Thistleblooms Rambles

[farmerjan]

@thistlebloom.... will have to talk to you about the type building for future reference if I get this house..... maybe the same type building done by another company? Sounds like a good deal for you and it will be so n ice to have a building to get into in the winter to do chores without all the make do. Too bad it seems to come as we get older, when we could have saved ourselves so much work just surviving and making do when we were younger. I'm too far away (haha) for them to come all this way to Va....

 

[thistlebloom]

I'll definitely share any info I can. This outfit is based in Oregon. When they get enough jobs in one area they load up a big trailer and head out to do them in one shot. My neighbors said the guys actually run!
You can have nearly any configuration you want. My hay barn is three sided with no door, but will be so much easier to load hay into than my CP tube.
So they get your dimensions and the particulars then weld all the units up and put them together kit form, on your prepared pad.

 

[thistlebloom]

we could have saved ourselves so much work just surviving and making do when we were younger.

Surviving and making do is what we do though isn't it? I guess if life had always been cushy we all wouldn't have so much character and fortitude, right?
These projects are a result of my FIL leaving all his kids a little money when he passed away last year. My husband figured it would serve us better improving the property than devaluing in the bank. Grateful to his dad for considering us.

 

[farmerjan]

Yep, making do and pushing is what we do when we are young..... but if it wasn't so hard on the body, just think that we could enjoy this "older age" without so many aches and pains and maladies..... I don't mind years of work, just wish it hadn't been so hard on the body.... the joints especially....

 

[thistlebloom]

We had the drive and the energy to push, and bodies that took the punishment better. We just lacked the foresight to temper all that get-to-it with a little more patience.

 

[drstratton]

We got another 36 yards yesterday. One load for the garage and two loads for my HAY BARN!!!
I can't believe I will have an actual dry building that is not composed of cattle panels and tarps. We got a date today. They will be coming to work on them June 16. So dh has 19 days to get his butt in gear. Hahaha. Just kidding honey.

I thought I'd share a picture of him screeding rocks, since some of you were having a hard time picturing it.

View attachment 74387

And a closeup of what a screeded rock surface should look like.

View attachment 74388

And this one is just because. Because I love my little sweet potato, and because the sun was shining!

View attachment 74389

Thank you for the visual! Your husband is as particular as mine is! The end result always turns out fantastic because of that fact!

 

[thistlebloom]

Yesterday was a good productive one, even if my list didn't all get checked off, lol.
After all the work I took Syringa over to the state park for a late evening ride. *This will be more of me blathering on about my horse, so you may want to plug your ears here (if you're reading aloud) or close your eyes and skip to the rest farther below, if there is anything else I can think of talking about.
We had the most pleasant time. The park was empty, we were the only ones there. Not even a mountain biker or hiker around. I guess everybody trailered in early in the a.m.. My neighbor rode at 8:00 and said it was super busy. Everyone trying to beat the heat and the coming thunderstorm I guess.
I didn't check the weather before I left, so thunderstorm or not we were going!
She just calmly steps into my old two horse straight load now. Hard to believe it's the same anxious mare that I spent hours with, working on loading. The day she finally got all four feet in was a huge day in my book. Then more hours of getting the back door shut, etc. Yep, she has turned the corner for sure! I wish the mustang TIP trainer that haltered and tied broke her could see her now. She was described as "rank" by his wife, and he said if she didn't work out for me I could exchange her for another within a year. (BLM rules)
I know they were highly skeptical about her turning into a good riding horse. Fortunately I'm as hard headed as she was, and we make a great team now, haha.
Back to yesterday, we rode down the wide dirt roads to begin with, then turned off on a single track. She gets some anxiety in the closeness of trees on both sides, but she went ahead and trusted me and we rode along in there for a bit then popped out on a more open double track. I was real happy that there were no deer lurking in the trees to blast off and startle her. But her confidence is growing each time we go out. She's got a nice swingy forward walk and a real smooth trot. She's soft as warm butter on the reins ( most of the time) and overall a lot of fun to be with. I love that darn horse.
Coming home around 8 p.m. the western sky was black with some really beautiful cloud patterns. You could just barely make out Mt. Spokane in the distance because it still has some snow on the top. There were flashes of lightening going off in the distant dark clouds. Got home, fed everybody, and was just putting the last bit of gear away when the storm arrived.
It was one of those enjoyable thunderstorms that are just exciting enough and not too dangerous. Still raining today, so I suppose no garden work for me. Just a nice lazy day. But if it seems to clear a bit I may sneak back over to the park for a quick ride before we go to church tonight.

I guess I couldn't think of anything else to say!

 

[drstratton]

Yesterday was a good productive one, even if my list didn't all get checked off, lol.
After all the work I took Syringa over to the state park for a late evening ride. *This will be more of me blathering on about my horse, so you may want to plug your ears here (if you're reading aloud) or close your eyes and skip to the rest farther below, if there is anything else I can think of talking about.
We had the most pleasant time. The park was empty, we were the only ones there. Not even a mountain biker or hiker around. I guess everybody trailered in early in the a.m.. My neighbor rode at 8:00 and said it was super busy. Everyone trying to beat the heat and the coming thunderstorm I guess.
I didn't check the weather before I left, so thunderstorm or not we were going!
She just calmly steps into my old two horse straight load now. Hard to believe it's the same anxious mare that I spent hours with, working on loading. The day she finally got all four feet in was a huge day in my book. Then more hours of getting the back door shut, etc. Yep, she has turned the corner for sure! I wish the mustang TIP trainer that haltered and tied broke her could see her now. She was described as "rank" by his wife, and he said if she didn't work out for me I could exchange her for another within a year. (BLM rules)
I know they were highly skeptical about her turning into a good riding horse. Fortunately I'm as hard headed as she was, and we make a great team now, haha.
Back to yesterday, we rode down the wide dirt roads to begin with, then turned off on a single track. She gets some anxiety in the closeness of trees on both sides, but she went ahead and trusted me and we rode along in there for a bit then popped out on a more open double track. I was real happy that there were no deer lurking in the trees to blast off and startle her. But her confidence is growing each time we go out. She's got a nice swingy forward walk and a real smooth trot. She's soft as warm butter on the reins ( most of the time) and overall a lot of fun to be with. I love that darn horse.
Coming home around 8 p.m. the western sky was black with some really beautiful cloud patterns. You could just barely make out Mt. Spokane in the distance because it still has some snow on the top. There were flashes of lightening going off in the distant dark clouds. Got home, fed everybody, and was just putting the last bit of gear away when the storm arrived.
It was one of those enjoyable thunderstorms that are just exciting enough and not too dangerous. Still raining today, so I suppose no garden work for me. Just a nice lazy day. But if it seems to clear a bit I may sneak back over to the park for a quick ride before we go to church tonight.

I guess I couldn't think of anything else to say!

So awesome that you can reap the benefits of all your patience working with that beautiful girl!

We had the same storm go through our place! Winds were crazy and tree branches were flying everywhere!

 

[Baymule]

You ramble on about your horse all you want, I totally understand. You have put in the time and love into this beautiful mare and she is the joy of your life. I love her color and how the sun reflects and shines and sparkles on her coat. You two are lifetime partners.

 

[thistlebloom]

Thanks Bay! We think alike! Kinda scary....