Late in June, we went riding.

The cherries were ripe too as we rode out Chenoweth. My old horse makes a great picking ladder. It was only a hat full. But--oh, so good.

Mowing

Fay mows the little grass patches with the horses, I don't know what they think, but he's as happy as any man can be laying down swathes of grass hay.

 

Somebody's been eating way too much spring grass and needed his brichen strap let out.

 

There they go...

 

The neighboring horses were utterly fascinated by their working brethren.

Old Fashioned Local Beef

Old fashioned local beef, run out on grass, finished on barley hay and a little grain to make them happy. Sold by the half, $2 per pound hanging weight, $0.45 per pound, cut and wrapped to your specifications. $100 deposit to hold your half. Pick up in Parkdale, OR just before Thanksgiving.

For more details or to reserve a half:

Call 541-296-2977

Ouchy Flowers and plowing.

T

These are ouchy flowers as our 5 year old great grand calls them. Tar weed is also a noxious weed in the hay fields around here. 

 

The north field was plowed, it's across the road from

the south field, full of tarweed. The south field was disced, dragged but not plowed. At this point, mid May it was so  full of tarweed the hay will be unsalable.

This last shot is of the plowed field, the space around the power pole that was unplowed, solid tarweed. 

Putting the grain drill away.

The grain drill is irreplaceable, no one makes small drills any more. This one has had the horse tongue removed, the driver originally balanced on a board behind the seed box. Now rather than fool with putting the horse tongue on, then off, to pull the drill home or let Fay's sons use the drill with their small tractors, we simply hitch the drill to the fore cart and go to work. 

You see Fay standing on the board to vacuum out any leftover seed. Any grain left in the drill rots and molds plugging the tubes and causing rust.

Over the years the drag chains have worn out and various bits of old iron have replaced the missing links. My favorites are the recycled, welded horse shoes.

Use it up, wear it out, fix it as best you can.

May oats make hay oats, although we're really sowing barley.

I'm never on time with blogging. I  just get posts done as I catch the time. 

This series of pictures is from the 4th of May when we finished planting the last field. Late, worried about there being enough rain and the field not prepped as it should have been because we don't have a horse plow. 

We don't give up though.  

What happens when he sits and thinks.

 

Are we going some where dad?

What happens when he sits and thinks? Since we farm in different places, he figures out how to move equipment efficiently. If the weather ever quits off and on again raining, we're going to mow hay. The first fields due are little grass patches, too small to do with the tractor and nine foot swather.

Hence using the horse mower.

 

 And the fore cart with the rake. The rake is already delivered and waiting, so we don't have to hook it onto the back of the fore cart. Just as well, I think he'd've done it.

 

Okay, Mom, what're we waiting for now???

 

Checking to see if I'm doing okay at the other end of the train.

 

We're drove out in two parts and came back with just the cart.  A lovely Memorial Day outing.