I spent a good bit of time in the garden yesterday. I completely weeded out two small beds, the same beds where I planted peas. There are probably 10 pea plants growing and I left them to see how they do, but I believe it’s going to end up being too warm for them to thrive. Yesterday, I planted green beans in the same beds, including some pole beans which I put at the ends of the beds (I’ll mount cattle panels for them to climb on). Note: I will install cattle panels for them to climb on before they start climbing on other things. My goal this year is to keep up with the garden. So far, I’m doing a reasonable job. It’s supposed to be up close to 80 degrees today, it’s already 58 degrees and that’s what the forecast is for the next 10 days. Unseasonably warm and little rain. That means I’ll be watering. I need to get the tomato plants mulched today to conserve water and prevent blight. The straw from the rabbit pen will work perfectly for that task.
I feel like I’m not budgeting my time all that well, but maybe I am, I just do a lot during the day. I get up at 5AM, make coffee (or iced tea), Wally’s lunch and then get on the computer. I research, find material to add to the Rock House Farm FB page, read what’s been posted via the Spellcast FB page, write a post here, then head out to milk and do the rest of the chores. I do think I spent too much time on the computer. It’s quite addictive, it always has been.
Today is going to be a bit busier than normal because I have to deliver meat and eggs around noon, then meet Wally at 2:30 to go and pick up Poncho (the Jersey bull).
Yesterday I cut a trash can full of grass for the rabbits. Damned if they didn’t eat it all. The cages that I have the mothers with babies in must have a giant hole in the back of it that I can’t see. I put huge batches of grass, weeds, hay, etc. in there and in an hour, it’s gone! On my way to deliver meat, I’ll cut another trash can full of grass for them. I found a patch of either rye or wheat grass growing on a vacant lot. I believe the lot is part of what was formerly farm land and the grass is reseeding itself. Less than a quarter of a mile from the patch are fields of rye or wheat grass.
I put the Chin X babies that belonged to the doe that died in the tractor with the older kits. They seem better in there. Some of the rabbits in the tractor are close to fryer-size. The weather is supposed to be nice this weekend so we’ll be able to finish another tractor. I need to take the Creme doe that I’m keeping out of the tractor she’s in so she doesn’t get bred.
I should have more purebred Chin babies today or tomorrow. Both first time mothers. They’ve both built nests so all should be okay.
I’ve mentioned numerous times that Wally is off all next week. We have an ever-growing list of things to get done before the Animal Welfare people visit (whenever that will be!); but I’d like to try to make it a point to ride Sudi next week. I have that Western saddle that I had refleeced and worked on that I haven’t even put on his back. I’m thinking if I can ride him continuously for a week, he may settle down enough to ride. It seems I can’t sell him. Sudi is a good horse, but he’s nothing to look at and he’s not registered and that hurts him. If I were to get him riding decently, I could get some videos taken of him which may help. I need to market him better. Either that or just accept that he’s here to stay. I need to get fly repellant oil ordered so that he doesn’t start rubbing himself to death like he did last year.
It’s time to close this.
Until later …