Shingles, gophers, haying, mosquitoes and fence

I finished carrying the final 21 bundles of shingles up onto Bob and Jan's house roof. I planned to get over there earlier before it got hot but I didn't get there until noon and it was almost 80 F by then.

Josh was still sleeping. With the money he made from carrying the shingles Saturday he went out and partied. By the time he came, well over an hour later, I had carried all the shingles onto the roof myself.

Josh is a character. His girlfriend of about a year gave birth to his son last Monday. Josh lives in a very small travel trailer in the neighbor's pasture. The neighbors have gotten rid of their horses this Spring but all those horses left plenty of manure. Josh lost his previous job installing fences because supposedly he failed a drug test. He had spend 8 years in and out of the State Pen due to drugs. He says he has been off meth for three years now. He seems to be a nice enough guy, but is direction less and probably seeks the easy way.

I was soaked in sweat by the time I was done with the shingles. I had no more ambition in the heat and I sat a while and chatted with Bob before heading home. Later my lower back was a little sore. I think sitting in my soft chair didn't help it. Oh, by the way, Bob agrees that my cut finger will produce a scar.

I checked my gopher traps. I had three sprung traps but no gophers. Two traps may have missed their target but the conibear trap was well outside the tunnel entrance. I wonder if a hawk dined on the gopher? The gophers have spread into my neighbor's pasture. One sits on a large pile of dirt and chirps at me when I am checking my traps. *grrr!* And not only me, I've noticed that when the cattle are in a certain part of the pasture a gopher chirps and chirps warnings.

While Wyatt has cut his pasture he hasn't cut mine. I spoke with him Sunday about it. The weather has a 30% chance of thunderstorms Tuesday afternoon and evening. If my field is cut it will rain for sure. Wyatt will wait till later in the week. *sigh* Every time I have my hayfield cut it is the same: waiting and wondering. Between the weather and being lower in the totem pole for priority it can get aggravating.

I worked on my fence some more before the mosquitoes chased me in. They are persistent. Even during mid day when chatting with Bob I swatted the mosquitoes as I sat in the shade. I have my fence poles and posts built. What is left is to build a small gate. I found some old small posts I can use for the gate to keep the theme of 'round'. Now to design and build it.

Patio Tree and fence

Saturday night I worked on my fence some more until the mosquitoes chased me inside. This time I didn't fight them. I learned my lesson the other night when I cut my finger.

Here are a couple photos taken in the evening light. You can see my uncompleted fence, and the trees over my patio that dwarf my house.

54 bundles of shingles and garden

Today I carried 54 bundles of shingles onto Bob and Jan's house roof. I had help as Bob and Jan asked one of the neighbors across the street if he could help. Jason is half my age and he couldn't keep up with me. His excuse was that he drank too much last night. He kept taking breaks, drinking water, and standing in the shade. Eventually I came down off the roof and out of the sun during the breaks.

The way we worked it is he carried the shingles up the patio deck steps, then the ladder, and then I took them and carried them around the roof. Later I helped carry the shingles onto the patio deck so all he had to do was carry them up the ladder. That way he got a break while I carried each bundle around the roof.

I have 21 bundles left to carry onto the roof tomorrow. We quit for the day after 2 pm as the temperature was in the 80s F and we were sweating up a storm.

Still, I am no longer a 20-something year old as I was tired by the time I got home. A nap, a shower, and lunch in that order before I got on with the rest of my day. I think I am going to feel it tomorrow.

Later I helped Jan with the netting over her strawberry patch. Three robins crawled under the net to get at the strawberries and then couldn't get out. They were all dead and entwined in the netting. We tried to get them out but they were so entwined and so smelly we gave up and tossed the netting.

Several days ago in my strawberry patch I saw two robins. Because of the tall grass in the patch one robin would stand outside the patch on the mowed short grass and keep watch while the other went inside and hunted for strawberries. I saw this while watering my garden and I chased them off. Then I got an ice cream pail and filled it with strawberries. They taste yummy on my cereal in the morning. Nothing like fresh homegrown strawberries.

I also seen in my garden about a dozen plants coming up. No, nothing I had planted. These are either zucchini squash or pumpkin plants. I had saved seeds from last year, but as it was late and I didn't think the seeds would be any good I tossed them in the garden dirt before I tilled it. Now I have a number of plants coming up hither and yonder. The brief rain we had last weekend must have triggered the seeds as they were no where near where I watered what I had planted.

Spraying, shingles, and cut

Friday, after sewing another pair of ripped up pants, I sprayed weeds. I had planned on just spraying the knapweed and thistle patches in the hayfield, but you know how much I hate the western salsify weed, I couldn't resist spraying the ones I came across.

I hadn't planned on spraying any salsify as Wyatt will cut my hayfield soon and this will be before the salsify goes to seed. But that doesn't kill it while spraying does. It seems that I have less salsify this year. This may may be because:

• I sprayed lots last year and killed lots
  
• I didn't drag my harrow across the field the Spring potentially 'planting' the seeds
• the cool wet weather slowed the salsify down.

Later I found Wyatt had cut his field Thursday night so my field will be cut sooner than later. Spraying the weeds might have been a waste of time as it may take a few days for the weeds to die.

I was about done spraying when I saw Bob and Jan's pickup turn into my driveway. They had bought roofing shingles as they are going to re-shingle their house. They needed me to unload the shingles from the pickup. Earlier I told them I would carry them up onto their roof as they were having problems renting a machine that would lift them up on their roof. Later I realized what I had got myself into as their house is a split level and has a high roof.

The pickup load was only half the shingles. While Jan made lunch for us Bob and I went to Lowes and got the rest of the shingles. 75 bundles in total.

I placed the shingles on pallets in the yard and will carry them up to the roof later.

After lunch and a little relaxation I returned home to check my gopher traps. Two more pocket and regular gophers each were trapped.

Then I went to work on my fence rebuild. This is the fence that heifer #20 ("Hamburger") had broken over a week ago. I had torn down the old fence and yesterday I had assembled the posts and poles needed for the new fence. I had put one post into the ground and attached one pole before the mosquitoes had chased me inside last night. I had planned on finishing the fence today until I got sidetracked with the shingles.

