Anxiety Sets In as Weather Delays

We've been delayed significantly with our pasture project due to weather conditions -- too cool temps and wind.  Today was another example.  We decided to forge ahead with weed spraying in spite of the cooler temps (means you have to wait longer for the herbicide to work) and once at the ready, found the wind was much too forceful.  Another potential work day down the drain.  We've got to finish this stage soon or we'll be in real trouble!

So, we set to work on two other donkey-related tasks.  Clearing out a consistently mushy area right in front of the shed, and straightening out the fencing that keep the donks separated from hay and straw.  (They had recently done a right fine job of pushing the fence in toward the straw and made a holy mess of things.)  We scraped and shoveled the mush out and then laid some sand on top.  Rick found some scrap metal to weave through the fencing to brace it against nosy noses.  Ha!  Take that you three hooligans!

The semi-relaxing afternoon meant I was able to spend a leisurely hour working on some homeade soup.
Yummy.

A New Start

Work has begun on re-invigorating the donkey pasture.  We're starting over to cultivate a sustaining source of food (there's not much of value left now).  To those readers shaking their heads, clucking, saying "but they didn't do it right", I say, but we tried.  Brush hogged the fields to prevent weed seeding.  Kept the donks off in the spring.  Just didn't work.

Step 1:  remove dead bushes (mostly autumn olive)
First Rick cut down all branches and, after the donkeys had examined them carefully and chewed any last goodness from the bark, they went into our burn pile.

Here's Rick using the tractor to extract the bushes.  Hard, hard work.  

Close-up of the remnants.

The dogs pretended to be king of the mountain, resting casually but regally on top of the dirt piles.

Today we begin Step 2.  Killing weeds.  Good times...