Make-overs Needed!

 Second on my Spring To-Do list, after getting the garden planted, is to clean up my herd.  It's the end of the winter and everyone is looking a little rough around the edges.  Keeping them clean when there is this much mud around is next to impossible.  That will have to wait for much warmer, dryer weather.

And with the lengthening days and warmer temperatures just around the corner, our horses and donkeys will start to drop their thick, wooly, winter coats.

Hopefully they will all look a little more svelte after that happens.  After a long winter, Ollie is rocking his Rod Stewart hairdo!

They will all look better when their winter coats are gone.  Even then,  I believe that everyone will need to go on just a wee bit of a diet.  Carrying too much excess weight is not healthy for equines and can cause an early grave if one isn't careful.  With "easy keepers" such as mine, who seem to get fat just by breathing, weight control is extra important.

After picking up manure in the dry lot, yesterday afternoon, I sat down with the herd for a visit.  Moll Cat came over asking for a massage.  I, of course, obliged, then sat her on top of Ollie's back.  She cuddled down into his wooly back and relaxed, while Ollie played with my gloves and payed her no attention.

"What cat on my back?"

Even though the mercury never rose out of the 30's,

everyone enjoyed a little time in the sun!


Especially Sammie!


After chores were completed, we stopped by the old log cabin.

Yesterday's comments included a question about our 250+-year-old log cabin and the spring that is contained beneath it.

Apparently, it was not uncommon to build a cabin above a spring so that there would be a good, close, source of drinking water.

This water bubbles up out of the ground to varying degrees depending upon the volume in the water table.  The old log cabin lies at the lowest corner of our front pasture.  Our front pasture is full of these artesian springs.  They emerge whenever we have a lot of rain or snow melt.

The water from the spring beneath the cabin used to drain out of the front beneath the door.  Over the years, we have had some restoration/improvement done to the cabin - including some heavy-duty buttressing of the foundation. 

 The rotted old door was replaced with an equally old door and a new cement stoop was added to keep the door up out of the water.  There is a pipe within the stoop for drainage.

We did have a sump-pump installed years ago, but it never worked properly.  The water drains fine on its own and by mid summer will most likely be completely dry... unless we have a rainy summer.

From here it travels through a large pipe beneath the driveway...

emptying out the other side and eventually draining down into the pond.  As you can see, right now there is a good deal of water draining from the spring.

Even with all of this water passing through the basement, the beams, on top of which the cabin is built, remain dry.  The beams (and the upstairs floor that lies on top of them) are all original and are each the size of a tree trunk.  This cabin was built to stand the test of time and with some occasional restorative work, it should do just that.

By the way, the spring water is no longer drinkable as it was 200 years ago.   Drinking it, today, would likely give one a good case of diarrhea or worse!

Comments

daisy g said…
The sun makes all the difference in the world, doesn't it though? Sammie looks like he needs some "Doggles" for all that sunshine.
We are expected a full stretch of no rain and sunny days. Wha-hoo!

Love seeing the innards of the cabin. What a blessing a close source of water must have been in those days!

Enjoy the sunshine!
Gale said…
I'm a regular reader (I never miss an episode!) but this is my first time commenting.

I'm a few days late; however, I wanted to ask about the sarcoid on your donkey's leg. In 20 years of raising donkeys, we had one gelding with a sarcoid on his neck. Our vet provided us with a small amount of X-Terra, and we applied it. The sarcoid disappeared after several small applications. It was very expensive as I recall, but it worked -- and, thankfully, he never experienced another one. Just a thought for you!
Unknown said…
Who doesn't love a good dose of warm sunshine on their back or face.. I love drinking my coffee on the patio in the first signs of sunshine..
Hugz to Grizz.. my Kiki's twin.. and hugz to you all.
>^..^<
(gracie-katmom)
I love Ollie's hair, and Sammy always warms my heart. Such a sweet one he is.
Great post, Bev.
blessings,
Penny
Lynne said…
I liked hearing the log cabin history.
A treasure indeed.
And always enjoy seeing “the family” . . . muddy or clean!
We have the 30’s here too but no complaints about the sunny days!!
The bright sun has made this winter wonderful . . .
Cheryl said…
I think life is more pleasant when we care about others. Support those who support your community. Self interest may reflect a willingness to use other short cuts or cheats to further community detriment. Generally those willing to make the effort and incur the cost for the good of others make better neighbors.