Of Contract Killers and Brush Piles

Sorry to disappear for a few days, there is just so much to do in the Spring and such a small window of opportunity to get it all done.  One of the jobs I've been working on is clearing the brush along my stone walls. 

It started out in April when I was just going to clear around some of the flowers I planted a few years ago and somehow, it just morphed into a month long project.  And I still haven't gotten to the flowers.

I've made four huge brush piles...

...and ran into more of this nasty stuff.  Will I ever find the last of it?

The 4-wheeler and its little trailer have been earning their keep.  

And the Farm Hand has been a big help.  Just think how useful it is having a 50 pound, psycho puppy furiously attacking every. single. stick. Good thing he stops now and then to nurse on his teddy so he can get recharged for the next load (yes, he does have the bear's entire face in his mouth, sucking on it).

The Contract Killer thinks this is the greatest project ever.

In true cat nature, she is certain that the entire endeavor is for her alone. 

 She loves these stone walls and sees them as her personal highway...

 
...an expressway of murder and mayhem. 

She has supervised every step of the way, doing her best to torment the dog....

....and instill fear in rodent hearts.

A Boy and His Teddy

Great White

Connor's shark status has been supplanted.  There is a much bigger fish in town these days and she is in the Great White family.

I think the family resemblance is remarkable, don't you agree?

Skinny B****

"Why is it that even space aliens get to eat more grass then we do?"

"Yeah, I bet it's one of those awful creatures who can just eat and eat and never gains any weight."

"And just look at the way it eats...that tongue...do you think it might be part lizard?"

"Well, at least it doesn't want to eat donkeys for dinner.  Yet.  I guess we better hope the grass holds out." 

The Aliens Have Landed

"Holy Smokes!  What on Earth is THAT?!!"

"A spaceship has landed right in the middle of our field! Call the cops, cal the FBI, call the dog!  Call somebody!!"

"Look Mom, that's an honest to God alien getting out of the spsceship."

"Do you suppose it likes donkeys?  Um, I mean, in a friendly sort of way, not a lets-have-donkey-for-dinner sort of way."

Farm Buddy needed a temporary home for one of her cows. 

Shannon here is going to have a calf in about three weeks and her last calf  (who has been weaned for months and weighs about 500 pounds) decided to start sucking on her again, he is a terrible brat.  Being a bit of a pushover, Shannon put up with this and ended up getting mastitis.  She has been treated and is better now, but needs to be kept away from him until her new calf comes along.  Since I have more grass than I need and FB didn't want to make Shannon stay in the barn for the next three weeks, she has come to stay with me temporarily.

The donkeys have never seen a cow before and Tessa has only seen a few times when we have ridden by.  They are a bit appalled.

Shannon will be staying in the middle portion of the pasture, eating all the yummy grass that the equines do not have access to.  Life is so unfair.

After the initial drama, things settled down and every one is getting along.

Shannon is thrilled to be out on grass and is very happy as long as she can be near the herd.  They may not care for her, but she does indeed like donkeys.

Small Things

 

Happy Mother's Day.

Plotting Mutiny

My donkeys are very mad at me.

Ever since the beginning of April when the snow finally receded enough for them to escape the barn, they have been enjoying the run of the farm.  Almost four weeks of complete freedom, unlimited grazing and daily races around the fields.  They are feeling good and reveling in Spring.

Unfortunately for them, the grass is starting to grow in earnest now and that means the end of freedom.  I put them back on their perimeter track which has very little grass that they have to work hard to find.  They still get hay and straw, which they want no part of, especially with acres of sweet, spring yumminess surrounding them on all sides.  I do feel their pain, to be be forced to eat celery and lettuce while the pizza and ice cream taunts them from every angle.  It is a cruel injustice.  To add injury to this mighty insult, the May flies showed up right on the first of May just to torture them.  There has been much complaining.

I sense a mutiny in the works and I don't think I want to know what sort of things they are whispering to each other.