New Beginnings

We've (well - I should say, 'the guys' mostly)

have worked many hours...days......

in getting the land cleaned up and ready for cattle.

'The land' being the land that Greens purchased from Meduna.

I've said it before, but I don't think I can say it enough....

we are so fortunate to have Dan and Kylie as neighbors.

(and I'm not just saying that because our cows are on their land!)

And I'm also not just saying that just because Kylie is a fantastic cook....

and shares with us!!!!

We fixed some of the fence around the lake,

and changed other parts of it.

I'm driving the loader while Don pulls posts.

(He's way too trust-worthy of his driver....

but he didn't realize I was taking pictures at the same time)

Josh (driving) and Justin (unrolling new wire)

on the south side of the lake.

We spent an unbelievable amount of time just pulling wire out of the ground,

buried in the dirt. There were interior fences, they were just broken up

and on (in) the ground. We've rolled up scads of wire.

There really wasn't too much in the line of boundaries for the horses.

East side, west side; that was about it.

The guys were figuring out what could be fixed on the windmill.

Dan thought best to put in solar.

Windmills might be cool looking, but solar is the ticket.

Nothing like NOT having to hook pump-jacks up.

We're working towards getting more on our place;

it's just a matter of budgeting them in...one at a time.

Josh and Don on 4-wheelers moving our replacement heifers

on to Green's - the pasture they put the solar in.

The hail did not help the grass situation this year.

The grass on the hills is struggling to exist...

hail and hoppers don't help much.

Our heifers at the solar tank; the windmill is gone - but the water is flowing.

This stacker belonged to the Koopers. I sort of like thinking of times gone by, when Glen and Lucille lived here. I imagine Glen put up a lot of hay with this! And then he updated. You know, I'm pretty sure even when Don and I were first married, Glen would hook up the horses to help with the haying. I think he used them to feed, also. The coolest thing was all of his family helping during the summer in the hay field. Some cherished memories were made there.

Times change.

I can't say that I'm not glad they do. Makes our work a whole lot easier.
Makes our time more efficient; makes Don think we should be able to get more done!

The land to the south of us has a new beginning. People who care, and want to do right by the land. To fix it up and make it whole again. Our neighborhood is once again, filled with people who care, are kind, and want to be good neighbors. The whole lot of us!

Now we just have to find the time to all get together!