620 Bricks on the Ground

For the past two days all I've pretty much done (except for the few hours I've spent sending out resumes) is load bricks, unload bricks, and lay out bricks.

See, the town about 20 miles away that I grew up in has always had a bricked main street.

But that's all about to change. They're ripping up all the bricks and paving the road smooth.

The good news, for me at least, is that they are giving away the bricks for free. I'm trying to take advantage of all the free bricks and finish my landscaping project I started this spring, documented here.

This meant I had to pull up all the bricks I already laid because they didn't match, but it's worth it. I think I'll use those bricks for the porch up by the house. The larger, redder bricks don't have quite as much character as the old fireplace bricks, but they are free, and there are plenty of them, so I'll be able to take this path all the way around to behind my horse shelters and even use them to pave the tie-area, so I'll have a nice place to groom and tack up my horses.

Of course I'll need to set them in properly eventually, but for now I am just laying them out to make sure I'm picking up enough. I also have to run electricity to the shelters before I set the bricks in.

One more project I'll be doing is creating a white trellis with a seat to put right under that tree (between the trunk and the light pole) facing the horse pens, so on nice evenings I can relax and watch the horses eat. I'll move some of the trumpet vine to that trellis so it won't hurt anything, and then I'll plant some shade-loving hedge behind it, sectioning off that part of the back yard so it will make for a neat little private area.

I also managed, with Dad's help on Sunday, to get some of the fencing put up by the horse shelters. I haven't ordered gates yet so I had to put a regular panel up, plus we need to order a lot more fencing for the posts in the foreground.

But at least it is set up so the horses can get to their shelters now. Thankfully we haven't had much in the way of rain or storms so they've been doing well with the windbreaks. Now they can finally have their proper shelter back.

The horses all enjoyed inspecting the area once I turned them out.

Then the turkeys felt they needed to inspect, or perhaps supervise the unloading of the bricks.

I swear they think they are "helping."

What they really do is stand on the bricks I'm trying to move, see their reflection in the glass and start peeping to themselves.

They really are the oddest, funniest creatures.

They remind me of family....

A storm came through and interrupted my work.

I wouldn't complain, but it didn't rain a single drop, so I fully intend to complain, dern it.

The chickens knew it wasn't going to rain. They stayed out doing what chickens do....

In this case, going through my compost pile looking for insects.

The chickens have also figured out that the horses drop all sorts of goodies from the grain buckets after feeding time.

I think Bambi can spare a few crumbs for her feathered friends....

By the way, I announced on Facebook and Twitter, but in case you missed it, Bambi ultra-sounded in foal to Almighty! One single, perfect embryo--crystal-clear on the screen, too. Vet estimated her at 22 days which would make her due date April 22, 2012. I'll get her checked at 60 days as well, just to make sure she doesn't absorb.

Lots done, lots to do, and lots to look forward to!

~J

Around the Farm

Last week I went over to the local library and discovered that my place was homesteaded in 1879, making it one of the oldest settlements in the county. While I'm sure my house isn't quite that old, from an old photo I do know it is at least 120 years old. When my Dad moved here fifteen years ago the place already needed a lot of work and due to a lot of hard times in our family, he didn't get a chance to make many improvements. So, when I moved in last year, I knew I was going to need to invest a lot of sweat equity.

Over the past few days I've gotten a few extra pictures from around the farm that I thought I'd share. They show an old farm with a lot of potential, a lot of work done and a lot of work still needing to be done. No matter what it needs, though, I am still proud of my little farm simply because it's my home. I've been waiting for years for a place with a little acreage I could call mine, and I finally got my wish.

I even got a silly, big-eared puppy! Bonus!

My house:

It has a new roof and a new top, but the overhang on the roof is only halfway finished so far, and the front porch needs to be rebuilt. Once those things are done, I can finish cleaning out all the debris on the second story.

We've also decided that the siding is in such good shape I'm just going to repaint it for now, rather than replacing it (which could take years). I've decided to go with a color called "Brown Buzz," which, depending on the light, either looks light brown, light gray, or light celadon. It was actually in the green family but most of the time looks like a champagne-brown. It goes great with the dark gray on the outbuildings and is just dark enough that the white trim will pop nicely.