Friday night I got as far as attaching several poles to the second post before mosquitoes and events caught up to me. The mosquitoes were bad today, sometimes even venturing out in the sunlight and heat. I had worn long pants and a shirt even though the temperature was warm and I didn't want to wear more clothes than I had to. I cut a flat part on the end of the poles by which better to attach the poles to the posts. I was cutting my last planned pole for the night when, between feeling hot and sweaty and the mosquitoes driving me crazy even when I was wearing repellent, I was distracted and the hand saw - having cut the piece of board off - continued onto my finger.

*argh!*

If I thought the blood ran before, the blood really ran after I washed the finger. I had to get a piece of cloth, press it again the cut, and hold my hand above my head to stop the flow of blood. That ended my fence work for the night.

The blood had stopped flowing now. It looks like I will have another scar for my collection.

Cattle into the middle

Tuesday afternoon I moved the cattle into the middle pasture. And wouldn't you know it, heifer #20 ("Hamburger") was the last one to cross through the gate into the new pasture. Her sometimes cohort in trouble, heifer #78, was the first to cross and you'd think #20 would be quick to follow. Instead she stood outside the gate and watched all the other cattle cross over. Either she has to do stuff on her own terms, else she was suspicious and thought it was a trick by me. Eventually, and only when I moved farther away, she crossed over and joined the others.

The cattle seemed to be fine in the new pasture and are working on a new routine. Since they are in the middle pasture and closed off to the north pasture, they can't get to the barn. They seem to take their morning siesta in the NE corner of the pasture where they can see the barn. Having a salt block under a nearby tree is another incentive.

The grass is still decent in the north pasture as they could have gone another week on it. But I am trying moving the cattle more often this year to see what affect that has on the grass. Previously I had them eat all the grass down before moving them but I found this often corresponded to our dry period and the grazed pastures took longer to recover. I also found that the cattle prefer medium height grass as that is more tender. Tall grass gets tough when it gets dry. Rotating the cattle more often should solve this.

Since I moved the cattle I moved the gopher traps from the middle to the north pasture. Otherwise the cattle molest the traps and marking posts. I haven't decided if this year the gophers spread out, or spread out in force. In some towns I have only caught two to four gophers so I imagine they spread out with plans on later populating the new towns.

I don't know what it is about the gophers trying to move into the NE hayfield. They are hard to trap. It took a long time and lots of effort last year to get rid of them. Again this year it is the same.

Before moving the cattle one heifer broke my water trough's float. This is similar to what stops the water in your toilet. Since I was going to move the cattle the next day, and the cattle had access to water from the river, I didn't refill the water trough so as not to create a pond for mosquitoes to breed. I was in the house when I heard a clatter and banging on the water trough. I came outside expecting to see the cattle push the empty trough around but I saw one of them exiting the water trough. I don't know how the float was broken as last Fall I had bolted boards to the trough to protect the float. The boards were undisturbed. Kids!

Colleen

Monday, as I was riding to the Sportsman store to buy a pair of yaktrax, I saw Colleen. Or I should say she saw me and stopped to chat. The road I was riding my bicycle on had no shoulders so she pulled off onto an approach up ahead of me.

I hadn't noticed her, and I should have recognized her beautiful blue pickup, but I hadn't as I was lost in thought. I almost rode by her. It wasn't until I was passing by her truck and saw her personalized license plates, that I recognized her truck. (The photo is from last year when we were out exploring.)

She had recognized me. Who else rides an old beat up bicycle and does not wear a helmet - as she pointed out.

There she was, as beautiful as ever. She had not changed - she was still smoking hot. And classy. She dresses stylish and classy. Of those of you who know me, dressing classy wouldn't describe me. I usually have more of the "homeless person / bum / just crawled through a barb wire fence" vibe going on.

With Colleen, sitting in the passenger seat, was her English pug. This dog is a slobbering happy blob, but so sweet tempered and nice and lovable. Just watch out for the drool. Colleen plans to get a little bicycle trailer so she can bring her dog on her bicycle rides.

I hadn't seen Colleen since she broke up with me late last summer so we chatted a bit on what's going on our lives, about her job and kids, etc. She is also in the middle of a remodeling project in her house. Is it just the women I attract, or do all women have a thing for house remodeling?

After a bit, we were on our ways again with Colleen saying "we should have lunch sometime". We'll see. It was nice seeing her again but considering how our relationship ended last year, let's just say my Cancerian cautious side has come out. Even though we had a great time together, and we could again in the future, ...once burned, twice shy. I can probably chalk up her 'lunch' comment to her being polite. She is a nice person. If she does want to do more, probably she'll have to make the first move.

Picnic music: Craig Wickham

Wednesday I attended the 11:30 am to 1:30 pm Picnic in the Park music concert. Today the performer was Craig Wickham. He is listed as playing "Acoustic Americana". That about sums it up. Sometimes "Americana" music is another word for folk. Not in Craig's case. I wouldn't say he is a folk artist. He covered songs from Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" to Van Morrison's "Into the Mystic". The common thread between the songs were a strong guitar presence in the songs and a passion for the guitar work.

Playing with Craig were two other guitarists. One always played electric guitar and the other switched back and forth between electric and acoustic guitar. These guys were all great guitarists. They did a great version of "Into the Mystic" and that is not easy to do with just guitars.

I wish the audience was more enthusiastic but again the audience was mainly moms and babies and kids and people from the nursing homes. Three or so nursing home buses were in the parking lot when I rode up. Yes, I was 11 minutes late - and here I thought I would be close to being on time for once.

One picnic table had room and I sat down. A very young woman had two babies and she was feeding one when I sat down, with the other baby sleeping on the picnic table. Later her brother came back and I chatted with them. The 2 month baby boy was his and the 4 month baby girl was hers. They both seemed devoted parents - but, oh so young. They both looked to be barely 20. They weren't natives of the Valley and were staying at the Samaratin House which is for poor people with no place to live.

Later a woman closer to my age asked if there was room for her to sit at our table. She - like the young man - had bought a box of oriental noodles for lunch and wanted to sit and eat. Then another woman asked me if she could also sit at our table. She was also in my age range. She had been sitting on the ground with friends near our table and they had left.

Out of the blue the second woman told us she is expecting a miniature mule any day now. This led into a discussion of miniature mules and horses which she also has. She then told us she has a bed and breakfast near Lake Blaine that could house 11 people. She had just opened it six or so months ago. She got photos to show me and the others but the photos seemed to be mainly of her family. She does have attractive daughters.

