14 Hour Days, Waterlogged, Sunburnt and Beat

I am totally beat today. The underground cable and line people started showing up here at the buttcrack of dawn. Why? Because I called about one silly phone line that passed within a few feet of where I needed to put the corner post.

This call before you dig thing is mandated by State law. If you break a cable and didn't call in it's financially all on you and let me tell you they charge ya for everything since the colonial days too. I knew there was a phone line that ran to the neighbor's house down the side of the gravel road and my fence line as I seen the easement on my abstract.  So I called.

They sent everybody under the sun of course and guess who is paying for this? You guessed it the taxpayers. Sure if something happens it's best to be safe but c'mon people a little common sense is needed here. Instead of paying four crews marking four separate lines the operator at the call before you dig number could have said it's a stupid corner post then the county water guys, the power line guys, the electric guys could have stayed away as only the phone guy had a cable even close. Instead the operator I talked to had no clue what a corner post was. I tried explaining it to her then she asked if I was going to use explosives. I told her I had a tractor and post hole digger.

Anyway the son and I got all the post sunk. That took most of the day and then I raked the section I mowed yesterday.

Actually it didn't come out too bad as a matter of fact. I would say I am going to get a good 40 to 50 bales off the acre and half section. Not too shabby when ya consider I ran the sheep in there all Summer and had to mow it with a brush hog. Of course it ain't baled yet.

The windrows are not the biggest I have ever seen and the hay is cut a bit short but the brush hog blades sure did shatter off the weed leaf clutter fairly well and the grass stems appear to be longer than I feared.

Now snobby old Nag and Horse lovers would call this "Picker Hay" meaning the horses would pick though it and not eat all of it but as a Sheep keeper I know the ewes, rams and yearlings love this stuff.

I even raked up a small windrow from the barn down to the back of the 10 acre field and the section I mowed so I can use it to work the bugs out of the baler on the way down and then collect up what didn't bale or tie right on the way back.

Why I am beginning to think I might be able to get enough hay put up to at least keep the sheep fed all Winter. Not even going to be close with the horses though.

Of course all this still depends on the baler working and not breaking down. Knock on wood.

I then tried to cut the front field once again with the sickle-bar mower. It did a little better this time around but not much. I think I waited too long once again because once I hit that damned Johnson Grass the thing just jammed up every few feet. I finally said screw it and cut what I could and plan on going over the spots I knocked down with the brush hog once again. The rains may have stopped but the grass is still just as juicy as it was a month ago.

On the bright side I am betting I will get another cutting off the front field come the end of September though and I know the sheep LOVE that hay off the front field.

So any way sorry I haven't been making the rounds or replying to comments like I usually do. I am just super pressed for time right now and the days keep getting shorter once again. So much other stuff going on too that I should be writing about. More chicken updates, I need to get the bees ready for the up coming Goldenrod flow and finish the back fence line yet too.

So much to do and not enough time or Pioneer Preppies to get it all done.

Keep Prepping Everyone!!!!!!!