Margali's Griffin Wood Ranch

[Ridgetop]

Do you have any spoiled hay? Or hay that is old and not very nutritious? You can spread that down and just keep adding layers to keep them up out of the mud. We use straw here and one El Nino year we did not clear the barn al winter because it rained all winter. Over 2' of straw to keep the gosts and kids out of the mud where it was running into the barn pens! Cleanout was horrendous since we can't use a tractor in the barn in CA. You know that the old friars used to make adobe with clay, straw and manure? That is what we had in our barn. Had to use a mattock to loosen the straw and wheelbarrow it all out by hand. It was like digging concrete up by hand except the long straw and hay refused to separate.

 

[Ridgetop]

Another thing you can consider for wet winters is to use frames with expanded mesh on top as flooring in the barn.

 

[Margali]

@Ridgetop the area around the hay bales is pretty dry from all the waste hay they are packing in. It was just the transition next to water trough and doorway that was staying soup. I am DEFINITELY going to be renting a mini walk behind skid steer for clean out and raising grade.

 

[Margali]

So l wired logs to low spots and wove new fence across gap.

The ladies are out grazing with Hera.

 

[Margali]

Hopefully one of the many HR interviews Alijah has been getting leads to a job.

 

[Margali]

Wow, GIS server has a recent aerial photo from close to max flood of the pond.

This picture is full but not flooded pond with water flow marked up.

 

[Margali]

One newish co-work got me so pissed off I lost my temper slightly today. His stupidity was going to ruin my project that I spent 3 months on. He came into my office while I was writing a response to the email thread of his stupidity. I am VERY proud of myself in that I did not cuss him out or throw anything. I ordered "I'M NOT TALKING TO YOU. GET OUT!" when he tried to talk to me. Boss lady gave me the afternoon off when I called and told her about the debacle.

 

[Margali]

I worked on fencing with my unexpected free times. I have most of the south meadow fenced off. I'm leaving the water meadow to mother nature not trying to build road across it.

Here is the new pasture plan. Green is existing fence w orange gates. Light blue is future fence. Yellow is graveled road while peach is unpaved. Dark blue are barns. Brown is future house.

 

[Baymule]

The flood picture is great. It shows you what to avoid. You have experienced drought, freeze and flood now and have a clear and better idea how to utilize what you have.

When you put up fence, do you have a fence stretcher? If you don’t, I do. I’m betting that you don’t have anything to anchor to, in order to stretch the wire tight.

I’m volunteering myself to come spend a weekend to help you stretch fence. I can load up my tractor, bring come along and tools. If you could take off a Friday or Monday, we could make it 3 days. We could get a lot done and get you further towards your goals.

 

[Margali]

I have a stretcher bar but no H braces in yet. We should be getting our quarterly bonus check by end of month. Plan is to use that $$ to buy H brace material and rent tools if need. I'm not sure about wood or pipe for braces.

I would LOVE company and some expertise to get it stretched correctly!!!! Once we figure out when I'll borrow family's rv or such to have a guest room.