When I moved in last year, the back yard was completely covered in branches. I've been able to get almost all of it cleaned up. There is one corner where I've got about 10 million trumpet vine plants (ok, maybe not that many) that I still need to clean up, plus the fallen tree with all the debris under it that you can see to the left in this photo:

All the cheat grass has died, so now it's just brown and sandy back there. I don't want to plant fescue because of the horses, so I'm trying to locate a grass that will grow in shade, in very sandy soil. Any ideas?

I'm on my second vegetable garden here, and my first herb garden. The tomatoes are coming in wonderfully and my peppers could be better-looking, but they will hopefully take off once all this crazy hot/cold weather settles down. My cilantro, on the other hand, is thriving. I'm thinking of calling this photo: "Cilantro Gone Wild:"

I probably won't be able to sell it to pay-per-view, though.

I am going to attempt to get some coriander off these blooms. I didn't have very good luck drying seeds last year, but perhaps this year I can be a bit more organized.

*pausing for laughter*

I only got my turkeys a few weeks ago, but they've already become a farm fixture.

So far, I'm pretty sure I have two boys. And apparently in any species, boys will be boys!

It cracks me up to see a six-week-old turkey strutting.

Only a face a mother (or owner) could love!

Last week I also went and picked up some more hay. I love this alfalfa--such nice leafy, heavy bales.

Yes, I get excited over alfalfa. My horse-sistas understand....

I've also been able to tear off the front of this building, but of course there is much more to do.

There is cement in there with those weeds, so unfortunately I can't mow back there yet. I'll take the string trimmer to it this week (thank God for string trimmers!!).

When I got home from picking Bambi up from the breeder's a few weeks ago my uncle was at the farm waiting with this:

I guess it's an old earth mover? He said it belonged to Dad and he was cleaning up Grandma's place, so he was there to deliver this. I had no idea what to do with it so I asked him to place it back here, out of the way. I'm thinking of turning it into a planter? Or a giant praying mantis to keep solicitors away?

Decisions, decisions....

Right next to my house is my dad's irrigated quarter.

Even with the irrigation, the corn is taking a hit from the drought. We did get some good rain last night, though (finally!), so hopefully it will help things green up a bit.

My horse buildings are on the edge of the property, near the quarter of corn.

I'm waiting for an extra set of hands to help me finish the fence. I tried to put it up myself but trying to line up 5 rails to set into each other is impossible to do without someone on the other end of the panel to help balance it. [Insert obligatory 'unbalanced' joke here.]

I planted this blue-green-gray decorative grass last year and was afraid it didn't make it, but it has come back in very well this summer!

Of course if you read my last post, you already know the story of the poor Bradford Pear trees.

I'll give them this: they are some tough little suckers.

Speaking of tough little suckers....

My dad mowed over this rose bush last year and it didn't even phase it. It is a ground-cover variety, so it grows low and spreads out. Perfect for inquisitive little turkeys.

By the way, I'm thinking of writing a book about what plants turkeys and chickens love to eat. Thankfully roses aren't one of them. However, my pansies were destroyed in a matter of days after I planted them.

Apparently chickens think pansies taste like chocolate.

Of course the chickens and turkeys don't even touch the weeds...or the weed.

It's everywhere this year. Usually the ditch weed only grows in the back where I mow, but this year I even had to pull some out of my veggie garden! I guess this is what you could call a drought-tolerant plant.

And when I do mow it down, especially on a really hot day, I end up smelling like I just left a Grateful Dead concert.

Over the last couple of weeks the chickens have decided that they really like hanging out in the shelter belt:

A roost with a view....

At the end of a long day, all the household critter enjoy a nice nap on the chaise.

What? You expect them to sleep on the floor? Like a bunch of animals?!

That's the end of our three-minute tour (unless you're a really slow reader).

Happy trails!

The Two-Day Sprint

First of all, thank you so much to everyone for all their kind words regarding my last post. I am so appreciative for all the support. It really helped me get through a difficult day.

The last two days have been very busy, but I feel very accomplished, so it's all good! Yesterday morning I got up first thing and took my trailer over to a guy I had asked to work on it for me so he could get started, and when I got back, it was time for the farrier, Amber, to come out.

Paula let her feelings be known....

