It's been a long winter. Finally the grass has begun to grow after rain last week and warm weather the last few days. I had to buy one bale of hay last week as we were out of our winter supply so it was time to move the flock. In the west pasture where they have been penned up for the winter they have kept each blade devoured as soon as it emerged. In the east pasture the grass was several inches long, and looking luscious. Trouble was that the fence in the east pasture had been smashed down last fall in several places and had to be repaired, I spent all of last evening and most of this morning working on it. The north pasture runs between the east and west and the fence there was even worse. The deer, and I think some hunters, had really mashed the fence along the wooded side. This is an old place and a lot of fence posts need to be replaced. No money for that right now. So the east pasture looked the best bet. I just had to lead the sheep through the north pasture over to the east side, without them scattering on me and going off into the woods. I didn't feed them this morning, even though they complained quite loudly. When I got the east pasture fixed up the best I could, I got a bucket of grain from the barn and went into the west pasture where the sheep were. They saw me coming with the bucket and came running but I just kept walking, right through the gate, around the pond through the west gate and into the west pasture. I was afraid to stop or look back but it worked, we all entered the pasture in single file. I then stopped and poured the grain on the ground, and while they fought over that I went back around them and closed the gate. Before the grain was even eaten they noticed the good grass and the race to see who could get the most the quickest was on. When I left they were all very content.
Things didn't go quite as well with my husbands chore. He was going to get the mower out of the barn and get it ready to mow in the spots where the sheep aren't allowed to go. Mowing with the riding mower is the one thing he can still do to help outside, as he can't walk very far or lift anything. He also enjoys riding it around just to see the place, which is what he was doing when it quit and wouldn't start again. He wasn't far from the house and when I came from the pasture he was there tinkering with it. When he told me what happened , I asked first if he had gas, which he did, and then if he had put oil in it before he started. He said "it has oil." I checked after he went in the house to get the battery charger and there was oil in there, but it was just the way he said "it has oil" that made me suspicious. We had a local guy come pick it up an hour or so later and sure enough he calls us back right after he got it to the shop to tell us the engine is seized. I think someone put the oil in after he told me he had a problem. I'm always reminding him to check the oil on things. Now we will have to put in a new engine - probably $200.00 if we are lucky. This is the last thing we need, another bill, but it's cheaper than a new mower. It's a nice, heavy duty Allis Chambers mower that my son got for us used last year so it's worth repairing. When I was younger I would have gone into a rage that my husband was so stupid not to check the oil before he got started. I am old enough now to know that everyone makes mistakes and yelling about it won't fix it. I guess God knows what he is doing when he sends these troubles my way. We will find a way to get through this as we have found ways to get through everything else. Maybe I can sell one of those nice lambs in the pasture. I just wish that my pasture was a little greener too.
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