After the rain

It rained most of last night. It was still raining when I went to bed at 3 am and was done when I got up at 10 am. We must have had plenty of rain as the ground was wet three or more inches down when I dug pocket gopher holes later that day. Also it was easier to stick stakes into the ground when marking my trap locations.

This was a good rain and one I and the grass really needed. A few tree stumps are still smoldering where the roots underground are burning. Several other smoldering stumps were put out by the rain.

It was time to move the cattle to the north pasture for a few days. I saw them get up from their morning break and as they made their way around the pasture I opened the gate to the north pasture. That the gate was open didn't register to them until the first heifer walked through then the others quickly did. The cattle in the middle of the pasture then came running to join them.

They went to the corral and barn right away to check it out. Later when I was walking towards the river they ran over to join me. They were all excited and worked up. A few jumped and twisted as they ran. Whoa! Settle down!

When they got to the river they found the new fence which surprised them. Huh?!

With the cattle out of the middle pasture I moved the half dozen gopher traps from the north pasture to the middle pasture. I ended up setting out all 16 traps as I found 18 holes. The gophers took advantage of the lull to reopen the holes. In the afternoon I rechecked the traps and found one gopher slipped out of a leg hole trap though I found fur on the trap. Darn! So close!

I did find a gopher in another trap. Hurray! Another gopher down. If I only had gotten the first one. I feel I am so close to getting rid of them all.

Beyond that I cleaned up more tree branches. Of the branches I had cut from under the power line I had left them on the ground for the cattle to eat the leaves. The leaves not eaten were black and dead so I tossed the branches in a low area where I don't particularly care for the cattle to tromp around in - though a pile of branches don't seem to stop the cattle.

I also made banana bread and slept for a few hours in the afternoon. Man, I was tired today.