The bed and breakfast talk led the young man to ask her if she wanted a king size bed. He had one but it was too large for where he is staying. They exchanged numbers as she was interested in buying it or trading it for one of her smaller beds.

The first woman is in Kalispell for a five day teacher's workshop. I've forgotten the acronym but it is something to do with kids in crisis. The workshop organizers run a ranch 40 miles out of town for troubled kids. This woman is a high school math and science teacher from Twin Falls, Idaho. While she likes where she lives she really likes the Flathead Valley. "The mountains are so close."

We had an interesting talk about her workshop, where she was staying (The Kalispell Grand Hotel - what use to be a bordello in the old, old days), her kids (one is majoring in physics with a minor in the Russian language), where she lived, Kalispell, Walmart, Costco, and bicycling. She had brought her bicycle along and had ridden it around town some.

What causes attraction? On paper this woman seemed like a good fit to me as we had similar interests and outlook. But there was no attraction on my part. She looked nice, but also looked old. I must be shallow.

After she finished her lunch and returned to her workshop I moved around between several benches, partly because the crowd was thinning out, partly to get a better and closer view, and partly to move from shade to less shady areas. There was a breeze and sometimes when sitting in the shade it was on the edge of feeling cool.

I also remembered playing some of my Van Morrison CDs for my former girlfriend. I am not sure if she remembers as I believe something, or someone, or both, was on her mind at that time.

Into the Mystic

We were born before the wind
Also younger than the sun
Ere the bonnie boat was won as we sailed into the mystic
Hark, now hear the sailors cry
Smell the sea and feel the sky
Let your soul and spirit fly into the mystic
And when that fog horn blows I will be coming home
And when that fog horn blows I want to hear it
I don't have to fear it
I want to rock your gypsy soul
Just like way back in the days of old
Then magnificently we will float into the mystic
And when that fog horn blows you know I will be coming home
And when thst fog horn whistle blows I got to hear it
I don't have to fear it
I want to rock your gypsy soul
Just like way back in the days of old
And together we will float into the mystic
Come on girl...

Here is a youtube video of someone covering the song. The images with the sun are neat.

Bear and wolf videos

I just learned about a few neat videos of bears captured by remote motion sensing cameras.

One video has a bear licking and clawing the camera. The other video is the interaction between a mother bear and her two cubs and wolf near an elk carcass in Glacier National Park. I feel for the mother bear as that wolf got to be annoying.

Here is the link to the web page with the videos.

Here is a web page with more remote videos and photos of bears and other animals.

Picnic music: Deja Vu again

Tuesday night I attended the second week of music for Picnic in the Park. The band was Deja Vu. This is the same band who played last year at the concert where I had met Colleen. Here is that story.

I was almost on time this night as I was only 6 minutes late. I could blame my tardiness on the wind as I bicycled, but late is late.

It was a nice warm summer evening and lots of people were at the concert. I locked my bicycle to a lamppost and spent half the concert leaning against a tree. During intermission Gary wandered past. He had brought a second chair for a friend to use but this person didn't make it. I used the chair for the second half of the concert while chatting off and on with Gary.

In front of the gazebo where the band played were lots of kids dancing. Most all were girls with a few boys under the age of 5 here and there. Off to each side were a few grownups dancing. A few were dancing with their kids, and a few with other grownups. To the left of the stage were people Gary knew from his dancing classes and dancing venues.

This year I saw some of the same characters in the audience as last year, but a number of them are not around this year.

Deja Vu is a retro-rock band. But they are not stuck in the sixties. They played everything from Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues" to The Temptations "My Girl" to Santana's "Black Magic Women / Oye Como Va" to the Eagles "Take it Easy" to Huey Lewis and the News' "Working For A Living" to a song by the Traveling Wilburys to a song by Phish to John Lee Hooker's "Boom Boom".

The band did exceptional work on the Santana songs and on John Lee Hooker's "Boom Boom". During "Boom Boom" I remembered singing and teaching the lyrics to this song to a former girlfriend straddling me in bed. I'm sure she remembers that. The song was so appropriate.

Here is a youtube video of John Lee Hooker singing "Boom Boom".

Boom boom boom boom
I'm gonna shoot you right down,
right offa your feet
Take you home with me,
put you in my house
Boom boom boom boom
A-haw haw haw haw
Hmmm hmmm hmmm hmmm
Hmmm hmmm hmmm hmmm

I love to see you strut,
up and down the floor
When you talking to me,
that baby talk
I like it like that
Whoa, yeah!
Talk that talk, walk that walk

When she walk that walk,
and talk that talk,
and whisper in my ear,
tell me that you love me
I love that talk
When you talk like that,
you knocks me out,
right off of my feet
Hoo hoo hoo
Talk that talk, and walk that walk

Montana traffic count map

I recently got a map of Montana showing the traffic data for bicyclists on roads around the state. This is very helpful for bicyclists when they are deciding where to ride across Montana.

If you click on the map and see the larger image you can see the traffic counts across the state. Around Kalispell the roads average over 10,000 vehicles a day. That is even more than on some parts of the interstate highway which is less than 10,000 vehicles.

The map's legend below explains more stuff if you are interested. Or you can visit the state of Montana's web site with a similar bicycling traffic data map.

Global population density map

Here is an interesting map I came across the other day. It shows the population density of countries around the world.

Gophers, Cattle, and Wind

Friday morning I only counted 20 cattle. Over and over I counted and still came up with 20. Where is my 21st? I went into the north pasture and found that one hidden in corner of pasture and not in the corral with the rest. I don't know why as this herd really stays together.

Also on Friday I set out my gopher traps. My friend Jeff sent me his two pocket gopher traps as the Minnesota pocket gophers are too smart to be caught in them. That makes seven of those traps for me. I set off wandering my hayfield looking for dirt mounds. While they were not as thick as in previous years I easily found seven of them. When I checked later that evening I had caught two pocket gophers.

