We are moving the hen houses and their inhabitants onto fresh land and into what will be a fairly sophisticated arrangement of electrified pens and sub-divisions further up in the field. Trust me, it will work.
But first we must clear the ground - mow the grass so it does not 'short' the fencing. My ever resourceful Glam. Ass. first cuts the knee-high grass with his
Allen Scythe. We now have swathes of wilting grass and the prospect of rain tomorrow. Better clear it up now then.
There is an area about the size of 2 tennis courts to rake up - plenty of time then to evoke scenes of yesteryear while I set to with the trusty hay rake. I pull and I drag. I make neat rows and sometimes, for variety I make little stacks. It's all a bit academic because the Glam Ass is not far behind with his little yellow tractor and transport box which we will load with all the cut grass to take up the lane. No one is going to admire this field work.
I've raked for all of 30 seconds before I've imagined myself into a Thomas Hardy landscape. I
am Tess of the d'Urbervilles - and count my blessings that this is not a bleak turnip field but a sunlit mead. I rake for something like another 30 seconds before realising that I wouldn't want to do an awful lot more of this.
All day for heaven's sake? I ache already.
We do stick at it and clear the small area. The Glam Ass has great fun driving his little yellow tractor and I take comfort in thinking about the calories burned up by raking and walking and loading....
My 'farmer's tan' is coming on nicely too.
9 comments:
The things we do for the chickens!
Keep working on that farmer's tan - you'll want to be a real redneck!
Fab blog....but how are those baby chickens?
A x
Sounds like fun. The sort that would be nice to watch someone else having, while you lounge on the grass with a stone bottle of beer and a cloth with bread and cheese.....
Hopefully the landscape is beautiful enough to lessen the rigours of farm work.
Pondside's comment got there first with some of what I was about to write. Let me add that I really loved the way that you took us right into that field.
The wooden rake looks as if it's pretty heavy. No wonder you are aching. Isn't it something when you are in the midst of some activity that's got a long history, and you find yourself sort of uniting with the spirit of others who've raked, or shoveled snow, or darned socks, or even made tea?
Please do keep up the posts on this project. I am imagining a set of striped lawn chairs full of chickens watching the preparations being made for them. I hear their encouraging clucking!
xo
It be an 'ard life down on the farm!! Great blog - hope those little chicks appreciate all you do for them.
Having done it , I can vouch for raking being b***** hard work . Mind you , scything is worse , with attendant risks of nasty injuries for the uncoordinated .
I'll envy your fresh eggs and healthy glow later though !
I've tried it too and it makes me very glad that the tractor does all the work now! That blue sky looks so gorgeous. What lucky hens you have.
Am suffering from serious chick envy having read your blog! Though I will leave you to your grass racking far too sneeze making for me to give you a hand I'm afraid! Sorry!
CKx
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