Hay is Here!

Almost a month later than we expected, we got our first load of hay.  We have been skimping on hay for weeks, trying to keep the cows fed by grazing in the lawn and garden and switching back and forth on the pasture quicker than is good for the grass.  But that is over now.  This is nice green alfalfa hay that should be turning into cream and milk here in the next few days.

We have been needing hay so we're happy it's here.  But this delivery means hard work; we have to put it away.  Urgh.  And these bales are heavy — about 100 lbs. each.  I hate moving hay.  It's such hard work and I get covered in stuff I'm allergic too.

I finished a year-long project.  Our well head is overgrown in weeds.  It's possible these were flowers planted to protect the well head, but they were overgrown and had spread way too far.  Cheat grass had worked it's way in too.  I cut them all down as close to the ground as I could, then I covered them with a layer of paper grocery bags.  The plan is that the paperbags will hold down the weeds and prevent them from coming back up. 

Several inches of soil held it in place and then I planted the flowers around it that I started in the basement last January — shasta daisy, gaillardia, candy tuft, and some marigolds.  Finally, the whole thing got a healthy layer of mulch (shavings of the tree we took out this spring).