A Day in The Life by Paty Jager

Last Saturday was an outdoor day. I woke and hubby informed me the aspen tree that was coming back the third time after something ate it down, even after we'd surrounded it with pallets had been eaten down again.

cage around tree

The first order of business was to put the chicken wire, he'd bought the week before, around the tree so hopefully, whatever was eating it was larger than the holes in the chicken wire. He hauled the metal fence posts to where the trees are planted and I fed the horses. Then we commenced making cages for the two spots we had planted trees given to us from a friend. Hubby said if this doesn't work, we're going to have to purchase larger trees.

The other item we had talked about was moving the three big horses back to the hill. I won't have time to ride the next few weeks because fair season is going and I will be traveling and we will start on the second cutting of alfalfa.

Before we could move the horses we had to check the back fence and make sure the gate between us and the neighbor was closed. He had his cows on the hill for a while this spring.

loaded up in Sami

up the steep part

I had suggested we ride horses to check the fence, but hubby isn't a cowboy. He only tolerates the horses because I like them. We hopped in Sami: hubby, Mikey, Tink, and I. The first part of the trek is up the hill. The snow this winter and rain this spring had made ruts in the road and rolled rocks, making it a bumpy, jarring ride. Tink was wishing she had stayed home. ;) At the halfway point we noted the rock jack at the corner of the property was leaning. We'll have to go back another time and fix that but it isn't so bad the horses will get out.

We wove our way up to the top, a huge jack rabbit burst out from under a bush and Mikey was ready to give chase.

view halfway up looking back the way we came

We bounced, climbed, slid, and finally made it down the other side, to check the fence line and the gate. All was well down there. Then it was another weaving, sage crushing, rock climbing trip to get back up to the area by the rock jack to make our descent back down to the corral and barn area.

view from the backside of the hill - Steens in the distance

The water for the tank was started and we grabbed halters and lead ropes. Bud and Jammer were the first to get caught and enjoyed the wide open spaces. Lily took some persuading to be caught and then practically ran to the hill.


I opened the panels that had kept Apollo separated from the big horses. He went around the corral, found a good dusty spot, rolled and then jumped and frolicked for a bit.  George was unhappy he was left behind in the corral to keep Apollo company. But the two of them need to be on a limited diet.

George and Apollo

We had brought home some glass items the day before. I washed those up and put them away in my curio cabinet. Then I worked on writing projects, getting the next mystery ready for the narrator and some business stuff.

And that was my Saturday. I should have an interesting day or two next week as we will be cutting the alfalfa hay.