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| Cut and cleared hay field. |
A strange thing is that after I moved the first hay bale the bale spear stayed in the hay bale when I backed the tractor up. I looked and saw the cotter pins holding the bottom of the spear to the tractor was on the upper knobs and not the bottom knobs. The bottom knobs are what hold the spear to my model of tractor.
If for some reason I had put both pins in the wrong knobs the previous day, I seriously doubt I could have moved 27 bales the previous day without the spear getting left in the bale at least one time. And for the first bale on Monday to have this problem... makes me wonder if someone decided to play a prank on me. I did leave the tractor next to the bales in the north pasture overnight. I asked Curtis if he had seen anyone around my tractor and he hadn't.
I was able to reattach the bale spear to my tractor and remove the spear from the hay bale.
Also on Monday some of the cattle decided to hopscotch the river and go back to the south pasture. After only three days in the middle pasture. 12 large cows and the bull and six of the larger calves. A cow and seven calves remained in the middle pasture. After not seeing the cow and seven calves I had to go out to the pasture to see if they were okay. They were. They were just grazing and resting in the trees near the river.
By the time I got back to the east side of the pasture several of the cows started calling for their calves. The calves were fine and not missing their mothers but these cows' udders were full and they wanted their calves to drain them.
I opened the gate and several cows came through and then really started calling for their calves. The calves came running. Some calves ran to their mothers now in the middle pasture, some calves ran to their mothers still in the south pasture, and some calves ran to their mothers standing in the gate.
I waited.
Once the calves drank and the mothers ambled into the middle pasture only Big Red, Mama and Buddy were in the south pasture. Big Red laid down next to the fence. Mama was in heat and Buddy was right beside her. Mama walked past the gate. Not through it. Buddy occasionally would ask Mama if now was the time and Mama would then move a step away. So Buddy would wait.
Eventually Mama and then Buddy decided to lay down. So I herded Big Red through the gate and closed it. There was no way I was going to try to herd Mama and Buddy. I came back a half hour later and Mama was now eager to go through the gate. Buddy was right behind her.
Below you can see Buddy standing with Mama. He is much bigger than her.
One cow decided to lay down in the path of the gate. Her calf was still drinking when she decided to lay down. The calf had to finish its meal later.
Here is a 4 minute 23 second video of the cattle passing through the gate: https://youtu.be/TwgJua6XGSE
Now that I cut the grass in the hay field I can now see where some pocket gophers moved in. I got out my traps and have caught two pocket gophers so far.
The evening of the Fourth I spent it with Curtis and his business partner at their new property they plan to fix up and sell. He had hot dogs, chips, salad and a bonfire. Curtis only had one roasting skewer so his business partner and I each got a wooden stick from a dead tree branch and made our own roasting sticks.
From their new property we were able to watch the Candy Bar Ranch's fireworks show. Lots of private jets were apparently parked at the airport for people to attended the estimated $40,000 (?) fireworks show, party and concert by John Fogerty or Credence Clearwater Revival.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BHd-76rAkVx/
Their annual fireworks show was pretty impressive. Better than a number of town's fireworks shows I have seen. I'm not rich or famous enough to get invited so I had to watch from a distance.
I hope you had a great July 4th!
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