Friday, April 17, 2009

Garden Report #4 & Etc.


Here is where we are on completing the assembly of the Backyard Botanical Garden. I was not in the mood to do much yesterday and only attached 5 of the 8 top rails. I did get the plastic tubs taped up -- the blue stuff --for screwing in the last three rails today. Well, folks, the rains started about 6:30 this morning! I'm thrilled, of course, that we got some rain, but the weather interfered with my garden plans for the day. :D Let me quickly say, "Praise God" because I just emptied an 1 1/2" from the rain gauge, and it is just now 11 AM. It looks like more rain is coming our way. Hooray!




Since the garden project is on hold for at least 24 hours, I want to introduce you to our neighbor's bull, Pico, which we recently invited over to court our cows. Pico is a young bull with a completely different attitude and personality than our old bull, Big Red pictured below.




Unfortunately, we had to sell Big Red in November of 2007 since he was 12 years old and his age was taking its toll. As an aside, it was a sad couple of days to a week when we had to take him to auction because Big Red had been a fixture on our place for about 10 years. Big Red is pictured here in the yard with hubby -- he had a bummed knee from jumping over the fence to fight with a run-away bull from a neighbor a couple of fences over. We could not get Big Red's knee well and kept him in the yard for about a month to keep him from roaming around the place on an injured knee. Eventually the knee did heal, and we were able to keep Big Red for another five years until we sold him. Except for the last year, he sired many good looking and healthy calves.



Don't let this innocent look deceive you because one of Luc's favorite things to do besides chase a ball, steal pillows or anything else he can grab from the house is to run at the cows to give them a bit of a scare. Big Red, the gentle giant, would step a little faster on his short legs, but Pico has a different attitude.

Just as an afternoon walk was about to begin, Luc spied Pico and dashed away from hubby when he was not looking. When Steve did look, he saw Luc disappearing around the edge of the barn after Pico. As hubby was running to get to the edge of the barn and calling Luc to come back, Luc came out from the side of the barn at full speed with Pico behind him pawing at the air after Luc.

Hmmm, it has been several weeks to a month since Luc was chased by Pico, and we've noticed that Luc has not taken the notion to run at the cows or at Pico for that matter. We also take precautions when we spy the cows and Pico off in the distance during one of the daily dog walks. We take a different route just so to not tempt Luc. Maggie has also given a try at a run towards Pico; Pico is younger, lighter and more agile than Big Red, does not run, stands his ground and faces her down. We've noticed she, too, does not seem to be overly interested these days when it comes to Pico.

And, so is life on the little ranch in the Texas Hill Country. If the sun comes out tomorrow, the garden project might be finished. Well, maybe.....we just take it as it comes. Life is sooooooooo relaxed in retirement and in the Texas Hill Country. :D

Until next time, God bless.



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