More outside work.

So I have been working outside long and hard recently.
Since all but two of my ewes have lambed---they are again all in the same pasture. Since their old pasture was now empty I got a chance to put 1300 lbs of lime on it, mow it since they left some seed heads and a few weeds and things and----if it rains today/tomorrow as they say----I will go out after the rain and spray it with the kelp I purchased. I don't want to put the kelp on right before it rains since the bottom of the hill will get all of it and the top none.
This pasture has apple trees in it at the top of the hill.Which by the way are lacking in apples this year (thank you late frost). When we had it limed last fall---the guy couldn't lime near the trees since the truck couldn't drive through them without damaging them. A lower portion of the pasture also needed a bit more lime since it's ph is still out of whack. One of the reasons we know this---we still have spots of dead grass in between clumps of grass that won't decompose. Higher acid hinders decomposition in the soil surface---which leaves you with bare spots of no growing or sprouting grass.
And of course---I had to spread it by hand. No easy job, but since I don't own a tractor and powdered lime will just clump in a walk behind spreader, definitely a necessity. Powdered (bulk) lime is only $28 a ton versus bagged pellet lime (which will spread out of a walk behind) which is about $4 for 50 pounds. Big big difference. Well worth walking around with a large can slinging it and sifting it out. Took me a number of hours but....hey, what price doth good soil and grass have. Well, let me tell you: After this last year and half of drought---I am tired of spending my bathing suit money on hay! Good soil means grass less subject to drought stress!

During the last week we also finally got a fence put up on the left side of the barn. We had a fence on the right side already up so this now creates an "alley way" of about 30 feet x about 75 feet long--ending at the opening to the barn. We will use that as a catch area and hay feeding area in the future. Now we just need MORE gates. For heavens sake. Every time I get a new gate and gate "hole" opens up somewhere and I seem to need two more. I feel like I will never have all the holes covered with a real easy swinging, open it with one hand, GATE. Currently some of our opening have fence panels across them. Attached at both ends some how. Opening them can be a pain (to your feet to when they skip in the grass and jump up on your foot!).

I am happy to announce we have beans UP^ Yeah! Lots of them. My corn hasn't made an appearance yet though hmm....After all the work it better come up by golly.

By the way---I have been outside so much recently that you will be surprised to know that I HAVE NOT gotten my nail holes in my molding filled yet (from the wall I blogged about recently) Oh well---I"ll just tell people I am "saving" it for a rainy day. Just not this one LOL

Oh yeah! One of our roosters is now crowing---A feather footed cuckoo maran. Quite the fellow he is!