I have 15 regular gopher traps, about half each of leg hold and of conibear traps. My strategy this time was to "carpet bomb" the gopher town's holes. Instead of targeting a few holes in each town and covering the rest I would set a trap outside each hole. Where I got this idea was the holes in the NW part of the hayfield are open again, and last year it too me a long time trap the gophers from these holes. I was able set traps outside the holes of two or three towns in the middle pasture. No traps were set in the north pasture as the cattle would trigger the traps and knock over the marking poles and milk jugs.

Friday this strategy didn't help much as traps were either ignored, unseen holes used, or new holes dug. I only caught one gopher out of 15 traps, and that was from a non-hayfield town.

Saturday when I checked I caught a large gopher from the hayfield town. I left the trap as the towns often have more than one gopher.

I also found I had caught two more gophers from each of the other two towns. Success finally.

Saturday night the cattle all lined up along the pasture fence to watch me check my traps, and moved along the fence as I moved checking my traps.. Several of them bellowed at me over and over.

"What? The grass in your pasture is a foot high; plenty for you." But no, they wanted the taller and greener grass in the middle pasture. Besides, if I can be there, why not them?

As I returned to home and walked to the corral the herd followed me. Several got worked up and would jump around and I ended up walking backwards a good distance so as not to get bumped or trampled.

The herd all followed me back to the corral. Now why don't they act like that when I want them to go to the corral?

A front came through before sundown. Occasional long lightning strikes could be seen over the SW mountains. Then the wind picked up and blew hard. Real hard! After it began to rain the wind lessened.

We needed the rain. I know we had rain much of June - and snow - but that was over a week ago. The ground was getting dry and dusty.

Initially it seemed the air was too dry for the rain to reach the ground, but it did, and rained nicely, though more would have been appreciated.

Rain! Wouldn't you know it! And here I had washed and vacuumed my car an hour earlier. I drove on our hiking trip Saturday and we later explored the forest roads in that area. The main drag was 17 miles long but we drove more miles as we followed some side roads. When the road wasn't dusty it was wet. Yes, I drove over some snow.

Man, I am tired. I can hards stay awake. I've been up since 6 am and have not slept since then until just now. I hope this post's grammar is good and my words make sense.

Garden and robins

I have all my garden planted. Friday I rode uptown to get the last of the seeds I needed. That was harder than I thought. One would think carrot seeds are pretty common and would be plentiful but the places I usually buy seeds were out of carrots seeds, and lettuce seeds, and green onion seeds.

What to do? Is it too late to get the seeds I need?

After running another errand I rode by one of the grocery stores I frequent and noticed their temporary greenhouse in their parking lot. I checked and they had seed packets jumbled together in a bin.

"Half price if you pay for them here instead of taking them inside the grocery store."

I search the whole bin and found the seeds I needed. After I got home I planted them and watered them. At least the carrot and onion seeds. It is too late - and too hot - to plant the lettuce until late Summer when it is cooler.

Done. Now I just need my garden to grow.

As I approached my garden to plant my seeds a large robin stood on the gate post. I was maybe 15 feet from the bird and still it stood. I stopped and watched, waiting for it fly off. It didn't. It stood and cocked it head watching me. I waited and watched it. It waited and watched me.

The robin appeared to be standing on one leg as that is all I saw even after bent down to get a better look.

After a bit I suddenly noticed another robin fly up to the fence closer to the well shed. Then I saw one of my red ripe strawberries in its mouth and another fuzzier smaller robin next to it.

"Wait a minute! That is one of my strawberries!"

The bird with the strawberry flew off and the fuzzier one weakly hopped down the fence then flew into the box elder tree nearby. I went over to my strawberry patch and found only a half dozen or more ripe strawberries left for me to eat.

Darn wildlife!

Landfill and garden

Today Bob and Jan hauled their tree trimmings and yard waste to the landfill and I went along to unload it all for them. It was a job. When cleaning the last out of their trailer I took off my sunglasses and set them aside so I could see better in the shadows of the trailer box. I set the sunglasses on the side of the trailer and forgot about them. There was a 50/50 chance they would fall back into the trailer. I lost. They are still at the landfill. Oh well, they were a cheap pair of sunglasses with a crack in the frame.

The cattle are still mostly behaving. They come and take their siesta in the corral each noon and I am able to count them. Tonight I noticed one of them working at getting their head through the barb wire fence to eat from the hay field. The grass in their pasture is still almost belly high. The culprit was all black and looked to be heifer #20 - "Hamburger". I didn't do anything and after a while she quit.

This afternoon I finally raked my garden area smooth after my earlier rotor-tilling of it. This evening I planted most of the garden. I do need more carrot and onion seeds. I hope the stores still have some.

Since it is so late I am planting less this year. My rows are father apart and still there are large areas of empty space. I planted:

• carrots
  
• radishes
  
• onions
• beets
• chives
• beans
• peas
• cabbage
• broccoli
  
• zucchini squash
• cucumber, and
• sweet corn

I know it is late for the corn but the corn I have has a growing time of 64 days. That would put it ready the end of August. Last year I planted corn around June 13 and had lots of corn in early September. I have hopes for this year also.

Picnic music: Jessica Kilroy

Wednesday I attended the weekly noontime Picnic in the Park concert. Today the musician was Jessica Kilroy. She is an Americana singer/songwriter. A female folk singer. Originally from Montana she now lives in Idaho.

If you follow her link to her myspace profile, she has some impressive friends in her friends list: Sarah McLachlin, Gillian Welch, Emmylou Harris, and Neil Young among others.

Jessica was good and had a good a voice. She wrote many of her own songs, and overall I enjoyed her concert, but I was tired of her by the end. Her self penned songs were so earnest. They were typical of the female songwriter/singers of the late 1990s. You only can take so much of it at a time.

One song she wrote for her best friend's wedding was good, but so earnest and loaded with meaning it didn't feel like fun. It felt proper. It felt suffocating. It felt like one of those songs at a wedding you have to get through. And a bluegrass song she wrote felt more like a folk song than a bluegrass song; though I imagine it would have been more bluegrass if an actual bluegrass band was playing it. I must say in her defense her "Jesse James" song was good. And she picked good songs to cover as they seemed more lively and fun.

I was late to the concert. Just mentioning so you know nothing has changed with me.

It was sunny and warm, but still windy. That makes two days of wind now. In the shade it felt cold at times as the wind blew.

I saw Gary there and we chatted about potential hikes this weekend.

