If it makes you feel any better, I took a nap today. I thought I was going to have plenty of time to get everything done, but it didn't happen.
We've had quite a bit of rain lately. And, I needed to put out RBs for RUs horses. Because the grass is coming up, and she wants them to graze as much as possible, I was only going to put one bale in each of 4 fields. To put the RB in one field, I drive into the RP, and drop it over the fence. Once I had it out, I then had to worry about getting the RB in the other field. And, that's where I ran into problems. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to get thru the mud, but figured I'd give it a good try. Well, not only didn't it work, but I dropped the RB! And, I couldn't pick it back up.
Every time I tried, it just wanted to tip over. So I left it. I decided to try w/another RB, but drive closer to the RP. It looked like it might have been drier over there. Well, I tried, and still couldn't get thru. I didn't want to drop this RB, so I made sure the bucket was high enough so the RB wouldn't accidentally drag on the ground, and made sure the spear was pointing up. I was doing fine, the RB was staying put, and I was backing out of the field. (Couldn't go forward, so I had to back up.) I was almost back to the gate when I looked forward. And there was THAT RB on the ground!
I have no idea how it even came off, and I couldn't pick up that one either. So, I decided to go the long way to get a RP into this field. It meant driving the tractor on the road for a couple hundred feet, then going down a dirt lane to a gate, going thru the gate to the fence around this field, and dropping it over the fence. But, there wasn't much gas in the tractor to begin with, and I hadn't been sure I would make it. I didn't want to run out of gas, plus that gate is a PITA to open. I get out of the field-and run out of gas.
I go to the house. No one is there. I check the gas cans. There's not any gas in any of them. So, I grab a gas can and walk over to my truck. Only problem being, my truck is hooked up to my trailer. I had 3 RBs in it, and I needed to put 1 out. And to make it so I could GET to the trailer, my truck is facing the wrong way. There's no way I could unhook my truck w/out turning the trailer around. So, I get in, back up my truck, pull down the lane a ways, then back my trailer in, unhook it, and go get gas. Once back at the farm, I put the gas in the tractor, leave it sit while I drive back over to my trailer, hook it up, pull it out, go down the lane for a bit, then back up to where I can pull the truck in. Then, I opened the trailer door, and went back over to where the tractor was parked. The tractor started right up. I got a RB off, then went down the road, to the lane, down the lane, thru the gate, thru the field, drop the RB and go back. Since all the horses were in the front, I hadn't even bothered to close the gate. I shut it when I went back thru.
Once I was done w/that bale, I went up to where I was parked, and was able to get a RB out of my trailer. Then, I had to go down the lane, down the road, down the driveway and into the RP to drop it over the fence in my field. Right now, that's the only way to get hay in there. Then, I had to get 1 more of RU's RBs, and put it out in the last field. Once I was done, I parked the tractor, then walked back over to my area. I had just changed out of my muck boots into my regular boots when RU pulled up. (She's recovered enough to start driving again.) She needed my help taking something out of her truck bed, and putting it in her horse trailer. She got a used kayak! She was saying that she needed to find another one so we could go kayaking when I reminder her that I have a canoe. I have thought at times of trading it in, and getting a kayak, but was unsure if I wanted to or not. Well, I sat in her kayak. It took me all of 10 seconds to decide. I'm sticking w/my canoe. W/the damage I have in my back, I can't do a kayak. So, I pick up her kayak, and stick it in her horse trailer. Then I told her about the RBs. She wasn't happy, and I can't say I blame her. She's going to see if her hubby can get them out, but she also knows what that mud is like. So, she's not mad at me.
Once she left, I grabbed a lead rope. There is one horse there that's a real PITA. He's under the impression that fences are NOT for him, and it's not unusual to find him in the wrong field. I keep telling RU that she needs to charge his owner more, but so far, she hasn't. Yesterday, he not only got into the wrong field, but broke a board at the top of the exterior fence, and was loose! KN was the one that found him out, so she put him in the riding arena. His field is one that I put a RB in, so I hooked the lead rope onto his collar (yes, he wears a leather collar like a dog), and put him back in the field he belongs in. Hopefully for now, he'll stay put.
By the time I was done messing w/him, it was 4:30! And, I hadn't gotten done a thing I wanted to get done. I decided I was going to clean the new piles of manure out of my field at the very least. Since the RB in the back had been gone, the horses spent the majority of their time in the front field. If I leave just the 4 in that field, I normally get 4-8 gallon buckets of manure. Today, I got 10!
I still had to feed Stormy, plus I had no feed set up for tomorrow. So, I fed him, got the feed set up, back up my truck, and get it turned around, then drop the trailer. Then I could finally go home. But when I left, all the horses were in the back field, so maybe I won't have too much to clean tomorrow. Needless to say, I didn't get much done at home once I finally got there.
Plus, I'd have the goat's milk I'm wanting.
Pray for me. I'm to the point where I honestly don't know what to do, stay or leave. I have very mixed feelings about it.
