Pastured Pigs

Last week, we got the pigs moved...all Gman did was turn their house around the other way so that the door opens into the back pasture. He uses his excavator for that job...that machine sure is handy!

He had already checked and repaired the electric fenceline from last year (which we left in place). Once he determined all was well, we dropped the wire around the Animal Garden where they had been staying...and playing.

So now, they have a LOT more room and of course a LOT of grass and willows to run around in. We're hoping again this year they will work on uprooting some of the willows, as the pigs did last year for us. Makes it easier to work on pasture rejuvenation!

The left fenceline....two strands of electric will keep the pigs in, because they were already trained to electric in the Animal Garden.  Even now, every once in a while, I hear an awful squeal...and then say to myself "Yup, the fence is working"

Now the pigs can chow down on pasture...this will save on the feed bill...always a good Thing! And I can get the Animal Garden planted!

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The Pasture is Under Water

Whoa....here's what I woke up to this morning!!!

Yesterday just after the noon hour, it started raining here....and it rained and rained and rained until after dinnertime.....check this out.

You might think this is Bad...but it's not.

This happens every Spring....and it's a good thing! Since the creek runs thru our property, when there is a snow melt (and there was a lot more snow up high in the mountains) this is what we get.

Followed by all that rain yesterday, which we sorely needed....here is the result.

Bottom flooded pasture land suits us just fine.

Neighbours with bottom flooded pasture never have to irrigate.....we'll appreciate that once we get the pasture back in order so we can start haying.

It'll probably stay flooded for a couple of days, then start to subside.

It shouldn't come up any higher....well, it hasn't since we have lived here. If it does, I am in trouble cuz those pigs are down there about 30 feet away from the water level.

I am NOT moving pigs on my own...nope, not gonna do it. I wonder if pigs can swim????

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Starting Preliminary Work on the Front Pasture

The other day, we started pulling willows out of the front pasture...it will be a long hard job to get it done.

But, we've been putting it off in favour of the other million things that all need to be done around here.

There's only certain times of the year we can get down there easily and pull willows easily....as it was, we were about a week late. The danger up here, is if it is too dry, we could set the whole dang Valley on fire....and somehow, we don't think that would win us any friends!

Here's the front pasture in summer....see all the willows?

We're working on the right hand side for now....eventually we want to get it back to pasture in that one area.

See the difference? Well, maybe you can't....but we can!

Oh, please disregard that white stuff....I have no idea what that is...I am in total Denial!

Lit a fire, and started tossing willows on there. The Gman used his chain saw on them. He was using his big machine, but it tends to leave a bunch of deep holes, so we thought we'd try this.....likely, we'll have to get down there again next year and trim the willows we cut this year...damn things, sending up new shoots all the time!

Later on, once we had coals, we pulled out the chairs and roasted hot dogs!

Today, it's chemo day, if the blood work came back lookin' good.....round 3!

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A Ride In Our Pasture

Well we can't really call it a pasture...it used to be....they used to take lots of hay off this field....but it has been let go, and willows have moved in everywhere.

One day, we hope to fix it all up, rejuvenate the pasture, and then hopefully get a couple of cows....but that's for another year. We always seem to have plenty to do in our gardens and barn...

Yesterday morning the Gman was out riding on his excavator....now, we have spent many an hour with a glass of wine (or two or three) sitting on our porch looking out over the garden and the "fields" beyond....

We talk about getting the pasture fixed up, and we want to start our plan with putting in a rough road down to the creek. Then, the hope is, we can ditch beside the road, put up fencing and let in some animals to graze.

I was out on the porch, watching the Gman work with his machine, and he started moving farther and farther down that road line we had so many times pointed out and dreamnt about....

Then he came back up to the yard, and yelled "Want to take a Ride?" Well, did I, you bet!

It was the first time I have been in the excavator...the Gman has tried many times to talk me into learning how to use the machine...No way, uh uh...no thank you! Cuz I just know, if I ever were to learn, next thing I knew, I'd be doing Actual Work on that darn thing...and isn't it enough that I mow all the lawns? Well, isn't it? No way I am learning how to work that machine!

But a ride out to the pasture? Sure, and I ran down to meet him....stood in behind his seat while he did the driving.....it was kinda like being on a ride at the fair, lol! Bumpy, jerky, and downright scary when he lifts the tracks to turn direction.

Off we went....

Look at all those willows...there are a few large aspens there too.

Oh it was beautiful out there! The pictures don't do it justice at all....the grass is well above our heads...

Look at the valley, gosh how pretty it is! And all that grass, wow.....now lots of times, we can hear deer and moose and the odd bear making their way thru the grass....most of the time we can't see anything, because the grass gets so tall.....

Here's a little stream....it had lilypads in it...really pretty! We do have a creek running thru the property but this isn't it....this is just a little stream (tributary??) whatever they call it, a side stream off the main creek....

Looking back from the fields to our house...

Such a beautiful rosy pink colour on the grass, simply gorgeous!

In order to redo the pasture, we're gonna have to pull out those willows, and do some ditching. then fencing, then running wire, arg.....see how this job is easy to put off until another year?? But we have something to dream about....it would be so neat to get it all cleaned up, and see a few cows out there grazing, wouldn't it?

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