We celebrated last Saturday with immediate family, so today is kind of a free day with a good supper at the end! Will visit other family this coming Saturday.
Husband ordered 2 truckloads of crushed concrete on Tuesday. Pile was to go in front of the barn for his projects. Truck driver got a little crooked, pile spread halfway in front of the door! I just managed to get the tractor and spreader out, one side riding up a little on the fill. Husband moved some of the fill to driveway ruts, so I was easily able to get back in the barn to bed stalls.
He has been going gangbusters since yesterday, scraping mud off, piling it up in the unused paddock for later. He got down to hard fill behind the two barns. Then he attacked the side paddock and quickly turned that goopy mud into soup! There was an actual mud wave running alongside him as he back bladed the mud off the driveway that runs thru to the arena! I had to leave about then, going to pick up the young mare from the trainer. He has accomplished a lot while I was gone. Cleaned off the driveway to firm ground. Cleaned under the fence beside the drive so water will drain away. Then laid the geotextile fabric, 12ft wide, and filled onto it. Probably 6-8 inches deep, will pack down hard as it dries. Sure looks nice to drive on! Horses immediately rolled on it when we let them into that paddock. Added cement dust to their clay mud plaster on hair. Will be nice taking hay out on a solid surface, not sliding in the mud.
Yard in front of the barn is a disaster, wet under heavy loaded bobcat, so there are trenches to the gate and thru it. Usually very solid ground but that 3 inches of recent rain saturated the gravel. It will get smoothed out again after he gets done.
Got the young mare home without issue. A bit slow to load, but her cookie addiction got her up the ramp and in the stall. No blanket at 55F outside. We have the slat windows covered, no drafts on her. The wind was supposed to be difficult, but was only a steady headwind going west. Ate a little more fuel, but not batting us around. Out away from the expressway there were wires down, trees down with the saturated ground not holding roots. She rode well, stood in the trailer for another hour after getting home. Finished the hay bag. Unloaded a bit too fast, so she has trailer manners practice in her future. Also we usually have the two of us when hauling, but I was alone and could not hold the door shut to slow her down, like usual. She will get better for me with more practice. She WAS pretty lively after unloading with the wind blowing, being hauled, so I turned her out alone in a paddock. I expected her to do some running and bouncing, but she put her head down and ate! No running at all. She did saunter over to greet the others across the double fence where they cannot touch, not excited. Back to grazing. A big nothing when turned out this morning with her brother and older gelding stalled beside her last night. I like the no big deal turnout, no injuries when they come home!
I am thankful for many things. Horses are all home, no fetching her in a snowstorm. Will have good surfaces to drive on, no pulling things out of the mud. Our hose has stayed outside, unfrozen so far for watering horses. Heaters are in place in tanks, but just covering the tanks at night is keeping water unfrozen. All horses inside at night, don’t need access to tanks then. Saving electricity. Tractors and trucks starting well in the cold. Family is pretty healthy, so life is treating us well.
Hope everyone is having a good day.
