Wednesday, April 23, 2008, 17:01
Another Job to Do
Monday evening the weather was so nice when Randy came home from work that he decided to get the 460 Farmall out of the barn and work on cleaning up Isabelle's manure pile. In all, we have three manure piles to clean up, plus a bunch of manure out in the pastures to pick up. Randy figured Isabelle's pile was the best one to start with.
And that's when Pixie discovered she had a *big* job to do.
The manure pile is straight across the driveway from the big red cedar tree that is in front of the walkout basement. Of course, as soon as Randy started the tractor in the barn, Pixie came on the run, barking as she ran. When the tractor starts, Pixie knows it is her job to bark at it and make sure that it behaves itself.
Randy drove over to the manure pile, shut off the tractor and began forking manure into the bucket attached to the front of the tractor. Pixie retreated to the cedar tree to lie underneath the branches in the shade where she could watch Randy.
When the bucket was full, Randy climbed on the tractor and started it. As soon as he started to climb on the tractor, it was clear to Pixie what she ought to do. She came out from beneath the cedar tree and began to bark at the tractor. She barked the whole time he was backing up and turning around. When he was safely out in the hayfield with the bucket of manure, Pixie knew it was all right to retreat to the cedar tree again.
As soon as Randy returned with the tractor, Pixie jumped up and began barking at it again to make sure that the tractor knew it was supposed to go back to the manure pile.
When Randy shut off the tractor, Pixie retreated to the cedar tree again where she could watch. When Randy started the tractor again, Pixie once again sprang into action until the tractor was safely out in the hayfield. When Randy returned with the tractor, Pixie once again barked at it so the tractor was sure where it was supposed to go.
In all, Randy made about eight trips out to the hayfield to haul out Isabelle's manure pile. And each time the tractor came and went, Pixie barked at it. I could tell, too, that she was very pleased to have a job to do and that she was certain she was doing an excellent job. Which she was. The tractor never once misbehaved and always went where it was supposed to go while Pixie was on duty.
Monday evening after supper, Pixie was one tired little puppy dog. We took Pixie and Charlie for a short walk along the road, and Pixie was content to walk along slowly, not in any big hurry to get anywhere. After all, she had already finished her work for the day. The tractor was once again back in the barn where it belonged, and all was right in Pixie's world.
(I'm happy to say, too, that all of the bouncing and pouncing and running that Pixie did while the tractor was out didn't seem to make her sore leg any worse. She still favors it a little, but all things considered, it doesn't appear to bother her too much.)
Barn Swallow
I was standing outside Wednesday morning waiting for Charlie to finish his breakfast before I went down to the barn to feed the horses. If I don't wait for Charlie to finish eating, he stops eating and follows me down to the barn.
As I stood there, looking down toward the barn, I saw a dark blue bird with a creamy orange belly flying around the barn.
It was a barn swallow!
I only saw the one swallow, but I have noticed over the years that the barn swallows send one or two ahead of the flock to check out the nests and make sure everything is in order before the flock arrives. The "advance guard" usually comes several days ahead of the main flock. So if the "advance" barn swallows are here now, the flock will be coming within the next several days.
I could hardly believe my eyes. A barn swallow! Usually the swallows do not arrive until the first few days of May, but I guess May is not all that far away, is it.
I am sad to say, however, that I have not yet seen a meadowlark this year. The meadowlarks are among the first birds to come back in the spring and are often here before the end of March or are certainly here by early April. But so far, I have not seen or heard a meadowlark.
LeAnn R. Ralph
Monday, April 21, 2008, 20:50
A Mild State of Shock
This is incredible. The temperature on Sunday and again on Monday afternoon was in the mid 70s. I can hardly believe it. The temperature has not been up to 70 since October 7, 2007, when it was 85 degrees. After October 7, it was all "downhill" as they say with only a few days after that in the 60s. And then the bottom dropped out at the end of November.
Sunday afternoon I spent a couple of hours doing yard work -- mainly trying to scrape up gravel that was picked up with the snow and piled up on the lawn in places when Randy used the tractor to clear the driveway. The piles of sand and gravel make it hard to mow so I wanted to see if I could at least get some of it picked up.
I was pleasantly surprised to realize I was starting to get a blister on the palm of my right hand from using the shovel and the rake. Now that's really a sign of spring!
Another sign if spring is that I went down to the basement to dig out my old workboots. The rubber boots are great for slogging around in the mud, but it was just a little too warm for them on Sunday.
LeAnn R. Ralph