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Farm Notes: Week of March 9

Inspired by the simple, straightforward style of E.B.White’s notes on daily chores. Last week’s farm notes.

MONDAY: Smelled like a skunk when I walked past the chicken coop. Makes me wonder if that’s what got the chickens last week. Ground is frozen and hard to walk on after thawing and re-freezing. Supposed to get up to 50 ° today but rain coming which will mean tons of mud. Girls trimmed Paige’s wool over the weekend. Nice to see her sweet eyes. Texted T to ask their tree trimmers to drop a load of wood chips if they are working in our area. Hoping it will help with mud around gates in the field. 8 bales of hay left. Get Dan to call Alan this week.

TUESDAY:  (52°, rain) Skunk smell was even worse outside this morning than it was yesterday. Is it weird that I kind of love it and hate it at the same time? Everyone out in the field this morning before lots of rain that’s coming in this afternoon and overnight. As if the mud wasn’t bad enough already. Tons of fox noise outside today. So strange to hear them at this time of day. Their raucous was going on for so long I was able to catch clips of it on my phone. I wonder if it’s mating season? Thinking this morning how I miss waiting for the first sounds of Spring Peepers that I’d anxiously anticipate when we lived at Thomas Run. Always meant spring temps were close. Need dog food and cat food.

WEDNESDAY: (52°) Carried sheep feed out to the barn. The mud is horrible. Stepped in a bad spot and it sucked my boot right off my foot. That was not fun. Still put everyone out in the field. But had to bring back in by lunch because of rain. But, best part? The field water wasn’t frozen for the first time since beginning of winter. I’ll take the mud, if I don’t have to haul water. Someone told me today that foxes smell like skunks, too. So that would make sense with all the noise I’ve been hearing in the woods behind the house.

THURSDAY: (48°, windy) Everyone out in the field. Didn’t haul water. Again. Dan set the havahart for the raccoons that are getting into the feed. Farmers at work told him bread soaked in vanilla works best because raccoons can smell it, barn cats can’t. However, we caught the orange barn cat. Again. I’m guessing curiosity caught the cat. He was pretty happy when we showed up to get him out. Oh, and he ate the vanilla bread.

FRIDAY: (48°) Emma put animals out before school and Mary threw down hay because Elizabeth was sick and I couldn’t get out to the barn. Everyone out in the field.

Cat food: $13.98


farmnotes3_9b

farmnotes3.9a

Later. Skater. #VSCOcam
Later. Skater. #VSCOcam

Yesterday, skateboards. Today, horse and carriage. He's a man of many talents.
Yesterday, skateboards. Today, horse and carriage. He’s a man of many talents.

This is what #morningchores sounded like this week.

A video posted by @mollybalint on

1 comment on “Farm Notes: Week of March 9”

  1. foxes are fast chicken eaters! we have coyotes around here so the girls are in the barn for the winter, but we got annilated last year -had to start over with the girls! this year dh is making chicken tractors…lightweight that can be moved easily. If there is such a thing!

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