I have been slow to update, but I don’t have anything to talk about anyway. I didn’t even have a lesson this week because I had to go to a work meeting. Dang work, always interfering with my riding.
So all I have been doing is working on my arena (and sleeping). Last weekend, the arena was finally level enough to begin stage whatever, and I rolled out geotextile fabric, and that’s when Dave found me, covered in dirt and about ready to give up on life.
Before the textile is unrolled, they weigh at least 100lbs. Obviously they get lighter as they go, but let’s be serious, I’m a woman with questionable strength so any weight is pushing it (it could be a pun because I was literally pushing the fabric out!). This was the hardest part of arena building so far, and it was made far, far worse when my stone dust arrived, because when the trucks dumped it, it created wind that blew all the fabric out of place. Womp womp.
I tried to keep up with the stone dust delivery, but it came so fast that the piles snaked out into my pasture. Then it started raining, so I called off the delivery, as the trucks have to drive through my pasture to get to it, and things have a habit of sliding down my hill. Unfortunately, another truck arrived after I called it off, so they had to dump it in my front yard, where it’s lived for the past few days. I’m feeling pretty redneck right now.
You might be asking why it now lives there (or maybe not, but I’ll tell you anyway.) The bobcat had to be returned on July 29th, so now it’s just me and my seemingly puny tractor, that only has 1/3 the capacity to hold stuff in it’s bucket. It’s going to take a while to move all that stone dust, and I just haven’t felt up to it yet. So I guess what it comes down to, I’m really lazy. And really, every day, sleep just seems so much better.
In other news, I lost three chickens in the past two weeks. I think the universe heard me saying I had too many chickens and decided the best course of action was to rid me of some lovely hens instead of the excessive amount of roosters I have. A moment of silence for three sweet hens:
And now a moments anger for my tiny jerk rooster who should have sacrificed himself for any one of these hens but did not, and instead chooses to attack my shoe.
And to give it a positive spin, Fluffers is still reigning Champion of Living, and is still the oldest hen I have, from the first group of chickens I ever owned.
johnwhays
Holy cow, what an epic project you have underway! I totally sympathize with the situation that you described of getting the fabric rolled out and the stone delivered. And then of course, rain. And one last truck after the call to stop deliveries. Oh boy. Hope you recover your spirit and energy soon and show that arena that you are the boss! One small load at a time, anyway.
Amanda Lee
Oh gosh, there is a rooster at my new barn. He is evil. Like, seriously, he refuses to let me get out of my truck. I periodically remind him that I, too, have spurs (although his are unfortunately bigger than mine!).
Courtney
Amanda LeeThey grow such huge spurs! I used to have a really mean one, and I ended up having to carry a stick around to fend him off!
littlepiecesofme1
Dora was a beautiful hen. Sorry she is gone. The arena sounds like a LONG and HARD project…hang in there.
hellomylivia
Your dirt contouring looks perfect if that’s any consolation! Super cool watching this take shape. Sorry about the poor chickens 🙁 And I’m sorry that I was giggling so hard at your captions instead of maintaining the proper solemnity.
DIY Horse Ownership
What killed your chickens? We had a raccoon kill all of ours a few weeks ago. New chicks arrived this weekend though.
Courtney
DIY Horse OwnershipI think it was a fox, but not completely sure
Haynet
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emma
sorry for your loss of chickens!! is it bad to admit that i seriously giggled at the ‘it should have been you’ picture tho?? lol… good luck with the stone dust!
Good of the Last Few Weeks | Vintage Virginia
[…] in the good, I’ve been complaining about losing a lot of chickens. Since that post, I lost yet another one, a little jerk of a hen who picks on the […]