Keep on trucking baby, you gotta keep on.... truckin'...

What wonderful weather we have been enjoying!
I have been plugging away a few hours almost every day at the lower pasture I said I was going to wait till Fall/Winter to clean up.
I just don't know why but I just can't stop myself  from heading down there each day and having at that damned Multi Floral Rose and Wild Blackberry.
It has almost become personal, and I feel I must irradicate the enemy from my fortress!

I did take a photograph of the area before I had first attempted to clean it out. Yes I thought , here is the "before" picture and then I'll take an after picture later to show it all clean and hospitable. You know how the story that day went but I'll show you the picture anyway.

I still have not addressed this area yet, but if you look deeper into the photo that is where I have been doing the hacking and working my way over to here.
I am leaving young trees and this low bush that has really mean thorns. I don't want to take everything out and these bushes don't seem to get huge or take over.
So here is a picture from last week after I had gone in with that usless piece of machinery and then started sawing by hand the rest as I did a better job and worked faster this way than with the  (cough) brush cutter.

Here is where I am at so far as of today.

The grass is greening up and I should be able to start putting sheep and lambs to grass this week coming.

I have only worked the pups maybe two times since last posting. They worked very well. Good stops, call offs. Nice outwork. I know I should have them as my priority...My trained dogs too!
I have been doing other things .Yes part of it has been this stupid lower pasture. But I have been getting Diamond worked and went out on the trail with her and Nola yesterday. She was as good as any young coming six year old  horse and other than some pesky flies bothering her I can't think of anything negative to say.
I took a few pictures of her today because she is almost shedded out and does not look so scruffy as she has with her winter hair. I can't wait to see her all slick and glossy in her summer coat !

Yesterday my dad and I went and ordered the modular garage, so that is back on the burner. It should be here next month and then we can start converting one half into indoor/outdoor dog runs. I CAN'T wait!

I also am thrilled to have a Farrier! Mike, Rachel's husband came over the night before last and trimmed my draft cross Scotty as well as looking at my laminitis pony Nugget. He showed me how much I can safely trim and at least if his back is up to it she can get a real good trim evey few months with me keeping things in check in between. One less thing for me to do or worry about doing. My back just is not able to do it anymore. Mike has a terrific way with them and I know because Nugget did not even try to be a brat.

Now if I can just get the shearer over for the sheep I am golden.

The hawks have been sticking around under close watch of the local crows. It cracks me up how one moment they can be harrassing each other and the next sitting in the trees together .

I took Deigh , Rush, Flint and my cat Splotchity to Bunker Hill Vet Hospital today.

Deigh needed her follow up after her Cancer surgery and Splotchity has been failing and needed a follow up as well. The pups needed Rabies Vaccinations. I am embarassed to say this was the very first time they have had a car ride. They did well until I went around a turn and Flint over compensated and tipped his crate into Rushs' causing a Domino effect on both of them. I pulled over but Rush peed in her crate and Flint had two long spools of drool at each corner of his mouth.

I righted the crates and off we went. They were fine when we arrived at the vet hospital and were perfect in the office. The ride home was uneventful so other than a little motion sickness they did okay.

I am happy to report Deigh had excellent blood profile and so far the Cancer is in remission. Splotchity was not as good news. Ultrasound shows she has a large tumor on her liver and is a bit jaundice. I have a few months left with her at best. Her quality of life is still good. Although she is thin she is still happy and bright.  I still hate that she has limited time and is only nine years old.

This is the part of loving animals that is the hardest. As my Vet said today "love her twice as much"

We will, that will not be a hard thing for us to do at all.