  They have all gone as a group and individually on vacations - see HERE - to the feed yard.  This year someone from the feed yard has taken their family vacation to come see the cattle producers.  Now that's shaking things up.  So they have spent their time touring everyone's farms and cattle operations.  They came here Saturday and the kids immediately wanted to walk up the steep hill in front of our house.  Nothing like that in Nebraska.  They also rode horses in the barn.  Seven year old Zac was very proud of riding Pep by himself and 11 year old Maddie even tried some vaulting on Hank.  (sorry, too busy to think to take a picture).  Then after a cookout we headed to Gatlinburg, Tennessee,

to the Great Smoky Mountains.

The weather was beautiful.  We all spent the night in a huge lodge house and had a tremendous meal at The Alamo Steakhouse courtesy of Circle Five Feed Yard. 

 Then Sunday, it was off for a day at Dollywood.

 E even let me braid her hair for the occasion.

 J went to several shows with a different part of the group and didn't want to ride the Eagle with us,

 but he did ride the River Rampage and got appropriately drenched.  It was awhile before his jeans dried but he said his feet stayed dry so he was happy.

 I was going to ride with this crew but we didn't make the 450 pound limit so I had to switch with J.

The park wasn't crowded at all, so we got to ride lots of rides and there was no problem getting into any of the shows.  There was a small rain storm that shut all of the rides down for about an hour but once again, the shows weren't full so all was good.  We got home about 11:30, ready for another cookout this evening at another producer's farm.  Yum. 

Reluctant Billy

We have had the billy goat up for a month waiting for the next goat sale.  

 Friday was the day.

 Someone didn't want to leave.

J finally got him on the trailer and to the sale.  It is just too difficult to try to keep one separated from the nannies until time to breed them again.   So anymore, we just sell the old one and buy a new one in the fall.

Good Fences #12

J had our cattle working pens replaced at the farm we call B.J.'s.  The other pens were at least 25 years old and J had to reinforce multiple sections with panels and gates every time we worked cattle. 

 The new ones are wonderful.

 They even put up some boards so the cows can't play "ring around the chicken coop" anymore.

 And they fixed the corner at the barn.

 Aren't they pretty?

The calves worked well through the chute Saturday.  I guess we'll have to wait and see how the cows do later.

For more Good Fences click HERE.

Rant

I presented this letter at the County Board of Supervisors meeting last night.  I don't know if anything will come of it but at least I have made them aware of the situation.

Why did it take until May 27, 2014 for the date to be set for the 2014 Rural Retreat Fair?  I say look no further than the dysfunctional Fair Association.

Since moving to the county in 1999, I have seen a steady decline in the quality and attendance at the RR Fair.  That is, with the exception of the horse events which have always been popular and well attended. 

Three years ago I joined the Glade Mountain Saddle Club which sub leases the arena area from the Fair Association.  I did this in order to gain access the arena for the   4-H Saddles and Bridles club for which I am a volunteer leader.  Since joining the club, I have had the honor of meeting and working with very dedicated and civic minded horse enthusiasts.  What I've never understood however, was the continual friction and animosity from the Fair Association toward the Glade Mountain Saddle Club.  I truly felt that if the FA could just meet and talk with us we could work out any perceived differences or problems. 

With nothing but goodwill in mind I decided to attend the May 27 meeting of the FA.  When I arrived I was promptly told to state my business and leave because they were busy and could not proceed with their meeting until I was gone.  My ‘business’ was trying to find out the fair dates and offer the Saddle Club’s help in trying to better the fair.  This year the GMSC will celebrate it’s 50^th year and we wanted to commemorate this anniversary by sponsoring horse events for 3 consecutive nights during the fair.  I believed that as a representative of the Saddle Club, a doctor and respected member of the community I would be welcomed at this meeting; however, I was summarily dismissed after 10 minutes. I was told that it was in their bylaws that no visitors could attend their meeting.  I have never been so uncomfortable or treated so rudely in public.   The way the FA is being run is a disgrace to the community.  I feel that as the lessor, The County Board of Supervisors has the responsibility to step in and disband this dysfunctional group and replace it with a properly run and publicly open organization. 

Thank you.

In response to our club asking to have events at the fair we were told they could extend the fair one day to Sunday and we could do something then.  What an unbelievable and short sighted organization.  So our club is now planning a 3 day "Horse Fest".  We have our work cut out for us on this one.  

Birds in Strange Places

V helped us work cattle on Saturday.  E was in Lexington at a weekend State Horse Judging Team practice so it was just the three of us.  

 J has to set up some panels as a temporary fence to get the cattle into the pens.

 He already had them up in a small nearby field so it's never too much running for us to get them in.

 We weren't doing anything to the cows so we sorted them out first.

 And the calf work went fairly quickly, deworm, vaccinate, implant and about 6 to dehorn.

 Then we turned them back out with their moms.  Now for the bird part.  We were almost done when J said a baby bird fell out of the chute.

 There was a nest in the head gate that we had been opening and slamming shut all morning.  I tried to put the baby bird back but there was just no room.  I have no idea how they got a nest in there.  While I was trying to get the first one back two more fell out.

 Now what do you do with 3 baby birds that won't fit back where they came from?  I took J's LA200 box and cut the bottom off.

When I put it back on the chute (the nest was in the square hole on the bottom left) they just crawled out and fell back to the ground.  I know the parents can still take care of them like that but they really were so tiny and I didn't think they had much of a chance so I brought them home.  Well, I tried but lost them all.  Very hard to know what to do sometimes.