Several young men were moving about gathering signatures to get on the ballot a citizen petition to establish an individual provider program to provide assistance to the elderly and disabled to remain in their own home instead of having to go into a nursing home. I had already signed it.

Plenty of people were at the concert, though not as many as last night. While a group of old people appeared to be from a nursing home, and it was nice to see them have a chance to be out and about, I believe 3/4 of the people were women, and many of them had babies or young kids. Since the concert was from 11:30 to 1:30 pm, I assume most all these women were stay-at-home moms.

Lots of estrogen at this concert between the most female audience and the female folk songwriter/singer. At times it seemed to be too much for me.

With all the women I could not help but notice them. They appeared to mostly be in their 20s and 30s. Naturally I was attracted to some. How could I not as some were attractive and attractively dressed for summer. A woman wearing a tight jean miniskirt will always get my attention. She had a child but no ring on her left hand.

Still, all was not right. Why? Too much estrogen in the air? It wasn't till later that I realized what was making me uneasy. Often it was with relief when I spied a ring on the woman's left hand. All the kids didn't help, but I realized later that these women were all so serious. Many were with family or other female friends, but I wonder if they were having fun. I saw no laughter or animated conversations or gestures.

These women seemed to be more into socializing than listening to the music. Jessica was good but she didn't get a lot of applause. I think it was because all these women were not paying attention. Who wants to be attracted to women that are not fun? My head and heart were in conflict between my attraction and un-attraction, and that was making me unsettled.

Picnic Music: Good Wood

Tuesday night I attended the first Picnic-in-the-Park concert of the year. The music was by the Good Wood Trio. Actually they are a quartet now so it seems that they are now calling themselves Good Wood.

The band is mainly an instrumental band that plays bluegrass, blues, and whatever else that sounds good instrumentally. They sang on a few songs but vocals are not their strong suit. Picking is.

I arrived late to the concert as usual. There were plenty of people there, either on blankets on the lawn or in folding chairs they had brought. I don't know what it was about the crowd, but they seemed to be an odd collection of people. Maybe it is because I haven't been back in the Flathead for very long.

The day was warm as our temperatures were in the upper 70s under clear skies. Beautiful weather and it actually feels like Summer now. Surprisingly it was breezy today. This wasn't bad during the day, but after the sun set it felt cold. Still I stayed at the concert until it ended at 9 pm.

I saw this band last year. Compared to last year the audience this year was more mellow. Polite, but not enthusiastic applause. No encores requested. Maybe it was because the audience was getting cold and wanted to leave.

Mellow days now

It has been a mellow couple of days. Monday I slept until almost noon. Even then that was only just over nine hours of sleep.

I didn't do much Monday. I returned Bob's rotor-tiller and chatted with him, Jan, their son and his wife when they arrived as I was leaving. I took down some of the cattle proofing fencing I had done in the yard. The cattle were nice enough to stop by the corral to allow me to count that they were all still here and that none were too stupid to fall into the raging river.

My hiking group decided the hike to Avalanche Lake in the Park on Monday. Sue Ann called me at 8 am to ask if I wanted to join them. I was very tired and planned on cleaning up the yard Monday so I declined even though it would have been nice to see all the waterfalls this early in the year. Later I learned there were lots and lots of people on the trail. I imagine so as it is a popular trail even when the high trails are free of snow and open.

The Sun Road is still closed due to snow. Back in April and May the Park estimated the road would be open June 15. That date has now passed. Now the Park has moved, from Logan Pass to Lake McDonald Lodge, their big 75th anniversary celebration of the completion of the Sun Road. The celebration is scheduled for June 27. I guess that is an indication the Park is not confident the road will be open to Logan Pass by then.

Today I did some shopping uptown. The traffic was crazy. And on a Tuesday afternoon no less. I took down more cattle proofing and now only have left the fence protecting my small caragana trees by the road. I pruned more trees where the cattle had nibbled on them. After all my efforts to protect the tree/bush under the pine tree by the well shed I should have let the cattle eat the lower part as I ended up pruning all that away.

The cattle swung by the corral again for me to count them today. My efforts the past few weeks at imprinting the barn and corral on them as 'home' has worked as visiting it is part of their routine even though the grass in the corral is short.

Dan came by to drop off three mineral salt blocks for the cattle to add to the several salt blocks I already had out for them. I filled him in on the antics of "Hamburger" (Heifer #20). He was surprised as she acted nice when in his corral.

With all the fence work recently I am glad I didn't throw away my two pair of very heavily patched pants. This past week I was forever snagging my shirts and pants on something and tearing new holes in them or re-opening old holes.

"Hamburger" is what I'll call you

"Elvis has left the building."

Well, the cattle anyway. After an eventful and annoying day I let the cattle into the north pasture.

The morning began with the cattle gathered outside the gate to the fruit tree and garden area. They bellowed at me when I came outside. Even after I let them into the yard they complained to me.

We played more "tip over the board" and see if he comes running. I was not amused. Some of the cattle also were determined to eat the small tree growing under the pine tree. I know I should just cut that tree down, but I hate cutting trees down. Maybe I can shape it into a bush. That is if I can keep the cattle from eating it.

It seemed as if every time I turned around one of them had their tongue out to grab a branch else had leaves sticking in their teeth. To make matters worse a half dozen cattle went left when the rest went right, and the "gang of six" ended up in the NE pasture. Then - finally! - they found the pile of trimmed box elder branches and decided to munch on them. The herd - not liking to be apart and missing something the others were doing - gathered along the fence in the yard wanting to be with the "gang of six".

Naturally where they all gathered was by the well shed. And the tree I was trying to protect was nearby. So, not understanding how to get where the "gang of six" were, some of the herd decided to try to reach the tree. I chased them off but they returned. They knocked the fence over; I put it back up. Eventually two heifers got their head through the field fence and then got them stuck. I fastened the fence better since yesterday's episode of "head in the fence". And the two didn't exactly pull in the same direction. The same heifer soon got her head out but heifer #20 (naturally it would be her) has a big head and couldn't get free. I watched as there wasn't much one can do when a heifer is getting wild, is over 600 lbs, and can move about.

Eventually she twisted her head enough and pulled free. I put the fence back up. *sigh*

Eventually the herd came back together. I think I helped facilitate that, but by now I can't remember how I did it. It seems like such a long time ago.

