PEPPERS AND OTHER STUFF

 One of the few things that have grown well in the garden are bell peppers. You can see how large they are compared to my Kitchenaid mixer. Last years had thin meat in them but these are very thick and delicious. I've had to pick the red bells before they got red because they were so huge, they were breaking the plant.

 Pa and Wayne checked out the community well to see what all they would have to do to get it fixed.

 Their estimate of materials was a lot lower than what the board said they allocated. The two musketeers volunteered to do the work for free. Wayne has had experience working on wells before.

 Wayne brought his tractor to our house so he and Pa could drill holes for the posts to put in the gate. It took them forever to break thru the crust but then it was smooth drilling.

 The gate will be 16 feet wide. Pa planned it that way in case someone brought a mobile home thru. Most of the gates around the ranch are only 12 feet wide which eventually will be trouble for someone bringing in a home. He also wanted the gate to be wide enough for the road grader to get thru when he does the roads. We won't be able to lock the gate because the road goes thru to other properties around the corner but we can put up a sign to please keep it closed. The majority of the people out here respect the gates and keep them closed so the rancher's cows will stay in their designated pasture/weed bed.

 Boy, the auger makes quick work of punching holes in the earth.  Now ya see it......

 Now ya don't!

 This is at the other end of the road. The rancher put up a rickity barbed wire fence. One day when the road grader guy came thru, he knocked the post loose, causing the entire fence line to sag.

 Eventually the fence would fall over so Pa decided to put a rail road tie in and will re- stretch the fence and attach it to the rail road tie.

 We were watching the Incredible Dr. Pol on the Nat. Geo. channel last night and were amazed at how much energy the 70 year old Dr. Pol has. Well, I'm telling ya, Pa has as much energy as any young man. Once he sets his mind to something, he is like a hungry lion and keeps going till the project is done. I don't know how he can work like this in the sun.

Varrom.....varrom! The 2 musketeers went down the road to check on the old pile of horse poo to see if it was still there on the abandon property. When they got there, they saw a herd of elk!!!! Mama's and babies. The poo was still there so after drilling the holes for the gates and eating lunch, Wayne took the tractor down there and we took the truck with trailer. Wayne loaded 7 buckets of poo into the truck and trailer. Wow, much quicker than doing it by hand!!!! We took the back way home and got the truck stuck in the wash. It had washed out during the last rain storm. Luckily Wayne was behind us and pulled us out.
Pa made it loud and clear that I had better get the truck unloaded as soon as possible as well as the trailer. The guys had to go rescue someone who had broken down and by the time they got back, I had the truck unloaded. Today I did half the trailer and had to quit because of the sun. Hopefully by tomorrow, I'll still be able to move my old bones and unload the other half.
Boo Hoo, one of Wayne's pregnant mares lost her colt. She was 6 months along. Pa said the colt was perfectly formed and was a boy. Wayne was going to give me one of the colts after it was weaned but now I am out of luck.
Craftwise, I've been making Christmas cards. Early, I know but time goes by so fast, it will be here before ya know it.
I'm going to start tearing out the dead tomato plants and what ever else is giving up the ghost. Around here, if you don't produce, out ya go! Of course the dogs are the exception. They just lay around and eat and bark at rabbits. But the do produce poop so I guess they are safe.
Until next time!
Oh, I forgot to tell you. When I was waiting for Wayne to bring the tractor thru the back gate, I heard an elk bugle. It was in the field on the other side of our property. I couldn't see it tho. I was ready to get my gun and go hunting.