Scouting Report

My nephew sent me a text last week saying that they had finished scouting their fields for yield.

Of all the corn fields they planted, mine came back with the highest yield report.

They are estimating that I’ll have 253 bushels per acre.

Considering how wet we started the season, I’ll be happy with that.

Of course, we have to see how accurate that prediction is before I do too much jumping for joy.

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Still Working

I haven’t taken a lot of pictures of the animals lately because I’ve just been busy working.  Scooping the buildings is still a priority.  I’m currently working on the buck pen.

I had to quit because Xerxes was in a panic over me being in there while he wanted to nap.  I didn’t complain because I’m old and can’t do the all day scooping like I used to.

Fionn and Xerxes

I was going to finish it today, but we had a rain overnight.  The rain is good.  We were horribly dry again, and this will also help the compost pile settle (picture before the rain).

We’ll see when it gets done now.  At least we still have cool weather in the forecast.  For the record, that really thick part is from the llamas’ poop pile.  I dearly wish they would make those piles outside.

The other thing I had to do this summer was empty the bulk bin.

For some reason, the corn seemed a little lower quality than I like to feed to the goats.  I’m not feeding corn this summer while they are fat from pasture, so I wanted to empty it, hose it down and let it air out.  I emptied it into buckets and took to my nephew for his cows.  Yes, I can get fifteen cat litter buckets in the Ranger.

The cows looked like they would prefer I just gave it directly to them.

When I got it emptied, I reached in, and it was gross.  This is what is plastered to the sides for quite a ways up.

And it really smells bad too.  And it draws flies like crazy.  Yuck.

I’m trying to figure out how to clean it (I’m thinking power washer), and then I have to figure out how the moisture got in it in the first place.  I can’t fill it just to let the corn rot again.

Checking the Hay Field

With all the rain, it’s been difficult for farming.  My corn is not happy.  That yellow means decreasing yields.  It needs time to dry out.

It also means we’ve been waiting to make hay for several weeks now.  I took a couple walks out in pasture to see if it was dry enough to make hay.

Of course, it was also a good excuse to go out and take pictures. Since the goats haven’t been back there, I haven’t been either.

dragonfly (I have no idea what kind)

monarch

queen anne’s lace

coreopsis

black eyed susan

Eastern kingbird

lamb’s ear (it never gets to bloom when goats are around)

thistle blossom (the goats usually take care of these too)

sunshine through willow bokeh

red headed woodpecker

swallowtale

The good news is that I think we can actually mow now!