Barn Raising and Other Stuff!

 

 As you can see, our new barn is going up!  When it is complete, it will house the catch pen for the cattle - among other things.  With a roof over their heads, the cattle will no longer get their dainty little hoofs muddy and their hides hot when it is time to vaccinate them or round them up to take to the auction.  Cattle often have heat stroke, especially when they are under stress.  So it is very important to "work" cattle early in the morning or on a cool, cloudy day.  Now, having a roof over everyone's head, will make loading cattle for sale day a cooler, safer, happier, less soggy place to be.  Because it is ALWAYS raining on sale day!!  No matter what the local weather report says - IT WILL RAIN!! Guaranteed!  100%!  And it is not fun to slip and fall down in a foot of mud and cow poop with lots of nervous cattle less than one foot away!! 

This barn is actually going to be about 40 feet larger than our "old" barn. However, it is made out of wood instead of steel like the "old" barn.  Have you priced steel lately?  We would have to win the lottery to be able to afford a new steel barn!  The multi-million dollar lottery!!  But the new barn will have a metal roof so the "pitter-patter" of rain can lull the cows to sleep!!

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 Notice the hay raked in long rows in the background?  JR is always cutting, raking, baling hay -  between rainstorms!

Some of the trusses arrived Friday.  Yea!  The men worked hard, in 90+ degree heat, raising part of the roof.  Hopefully, more trusses will arrive after Labor Day. And maybe even some cool, dry  weather........maybe.



 

                        This is our old catch pen.  New pens will be built under the new barn. When Big A and Pooh and Tosh were young kids, they loved to play in the catch pen.  They would climb in and over the gates and pretend to be cattle.  Then they would swing back and forth on the gates!  WHEEeee!  The cows would just stare at them like they had lost their minds!!!

This is the "old barn".  It houses all the equipment....tractors, backhoe, rakes, bush hogs, hay baler, etc. etc. etc..... There is also a smaller building underneath - part of the old, old, old, barn - where JR has a workbench, tools, freezer, refrigerator, etc. etc. etc.  (The little kids (and BIG kids) discover the freezer at an early age because there are always Popsicles hiding among the necessities. And....in case you did not know, calcium helps build strong bones and teeth!)

 

This is a view of the barns, in the East pasture, from the main gate.  The new barn is to the left and the old barn is on the right.  That is "Dark Vader's" shadow you see!   We finally had a bit of sunshine.  So..... since "Dark Vader" saw his shadow, that means we will have 6 more weeks of summer!  If it works for the groundhog it should work for Dark Vader!!  It is official  - keep the grill out and the lemonade in the refrigerator!!

 

 

 Moving on to another subject, Pooh sent me this picture of Bob and Wee Bob  (and their dog, Duke)  petting a cow.  I just had to share it. (No wonder I rarely eat beef.)
 

 

 

                  Around these parts, children are raised up to be cattleman -  starting at birth!  These pictures were taken on the farm owned by Bob's parents - high up on the mountain. Wee Bob is a "little bit"  spoiled.  Every evening when Bob arrives home from work, Pooh, Bob, and Wee Bob set off on their four-wheeler to check the cows.  Wee Bob's first words were "moo" and "cow" instead of "mama" and "dada".  And then he added "tractor", "truck", "rake", and "bobcat".  A true farmer in the making!!!  No doubt about it. 


Moving again to other important "stuff".....

Meme T, Papa G, and Big A took a short vacation this weekend to sail The Lost Sea.  What you see are blind fish that swim in the underground lake..  Their eyes are really scary looking because they have been underground for hundreds of generations.  They glow with a white, eerie light.

Yikes!!  Look at their eyes!! 
They should have surfaced sooner!!
(Warning - if you ever sail The Lost Sea make sure to check your watches OFTEN.  Do not spend more than two hours in the deep!!!)

I am not sure what this is but Meme T sent it by text.  It was something in the cave. 

I just love technology.  It gives me a chance to use my deciphering skills!

 

 

After emerging from the cave, Meme T and family took their "googly eyes" to a Murder Mystery Dinner Theater.  I wonder if everything they looked at glowed???

 

 

 

Last, but not least, since football fever seems to be spreading, there is nothing left to say but .....

ROLL TIDE !!!!!

 

Dee Dee