Denim Deb Hay, hay, hay. Thank the Lord!

[Denim Deb]

Today is not quite as hot as it's been, so I was finally able to get some stuff done. I'm so far behind right now that it's not even funny. Hubby's problem w/the AC made him susceptible to a cold. And he shared it w/me. So I was feeling drug out from both the heat and the humidity and a cold. Last night, I decided not to go for a motorcycle run but stay home and get to bed early. I almost made it.

At just B4 9:00, I decided to check the radar. They showed a storm system heading our way. Then I remembered that hubby had turned the hose on 3 hours earlier, then fell asleep, so it was still on. I ran out to turn off the hose, and realized that my mower was not covered. So, I had to cover it and it wasn't easy. The wind had picked up and I couldn't find what hubby had been using to hold down the tarp. Finally got it done, then went in the house. By the time I was finally able to get to bed, it was almost 10:00. The storm wasn't much. We got very little rain out of it, and the farm got even less.

Today I spent some time on the computer doing some research. My library is so messed up that I can't find some info I need to figure out where in this area we can move. The area we're in has a ton of oak trees. Hubby is allergic to them. So, if he and I are going to stay together, we need to move to an area that doesn't have as many oaks. That means we need a different type of soil. There are different types of zones in the states. Where we live is what's called the outer coastal plain. The soil is more sandy. Go east, and it gets even sandier and you hit the Jersey Pine Barrens. Go west, and the soil has more clay and it's called the inner coastal plain. The trees in that area are different, and he doesn't seem to have a problem. So, I was doing some research trying to figure out where it went from one type of soil to another. No matter what term I tried to use I just couldn't find exactly what I was looking for.

I finally quit, ate a quick breakfast, hung clothes out on the line, and went to the farm. Got quite a bit done there. In one section, I raked up some stemmy hay that the horses hadn't eaten and threw it on Mt. Manure. There was a pine branch down on the fence, so I took that off. I looked for trash, then pulled up some jimson weed. I also weeded along the run in, and the fence line in the one section. And, I limed that section.

I don't know if it's the heat or what, but Stormy isn't eating all of his 2nd feeding. Today makes 3 days in a row that he had some left. So, I think I'm going to have to cut him back. He was almost up to 7 lbs, I'll cut him back to 6, and see how he does on that.

Chicks are enjoying the freedom of running around my area. And, the older birds are not really giving them a problem. In just a couple of weeks, I'm hoping to have them out w/the adults full time. After all, I'm going to need my broody area if the one does hatch out anything, as well as for the chicks I have at home.

Managed to get the rest of the shirts that I had started to iron ironed. I also vacuumed the living room and swept the kitchen. That's the first time either has been done in awhile. Got some work done in my garden. I would have had more done, but hubby came home and started bothering me. I didn't finish what all I wanted to do. I don't know if I would have finished or not if he had left me alone.

Saturday he said we were going to work on building my hay shelter. Now, he's talking about working in the yard instead. I just might go and do it by myself. I really want to get the hay out of my trailer. I want to start my lessons next week and can't do it if I don't have my trailer.

 

[Denim Deb]

If I had any doubt as to whether or not I was over my cold, yesterday and today showed me that I'm definitely over it. I got a ton done yesterday, then did a ton more today. I was late leaving since hubby wanted to to stop and pay a bill. And, it was one I needed to pay by check. Since we very rarely pay anything by check, I couldn't find a checkbook. I'm not sure how long I looked B4 I finally found one. Normally I keep one in the truck for just in case, but had brought it in for some reason. I'll be putting this back in after I pay the bill. Never made it today.

Since it was so late when I left, I got to the farm late. Got everyone fed, then pulled my manure spreader into my field and cleaned my field. It filled the spreader up completely! I actually had a bucket full that didn't fit in, but I knew that once I started to pull it, the manure would settle and then it would fit. W/this done, I went and got RU's mower. I had told her yesterday that I'd mow for her. I put gas in the mower, start it up and it wouldn't move! And, it was facing a wall. So, I turned it off, and was able to push the mower out to where I could look at it. I poked around the pedal, figured out the cruise control, but still couldn't get it to move. Then I walked around the back. There's some kind of pull at the back. And if you have it one way, you can push it, but not drive it. And that's the way it was set. So, I moved this, started the mower and it worked!

Got my field mowed, then hooked up the spreader, and drove into CL's field. I also carried the bucket in. Unhooked the spreader and put both it and the bucket out of the way, then mowed CL's field. When I got done, I was going to mow the riding arena, but RU had asked yesterday if I could mow a couple of other areas. She was on the tractor doing some work, and came over and asked if I could do them first. They haven't been touched yet this year, so they were really bad! In some areas, I had to do 2 passes to cut weeds, and even then, some of it STILL was standing! I was almost done when I ran out of gas. RU had been supposed to get more, but hadn't had a chance to. So, she went to get it.

While I was waiting, I gave Stormy his 2nd feeding. He still didn't eat it all. While he was eating, I scrubbed my water tank and refilled it, moved the electric for my field, closed and locked the gate into my field, then weeded Mt. Manure. Once he was done, I let everyone back in.

RU got back w/the gas, but since she didn't have a whole lot of money and had had to get diesel as well, she didn't get a lot of gas. But, I was able to finish what I was mowing, then mow PT's field, spread my manure, then mow the riding arena. I don't mow LF's field since she has her own mower, and either mows it herself, or pays some guy to mow it. (I wish she'd pay me to do it!) The only part of the farm that hasn't been mowed now is the big, back pasture. The bush hog is still not working and RU isn't sure what she's going to do about the field.

