Here is a sample of one of Cortney's graduation pictures. I
need to crop and play with the rest a bit more.

Mike swathing hay. We didn't cut it as short as usual,

because we hadn't intended on haying it at all. The

rains we received made it grow quicker than the animals could graze

it down. We left it longer for grazing and it helps cut down on the amount

of irrigation needed following haying.

Mike estimates that we should get about 10-12 bales of hay.

the windrows are pretty thin, compared to previous years.

What a blessing this old swather has been. We purchased it at an

auction for $400 and we've used it for four seasons of haying with

only basic maintenance needed. This year it did run kind of rough to

begin with but seemed to pull out of it and run fine the rest of the

morning. If our weather holds we hope to get it baled and in the barn

on Sat. :o)

We gave Mo a both in prep for the graduation pictures. We didn't

have enough hands to get pictures during the bath and I didn't want

to get the camera wet.

This shows the traditional Fjord haircut. I've been just cutting it flat,

( the white and black the same length, due to time constraints) but

opted to do it right for their pictures. It take several hours and lots

of patience, on Mo's part as well as mine! ;o)

You probably have to click this photo to see the larger version,

our Narraganset hen and her two poults. The babes have great

camouflage!

This is the rest of the gang, minus one hen who is still setting.

We're praying she has a better hatch than the two before her.

This year we've only got three turkey poults, compared to 11

last summer, of which only 9 survived. Dang turkeys are hard to raise.

Thankfully it's just for our own use and if we happen to be blessed

with extras we then sell them, alive or butchered.

Today is weeding and watering day( the yard and orchard, the

garden has already been irrigated).

In the heat of the day we may run to town and drop off the garage

sale leftovers at the local community thrift shop. They don't sell

the items, it's free.

Our temps. were well into the 90's yesterday, YEAH, we need

the heat. The mosquitoes are so thick because of all the rain. You

have to dowse yourself in spray just to keep them at bay for

an hour or so. I made the mistake of spraying my face a few days

back ( my skin is sensitive anyway) and now my face is broke out

in tiny blisters and I look just awful, like a teenager again! I've

been putting comfrey ointment on and it does seem to

be helping it to heal. Two years ago I went to help Mike load up

some corn we'd gotten from a local farmer. We used their auger

to auger it from the bin to our trailer, the dust was terrible.

The next morning I woke up with my eyes swollen shut and my face

swollen twice the size it should have been. I didn't have any other

symptoms, and I treated it with cool wash clothes, and vitamin E oil

because it was almost like a burn, it began peeling. After the

initial shock and worry( this last a week) Mike began calling me

his Cabbage Patch Baby, LOL!!!! That is exactly what I looked

like too, once the swelling in my eyes went down. Before

anyone asks, NO, I don't have any pictures of that. Our son, Jon

was mad Mike didn't get pictures, so he could see how bad

it was. This will be one of those stories that passes down through

the generations, as a funny!

Good day to you all, we're off to replant mini pumpkins, zukes

and more radishes, as the first crop is almost done. Then I need

weed out the cantalope row, they are being choked by the weeds.

Blessing to you this day!