Tractor driver's ed

With another snow storm headed our way this past weekend, we had to move hay for the herd and flock. I decided it was time for K8 to learn how to drive the tractor. No special class, just 2 minutes of showing him how to start it, change gears, make it go, make it stop, and operate the hay spike. He said backing up was the hard part.

But once he had the bale of hay on the spike, he had no problem driving forward.

Or turning.

I had him drive around for a while. The real tough stuff like climbing hills and brush-hogging will come later after he gains more experience on level ground.

After a long winter we have lots of "spots" around our various paddocks where we fed big bales of hay to the animals - like this big brown spot. Once the snow melts this week and it dries out a little, K8 will burn the areas that still have leftover hay, so we can then spread orchard grass seed on them. We need to get it growing, so we can cut more hay in two months.

Pyro with a purpose

We've had this giant brush pile drying out for almost 2 years. It's an eye sore, as well as nest for snakes. I asked K6 to burn it. He decided to use the rapid start method with a bucket of fuel.

Is it safe? Only if you are real careful...

...and ignite it from a distance.

Jumping with joy, he seems happy about his work.

We had rain scheduled to arrive in the next few hours, so the whole pile won't be gone, but we'll get some of it burned. I want to eventually be able to drive along the entire length of the stream on this side, so this road block has got to go.

"Fire, fire, fire! Class Alpha fire in paddock #1"!

While K6, K7 and I were in the corral halter training cows, I assigned K8 to take the flame-thrower along fence lines and burn leaves and brush. I came into the backyard just as this cloud of smoke blew toward the house. Not good.

Just at that moment, the wind miraculously shifted direction. Looking better, but where is K8?

Good. He's got a water hose in his hands. "Why did you burn the hay on the ground? But more importantly, where is your flame-thrower and gas tank?"

"Oops! It's on the other side of the fire!"

"Quit horsing around and get back to work before I use that thing to roast your rear end."
You could never do stuff like this in a city.

Halter training

With the arrival of warmer weather, we have begun halter training the three heifers. We bought halters for each girl. "Sandie" is the oldest and easiest, since she was halter trained as a calf. The boys just slipped the halter over her head and clipped the lead to it.

"Nutella" was a little tougher since she was never previously trained, but I have been getting her ready by hand feeding her grass cube treats. She's coming along.

The youngest, "Maggie", was surprisingly the toughest (actually the bull calf was, but we decided that since he's going in the freezer, why bother?). K6 and K7 had to sit on her to get the halter on. It would have been much easier if she had been born before November and we could have started her at two months of age in warmer weather. Her Momma Heidi was very concerned about what we were doing to her little daughter.

K6's stump removal service

Our friend Jack taught K6 how to cut tree stumps down to the ground. He started with these two little ones, a black locust and a black walnut (with barbed wire wrapped around it). He had a hard time learning to keep his saw level.

Then he graduated to the bigger stump, an old elm, which required he take it down in three levels.

His final cut. Now this entire fence line is cleared of weeds, vines, and scrubby little trees fighting for sun and root space. It is opened up nicely, ready for K8 to burn it, after which we'll cover it with wild flower seeds. Should look beautiful.

K8's great guns

We were doing one of our bi-monthly wood cuts for some families. It was so cold, the logs were frozen to the ground. Everyone was bundled up in layers to stay warm.

An hour later, after some heavy lifting, most people were peeling off their coats. One of our adults is so strong, he can cut logs with a chainsaw while K8 balances on his back. Can you believe that?

We ended up with quite a bit of firewood - enough to see them through to the end of winter. 

It was a rare photography day for me, because K8 asked me to take his picture. Usually he avoided the camera.

These pics really don't do justice to his "guns" (muscles). 

Since he joined Marine JROTC back in August, he has been doing PT three times a week, and it shows.

Not to mention he is a good looking guy...

...with a great smile. Enjoy the pictures, because I have no idea how long it will be before he wants his photo taken again - maybe when he leaves home to serve a Mission, or maybe after his Mission at his Temple wedding to an even better looking girl with an even better smile, because we all know he will marry "up" like his Dad. Who knows?

Animal bonding

I spotted this earlier in the week, and ran to grab my camera. I was hoping the black heifer would stand up with the lamb still onboard, but didn't happen. Both cows are daughters of our bull, Red. The black one should calf in late May, and the dun should calf early October. Both will be for sale this year after I get their lab test results from Texas A&M.

Herd getting their vitamin supplement. We use a recipe of sea kelp and Redmon salt given to us by our friends at 5 Ponds Farm, where we bought Red, Darlin, and Mutt back in 2010. Our herd will change this year as we sell two dairy girls, one dairy steer, and put the red steer in the freezer. I'll be adding three registered Dexter girls within two weeks.