Undesirables

I have found a couple of very undesirable things in the yard recently.

Looks like Emma found an old goat carcass. I say old because since Bumble and Bea have been on the job we haven't lost any more goats. Of course deworming the nannies may have helped, but I am giving them full credit on not losing any kids.
Then I nearly stepped on this mummified toad while hanging out the laundry. A sort of "oh!" moment.

Hank was in the yard this morning. Although he is not gross like these previous two, it is still undesirable that he was in the yard. He was looking for a way out and had only been in for a few minuets. I don't know it he walked or jumped the cattle guard.

Harvest

Finally, the harvest I have been waiting for.

I got 3 cucumbers and 4 tommy toes today. Yea!

I'm trying out a zucchini casserole for supper. Hope it turns out.

Pears

I planted 2 pear trees in the yard about 8 years ago. The last 2 years they have produced a total of 6 pears.

This year they have a crazy number of pears on them.
If they all ripen I don't know what I'll do with them all.

Bare Back

E has decided to try to show Pep in Ride-A-Buck Classes. This is a bare back class where you try to keep a dollar bill under your leg while riding at different gaits.

She hasn't ridden bare back very much so she started off trying to lunge Pep first. E did more running around than Pep, so this didn't last long.
After a leg up she was off. Pep didn't think much of being ridden bare back. She did OK at the walk and trot but didn't want to canter. After much head tossing and some rearing E finally got her going.
She then practiced with a tissue (I didn't have any money with me). I think the tissue must have really stuck because it never moved. With a little more practice I think she'll be ready for the next show.

EID Tagging

We are going to be sending 61 of our yearlings to the Circle 5 feedlot in Nebraska next week.

There usually is a premium for source and age verified cattle. In order qualify for this premium we have to tag the cattle with special electronic ear tags. J and the girls worked on this today while I was at my work. J did the tagging.
V worked the head gate and E took pictures and kept up with the paperwork.
Papa R even helped out. I don't think he came by to work but he volunteered anyway. They got 32 head tagged. The others are at a different farm and will probably get tagged right before they get hauled out.

Dry, Dry, Dry

The hill in front of the house has really dried up.

Only the horses are grazing here now.
All of the seams where the top soil is shallow are dead.
Anywhere where clover was is now nothing but brown. It has been worse but we are getting there fast.

Beach 2010

Just got back from 5 days at the beach. I think I could about live there if not for being allergic to the sun. I think 3 days maybe J's limit however.

The weather was beautiful and the ocean calm. The wind wasn't even too bad this time.


We celebrated the 4th cooking some steaks. We did have sea food the rest of the time. No bad burns or sun rashes. Lots of walking, floating and shark tooth hunting. All in all a good vacation. Too bad we returned to a scorched farm. Temperatures have been in the 90's with no rain in sight. A little depressing to come back to brown fields.