These Boots Are Made For Riding, Not Roofing

I am sure Ariat makes boots for roofing but these aren't them!  I was headed to the barn but decided to have Hubby help me get the tin back on the old house blown off by the tornado.  This has been a job we haven't been able to get completed until Sunday. 

Self portrait proves I was on the roof,

hot, sweaty, and scared but on the roof.

 This is the area we had to replace.  Now Hubby and I are neither spring chickens nor light weights so we were very cautious while climbing on this steep, old baby.

This picture is from the roof of the lean-to kitchen, not the highest part.  I soon discovered Ariats were not idea for roofing.  I slipped, I slid, I stretched, I hammered then Hubby felt sorry for me and joined me for the high part.

This is how I got up, just rode up in the bucket with my tools and climbed on the roof. 

Hubby had to climb up the tractor, to the bucket and onto the roof, laughing at me while he climbed.  He has no fear so he took this as a great opportunity to increase mine. 

Brave man on the roof cap, making short work out of what would taken me a long time to do.  When we loaded back into the bucket for him to climb down, he casually mentioned that the bucket has been dropping.  THEN he said, look, the back tires are off the ground, too much weight in the bucket.  I had my eyes closed.  Laughing at my fear, he climbed down the tractor and lowered me to the ground so I could safely step out.  RAT!

While on the roof, we spotted these buzzards,

across the field.

Were they waiting for us to fall???

A Farmer's Life

Some time, no matter how hard you try, work lasts until after dark.  You keep working and what you get done tonight will give you a head start on tomorrow.

The conditions are dry.  The cattle's pasture is thinning so we are  preparing to move them to greener pastures.  A job that began Saturday has continued into this night.  Tomorrow, if the Lord's willing and the creeks don't rise, we will be opening the gates to cattle paradise, lush, tender, delectable grazing.

Will Rogers said, Behind every successful farmer there is a wife who works in town.  We both work so we do our farm improvements when we find the opportunity.  Tonight we tried to finish but it was not meant to be.

Even with the tractor and mule lights,

we knew we would not finish this night.

You have to love farming.  It is not a easy task  Work is done, no matter the weather and animals need care every day, not just when you feel like it. The love of farming has to course through your veins or you will not succeed.

I tried to help as much as I could taking pictures but that wasn't enough.  I was the gofer...you know, go for this, go for that, hammer a few steeples, hold a wire.   I do that well although I did not find the wire cutters in the dark, that will have to wait for daylight.

So tomorrow we will continue after our paying jobs are done for the day.  Our love of farming, our sense of accomplishment, our love of the animals will over come the tiredness and we will finish.

Our Day Of Rest...

This was our morning sky.

Leaning on an auger makes it work better.

Recycling ice storm/tornado trees, strong and free.

These red heart cedars will stand for years.

Jake was not happy working in the sun.

Every one worked.

Some worked equipment,

some worked hand tools,

some worked their mouth

and the camera (that's me).

We took a few breaks,

although it wasn't hellishly hot,

we had no trouble sweating.

 Sunday is the Lord's Day,

but we had work to do

and this is our only day to get 'er done.

We did one round of wire.

The rest will wait.

The equipment is all inside the fence

so I know it will be finished soon.

The only way out is through the gap

we haven't opened yet.

Oh, happy cows! 

Their day of new green grass is coming.

Still Workin'

Andrew was helping, along with Maggie and Cutter
Marcy and Bev takin' a break!

Bev spraying the planted sprigs.

Kubota King is leveling dirt, hauling dirt, golden cow manure and Bermuda sprigs.

My picture thing will not move around so these are in reverse order.

Yesterday was a good day. I got lots of work done but maybe too much. By this morning, I was dragging again. I do not understand why the doc can't fix me over night...I mean really! My oral antibiotic did not set well with me so I am on the side lines watching every one else work

The short cut through our yard has ended. No more tractor, four wheelers, mules, trucks or cars will travel through this area.

This shall become lawn!

Blackberry Winter

has arrived. It is cool enough this morning to need some heat in the house and a jacket outside. The wind sends the cold right to the bone. By most standards, this is not cold but yesterday we were sweating so I am calling today cold. The sun is shining. This is good.

Kubota King has a new toy, a fence auger.

His first post, not quite straight yet.

The top pasture we intend to fence.

May your day be wonderful and filled with sunshine.

Farm Labor Of Love

Farming has to be a labor of love, otherwise, we could not keep on keeping one. The trees still fallen from the tornado and new ones from the ice storm were gathered today.

The cows did not care.

The horses could reach the new tender grass where the limbs had been. They grazed happily and waited for each branch to be moved.

The pile was large since Kubota King had started it. Old, old black walnut limbs were stacked and burned.

The Burn Queen got to drive the Kubota! Bev did a fine job with it, enjoying the power of more than hand clippers. Today she did not protest the size of the fire, just enjoyed the gathering, the cleaning and the burning.

The finished product: ground cleared, wood to ashes feeding the ground. We were proud of the day's work.

I Have Been Threatened!

Two funny stories about hubby in one day! He said you better not put those on line. I said world wide web, my darlin', you better not! Well, here they are...


This is an old pond that was called the hog pond and now the frog pond. My Dad had hogs here years ago. Den decided he would drain it, clear it out and repair it.

Kubotas do not walk on mud, they slide. The Kubota King is trying to decide how this tree got between his front and back wheels.

A man with a solution! I like that.

My Heroes!

The pecans trees Mom and Dad planted when they first married took quite a hit from the ice. Limbs are dangling by bark and others by wood. If they fell, they could easily kill someone. Today was a little warmer so Kubota King and Assistant Andrew went to work while I manned the camera and one end of the chain.

The only way this could be done was by standing on the tip top of the bucket, wrapping a logging chain around the limb and then hope the tractor can pull it out without any major damage to kith or kin.
Andrew was a wonderful bucket operator. We, uh, they got several limbs down and to the burn pile. See why they are my heroes?

Down comes the big one! The Kubota was standing on its hind wheels but Kubota King won the tug of war as the tree limb split and fell...on nothing, Thank God!

At The Farm

I'm thinking, what am I doing. This blog is called At The Farm and I am talking about werewolves! Some thing's not right here. I ramble, moan, groan and rant. I should be grateful that we have a wonderful farm and show off some of the highlights.


A few weeks ago I featured a new bridge that my hubby and his grand Kubota made for us. Now last week was a test for the water drainage. This is a dry ditch behind my sister's house. When it rains an inch, it will start running. This shows the muddy water draining from the new road work. The bridge is working fine. We could never have moved it without the help of Kubota man. After the water cleans, it is very pretty and keeps running a few days after the rain. This was a washing spot that we filled with rock to avoid other erosion.

Of course you have met Princess in other posts. She is examining the tree Hubby dragged in (again with his mighty Kubota) to cut and split for Marcy's fireplace. Yes, this is a tree left over from the tornado damage in February.

Knot and Arrow playing. Someone has been scratching on my R, I will have to fix that!

Now we know why Andrew is such a good fullback! When he can get through Lil AND Maggie, no one can stop him. This is the way he practices. Lil and Maggie are always after the football, and he is dodging them.

I still do not know what led me to blog. I have met some wonderful people and learned many things. I have laughed and I have cried. Thank you for stopping by to visit At The Farm.

Better Than A Ladder