Busy Labor Day

After I moved the irrigation lines in the morning Donna came over and we picked all of the transparent apples off that tree.  Those apples are ripe and ready and Donna plans to make applesauce out of them.  The timing is right too as yesterday I kicked the cattle out of the fruit tree area as the grass was mostly eaten down and the cows were eyeing at how to get to the trees.  And tomorrow an irrigation line will go through the fruit tree area.

When I went out to move the irrigation pipes I checked to see if the bull was still in the north pasture and if he was behaving.  He was, and he was.  I forgot until I was moving the second line of pipes to check on Maria and Diamond.  When I checked they had lifted the corral panel up and were busy eating from a hay bale.  I had put the two steel posts in the ground and wired the panel to the posts.  They got one wire off the post and panel and other wire ended up helping hold the panel high on the posts after they had lifted the panel.  I got some wooden pallets and placed them in front of the corral panel so the Maria and Diamond can't get their heads under the panel and lift it up.  It appears to be working.  I seen those two stand there and study the pallets and panel multiple times today but so far they haven't figured out a way to get past them and to the hay bale.

After catching up on my sleep I went and fixed the hayfield/pasture gate where the cattle had broke the railroad tie and pulled the hook out.   The railroad tie is 8 inches thick.  I had a bolt I could use but it was only 4 inches long.  I was able to found a matching threaded bolt and the final length is 12 inches.  I drilled through the railroad tie and installed the bolt.  I also added an extra larger chain to hold the gate.  And I nailed the broken part of the railroad tie back on the railroad tie.

Broken part of the railroad tie

Temporary chain to hold the gate

Fixed gate

I have four pocket gopher traps out in the south pasture and I caught two pocket gophers so far.

I cleaned up from the ground the small or damaged apples and fed a five gallon pail of them to Diamond, Maria and her calf.  I also trimmed the branches the cattle had reached and eaten the leaves.  And there were a few branches with webs from tent caterpillars and I removed them.

And then it was time to move irrigation pipes in the evening.