As I was making my late afternoon lunch I looked out the window and saw two cattle in the hayfield. What?!

Heifer #20 (her again!) and another heifer were in the hayfield having broken through the fence I had on my agenda to rebuild this Spring. The rest of the herd was by the house and unaware. I ran out and opened the gate. I quickly chased the other heifer back into the yard and turned my attention to #20. She was of an independent mind and not so easily herded. She ran to where the rest of the herd was located by the house, but on the hayfield side of the fence. That got the herd's attention! And that's not what one wants.

I herded #20 back towards the open gate. By now she was in a tizzy and running very fast. The herd ran to meet her. #20 ran by the open gate and I ran to shut the gate before the herd came through it. I reached the gate just as the herd approached but I was able to close the gate.

#20 ran west and the herd ran into the corral to follow her along the fence. I closed the corral gate locking them inside. Now I could leave the hayfield gate open. After a little and a slower pace #20 ran back into the yard. I closed the gate.

#20 was still in a lather as the corral gate was closed and she couldn't get in. She ran here and there along the fence. I went to open the gate and she ran in the opposite direction and way over to the front yard entrance. She was as far away form as she could get. Even all that distance across the yard I could see her wild eyes and her defensive stance.

Please don't jump a fence and get on the road!

The herd thundered in the corral and I left the corral gate closed so they ran over to the NE pasture so they could get closer to the road and see #20. Funny, when they want to, the herd can figure out right from left and get to where they want in the NE pasture.

I needed to get #20 to the herd before she or they did something crazy in their effort to rejoin one another. I don't need more broken fences.

I left the corral gate open and walked around the house to the front yard. #20 was watching me wide-eyed and decided to cross on the other side of the house and made her to the corral and eventually around to the NE pasture. Lots of bellowing at their reunion and I let them be to settle down.

I then found that to get into the hayfield the cattle had pushed through the fence and a few boards gave way. I got a couple steel posts and pounded them into the ground to prevent that from happening again.

Looking out at them a few minutes later I noticed most of the cattle were in the middle of the pasture watching the neighbor's son by the fence. He was holding a small child in his arms. Both them and the cattle stood and watched one another.

After lunch I opened the corral gate to let the cattle back into the yard. Most of the yard was eaten down but I wanted them to work on a few more areas.

I went back to rotor-tilling my garden (late, I know, but what can I do?).

I wasn't but a few minutes into rotor-tilling when I saw two cattle in the hayfield again.

What?!

My steel post fix had worked but now the cattle pushed on another post breaking it and then the fence by lifting it up.

Guess who was in the hayfield? Yup, #20. Earlier I had toyed with calling her "High maintenance" due to her demeanor, but now I was calling her "Hamburger". She and another heifer were in the hayfield standing in the tall grass munching away. Four other cattle stood in the yard next to the broken fence, but as they were steers and therefore dumb, they hadn't figured out how to push/crawl through the fence.

Same drill. I herded the herd into the corral. Not too hard when #20 moved in the hayfield to be outside of the corral. Open the hayfield gate. When I went to herd the two into the corral they ran to the west end of the hayfield. As I herded them back to the gate #20 turned and ran right through the barb wire fence and into the north pasture. *argh!* I wasn't even that close to them and I knew better than run as that means they run faster.

And #20 is one of the larger cattle and she slipped through fences. She is a pain.

I herded the other heifer through the gate and then back into the corral while #20 ran to the west side of the corral, then the west side of the NE pasture. The herd in corral ran to the NE pasture. I locked them in the NE pasture and opened the corral to get #20 back inside.

Did she go nicely? Of course not. Rather than go through the gate she ran through the barb wire fence between the north and NE pastures. Yes, this is another fence on my list of rebuilds.

The whole herd then ran to the east end of the NE pasture. I let them be to settle down.

*sigh*

I fixed the NE pasture fence, then fixed the other barb wire fence. The yard/hayfield fence wasn't worth the effort to fix for a few more hours of having the cattle in the yard.

I had planned on having the cattle in the yard the rest of the day, in the corral overnight, then let them into the north pasture Monday morning. I wanted the cattle to have daylight to get used to the new pasture. The river bounds the pasture and it is still running very high. I've not lost any cattle to a high river but this herd has done stuff the past few weeks no other herd has done.

Also, my north neighbor has two cattle in his pasture. He bought them this Spring from Dan, whose herd is in my pasture. So in addition to cattle naturally wanting to be part of one big herd, these cattle have an extra incentive: they know one another. I wanted a full day to watch and see how they handle being on opposite sides of a fence.

I checked my fences and while I had patched up and fixed them last Fall, Winter caused some posts to pop out a few nails and I had to re-nail barb wire strands to some posts. Also a top strand was broken closer to the river and an apple tree. Darn deer!

Once the fence was fixed I let the cattle into the pasture. Earlier they had bellowed at me but now they were happy. They ran here and there in the tall grass checking out their new 'digs'.


I went back to my rotor-tilling and finally finished my garden. Before coming in for the night I could see some of the herd at the far end. I was too tired to go check on them. Tomorrow I will check up on them and do a headcount. There is shallow access to water so I hope none do anything crazy and try to cross the simple fence along the higher banks. We'll see.

Oh. And to top of my day... when checking the north pasture fences I found the regular gophers are all back. Last year I trapped them all out of the north pasture and sealed their holes. All holes seem to be open, and I found new holes too. In the tall grass I could see trails between holes and heard the warning whistles. I haven't been able to trap the gophers this Spring and they exploded out of the middle pasture where I was still trapping them when they went underground of the year last July. Now they are all over the north pasture.

*sigh*

And I'm tired. Between chasing cattle and rotor-tilling my garden I can feel it. Else I am getting older faster than I think. My garden's size is 32' by 76' (2432 sq ft) so that's a lot of work even with a rotor-tiller. And I made two passes around the garden. Also, I suppose the cattle walking over the garden area early and packing it down didn't make things easier to dig.

I plan to sleep in tomorrow.


Photo 1: fence protecting my tulips
Photo 2: stretched fence (and I didn't do it!)
Photo 3: example of field fence where one of the cattle got their head stuck yesterday. hard to see in the photo but in the middle is a larger opening. (cliclk on the photo to get a larger view)

The tall grass is where my pickup blocked the entrance. That is how much the cattle ate the front yard down in a little over two days.


