rachels.haven's Journal

[rachels.haven]

The netting came on Saturday night and we put it up Sunday as soon as the rain stopped. I attached it to the existing machine shed pen. It was interesting to see who the thick, stubborn, belligerent goats are as the fence came on. The one bitey Sugar baby dwarf had to be shocked again and again and again. I think she has an authority issue. Lace tried to fight with the fence, then stand on it, then posture at it all evening and Mallow tried to bit the netting down first thing, full mouth. That went GREAT. Bailey learned the fence and is now afraid of all the fencing, cattle panels included. Poor dear is very sensitive (bless her sweet, soft food guarding heart). Moses learned the fence this morning from the outside of the enclosure while running loose. He is not sensitive, lol. Loud, but not afraid. He hasn't been shocked twice though so I guess he's figured it out. I think I'm confident enough to run electric polywire around our boundary line a few times now. The fence people say we're "next" on the list, so as soon as they come and go I will start the "stay off the fence" electric wires.

Another tree top fell on the fence, a maple this time, about 20 feet from the last. Just like the last time, if the fence had been tight and not unraveling nothing would have been damaged/changed. I'm going to get bar and chain oil today and get out my electric chainsaw and deal with the tree tops. I'm suspicious if we stay for any length of time I'll need to budget a lot to take down as many trees as I can from that area. It appears to be becoming too wet with our soggy and hot climate. (soil doesn't hold water, but we're getting a whole lot of it)

 

[rachels.haven]

In the mean time we have a thick white cloud of haze and an airquality alert. MassAir rates our air today as "unhealthy" and it's starting to trigger my asthma to boot. We had an alert yesterday too and off and on last week, but this today is comparable to the smog I got to live in while going to college in an urban valley. I'm amused people consider this area "rural". Is there a wildfire or something? Although it smells a bit like ozone or hot metal out there and not smoke.

 

[Baymule]

The evening news shows a map of the western fire’s smoke being carried on wind currents to the east coast. That means you. What about getting one of those painters breathing things that filter out the fumes? Can’t think of the name of the darn thing and too lazy to go outside in the 99F temps to look at mine.

I have an electric chainsaw too! I love it, it’s light weight, the Husquavarna we have is too heavy for me.

 

[rachels.haven]

That makes sense. I've got to get new filters for our air purifiers or filters or whatever. They haven't been used since we left the moldy house, but they will help inside. I'll look into painters options for outside. Too bad I don't have a barn. I'd go to war with the air quality if I could shut everyone in closed stalls.
I know it on the weight for power tools. We got electric for chainsaw and weed wacker because carrying all that weight for potentially hours is unnecessary difficulty and I'm willing to stop for a charge every few hours as a trade. I'd rather not carry the gas around. The weed wacker is great (just need to find the battery after the move, lol). I'm hoping the chainsaw will be too.

 

[Baymule]

I can’t cut big trees down, but I can trim limbs and cut smaller trees.

 

[rachels.haven]

That's probably wise. I'm not going to be doing the big trees either. Trees over a certain size I think should involve an expert. Costly, but living is the goal.

 

[Margali]

I just got the milwaukee m18 electric chainsaw. I'll post how it goes. I'm with you on weight of gas powered.

 

[Baymule]

Not to mention having to yank that durned rope to get a gas powered chainsaw started! I can't pull rope anything, never have had that magic touch and at this point, it's highly doubtful that I ever will.

 

[Bruce]

Is there a wildfire or something? Although it smells a bit like ozone or hot metal out there and not smoke.

Fires in the US west coast AND in Quebec. We are getting smoke from both. I don't notice any smoke smell but the sun this morning was a very ruddy red.

 

[farmerjan]

We have had some of that hazy reddish clouds and they said ours was from the smoke from the fires out west too....