Our Fourth of July Weekend

Yesterday we started manually filling used poly bags with hay.  Tom used our tractor to move them as they were quite heavy (guess is 300# each).

Tom, Kubota and poly bags

Marty decided to visit us in the hay field, probably looking for better food

Marty in hay field

As we didn’t get enough free poly bags, So Tom moved loose hay into our hay barn as well with the tractor.

loose hay

Yesterday afternoon, we had our friends Pam and Tommy over for an afternoon meal of chipotle and honey pulled pork and cherry pie.  Here is the pie.

cherry pie

It was really nice to hang out with good friends on the back porch with tasty food.

Today we resumed the hay production.  Here is the grass that we did not cut down for hay.

unharvested grass

This is the peace sitting in the shade, waiting for Tom to return to the hay field with the tractor.

Here is our hay barn with the 8 poly bags of hay.

hay barn west endhay barn contents

And the east barn door where we put some loose hay.

hay barn east end

And here is our hay field after we finally removed the hay, hopefully growing more grass for more hay.

hay field collected

The chicks seem to be liking their new digs.

chicks in pheasant pen_2

And our corn is knee high.

knee high corn

We picked the rest of the peas and pie cherries this afternoon while listening to baseball on the radio.  I shucked some of the peas while watching the same Mariners game.

God bless AmericaMariners game

I was thinking about what could be more American that picking peas and pie cherries while listening to baseball. But then I started realizing that this is true in every part of the world in the growing season that you gather food to save for the winter months, including the tribe that used to harvest camas root on our prairie for the winter.  It is the same soil that now grows our hay, peas and cherries.

This late afternoon we decided to go to the Samish River for a reprieve (another universal summer activity).  Here is the F&S grade bridge underneath.

under F&S bridge

And views and sounds of the river.

east of bridgewest of bridge

This is Ryeleigh’s first time in a river, and she was not impressed.  She actually did swim briefly.

Ryeleigh in river

And Steve who, although appearing to be a lab, is not attracted to water.

Steve in river

Ryeleigh started shivering although the temperature was 83 degrees.  We decided to call her RiWee (short for River Weeny).

Tom hilding shivering Ryeleigh

We gave up on the river, and I returned to shucking peas, this time in front of the Yankees-Mets game.

peas to shuckshuickjubg oeas to Mets Yankees game

I blanched the peas for freezing and stemmed and pitted the cherries for freezing.  Now we are watching the Capitol Fourth with the pets inside bracing for local fireworks.

Happy Independence Day!

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9 Responses to Our Fourth of July Weekend

  1. Jeanne says:

    Oh my!! You had a really busy weekend! I’m so sorry you’ve had to work so hard with your hay! But I know how important it is. I hope you can get more! It would be really nice if that baler could be repaired.

    It’s funny, about dogs. You never know whether they’re going to like water or not. It sounds like you’ve got two river weenies! Hm…wonder if Rico would like it. That spot in the river there is really beautiful.

    Other than the hay business, you seem to have had a very nice Fourth of July weekend. I’m still up late, keeping the TV going for the sake of Chica, the cat, who is scared to pieces by the local fireworks. I hope they stop soon!

  2. Donna says:

    We did have a busy weekend but got a lot done, including some relaxing too. The baler is pretty broken right now. A piece completely broke through so it is going to take some doing getting it back together and still not guaranteed if it will work. I asked Tom about replacing the entire knotting mechanism, and he said it is too expensive. Not sure what he will do. Steve isn’t as much of a weenie as Ryeleigh but he just stands in it knee deep. It is beautiful there. I failed to mention that I feel twice yesterday and hard both times. The first time was when I was bring hay into the goats to eat and tripped on an irregularity on the barn floor going backwards trying to get through the door with the goats mauling me. The second time was going down the riverbank with Ryeleigh on a leash. So I am pretty sore from the two falls on my back-end this morning. I am glad you kept Chica occupied. Our dogs did fine in the house. I am not sure where our cat Izzy disappeared to though. Hopefully she is OK.

  3. Denise says:

    funny about the pups and the river. I would have thought Steve might be a swimmer (like you said, because of the Lab looks). Probably just as well that Ryeleigh is a RiWee- with those lovely floppy beagle ears that are perfect for harboring fungi and bacteria (speaking from experience with an ear-infection prone beagle). and yay for hay! glad you were able to get it in despite the technical difficulties-

    • Donna says:

      We have never had ear problems that I remember with our beagles, but none of them have been swimmers either. Has Gus been to the river? We do have hay. At least one ton so that is something. It is not the best hay but the goats like it.

  4. elephant500 says:

    You two and your very large extended family impress me no end!! I no longer whine about my few chores when I see what you two accomplish on a daily basis! I go back in time when I read your blog and have such fond memories of time spent with grandparents making things from scratch and working hard in their garden. I’m very grateful to be included in getting to know your family:)
    Praying for quick healing from your falls.
    Hugs,
    Mo

    • Donna says:

      Thanks Mo! I do seem to be healing as does Tom from his beagle tackle. It can be hard on the body, what we do. But I think it is worth it.

  5. Busy times at the farm! BTW, my husband named our new puppy Riley!

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