Sunday on the Farm

Last Sunday, November 15th, 2009.
From the inside looking out.

The Camellia Sasanqua is blooming; a wonderful introduction to winter days and chilly nights -

such a cheerful way to greet old man Winter.

It has not been a typical November here on the farm. Last Sunday was stunningly gorgeous. Seventy-some degrees, flip-flop and shorts weather. The grass still has some green to it, and while the leaves are turning and falling, and it feels like an Indian Summer.

There have been a few changes. The North side of the barn has had a makeover, and while we're not finished (is one ever finished?), we're happy with the improvements.

The North side of the barn was once walled in by cedar posts and a lot of tin that had seen better days.

Farmhouse husband removed said tin, replaced said posts, and made just a shed, so to speak, and at the East end, made a shelter that can house horses.

Attached to the horse-shelter, is a section of log-fence that meets the round-pen; essentially making a 'corral' between the NorthEast corner of the barn and the round-pen.

We fashioned a gate at the wall where the shelter door is. (It's unofficially one of those moments where describing something is inherently more complicated than looking at something....you have to be here. Hey! that's not a bad idea! Coffee or Tea anyone?) This makes it so you can lead the horse(s) in or out of the corral gate, or the shelter.

Now you can also see the six posts buried in li

near fashion in front of the corral fence. Those are going to be my cross-ties. This is a terrific way to tie horses so that they, 1. can't twist themselves around a pole inviting all sorts of interesting injuries. 2. learn patience while digging to china. and lastly 3. can't scoot over to

kick the daylights out of the horse tied next to them just for (drum roll please...) "kicks and giggles".

Of course, here is farmhouse husband and child using the gate after dumping a load of pine shavings into the horse shelter. The horses can enter and exit at both ends of the shelter, that way nobody gets trapped inside by an alpha horse (Slater...yes, I'm talkin' to YOU.)

This is another view, which also shows the gate from the horse corral into the cow's stall, pond and hence, the area that leads out to both pastures.

Well, that's it for this blog-post. I'm somewhat disenchanted with the picture loading process.

Until next post.