Training Draper and Tall Grass Prairie

Still no pictures of riding.  But I set my round pen back up.  I had taken in down when someone came to look at Brother.  I thought he would look better using the entire arena instead of just half.  Anyway,  when I lounged Draper in the whole barn, she seems very spunky, so round pen it was.

 Even in the round pen she was unusually fast, so more lounging.  But the time J showed up I was ready to get on.  Suddenly, no more fast.  Walking is getting pretty good, but J had to come in with the lounge whip and help to encourage the trot.  She is a wonderfully calm horse so far. 

 Now for the tall grass.  When we moved here, J use to make this field for hay.  Since we buy all of our hay now, this is in the cow grazing rotation.  Right now, only the goats have access to it.  Can you see the goat.

This is a full grown one with her head up.  Best grass we have ever had. 

Orphan No More

It seems that with calving there are always problems at the beginning of the season and then again at the end.  This time it was a backwards calf that we had to pull and was dead.  Since the cow was in the chute, we didn't even let her see or smell the calf, just hauled it off and let her back out.  But there was a cow that had calved at our other farm 2 days ago.  When J checked on her later that day, surprise, surprise, he found a twin that she had been hiding. 

 Now we have to decide if we want to try to do a graft even though the cow had not bonded with a calf.  But she was a good cow and the cow with twins has a bad foot.  So we went ahead and took a chance and brought twin calf to the barn. 

 We called a friend that had this magic voo doo powder.  You are suppose to sprinkle it on the calf and the cow is suppose to lick it and take the calf.  Easy Peasy. 

 Well, the cow didn't read the label and the calf wasn't very vigorous or hungry.  Not a good combination.   We ended up having to put the cow in the chute and try to get the calf to nurse.

 Not much success on the first day.  Then the next morning we repeated the process.  That afternoon...

Success!  Whenever you hear that low moo, you know the cow has taken the calf.  We turned them out into the barn lot and if all stays well, back out with the herd later.   Looks like we might have to invest in a bottle of voo doo powder.

This Week - In The Garden

The garden is coming along nicely.  

We already have some banana peppers forming.  

 But no broccoli head yet.

 The beans look good, but the second row hasn't started to come up yet. 

 J got all of the tomatoes staked.

 And looks like there may be a lot of blackberries if the Japanese beetles don't get them first.

 And the cucumbers have started to climb!

 I prop them up where I want them to go every day. 

And there is a surprise addition to the garden.  Can you guess what it is?
Okra.  J's dad keeps talking about growing it so J decided to give it a try.  I asked if he liked eating it.  His answer, "If it is fried and I have enough cornbread to choke it down with."  Looks like we might have so okra to share. 

Just Kit Sunday #136

I walked out the door and look what I found had planted himself in the concrete planter.

 I am not sure he should try to grow much bigger.

 J asked if he was stuck. 

 Then he said it looked like a coffin. 

 I think Kit was just enjoying a cool spot for a Kat nap. 

  He does look pretty comfortable.

But, that spot is no longer available.  

I planted a real flower.  Sorry Kit. 

Couponing Saturday #10

I only made one couponing trip this week but it was a pretty good one. 

There was a digital $2 off $10 and I needed a gallon of milk, so of course I had to get $7 of other stuff to get my $2. 
Milk                   = 2.85
Kleenex @1 x 2 = 2     - 2 (peelie for 2 off 2 bundles but works on these singles)
Aleve                 = 3.75 -3 (digital q)
Oral B                = 6      -5 (paper q) then - $2 off $10
total                   =14.60 - 12  = 2.60 plus tax.

So, once again, bought milk and everything else was free! 

No Draper Drama

And no pictures, just a little blurb to know that I rode Draper yesterday.  Her hock is not totally down to normal but she is not lame at all.  I have saddled her a couple of times just to keep her use to things.  Since I had her teeth done, I thought it would be a good time to try her with a bit.  There was a lot of chewing and trying to figure out what to do with her tongue but she finally got all that sorted out.  And since she was doing so well yesterday I thought I would go ahead an just get on.  No drama.  I still used the reins on the rope halter but through the bit so there was more halter pressure but a little pit pressure.  Same as HERE with Sweetwater.   J was out spraying weeds so I didn't have any help to get her trotting.  But we walked around a lot and worked on turning, stopping and starting.  Another successful ride.

This Week, In The Garden

We have had a little rain just about every day for I don't know how long.  But today, the sky was blue.

 J took the opportunity to do a little hoeing in the garden.  (that is Farmercising if I ever saw it)  I finally got a row of Tommy Toes lined up.

 The regular tomatoes will need staking any time now.

 The beans are growing well.  We planted another row today.

 And the cukes are starting their climb. 

 I was very sad that the time has come to stop cutting the asparagus.  I have been enjoying it with nearly every dinner.  J won't touch it so I get it all.

And I worked on repainting some porch furniture.  Now we are ready for some porch sitting visitors.