All this took longer than expected, so I went straight home. Ate dinner, fed the goats and went out and worked in my garden. I'm still behind, but not by as much. I've been working on putting up lines for a "trellis" for my tomatoes and haven't been able to keep up w/it. I now have another line up for all of them. Plus, I weeded them. Tomorrow, I'll be giving them a good soaking, then adding more old hay. What I have down isn't thick enough.

W/all that I've done, I should be feeling beat, but I'm not. So, it looks like I'm back! Tomorrow, I'll be working, so I'm not sure what all I'm going to get done.

 

[Britesea]

Glad to hear you have your energy back!

 

[Denim Deb]

So am I! I was getting even farther behind, and just couldn't seem to get motivated to do anything.

 

[Denim Deb]

But of course, no matter how much I get done in a day, it's not enough for hubby. I got a ton more done today. I worked for 3.5 hours, plus took care of my animals, did some laundry, worked in the garden, and in spite of the rock hard ground, managed to get all the holes dug for my hay shelter. And that wasn't easy! I couldn't get down very far, so I had to put water in the holes and find something else to do for a bit. Some of the posts had stuff on them, so I got that all off, then went back to the holes. Got some all the way dug, but the rest needed to soak a bit more. So I got the chickens all taken care of. But the holes are all dug and I stuck the posts in them as a safety precaution. But hubby complained that I didn't finish the dishes and then got upset because I was doing them after he got home. If things do not change, I cannot see us staying together. Most days, I work 10+ hours, and more often than not, it's hard, physical work.

 

[BarredBuff]

I can relate to an extent to your predicament.

 

[Denim Deb]

I'm getting closer and closer to leaving him. I'm getting tired of dealing w/him. He seems like he's getting better, then goes right back to his old ways.

 

[Denim Deb]

Just got home from the farm and I'm taking a much needed break. This morning, I finished weeding my garden and started working on the trellis for my vine crops. Ran out of baling twine, and rather than coming in and getting another ball of it, I worked on weeding my orchard area. I got part done.

DD came over. The plan was for us to all go over to the farm and work together on getting my hay shelter built. Well hubby decided that since I needed to go to the feed store and had to take some stuff, I could go early, then they'd come a bit later. While I was in the feed store, I decided that since I was hoping for more chicks, and my chicks at home are using the chick waterer and feeder, I'd better pick up another one. Got that, got my feed and headed to the farm.

Of course, as soon as I got there Stormy wanted to be fed. So I fed him. KN hadn't let my chicks out this morning. I tried to call her to tell her to, but she forgot her phone. So I decided I'd let them out, then check on Emily. The chicks were very happy to get out. And when I checked on Emily, she had 3 extra eggs under her. I took them out. And I was very careful doing it. One day, I got one of the eggs she was hatching out, and didn't discover it until too late. There was a chick pretty much developed in there. When I was checking the eggs, I though I heard one peeping, so I held it up to my ear. Sure enough, it was saying peep, peep peep! Hubby got there not long after I did. I told him I wanted to get something made first so no other hen could get in there, but the chicks had room to move around, and wouldn't fall out. He wouldn't do it. He came to work on the hay shelter and that was it.

Since I already had the holes dug, we started working on the posts. I told him that 2 of the holes were probably too deep and I needed to fill them in some. He got all upset and insisted they were fine. He and DD started working on putting dirt around the posts. I decided to see if I could figure out how to build the platform for in the hen house by myself. They got the posts done, then he asked about 2x4s. There's a whole bunch of used ones in this area. So, he pull out 3 long ones. DD started working to get the nails and staples out of them. She got them all done, we're getting ready to put them up when hubby realizes that he forgot his screwdriver bits as well as the screws he was going to use. And while I have some screws, they're not long enough. Plus he started complaining that the one post was in the ground too far. So he and DD decided to leave. He wouldn't stay and help me.

I got back to work. I didn't have a clue as to how to make this, and I did do parts of it wrong, but I got it done. And, I got it done just in time! When I went to put it in, I decided to check under her one last time to make sure there were no extra eggs in there. There weren't, but there was a chick!!!!!!!! So that is in place w/some feed and water in it. It wasn't quite wide enough, so I took a piece of the plastic mesh I used to fill in the gap. I'm hoping that by tomorrow, or Monday at the latest, she's done hatching them out, and I can move them.

 

[Denim Deb]

Is it OK for me to be upset? When I got home, I found both him and DD gone. Hubby had talked about doing something on the grill and I had no idea what he was doing, nor when he would be home. I was hungry, so I ate a piece of watermelon and a hard boiled egg. Then I went out and worked in the garden some more. I now have half of the trellis done. They finally showed up after 8:00. And, they had gone out to dinner. No call to see if I'd like some takeouts, nor did they just order me something that they'd knew I'd like. Plus, hubby was drunk. So, when I got done in the garden, I came in and made myself some potato soup. I like it, it's quick and easy to make and it's filling. At times, I feel like I'm on a roller coaster w/him. I was all happy that he came out to the farm, but now I'm upset that they went out w/no thought of me.

 

[Britesea]

Doesn't sound like they did that much at the farm either. You are being used, ignored, and abused by both of them. Are you sure you wouldn't be better off without them?