There is no doubt my girl has a 'tude.

The dogs, on the other hand, LOVE it when the farrier comes out!

As soon as Amber left my handi-guy called and he already had the trailer done!

I had asked him to weld more supports along the bottom (it only had a lip at the front, one towards the middle-back and then the back--that's it!). Then I asked him to go ahead and install the floor I had purchased a while back for me. The floor before was probably better than a lot of people use, but I can't bring myself to take chances with something so important. The older I get, the more I worry, and my trailer floor is one thing I'd rather not have to worry about.

I was so incredibly pleased with the finished product!! This is the same guy that came out and did the bobcat work for me. He's really young, and I have to admit, when I first contacted him I was a bit skeptical. The old fogey in me made me wonder how much he'd actually get done (plus my experience from being around other young guys that Dad had hired last year who were too wasted to work by the time they left *sigh*). But this "kid" is an incredibly hard worker who takes great pride in everything he does. He is always very reasonable with his prices and he works for every penny of it. I wish he could work on my house, too! It's always nice to find people in the area who are fair and take pride in the work they do. This trailer floor is going to last me for a very long time. It's solid, safe and now I won't worry about hauling my horses. I am absolutely tickled to have it done, and done so well at that!

This morning I spent some time transplanting some of the hearty bermuda grass from my paddocks...

...to Eddie's grave.
I had actually leveled out the soil before I did the transplant, but when I watered it sank again, so I have some more work to do.

The poor Bradford pear trees aren't looking so great. They've had a really rough year. I bought them on clearance so they were a bit neglected anyway, but then they had every leaf eaten off them by grasshoppers last summer and managed to pull through. Then the winter was pretty brutal, so they didn't flower but at least they lived. Now this drought--poor things. If they survive all this they will be some tough old trees!

Hopefully the bermuda grass will take hold and spread out in this area like it did in my paddock. It chokes out the weeds so well and looks pretty nice once it gets going.

Then this afternoon I finished organizing my shop. If you don't remember, here's what it looked like before:

And today, it's finally done!

I still need to move some things from around the farm into here, but it will be so nice to have everything all organized in one area!

This evening I also weeded my shade garden but didn't get any pictures of it. It's a sad sight, I'm afraid. Note to self: refrain from starting new gardens during a drought.

Check.

Last Year

I originally wasn't going to post anything today. I was going to let the date pass, quietly, on my own. My pain over the loss of Eddie is deeply personal and I certainly don't expect anyone to understand how this horse--this animal--fixed himself into my heart so deeply. So believe me when I say this: I would never judge anyone for thinking me a fool to feel the way that I do. I don't expect this date to matter to anyone else.

It matters to me.

A year ago today I had to destroy something I loved. I had to call the vet and the backhoe operator. I had to walk Eddie over to the place where he would see his last views, where he would feel the final breeze across his face, and where he would feel the last drops of rain on his back. I fed him his last scoop of grain and carefully cut long strands of hair out of his tail. I only cut the inside pieces, so you couldn't tell it had been cut. Although an hour later he'd be in the ground, I still wanted him to look whole--to be his beautiful self.

The vet arrived and I led Eddie over to a clear spot. He was in a lot of pain and had trouble walking, but he hobbled obediently. He always tried to do what I asked, and in the last few months I had asked a lot of him--to deal with severe pain and immobility. I couldn't ask him to be brave any longer--he was never going to improve. There was no more hope.

I held Eddie's head as the vet inserted the needle into his jugular, then we waited for the sedative to take hold. Eddie began to sway and as he lost his balance I was able to pull him away from his bad leg, then as he fell, I held his head and neck up so as to lay him down as gently as possible. I can remember every second of our awkward ballet, how although I knew from experience that death is never pretty, I wanted it to be at least gentle. I told myself it was for Eddie, but at this point he was completely unaware of what was happening. The truth is I needed his ending to be gentle--for me.

The vet then leaned down on Eddie's neck and administered the lethal dose. He took his stethoscope and listened to Eddie's heartbeat as it faded, but before he spoke the words, I saw the light go out in Eddie's eye. I said, "he's gone." The vet looked up and nodded.

