Why Do They Call It Cruise Control?

Because I spend a portion of just about every day mowing,
I have mowing stories to share with you.

The upside of mowing is the "quiet" time that it affords one for pondering and reflecting.

The downside to mowing is the fact that it aggravates a little sciatica that I have 
been trying my darnedest to ignore.


The other day while mowing the blueberry field and upper orchard,
where these beautiful flowering crabapple trees grow,
I decided to give my leg a break and try the mower on cruise control.
(Or as Dr. Becky now calls it... "Cruise out-of-control!")

I was mowing along around these crabapple trees when I suddenly lost control of the mower.
Not used to mowing in cruise-control, my reaction time was a little slow 
and I ended up mowing right through the middle of this white poultry fence.


(You see, we put this little portable fence up to keep the chickens from digging up
the mulch and compost that we put around the blueberries...
and also to keep the turkeys from eating the blueberries.
The fence does a great job keeping this field bird-free.)

Back to mowing...
The mower sucked the wire and plastic mesh fence into its blades and immediately shut down.
What a mess!
I hopped off the mower to find fencing wrapped multiple times around the blades 
in a tangled mess and bent and mangled metal fence posts.
Remember that apron that reads "I say bad words."?
Tis true.

 I crawled beneath the mower as best I could and cut each piece of mesh and wire from around the blades...eventually freeing the blades to rotate again.
The mower was fine.
The fence...well, that was another story.
(It's now ⅓ shorter than it used to be.)

So much for quiet time for pondering and reflecting!

***************
Yesterday I once again opened the gate between the pigs and the sheep
to allow a little mingling.
(You might notice that metal grate that is over the door on the first sheep house.
I placed that there to keep the pigs from consuming the sheep's protein block.
I'll remove the grate in the evening when everyone is once again segregated.)


Gracie immediately headed into the pig yard to enjoy the tasty undergrowth of which her own yard had been stripped (by her and the lambs.)


The twins were hesitant to leave the safety of their own little 
leaf-free thicket.


The pigs were happiest of all.
A new area to investigate, complete with friends, gave them much to enjoy.


Because pigs are so smart,
I like to give them as much stimulation as possible.


Opening this gate made for a pretty exciting day for Ginger and MaryAnn.

There was much to explore!
And, according to them, the sheep have much tastier grass in their yard.


As for the sheep....
eventually Faith and Hope joined their Mama and
they all enjoyed their time in the pig's yard...


exploring the pig house...


and snacking on the varied vegetation.


A little variety truly is the spice of life!
"What am I, bland?"  Hubbs just said.
"Don't worry," I answered...
"maybe a little variety in scenery...that's all."

Even with all of the added chores this time of year, I still like to afford myself
a little time for creative projects.

Yesterday's project was these pantaloons...
perfect to wear beneath the apron dresses that I have been making.


And can you guess what they are made from?


Antique pillow cases!
The crocheted trim on the open end of the pillowcase makes for a beautiful hem edge to the pants.

Two extra long pillow cases will make a pair of pantaloons perfectly.
(I had to add a little extra pillowcase fabric that was left over after cutting out the pantaloons
to the waistline area to make them long enough.  But since this part of the pantaloons
is always hidden under the dress, an extra seam is no big deal!)
Easy peasy!

Comments

colleen said…
No more cruise control for you!! Your blog is anything but bland so I guess you could call it a little spice of life....at least for me. Really like the pantaloons!
Junebug said…
Oh my, cruise control is not your friend!! I'm currently having a love hate relationship with a fence also. Cute, cute pantaloons!!
Laura Sudderth said…
This is exactly why I never use my cruise control in the car...I don't think I would react fast enough!

Truthfully, I laughed so hard reading this. I am just glad you didn't get hurt.
This N That said…
Glad you didn't end up in a gully !! Nice that the piggies and sheep are so neighborly but that's the way it is at BHA ...Love your bloomers..Enjoy this rainy day!!
janie said…
Glad you r ok. I will not use cruise control in my car. Toooo Afraid lol !!!!

Enjoy, Janie
Margy said…
I didn't even know lawnmowers had cruise control!!
Where do you buy the portable mesh fence?? I'd like to get one for my chickens
Thanks! Margy in KY
Beverly,
Who knew a lawnmover would have cruise control! I say nix on that from now on. Glad you were not hurt..
The animals all look so contented and happy..
I just love your bloomers! My sister use to make toddler dress from vintage pillow cases.
Enjoy your weekend
fondly,
Penny
diane in wis said…
So fun to see your sheep and pigs wandering around and checking out new areas. Aren't the crab apple trees gorgeous though. So sorry about your mishap with the mower and the fence. Oops! Glad that you didn't get hurt during all that! Thank you for sharing your stories with us. Always a pleasure to visit your farm!
Unknown said…
No more cruise control, young lady! Ha! What a mess for you. Loved seeing the pigs and sheep sharing their yards....thanks.
Lynne said…
Great job on that tractor mower cruise control . . ,
I have done things like that too . . .
And added the words!