Promise Acre: Our Journey

[promiseacres]

@CntryBoy777 I am sure my lazy days aren't too different than yours.
We went to church, then lunch. Then cleaned out the baler. And home to do chores and made a birthday supper for Josh. Then sat all evening passing the time with our friends who joined us. It was a lovely cool evening. And the cake was great.

 

[farmerjan]

Congrats on the hay. Yep, have put a few wagons full into the barn on flat tires rather than have the hay sit out and maybe get wet. Ruined a rim or 2 over the years, but that is cheap compared to a wagon full of hay. Wonderful feeling to see the hay in the barn. We made about 35 + acres in the past 2 days. Had a horrendous t-storm, downpour on Thursday after hot humid weather in the 90's. Cut the one place Fri aft and I tedded it out Sat. Then on Sat, he cut the custom place, and the last 9 acre field of ours to make. The first field I raked today and he baled behind me as it was pretty dry due to being mature. There was alot of second growth up in it though so not too bad hay. The custom place is about 15+ acres and was rather light this year. Didn't tedd it but it was pretty well cured when I raked and my son got it baled tonight. Just a couple of tough (green) spots. It is a joy to rake. Long straight rows..... Got over 80 4x5 rolls. They wanted smaller rolls than the normal 5x6 rolls we do as they don't have as big a tractor to handle the large ones. So we bale it with the net wrap baler. The 9 acre field was quite green., I tedded it out this morning, and will rake it tomorrow and hopefully we will get it rolled. There is a 20-40% chance of pop up showers all according to which station you listen to; I am hoping they are wrong. Originally they said less than 20% chance on Manday then 40%+ chance starting Tuesday. We are supposed to see some of the Tropical storm rain maybe on wed/thurs.

Your tedder looks like ours but I can't get the picture to enlarge for some reason. Does your have the hydraulics that fold up the 2 sides? Our older one you have to pull a lever and fold them in behind the other wheels, but the newer one they fold up for transport Also had one that we had to lift the sides up by hand for transport. The hydraulic cylinders make it alot easier on me physically, just can't use it with the 2 older tractors that do not have the hydraulic hookups. But it sure can speed up the drying when you are racing natures whims.

 

[promiseacres]

@farmerjan I think it has hydrolics to lift the sides. Honestly I didn't get to see it in action. I helped DH get it hitched then took the kids over to the neighbors to swim... Teaching me to drive this tractor is on the to do list... I have driven tractors here and there but not too many older ones...and he can stack much better and longer than I can. We have been having a college boy help so far. Good kid but we'll miss him when he goes back to college. Loves any physical work. He'll roof all day then help us bale that evening. Hard to find that kind of work ethic.

 

[farmerjan]

Boy, you are right about finding someone with that work ethic. They are worth their weight in gold. I have slowly learned to drive all the different ones we have. And believe me, the ones designing the tractors always manage to come up with changing something from one model or year to another.... not to mention different brands. Because I have some memory problems from the bad car wreck in 1989, I HAVE KEPT A "CHEAT SHEET" that I will refer to on different tractors... No joke. And there are certain ones I like better than others. But it is hard to always remember where the pto lever is, and on the big 4x4 John Deere, it is actually just a little knob on the "side board" (as opposed to the dashboard) that you just turn. And it is not a standard shift/standard gear tractor, so I forget all the combinations it can be put into.....

 

[Baymule]

What are the weeds pictured in your first picture?

New equipment looks good! Of course, it looks even better with that handsome guy next to it.

 

[promiseacres]

What are the weeds pictured in your first picture?

New equipment looks good! Of course, it looks even better with that handsome guy next to it.

Giant ragweed, some of it is 10+feet tall.. we also have some lovely patches of canadian thistles... those have gone to seed already... DH hopes to bushhog some of it this week.

 

[Bruce]

Both sound like plants that are unwelcome!

 

[promiseacres]

Going to start mowing down the weeds at the farm and DH is hopeful to plant hay in the the 3ish acres that was in beans last year.
We went to the lake over the past weekend, very lovely time, fishing and swimming. Jocelyn caught the most fish.. mostly little ones we threw back... but we caught enough big ones that we'll have them for dinner tonight.
I was hoping/planning on some trail riding but our trailer jack post got bent with all the hay in the trailer... so it needs fixed. Maybe next week. So Jocelyn and I rode at home this morning. Rode in the pens then out around the house and up the road just a bit. Richie was calling to the other horses... Rayne on the other hand did perfectly. Other than she's learned that she can just stand and not go anywhere... smart pony. Which is why I put a lead on her. After our excursion John rode Richie in the pens (he says he likes riding him better than Daisy... , Richie hasn't spooked for him... so we'll see when that happens if he feels the same. ) Tomorrow some friends are coming to ride so we'll get Daisy saddled too. Love that the kids are doing great helping groom and tack and catch the horses.

 

[CntryBoy777]

The really good thing about it is, that when they grow and get older the more "knowledge, experience, and routine" they gain....and are much more help to ya....so Glad ya are able to just settle and Enjoy "life" away from all those "hassels" that kept holding ya back.....

 

[promiseacres]

Working on the weeds at the farm, DH is using his sickle bar.. it gets damaged a bit but no tires are being punctured... finding lots of broken of t posts in the pasture.

DH also plowed the 3 1/2 acre field that will be planted for a hay field. Which is good while Richie is doing great with the cow pasture hay but Duke and Daisy need better quality. Debating how to set up their pens. Definitely some dry lots but but possibly something bigger with pasture for the horses that can tolerate it and need it. Right now though our current pastures are have very eaten parts and other places need mowed... needing to mow it and get some rain.
We also took down the cobbled cow fence at the south end of the corn crib.


Started pulling some of the old carpets in the house.. and the bulldozer and excavation work should happen this week. Getting the septic permit too.