Photo 1: my tilled garden.
Photo 2: the rhubarb and strawberry area is the green rectangle.

Cattle in my yard

Earlier when I talked about "Heifer #3" I was wrong. I noticed today #3 is a steer. I thought there was at least one female cattle that was nice, but I was wrong.

Yesterday afternoon I let the cattle into the yard. In a day and a half they pretty much ate most of the fruit tree and garden area grass down. There was still some left to eat but I found the-less-easy-it-is-to-eat-grass the more likely the cattle will look for other easier food items and cause trouble. So after their noon siesta, and having completed the 'cattle proofing' preparations, I let the cattle into the yard.

Munch, munch, munch. They went right to work putting their head down immediately to eat as they walked through the corral gate.

Yesterday early evening, as I was pruning in the fruit tree area, I saw a pickup slow to a stop on the road just before it came to my entrance. The cattle were eating down by the road. I had the barb wire simple fence gate closed and my pickup parked in front of it (Other years I have found some cattle will put their head and neck under the gate and lift it up and slip through to the road - the barbs having no affect on the thick cattle skin - so I added the pickup). A vehicle slowing to a stop means... cattle on the road? I was trying to count 21 head as I walked to the road but that is hard to do with different sized animals moving around.

Before I reached the gate the pickup drove off. I counted 21 head. None escaped. I have no idea why the pickup stopped other than disbelief that some idiot would let a herd of cattle into their front yard.

The cattle behaved themselves the rest of the day. After 10 pm I herded them slowly into the corral for the night. I don't trust them to behave themselves overnight. And I don't want to leave my pickup next to the road overnight.

This morning I let the cattle out into the yard again for the day. This day the cattle didn't behave themselves as well. The first day they were a little skittish when I was out and around. I think it was because they were in a new environment and not sure if they were in trouble when they saw me. Saturday they were more relaxed. And curious. That spells t-r-o-u-b-l-e with a capital T.

Around noon I found the cattle unwound the fence protecting my backyard bush and were molesting (as the US government likes to call it) the bush. After chasing the cattle away I had to straighten out the fence and then rewind it around the bush.

As I was waiting for the cattle's water trough to be filled again one heifer somehow got her head through a field fence and got it stuck inside. She pulled away and ended up pulling the whole fence away from protecting the small tree and bush by my well. There she was with the fence around her head and trailing the fence as she moved about. All the rest of the cattle stopped, stood, and stared. It was dicey but I got the fence off her head. She didn't cooperate well.

At first I tried to grab the fence to pull it from her head but when I approached she ran backward pulling the fence along with her. I tried to stand on the fence hoping that would give her something to pull against and allow her to free her head. But she was too strong and pulled the fence along with me on top of it. I had to keep from falling over or my feet slipping into field fence openings and being pulled along. I got off the fence before I lost my balance.

Between me grabbing the fence and the heifer turning her head sideways we got the fence off her head.

*whew*

This evening as I was slowly herding the cattle back into the corral another one got its head stuck in another field fence. Oh, great. I had put up a fence around my patio. While there is nothing to eat there I found other years the cattle would wander around it checking everything out and munching on the trees next to it. This year as I wasn't here this Spring I still have a pile of branches that I use as kindling in my wood stove. This heifer/steer stuck it's head through the fence to reach the pile of branches.

Yes, I know. It doesn't make any sense.

So there it stood with its head struck in the fence. It pulled back and pulled on the fence. The fence was nailed to the patio and I started to fear I may be rebuilding my patio sooner than planned. This time I stood back so as not to freak the animal out and eventually it tilted its head and got it out without pulling everything down.

*sigh* What next?

Covering the trees in the NE pasture I had put some yellow plastic netting over the top. I found many of them had been torn off by the cattle and I found one in a chewed up ball. I had tossed another one of the yellow nets onto my pile of branches and several times a day I have to toss it back onto the pile of branches as some cattle reach over the field fence and get it off the branch pile and leave it on the ground. Again, I have no clue as to why unless they like playing practical jokes on me.

Another problem I have had is the cattle keep tipping over a sheet of wood I leaned against the well shed. I did this to keep the cattle from walking on the - currently empty - flower bed I have along the shed. A small tree is growing in the flower bed and I hadn't a chance to transplant it. I should say "was growing" as the cattle tipped the wood over and ate the tree. Several times during the day I heard the board fall over. Bored cattle get into t-r-o-u-b-l-e.

The cattle should have the yard eaten in another day or two and then they go to the pasture and life will get simpler for me. *crossing my fingers* I even skipped this week's hikes to get the cattle through this procedure.

In the meantime I removed the last of the cattle proofing from the fruit tree and garden area. I pruned the branches the cattle ate the leaves off of, and cut down much of the dead third apple tree. I completely removed one of the fences around a cherry tree and put new steel posts in place of the old branches. I'll build the fence later before the cherries ripen and the birds get them.

I also started my lawn mower and mowed the fruit tree and garden area. I know, I had the cattle in there because I didn't want to mow it. But the cattle didn't eat it down to golf course putting green level. Also I didn't burn the area this Spring so dried manure from last year, pines cones, and small twigs were present and I had the mower 'clean' it up.

I also pruned the dead canes on the raspberry bushes and got tiny stickers in my fingers for my effort. No, I wasn't wearing gloves. Yes, I should have worn them. I dug up all around the live raspberry plants and removed the weeds and grass.

I started on my strawberry and rhubarb area and only got around the rhubarb before it got dark.

Otherwise a perfect day as the temperature was in the 70s, a light breeze and sun all day. The mountains shone in blue and white and were a beautiful sight. All day yesterday and today the music from Neil Young's "Heart of Gold" concert DVD ran through my head. I think I will have to buy myself a copy of the DVD as I really like the music and it is growing on me. I play the DVD each night.

Photo 1 is the cattle in the front yard at the start. The grass looks no where like this today, after a day and a half.

Photo 2 is from earlier this week. It is raining and the cattle - having had enough of rain - are trying to huddle under the protection of a couple box elder trees. Notice how I had to wrap the tree on the left to save it. Previous years the cattle molested the tree terribly. Somehow they pulled tall branches down and go to the top of that tree. The tree used to be much taller.