Unfortunately I have been well-versed in the euthanization ritual, and I had a tarp already set aside. I covered Eddie, paid and thanked the vet (he drove from over and hour away--really an absolutely wonderful, compassionate person who helped give me the strength to do what I needed to), and then walked into the house.

The backhoe operator arrived a few minutes later and I went out and told him where I wanted Eddie buried. I stayed out there but couldn't bring myself to watch him lower Eddie into the ground, so I spent the time with Paula, Eddie's daughter. She stood so patiently while I hugged and cried on her. She had no idea what had happened but somehow she knew I needed her, and she stood perfectly still as I leaned on her.

Eddie was buried and the backhoe operator was leveling out the ground, so I returned and thanked and paid him. He did a perfect job. I was exhausted, though, so I turned toward the house and there was Dad. He had originally planned on being there for me through the euthanasia, but because of everyone's schedule he didn't make it. It was ok, though--it was something I had to do, and whether I was alone or not wasn't going to change the fact that I had to help Eddie die that day.

Dad commented on how strong I was being. I think if he could have been able to see inside of me, he would have realized how wrong he was. Then he did something us McCandlesses never do--he hugged me. And I cried. And it was ok. My dad isn't a hardass or anything, but we're more of a "walk it off" sort of family. This day was different, though. This day was genuinely a crying-and-hugs-kind-of-day.

I miss Eddie. On a hot summer day I miss him running up to get hosed down with water. At feeding time I miss his little happy-food dance, seeing him rear up, kicking his front legs out and ringing his head in his wild stallion pose. In the winter, when I'm bundled up, I miss Eddie mouthing the fingertips of my gloves, being careful not to bite me, and carefully pulling off the gloves, then waving them about, hitting himself in the face like the dork he was. When I see a herd of horses, I miss seeing Eddie and his mares, thinking he was the boss man, always in charge, and playing off any times when the mares got the best of him. When I see a foal I miss seeing Eddie with his babies, as gentle as could be, sharing his food with them and playing gently with them like some sweet big brother. When I drive up to the farm I miss hearing him whinny his hello, or, knowing him, more likely whinnying, "feed me, woman!"

I believe in a higher power, but I don't think anyone has everything figured out. I don't think anyone really knows for certain what happens when we die. I don't know if it's the same as before we were born--nothingness--or if we really do go on to a better place. The only thing I know for sure is that Eddie lives on in my heart, in my memories, and in the horses he sired. A year ago I lost Eddie...but he will always be with me.

The Old Men

I live with two lazy old men: Harley and Charlie.

Although I freely admit I'm a full-fledged dork, the fact that their names are so similar is purely coincidence. I got Harley as a kitten thirteen years ago. I almost lost him five years ago when his liver shut down, but he cashed in another one of his lives and pulled through.

I never thought that my longest relationship would end up being with this fat, lazy, fur-bellied beast.

Poor Harley has been through a lot with me, from multiple moves to numerous pets sharing his living space. Sometimes he let me know he wasn't thrilled with the changes.

Other times he took it all in stride and even assisted with breaking in the new kids.

Most of the time, though, he was happy just to be with me, and I was happy to be with him. He is afraid of strangers, but a lover with those he knows.

Then eight years ago, when my ex was in Korea, I adopted a beautiful ex-show Australian Shepherd named Charlie.

The photo above is how I first saw him on the rescue website. Turns out Charlie was too timid for the show ring and luckily my Sheltie Layla and I both thought he was absolutely perfect.

Layla and Charlie were best friends for the remainder of her life. Charlie took it as hard as I did when we lost her.

Over the years since, I've learned to really appreciate the time I have left with Charlie. He's thirteen now as well, and while he's an old man he is thankfully in good health.

I know a lot of people boast that their dog is great, but if you know Charlie, you know that in his case, it's not a boast--it's the truth.

I've never known such a sweet, kind, calm, and loving dog. He genuinely is good in every aspect, and he is that way without really even trying.

Charlie is a lover, too.

They might be two lazy old men, but they're my two lazy old men and I love them both dearly. I'm not sure how I got lucky enough to have such terrific boys, and as they get older I know that someday soon I will have to say goodbye. But for the time being, I don't think about that--I just lay down beside them, rub their fuzzy, flabby bellies and be thankful for each day I get to spend with them.

~J