Still working on getting ready for winter around here. Keep getting sidetracked and then have to go back to finish a job. On a rainy day I did get some harness parts consolidated from 2 tack trunks to one big trunk, to save space in the tack room. It is all leather stuff so I don’t want it freezing and thawing all winter. Amazing how HEAVY leather is, trying to hop the trunk on a dolly over the door sill! That freezing is hard on leather.
Getting some riding tack around for the Tack Sales that are starting up. Way too many bridles, I can only ride one at a time. And they all seem to like the same bit, so I don’t need several bridles ready with different bits on them. Have to call in Sale reservations to get a spot at the big sales.
No real horse driving, especially since the “days have shortened!” You run out of daylight after needed jobs are done or too tired. Horses are also kind of silly, which could be blamed on a. feeling good, b. Lots of windy days, c. deer movement with it being hunting season or all 3 at once! Not hearing the usual shooting, only a couple shots since opening day on the 15th.
Husband has been working on a new barn/shed project. Needed for storing hay equipment.
That included cutting trees, hiring tree cutters for the bigger ones, stump grinding done by the tree cutter. Cutting up downed trees into firewood size to sell, loading it into baskets for drying. I have a huge brush pile, but too green to burn yet. Putting in a raised dirt base because chosen location floods regularly, but drains quickly. Things are halted after getting posts in because “we might be in violation” without a building permit and perhaps a variance for acreage quantity. I had called in, talked to a man that told me “Ag building for equipment? You have more than 20 contiguous acres? No problem, just needs to be more than 10ft off the property line. Yep, I can send you a paper saying it is OK to build.” Never got paper. Called about monthly, getting the “Yep, I’ll get that to you” answer each time. Stopped by the Township Office hoping to meet him, get the paper. Not there, office lady took a message, then called me to say man was NOT the one I needed, acreage is divided between 2 Townships, so smaller section needs the variance and maybe the building permit from a second man. Second guy is only in office 1 hour a week, just missed him! My call has not been returned yet. All the building material arrived yesterday!!
Probably should have kept my mouth shut on the approval paper, but my Mom ran into problems with a verbal agreement with City officials, 15yrs after building her house. No one she had dealt with back then was still around to back her up. She was on a corner, with one side having a 2 lane road, no curbs, but wide verge areas between pavement and sidewalks. City said it was fine for her to use as parking. Parking on the pavement would block half the roadway. We kept it nice, gravelly, not much grass, no weeds, neat. City notice came to warn against parking on the verge anymore, cars would be ticketed! She went and argued about it but they were adamant, no parking there. Driveway or yard, no blocking (the seldom used) roadway. So I am firmly in “the get it in writing” camp. Other COTH posts have said the same, had bad to terrible experiences, without written proof.
Just going ahead without approval could make it a BIG DEAL, maybe Township telling us to take it down! They had a homeowner they forced to remove an addition that was never run thru the Township or inspected, before he could sell the house!! Addition had been there for years, but they FINALLY moved on it with the law in their favor.
Horses are getting a bit of hay outside though not much, with more in stalls overnight. Just not cleaning it up outside. They are enjoying gnawing off bark on some logs husband put in the paddocks. Oak, Ash, Hickory, seem to be delicious to them! Still some nibbling grass showing in paddocks. Sunshine seems to keep grass growing. Dec 1st they can go back out on pasture with hunting, gun season over. They are fuzzy, but not pony fuzzy. Lots of rolling in the mud. My headlamp at night is the only way to know who I have when bringing them in! Ha ha
