Musical Pastures

Brett asked me to take a look at Jackson this morning.  I usually muck the girls' pasture and Brett does the boys'.  Jackson wasn't limping but he was scuffed up again and, this time, I could clearly tell that the scuffs were from another horse's teeth; not tree bark and not predators.  I've had my suspicions; Mufasa is pushy with Jackson but I've never seen him be aggressive to the point of biting.  Clearly, he's a sneaky horse and bites when no one is looking.

Jackson is also too thin -- while Mufasa and Flash are in good weight.  That, combined with the bullying, convinced me that Jackson needed to be moved.  He needs more weight going into winter and he needs to be left alone.  He has laminitis and is prone to abscesses.  I don't want him pushed around when he is in too much pain to get out of the way.  Every winter I hold my breath; wondering if Jackson will make it through.  I want him to have the best shot possible.

We moved him in with the donkeys.

Tuffy wanted to know how long Jackson was staying.  He wasn't letting them near the hay.

Jackson dove into the hay but he did, eventually, let the donkeys join him.  The donkeys can't have a lot of hay so if Jackson limits their access, its a good thing.  Jackson needs the groceries; they don't.

Brett and I spent the afternoon spreading eleven yards of bark in the garden.  Brett brought it in with his tractor and I spread it with a rake.  The sky was dark and cloudy, but the rain held off until we finished.  As I spread the last tractor load, rain started to come down.

We moved the table back under the oak tree as the rain intensified.  Then the heavens opened and the deluge started.  We ran (okay, Kersey and I ran; Brett walked) for the house.  Forty minutes, and half an inch of rain later, it was over.

I love how the daisies and black-eyed Susans pop after it rains.  So clean, so crisp, so bright.

After chores, Brett barbecued a couple steaks and I boiled some corn we bought at the farmers market this morning.  We also drove out to South Fork Farms and bought a loaf of amazing bread -- stone ground organic wheat, baked in a wood burning brick bread oven.  (No, we did not finish our steaks.  The were HUGE.  Kersey is going to love her breakfast tomorrow).

King Fire Update: With the help of the rain this week, the fire is now 84% contained at 97,000 acres.  The smoke is greatly decreased; we didn't notice any at all today -- the first time in two weeks.  The weather has been cool here with snow further up in the Sierras last night and today.