Friday: Thursday's Project Completed.

Cool pretty much all day although it was sunny in the afternoon. It just never really warmed up.

Chas and I finished the project we were working on yesterday. We finished putting in a layer of rock and then dropped in a layer of gravel in front of the cow's water trough. I smoothed the surface and then took the three horse pads and laid them in. The area directly in front of the feeder is higher than the sides so the water should drain off. Plus, the entire area is higher than the surrounding land so that even if it rains and the water drains down the slope it should run around the mound.

I put a second trough in place of the trough I usually use. It needs to be washed out and a new automatic waterer attached. We have the waterer all assembled; Chas did it for me. I just have to install it. I was just way too tired to do anything more today.

Then I can fill the "new" trough and empty and clean the old trough I've been using for the last year. Plus it will be handy to have a second full tank when the power goes off for three days as it sometimes does. It will mean more water for the cows. I usually try to fill the troughs when I hear that cold weather is coming. I don't know what farmers in the midwest do when things freeze solid for weeks at a time.

Course we can always go down to the stream and get water from the creek but it's always better to have water that can be filled with a hose than to have to go and get it. It's really hard work filling a 55 gallon drum by hauling it out of the creen. Then you have to either haul it out of the drum by the bucketfull or use a syphon which takes forever.

It feels really good to have a better spot for the cows to get their water. If I have to I can use a heater to keep the tank defrosted during the really cold days. I haven't purchased a heater yet but will.

After lunch and a nap I went out to do my evening chores. Chas in the meantime had dug a trench between the barn and the edge of the driveway for a continuation of the 4 inch perforated plastic pipe that runs alongside the barn. When he gets done three downspouts will drain into the perforated pipe.

Before doing chores I took a bunch of pictures of the barn, the cows, the hay stored in the barn, the sheep, pigs and MSB02, the Shorthorn (soon to be) steer.

I did give the goats a small amount of alfalfa pellets. I am not giving the Boer babies anything but hay for the next few days. The one has really bad scours. She's such a pig. She eats as much of the grain as she can get. They're complaining mightily but I've got to be hard hearted or I'll kill the little pig through overfeeding her.

Mike and Mary showed up just as I was finishing up my chores. They came to borrow our tractor. Chas had topped off the tank and we gave them a full 5 gallon gas tank just in case they ran out of fuel. Mike is going to make me my tractor blade attachment while he has my tractor. It looks like a fork lift but is chained to the bucket. It will make it much easier to move those large bales of hay. He'll be doing the work at Gary N's place because although he has the wire he has not set up the 220 panel out in his shop. Gary has a large generator that can also be used for welding. Mike said he would also straighten the top of the blade and weld in a support that will make the top of the blade much stronger.

What more could you ask? Loan a tractor and get your tractor fixed and another piece of equipment. Plus, Mike and Mary offered me a white arch that I can spiff up and use in the cottage garden. It's quite high and about 6 feet wide. I think I'll put it in the two beds that surround the middle path. And maybe paint it bright RED to match the other arch. Or maybe a bright shade of BLUE. I want more color in my garden.

All in all it's been a lovely day. I feel pretty good. Nothing like hard physical exercise to get your blood flowing.

I opened a box of Zataraine's Jambalaya mix, added some additional rice, some Polish Sausage and a green pepper. Yum.