It's Haying Time on the Farm

 Whew! I just spent an hour trying to get signed in to google so I could write another blog post. Google sure doesn't make this easy. I would love to have a blog somewhere else but I haven't been able to navigate any other site. It's not easy being old and technologically challenged in this day and age.

What I know how to do is grow plants and animals, milk goats, and help with putting up hay for our horse and goats. So far, Johnny has cut and raked the first of the hay. Neighbor Paul baled the first bit and we moved that into the llama-barn-turned-horse-barn. Tomorrow more hay will be baled and we will move that into the goat barn.

I got things a bit out of order so am revising here... 

Johnny cut, raked, and neighbor Paul baled the tall grass around the barn for the horse. Friend Mary drove the tractor pulling the loaded trailer to the horse barn. I had loaded the nice light bales and Johnny stacked. If only it were all that easy!

Here's Johnny cutting the South field hay for goats.

  

 

Mary loves driving tractors. We love that she does!

Why I haven't taken any of Johnny raking is a question. My excuse is its too hot outside. However, I have been weeding in the shade in the mornings. Afternoons are too beastly hot for man or beast... except Johnny. He likes heat. I'll try to do better if the weather cools down.

In between haying, we have had company stop by and take EZ Go rides around the property. That is a fun and easy way to show guests our farm.

 

Johnny and friend Sarah, daughter of our very good friend Martha Wood shortly after Martha opted out of this life at age 90 in a planned, peaceful parting surrounded by family. Sarah and her brother Steve had stayed with us when they were young for one summer on our farm east of Salem, before we moved to Grand Ronde and this farm. On this visit, her first to this farm, Sarah hiked with us on the Martha Wood Memorial Trail that is in progress. They are sitting on a big log at the end of the Martha Wood Trail. (I name all our trails in hopes that will keep me from getting lost on them.)

Gardening is in full swing here but only the raised beds are producing so far. The greenhouse is abloom, though.

  

And, of course, there are baby goats. These are the last two born this spring, a month after everyone else, from an "oops" breeding. 

 

  

And there are bird surveys on the beautiful Oregon coast. It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it. Johnny has physical therapy appointments every other week near where I monitor birds so he drops me off to hike the mile to my Observation Post, then goes to his appointment where he does exercises that don't seem nearly as much fun as my hike, buys us lunch on his way to pick me up after his therapy, and we go to a nearby park to eat and enjoy the pleasantly cool coast.