Stock trailer manure and gophers

A few days ago, so the cattle could eat the grass growing inside the hay shed opening I opened the gate. They ate the grass but left a mess. The stock trailer handle and hitch were covered in manure from one of the cattle. Thanks. I guess the cattle aren't too fond of stock trailers now, are they?

I also trapped two more pocket gophers. The young haven't moved out and the couple have not split up for the year as I have trapped two young pocket gophers in each hole so far and there are more as each tunnel had dirt sealing the trap with the dead gopher. This means more gophers are in the tunnel.

Cattle in fruit tree area

Thursday morning I let the cattle into my fruit tree and garden area. I had all the small fruit trees and bushes protected by fences except one apricot tree. While the cattle happily ate the grass I took down the old fence and put up a new and better one.

Here are photos before-and-after of the old fence and new. The round brown object to the left of the fence in the 'before' picture is how I quickly protect my bushes - drop a roll of small fencing over them.

Here are photos before-and-after of another apricot tree. This fence I did not upgrade. I ended up using some of the previous apricot tree's old snow fence to further protect this tree as the cattle did not respect the fence. Even wrapping the tree with the old snow fence barely protected the apricot tree as later I caught heifer #20 inside the outer fence trying to push the snow fence open and off the tree so she could eat it.

While I worked on the apricot tree fence the sun came out and my coat came off. The cattle, curious beasts that they are, had to check out my tools, camera, and especially my coat. In the photo are the two main trouble makers, #20 and #78. #8 behaved but she did want to rub against my coat after she sniffed it. All pictured are heifers. Females!


The cattle started the day off behaving but by evening some were more interested in mischief than eating. The females, as usual, were the ones who were stubborn and causing trouble. The 'boys' either ate or went head-to-head in playful contests to see who was stronger. At one point a half dozen steers were in a circle each waiting their turn to test their strength on one another.

Some of the heifers got tired of eating grass and were determined to eat leaves from several box elder trees in the area. I chased them away and they would return again and again. I know to watch out for #20 and #78.

In this photo the box elder tree on the left had been 'trimmed' up as far as the cattle could reach. The fenced area in the center left is my rhubarb and strawberry patch.

Unlike cattle of other years, these cattle liked to eat rhubarb, and ate what they could snatch through the fence. One heifer somehow slid one of the black 4' by 8' heavy grates apart and was half into the strawberry patch before I saw her. That had never happened before as those grates are heavy. I seen evidence later where the cattle pushed in the area that only had a fence and ate whatever grass and strawberries they could reach. *sigh*

As Dan tells me about my having cattle in my garden area and front yard, "you're a braver guy than I". I think "braver is his nice way of saying "dumber".

The #20 and #78 heifers also went to a lot of effort to reach a few of my fruit trees. #20 somehow got her head under the fence around one of my pear trees and bent it and some wires up and got her head inside and was working to reach the lower leaves on the pear tree and nipped some before I saw her. *argh!!!* I didn't think I need my "four wooden posts" as this fence sat on the ground. I added some.

My "four wooden posts" were boards I pounded into the ground between the metal posts and then nailed the bottom of the fence to. Most fences I leave off the ground a few feet. High enough for me to crawl inside the fence and for the cattle to get their heads in and eat the grass, but low enough the cattle can't get inside or reach up to eat the tree's leaves. You can see several of the posts in my new fence apricot tree photo above.

#78 at times would go from fenced tree or bush to another one ignoring the tall grass on the ground. Why? Why go though the work when it is easy to eat the grass at your feet?

I caught heifer #20 eating my small box elder tree and chased her out of the area. She stood just outside the gate to the fruit tree and garden area and watched me. She was waiting for me to be distracted then she would come in again and head for the tree. That is how she operates. This time I stood by the tree and looked at her. She looked at me, then looked away. Then would look at me. All the while she wouldn't move and come back through the gate even though everyone else was inside. She knew she was in trouble. After about 5 to 10 minutes she came through the gate carefully and headed elsewhere taking care not to come by me or the tree.

Not all the cattle were a pain. Heifer #3 had a thing for me. She would stand and stare at me. When I wasn't looking she would carefully come up and sniff me. I hated to herd her with the rest as she is so nice. I am not sure what is up with steer #204. He would stand for a long time staring at me. He wouldn't approach me, nor do stuff to get into trouble. He would just stand and watch me.

It rained several times during the day. Yes, I got wet.

In the evening I had to herd the cattle out of the fruit tree and garden area as there was no way I was going to let them stay in there overnight. By now it was after 10 pm and all but one were done eating and were milling about looking for trouble. They didn't want to go and would only take a few steps then stop when I moved onto herding the next one.

I started to 'cattle proof' my front yard as the grass in the garden area will only last a little over a day. Here are photos early in the day and in the evening. Notice the grass is less. These cattle are 'mowing machines'!

A few more cattle photos...

Friday the cattle come into the front yard. How is that going to go?

Neil Young movie

Late Wednesday last night I watched a DVD of a concert Neil Young gave in 2005 before he had surgery for a brain aneurysm. The movie is: Neil Young: Heart of Gold.

I've been a fan of Neil Young since his days with the group, Buffalo Springfield. If you are a fan of Neil Young, especially of his acoustic "Harvest Moon" side, then this is a movie you should watch. The movie is Neil and his friends - including the lovely Emmylou Harris, performing at the Ryman Theater in Nashville, Tennessee.

Since the outcome for his brain surgery was uncertain, the concert mood was poignant.

Here is a promo video clip for the movie.

I liked the music so much I played the DVD again tonight to listen to its music in the background.

"Heart Of Gold"

I want to live,
I want to give
I've been a miner
for a heart of gold.
It's these expressions
I never give
That keep me searching
for a heart of gold
And I'm getting old.
Keeps me searching
for a heart of gold
And I'm getting old.

I've been to Hollywood
I've been to Redwood
I crossed the ocean
for a heart of gold
I've been in my mind,
it's such a fine line
That keeps me searching
for a heart of gold
And I'm getting old.
Keeps me searching
for a heart of gold
And I'm getting old.

Keep me searching
for a heart of gold
You keep me searching
for a heart of gold
And I'm growing old.
I've been a miner
for a heart of gold.

Here is a youtube video of Neil performing the song back in the 1970s.