Saturday, January 7, 2012

Make Hay While the Sun Shines

Well, we didn't make hay, but we did get some things done outside on Thursday, taking advantage of our sunshine and 62* temps! Wow! What a day!

I began my day by deciding I wanted to make a CrockPot meal so I could go to the gym in the evening and not have to worry about getting dinner on the table. So, I did a quick search through All Recipes and came up with Great-Aunt Nina's Noodles and Chicken. I ran out to the store to get some of the ingredients. I am so loving the fact that a grocery store is less than 5 miles away! Upon arriving home I got out the CrockPot. I put the chicken next to the pot... and realized the darn thing was too big! The chicken, that is! So, on to plan B. I pulled out my large dutch oven and put it all together and cooked it on the stove. My new stove has a 'simmer' burner. I put that to work! The recipe called for home made noodles. I've never made pasta before - it was easy and fun.

Then I coerced hubby into joining me on a trip to the local sand and gravel store. Our paddock is a mess!  A river runs through it! The warm temperatures we have been experiencing have finally made some inroads on melting the snow that fell just before Christmas. But, there are still plenty of 'poopsicles' that resist my best efforts to break their bond with the ground.

I wanted something to break up the clay. I can't afford to cover the entire paddock, but at least I can put a thick layer by the gate and where the horses go in and out of the run-in shed. The sand and gravel guys suggested we use squeegee, a small pea-sized gravel. Being the visual person that I am I needed to know what a ton 'looks' like. The fellow said to think of it as a bath-tub full. OK, I want two. Well, we got 1 1/2 tons. Then hubby remembers that the truck, a 1/2 ton pick-up, can only handle 1000 pounds! So... we traveled home very slowly. Hubby and I took turns shoveling all of the gravel out.


The horses came up to inspect our work. 
I had shut the gate as I wasn't sure we wanted knew I didn't want their 'help'!

Hey, Doc, do you think they are spreading food for us?
Pippin, why do you always think of food?
This is boring. I'm gonna take a nap.


You're right. Since they won't let us help,
a nap sounds like a great idea!



So, even without help from the horses we emptied the truck. Time will tell if the gravel makes any difference in fixing the mess!

Evening rolled around. Since I had some exercise in lifting and twisting... and cleaning up poop, I opted not to go to the gym. But, regardless, it was still nice to walk into the house and smell dinner cooking on the stove! And, how did it turn out? Yum! Hubby declared that it could have used some more spice, but we both agreed it was warm, tasty and filling!


And now? Two days later? Just look:


Yeah... that 'haze' is more snow! Since the paddock had finally lost it's white mantel, I just knew it would be covered again! I took these photos around 4 PM and now I think we've had about 4 inches of the white stuff. I really can't complain. I do love it - especially since I don't have to be anywhere in the morning!

13 comments:

  1. I don't know what is up with this weather!
    But that pea gravel is exactly what we need at our barn at the gates, they are mud puddles!
    Your dinner looks yummy!
    Is that Pippin laying down? I love it! Still waiting to see Shy laying. . .

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  2. I have about worked my crockpots to death the last 2days, making stock, soup and braised beef in tom gravy...Tomorrow night will probably be more chicken stock.

    Love the photo of the horses napping.

    Blessings Kelsie

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  3. Lots accomplished in one day and the icing was the soup!

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  4. We got your warmer weather yesterday and hopefully today. Our paddock is mud soup, I feel so bad for Camryn.
    I did gravel in front of the barn, first year I did it got sucked into the mud. Second year I gave it another try, worked like a charm, it's the only area that isn't soup. So if it doesn't work this year don't be dismayed.

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  5. Good that you took the opportunity to get some things done. It has been hot here too -- T-shirt weather, but yesterday it cooled down a bit and mist hung around the mountains most of the day.

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  6. It was supposed to snow here, but didn't. Spit a little around 3 yesterday afternoon and that was all. Beautiful cold and sunny today.


    Linda
    http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
    http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com

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  7. It's been warm here in SC...getting lots done outside and inside! Managing horse property is a job and a half, isn't it! haha...hope the gravel helps!

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  8. Your posting so reminds me of growing up out in the country in Missouri. My grandfather had rescued two horses from Manor Bakery. For years the horses had pulled the vans that delivered bakery goods to home out in the country.

    Grandpa Ready named the white horse "Memphis" and the brown house "Maude." For several years they roamed the twenty acres Grandpa owned. My brother and I tried to ride them but they'd have none of it. They'd trot us to the hedgerow trees and we'd have to tumble off when they moved beneath the lower limbs. Good memories. Thank you.

    And yes, I think I need, finally, to buy a crock pot. Your photographs made me hungry!

    Peace.

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  9. Gahhh! What a cute pup! My dogs love the snow!

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  10. Please keep the snow in CO. Our temp today was 70+ with lots of sunshine, so I sat on the porch (with the doors to the house open) and read most of the day. I've keyboard to practice, "burned" (due to cold temps last week) plants to prune, rye grass to water, etc.; however, I played the lazy one today, which was unlike you & Scott on Thursday.

    Yesterday we drove to Belfair Village to shop at Merle Norman Studio, ate BBQ on the patio at Nick & Jim's, and then drove through Old Town Bluffton (Alljoy's Landing & Bluffton Seafood Market, both of which were doing a booming business). I drove past your former home in May River Plantation, which looked to be well-tended. On to Maye River Baptist Church to check out the cemetery (can you tell that I was NOT alone), then shopping at Best Buy before returning home. A day of mild temps and lots of sunshine, which doesn't encourage *work*!

    Thanks for sharing photos of how some folks opt to spend the winter months. I'll take sunshine, mild temp, and dry soil!

    Anne

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  11. Been there, done the gravel shoveling. It's a ton of work!

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  12. What a productive day. 62 degrees!

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  13. I love the napping horses. The gravel is something we could use around our barn, but he snow? I don't want it at all. Over 36 days now that we've had snow on the ground that refuses to melt. bah!

    ~Lisa

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