Canesisters 2024 journal

Mini Horses said:

Boiling water on their nests....then salt.

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I spray the nest with ant poison. Salt on the ground will prevent plant growth.

You can use sevin dust if you have a mind to. Boiling water works until you have plants growing there.

I gave the whole bed a good long soak this AM while waiting on Eva's bathtub to fill.
They're not fire ants. Or if they are, they're total pacifists. I had dozens on me & only got bitten 2 or 3 times. Not even a bad as a mosquito, itched for a moment & done.

Had a Sister Day Sat. Went back up to Gilman Farm for their VA Pickers event. Lots of fascinating antiques & knickknacks. I was surprised that it was soo much smaller than the swap meet. The vendors were mostly only around the front of the main buildings. I did get an iron dragon candle holder for a friend for Christmas. Then to The Cheesecake Factory for lunch

The 1st garden bed is nicely filled for now. I need to start adding the manure from the hay feeder & have decided that if I can't get the neighbor with the tractor to help me move the muck, the next best option is going to be to move the feeder to a new location. It's bordering on risky to Eva's hoof health to keep feeding her there & it'll be a big plus to my back health to let it dry out a bit before digging it up.

My sister has invited her in-laws to Thanksgiving dinner (at my place) I'm all in on 'The More, The Merrier' but they are quite a bit more 'city' & now I'm a little anxious about all the pretty-ing-up I'm feeling needs to be done. 9 full days off between now & then

So Sis & I were both whining yesterday about things hurting & getting old & stuff.
We decided that since we both have a "laundry rack" at home, we were going to hold each other accountable to USE it at least once a day & share times & distance.
It took me 30mins just to dig it out of storage & clean it off. When I first brought it home years ago (free to me), the display would just come on once I started using it so I assumed it was powered off the wheel or something. WHO KNEW it had batteries . Found out where they were & how to get to them, removed the old ones & cleaned the corrosion. The Beast is back in action.
I'll not embarrass myself by posting how far I got today..... I'll just wait until I hit .5 mile.

THE BEAST. (I already hate this thing)

I know the feeling. Pretty up the place but don’t go overboard. I’m sure they will enjoy your farm and most of all-YOU! Sounds like fun.

Big day on the farm!

Eva's hay feeder has been a God send by making it possible for me to store & feed round bales without a tractor. BUT.... since my help is apparently no longer interested in helping with his tractor, I've GOT to do something to get her out of the DEEP muck that has built up around the hay ring.
So today I set up a new location for it!!!
Still the same pasture, just a little way down the fence line. I'm hoping that this might even work out better because where the original one sat cross-wise on a little slope (rain & general muck moisture "drained" under from one side to the other) ; this location is pointing straight down hill. Hopefully, what WILL drain, will drain faster & more easily.
Bonus - once she is away from the muck pile, it'll dry faster & I can move loads more easily to the compost garden.

The Muck


The new location. The original one is to my left. Moving the trailer & ring tomorrow AM. My hay guy will be able to pull straight in the drive & back right to it. No turning to line up at a right angle.


There is a wild pasture gourd growing in the muck. Any clue what it is & if it's edible?




I also found this cool, tiny, metallic looking, lacy leaf

rachels.haven said:

View attachment 112463

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Hummmm...... how do I fix that?
Going to YouTube & clicking buttons.