It's Been a Long, Busy Week...

It's been a long, busy week here.  I've been neglecting the blog...and many other things, like laundry, dishes and sleep.  So, since it's Saturday...and the fair is over...I can actually sit and do a little catching up!

Here are just a few random thoughts from the past week or so...

1.  I'm ready for the week to be over.  I've had a headache and felt a little crummy since Monday, and it can't last much longer...can it?

2.  This was West Lampeter Fair week.  It's been very busy...seemingly more so than other years.  Why?  I'm not sure, but we are all exhausted!  Last night we said good bye to Jenna's goats.  This morning was clean up, and it was so quiet and empty there without all the animals.

3.  Last week Jim and Eric went to a Philadelphia Eagles game with our brother in law and nephew who are big Kansas City Chiefs fans.  Two of them came home happy, and two came home a little disappointed, but they had fun...

4.  We're still enjoying beautiful fall weather.  It just doesn't get much better than this.  I've actually seen a few leaves starting to turn, and if what I've seen so far is any indication of the beauty to come...it's gonna be a gorgeous show this year!

5. The harvest is in full swing.  Chopping corn is almost finished, except for the ag bag which will go out hopefully at the beginning of next week.  The rest of the corn, and the beans are getting dry.  I saw this view of the west side of our barn on my way home from an errand this morning, and just had to grab my camera and drive back to snap the picture...

Now it's on to face the day.  There's a mountain of laundry to do...a ton of redding up to do...and a whole lot of weeds that need to be pulled out of my flower beds.  If the caffeine kicks in soon, I just might get some of it done!

How To Change a Waterbowl Valve...

Just because you might need to know this some day...

A few days ago, we found a small flood in the barn.  One of the old cast iron water bowls had rusted, had an irreparable leak in it, and needed to be replaced.  Jim replaced it with a lighter weight, plastic bowl, and we were good to go.  This morning, however, we noticed that the water bowl was full to the brim, and the floor was wet. Hmmm... (yes, that's a bit of rye in the water bowl.  The cows should have better table manners!)

Sometimes when working with old pipes, bits of rust come loose and clog the screen on the water bowl valve, resulting in a leak.  It's a simple fix, really...

First of all you turn off the water source to the bowl.  We have valves on the main water line that we can easily close when needed.

Then...find the correct wrench, and turn out the valve.  Lefty loosey...

See the rust and debris that is stuck to the screen?

Clean it off and put the screen back in place on the end of the valve...

Then, before putting the valve back in...or replacing it if necessary...flush out the line.  You turn on the water line just long enough to flush out any more pieces of rust or debris that might be in there...

...put some thread tape on the threads to help make a tight fit...

...and put the valve back in.  Righty tighty...

Now the cows are happy...

Just in case you ever wondered!  It's just part of life in the barn.

More Chicken Antics...

Leave it to the chickens to amuse me, when the routine of life becomes, well...very routine.

The chickens can't see the house from their pen, because of the row of shrubs along the garden.  It's easy to sneak up on them...

It doesn't take much.  Maybe they hear me...or see a shadow...but as soon as they sense that someone is coming, they race for the gate.  Maybe they'll get a treat...who knows?

Ah...yes!  Peach peelings!  Their anticipation was not in vain...

Silly chickens!

Filling the Last Silo...

What a beautiful day we had today!  The weather has turned from hot and humid...to cooler (upper 70's) with a nice breeze and low humidity.  Yes!!

The past few days were drying days, as far as the corn was concerned.  The field that was just a little too green to chop on Friday was begging to be chopped today.

Here is a short video of the first load going into the empty silo...

All afternoon as I was peeling peaches, I listened to the drone of the chopper out in the field, and the tractor and blower at the silo, as load after load was emptied into the last silo.  It's a good feeling to have that last silo full.  Around the end of September, we will top off all three silos with our late corn, and that will be the end of silage for this year.

Tomorrow, Jim will level the silage, and we'll spend a chunk of time setting up the unloaders, so he doesn't have to climb up and fork silage down into the cart each time he feeds.

Fall is definitely here!