STARTING TO LOOK LIKE THE MIDWEST

This really doesn't look like the desert, does it?  This stuff is growing while you watch it I think.  As long as we get rain, I guess it will just get taller.  The donkeys are doing their best to eat some of it, but some of it they won't touch.  They also are not "touching" our lovingly prepared donkey meals.  That is scary, we still have memories of Penny last summer when she impacted with mesquite beans and had to have surgery.

We're on poo watch and so far they are eating beans, but it looks like they are actually eating more greens, which is a good thing.  

We're in a drying out time right now, haven't had any rain except for sprinkles the last couple of days and nothing in the forecast until late next week.  A few days of hot weather without rain and that green stuff will shrivel up quickly.  

The hay broker that delivers our hay has been putting it off for the last couple of weeks because of the weather.  She is going to try to deliver a load Tuesday, so hopefully the weather will stay dry at least until then.  We're getting down to where she either brings a load or we have to buy from the feed store, so we have our fingers crossed.  We'd only buy enough to tide us over, but we would have to unload it in the barn....... by hand..........LOL 

 John and Doug have been having fun, John usually on the tractor and Doug with a shovel.  The feed room septic system started backing up.   Years ago when we were trying to figure out how to get the beet pulp grey water from the feed room, to someplace else a friend said, to put in a plastic barrel, like a small septic tank and it should work.  It has, BUT, after many years it plugged up.  We figured the barrel was full, so they dug it up and it was fine.  NOW WHAT?

That's where the barrel was sitting

Start digging out pipe, at least at the 2 curved places.  NOTHING......!!!  Next idea get a plumbing snake and get rid of the plug. 

When John rented it they said it was 100ft, but it was only 50ft.........!!!  Didn't really matter since it went in about half way and hung up.  Came out with little bitty tree roots on the end.  Mesquite trees are really good at finding water and don't let a little thing like pipe stop them.  

So he has an idea of where the blockage is now.  Rod, our son is racing his modified tonight and a friend is racing our late model, so today is going to be a short day for working.  John's out there putting the barrel back in, since the problem is at the other end, which should be good for a couple of days.  

I came up with what I think is a brilliant idea, why not put something on the outside of the pipe where he finds the invading roots, like weed killer, or a lot of salt or something to discourage the roots from getting in again.  I suggested RoundUp, but John doesn't want to use it.  It is about the same thing as Agent Orange, which he dealt with in Vietnam and has been under treatment for non-Hodgkins lymphoma since 1999.  NHL is one of about a dozen diseases the VA recognizes as caused by Agent Orange.  I guess I'll see if there are any good ideas on the internet.

Linda sent some pictures taken last week-end at the Fairplay race.  The donkey boys didn't have a real good day.  I think Leddy had a jackass meltdown and broke a little tree that Linda had tied him to, so he could have some "quiet" time to reflect on his bad behavior.

Here is a link to a video from one of the local TV stations about the race.  http://www.9news.com/mobile/video/news/burro-days-has-been-around-for-quite-a-long-time/73-2675568

They put a mic on Linda for the entire race and it really turned out good.  

 Turbo was doing great in this picture.  As you can see not all the trail is nice and smooth, but he seemed to be taking it all in stride.  They ended up behind Linda and Leddy.  Linda said when they came in  Lynn's sunglasses were missing and I think Turbo got to find out what a stud chain is and found out he isn't stronger than a telephone pole.  He is so strong, even though Lynn is also strong, a human is no match for a donkey that insists on doing it his way. 

But they all finished, which is the  goal.  They are suppose to race again this week-end, hopefully the "fur" kids will behave themselves this time.