Various activities are in progress around the ranch. Plan B on the tree watering trench was implemented. Plan B was to add water lines with drip heads to water in between the pasture irrigations. My trench slope only allowed the water to travel about half way down the perimeter line of trees. We'll probably have to create a reservoir and add a pump to get the water to travel as far as needed.
I planted a pomegranate tree, one lemon tree, and three blackberry vines. We have an area that we have devoted to the "orchard." This is to the west of the garden area. Currently, around the chicken yard (south of the garden area), we have chain link fencing to keep the predators away from the "ladies." I have always found chain link visually unappealing. So I planted grapevines last season to grow up and cover the fencing. The black berries are now planted in between the grapes to add to the eventually fence cover. We have a long way to go, but they are doing well so far.
Recently, in our attempts to create an easier maintenance schedule for the care of the ranch, we have started to install divided chicken runs. Emma has been very busy hatching and raising her new generations of Black Orpington bantams, Bourbon Red turkeys, White Call ducks, and Black Crested White Polish chickens. Now it is necessary to separate them. We will add six narrow runs with one roof over them. The back side of the shelter will be situated so as to allow us to remove a section of the chain link material. The grapes and black berry vines will be trained to cover this wall and provide some cooling effect as well.
Donald has been spending all of his spare time doing maintenance on the tractors and implements. Changing filters takes an entire afternoon, as there are so many on one tractor. The expense of hydralic oils, engine oils and filters (fuel, air, hydralic, A/C) is high. This is something that really has to be monitored for the annual budget. We will probably have to have the knives sharpened on the baler this year. The baling string that ties the hay bales together is knotted and then cut by the baler. We work with a two string baler so the knives get a good deal of work in a season. The knotters are greased after every cutting. After all the oil changing, the oil has to be contained and transported to a location that recycles used oil. Finding containers that are manageable to do this is a whole other project. The pickup truck is next in line for care.
For identification purposes, we have labeled our fields as 1A and 1B (approximately 2.5 acres each) which are the pastures for the horses to graze, 2A and 2B (10 acres each) where 2A is currently not planted and 2B has the original Bermuda from the previous owner, 3A and 3B (10 acres each) both of which were planted with a giant Bermuda last season, and finally 4A and 4B (10 acres each) which will be planted in the next month or so with giant Bermuda. The giant Bermuda grows taller but maintains a leafy length, as opposed to some varieties that grow tall but develop a stalk on the undergrowth, limiting the nutritious leaf for the hay.
I discovered that all of my Bougainvilla plants did not survive the winter freeze this year. I am very disappointed as they looked so nice in front of the property last fall. The early December freeze was the culprit and I was unaware until it was too late to help them. Live and learn. I really want to replace them for they are very hardy once they are established. I will have to think on that.
The trees are all green now and the winter weeds are turning brown already. I've seen at least six rattlesnakes this spring. Our Great Pyrenese warned us of the one that had made its way to the foundation of the house. The fear that one of the dogs will get bit is on-going for me. Donald takes the rattle snakes with a rake or fork and puts them into a tall barrel and drives them away to relocate them. I am of the mind to just chop them, but Donald has always had a great admiration for all things herpetological, so I respect that. He tells me if the snakes are coming it is because there are rodents to eat. I have become a great fan of the King snake. After watching one eat a Side-Winder rattler in my barn, they are always welcome. We have several that live around the property and I am protective of them. They will eat the young rattlesnakes and that is just fine with me.
It won't be long and the opportunity to open windows at night will be long gone. I am enjoying the refreshing mornings. The mean little biting gnats have had their meals on the horse's ears, but seem to have run their course. We haven't officially broken 100 degrees yet, which is unusual. The first part of May generally brings the triple digits, so I am thankful.
