2010 - Day Seventy Three...

If you are interested in mud wrestling, come on down! Yesterday was a really pretty day, but work and life interfered with my plans for a 'do-nothing' day. BUT, today went pretty much as planned. I got up (I have no idea what time I got up, I am still confused with the time change) but it was dark, and I went out to fetch the paper, and came back and had most of it read and my coffee consumed before Jody got up. Before 8 o'clock (new time) Miguel was here with his crew, and I was dispatched to get gasoline for all the empty gas cans strewn from pillar to post around the place. As long as I was in Bartlett, I decided I might as well try the new donut shop that we heard had opened. I picked up two croissants filled with eggs, cheese, bacon and sausage. They were delicious. I also got us two apple fritters. I saved MY fritter until about 2:30 (in lieu of lunch) and it was very good, not really greasy, not overwhelmingly sweet. Happily it was MUCH BETTER than the last fritter I purchased (over a year ago) in Taylor. I hope this place will make a go of it.

ANYWAY, Miguel and his crew got a good bit of work done, and the place looks a lot better. It is crazy how out of control it had gotten. It has been probably three months since anything had been done. Whenever the yard and grounds start getting out of control, I have flashback on 'Grey Gardens'. This place could easily be covered up be vegetation, it probably would not take more than a year or two for the whole place to disappear under the vines.

I shredded tall grass on about three acres or so on the side of the house, and that took a long time, even with the tractor. Of course, I had to take time out to socialize a little bit with Hubert and Michael, and then took a little time out to socialize with Randy. Pauline gave us a jar of jelly or preserves (not sure, it really won't matter when we are eating it). I had called her to see if Michael and Hubert were around (I was having tractor issues) and asked her what she was doing; she said she was making yo-yos for the church. ANYWAY, Michael and Hubert had been in Holland buying fertilizer, and when they got back, I took the tractor over there, I could not get the drive shaft to turn for the shredder. Operator error, I am a dumb-ass. Whatever, anyway, we got to talking about the electric fence, and they came over later and we FINALLY have the fence electrified, so I let the cattle loose to graze in the back pasture. I hope they will be content for a little while. Jody and I went back there to feed the cattle and one of the new calves was confused and could not get to its' mama, so we herded the calf into the front pasture where all the cattle had gone, and in doing so got the Mule stuck in the mud. Had to push the mule out of the mud with the tractor. SO far, the tractor is the only thing at the place that I have not been able to get stuck in the mud. Stay tuned.

We are beginning to have spring blossoms. The top photo is what Jody calls 'Dutchman's Britches'. They look like little bells and they are really pretty. Then we have two Iris blooming (hold on to your seats...when they all start blooming there will be lots of photos), and the peach tree is blooming; we are all surprised that it made the summer. We think we lost about three trees in the drought last year, and we won't know for sure for another couple of weeks.

The consensus about the newest calf is still questionable. I still think it is a heifer, Miguel thinks it is a bull calf. Michael thought it was a bull calf, then a heifer. Hubert thinks it is a heifer. I still have not see it pee, so I have no clue what it is. More news on that front (or back or bottom or whatever) as it is made available.

Done!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, WEEDS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!