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Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Navarre is getting used to the grass. 
He has started to realize it feels good to run and play in it instead of just nose down sucking it up as fast as a vacuum cleaner. 

I enjoy sitting on the deck watching him run back and forth as Sweet Pea relishes the grass to roll and eat. 

They are both happier with a little grass morning and night.  I tend to try to allow them more time at night as I am using it to relax and settle my mind for the night as well.  If only I had a spot of tea and biscuits ... it would be SO perfect.

Jerry / Gypsy gave us a new hamper!   A beautiful RED Mexican type hanging is so perfect for the evening sit.

I am saving as fast as I can for the container for hay next year.

Jerry and I just put up MORE fencing on the water container ... as our kiwi plants had grown over 4 feet this year and needed more support quickly.  He is also in the process of making me a loft ladder for the water container.  This will make it easier for me to clean the filters etc...

I also need it so I can pound down the wire well above the rim of the container.  Thus  it will make it all more appealing!   I can not wait till this little project is settled and I can get kiwi for my  fruit salads!  ha ha ha...


Oh the apples !  this year I have a tree load of Banana Apples! The tree is at its limit and bearing so much fruit it bends down to the ground.  My Fuji apples are sparse...  I have but one sheep nose, and three gala!   seems the banana survived the late frost better than the rest.

I shall let you know how it all works out.

PawPaw tree is still doing well, as is the orange tree I planted this year.

Life...
crazy weather... as my strawberries have a new crop... yep in the last of July and I'm getting strawberries!

Everything is out of sorts but... it is what it is and you have to roll with it!

Friday, July 26, 2013

Getting a little easier...

I have allowed the horses on the grass a little more each day.
I believe Navarre is about at his limit as his hind quarters felt a little ... just a little tighter this morning. 

I will ride him Saturday and Sunday and see if it helps him out any.

My pasture is above my mud boots (knee high) so it is not a real sugar source at this level but ... still hard to figure with Navarre and his PPSM exactly how much is enough without putting him over the edge.

Still no one has hay in my area... so hay stretcher is all I have..
Soaking it ...
and hoping they don't mind too much.

Hay stretcher is pushing it with Navarre ... it is an alfalfa based hay thus has more umph... than he is used to any way.

More on my kids later.

Must get to work so I can afford to ship hay into them for the winter months (considering I lost all of it for the year already!)

Life!

Saturday, July 20, 2013

There has always been heavy fog in my area, but this year there is more than average.  As the sun comes up each day it is dark grey and a guessing game if the clouds are going to open up and drown us with a rain we no longer need and dread at this point.

There is no hay to be had in all of Western North Carolina!  

I've been having to allow the horses on pasture and it is nerve racking watching for all the signs with Navarre, but I have just enough time to ride him three to four days a week at the moment.  And as long as my leg holds out we may be ok.

I try to allow Sweet Pea more time on the grass because she doesn't have the PPSM / EPSM issues and needs time to be a horse.  She refuses to relax and just eat while we are gone, she paces and yells for him with every breath.  My leg is definitely not up to riding her at this point.

I have a video on Face Book of the horses running and having fun.  the kids at play

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

I know ...

While part of the country is in serious drought and literally on fire.  My part of the country has been in rain, all but one day in June and today is our second day dry in July. 

I am NOT complaining but life has hit Navarre hard.
I have lost ALL my hay... I purchased over 400 bails of hay on three first cuttings so I would have no worries for the rest of the year and be done with it.  Then the rains came!  Don't get me wrong...the hay never got wet, but the nonstop raining allowed the hay to absorb moisture from the air and it is ALL MOLDED.  Of course the stuff on the bottom and the top are the worst

I am planning to use all the hay in my planned garden area for next year.  Thus this will allow me to put down the hay, cover it with manure this fall, then cover it with paper and savings this winter ... turning it in the spring and starting over.

I also lost all my feed in this process.
So the feed lot did not have moisture control either... so I had to order some and have it shipped in.

My next issue is getting Sweet Pea a three part horse blanket I can use because she barely made it though our mild winter this year.

I am working part time at a clothing store ...so time is away from the barn, the house, the animals, BUT I am enjoying the work and it gives me a little money to get hay once more for the rest of the year IF we ever get enough days to have another cutting.

Normally in the middle of July we are well into our dry season and I have had to order water for the barn from a pool company.  This year water, mud and muck are every where and most of my newly planted trees are doing well. 

I have fish in the bath tub over flow from the water container, but I need to set up yet another water container for the garden area in plan above.

I have not gotten the gravely started this year... there has not been the time of dry to even pull it out.

Life is good... it is what it is suppose to be.

BTW... Navarre AND Sweet Pea are getting a little grass because of having no hay and getting only wet hay stretcher till I can find some more.... none to be had for hours... much less miles away.

The knatts are horrible... does ANYONE know how to control, get rid of, or what ever... I can do to stop how bad they are.

The horses are still on feed through for flies and they are NOT an issue.

BEES... on the other hand are a little bit of a laugh...  They swarm my water in the morning and for the past week they have been all over the salt in the barn for the horses.

I like seeing them... I enjoy the buzzzz.... 
I will do my best to get caught back up on the blog.

I'll do my best to take some photos this weekend IF it is not raining ... (it's suppose to start on Friday)... I can only hope we have wind and sun till then....


my love to the world.
AEGF