Mid-August was warm with almost no rain. On Aug. 10 Gregory started cutting our hay over at Landis. On the 13th I started baling at Landis while Gregory continued to cut ahead of me. It was drying very nicely and so I was able to bale what he had cut just two days before. On the 16th we were both able to bale.
We had perfect timing because as Gregory was tying the last bale, it started raining. He was hoping we could take the balers home, but it was raining too hard, and we left the balers over at Landis so they did not get full of mud.
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The foals have been growing very nicely this year. There has been lots of feed on our pastures but it didn’t stay green very long thanks to the heat and the lack of rain. Joseph, James and Ian enjoy helping me take water to the one pasture of horses and then we usually hike out on the native pasture south of the home place to check on the other mare and foals. It’s usually quite the adventure as we march up the trail. We usually stop and check out the different grasses or interesting rocks along the way.
On Sundays we have been taking the kids out to check the cows and the water systems. One pasture is long and narrow and the cows are usually at the dugout, which is on the other side from where we park the truck and trailer. It has become a nice place for Joseph to practice riding Gregory’s mare, Reba.
They’ve become a pretty good team this year as they learn each other’s little quirks. Joseph has been gaining confidence with Reba as he rides out on his own through the pasture. He usually rides my gelding, Danny, in the corral because he is a little more responsive to cues and can teach Joseph how to use his hands, feet and seat to communicate with his horse. Out in the pasture, though, Reba is a bit more forgiving and slower.
James and Ian also get to go for little rides at the other two pastures. They also ride Reba and I lead them off of Danny. We usually drive right to the water troughs so we can make sure the water system is working, then we ride from there. Sometimes the cows aren’t very far away, so we ride around the cows, then go exploring the pasture to make it a nice little ride. Gregory jumps on behind Ian to help him with his balance and make sure he doesn’t get distracted and tumble off. That way everyone gets to go for a little ride and a little adventure.
On the 26th, harvest kicked off. John and Gregory started swathing the organic wheat down by Four Mile Lake. It looks pretty good this year. There were very few weeds in it.
On Sept. 2 we combined John’s wheat on the home quarter. He was a little disappointed in it for the size and the discoloration. We dropped the straw to bale for the cows this winter. The next day we cleaned the machines out and switched over to the organic wheat. Gregory and John were much happier with how it looked.
We had to quit that night because the wheat got a little tough. We took the machines home and as we were eating our supper it started raining. It didn’t rain too much, but it was enough to shut the combining down for us the next day. The boys and I took the opportunity to water the horses and to work on harvesting more of the garden.
