Dear Dave,
Life is melting here, Dave-only to the point it is pliable and workable-however it is melting.
Winter was not particularly brutal although talking about it in the past tense might re-awaken the long, cold unpleasant last few months. Winter was long, consistent and cold; I have seen worse winters but few have been more interested in my discomfort. I am glad for the rough roads and mud as they mean transition to something else-I’ll take my chances with whatever that may be.
Drone flying has been an interesting diversion, Dave. I never thought I would ever take part in pictures from high above the ground however this little craft makes it possible. I have had mostly good luck in flight and the pictures of our farm show that the hay shed needs to be shingled and that I typically wear shorts and Castle snow boots during the winter. I think we are both the same in that we like to try new things, this is my new thing.
I just stumbled across a new product for goats that is now in development for cattle, Dave. It is called the Virtual Fence and looks like the invisible dog fence we’ve all seen in the past. I’m not sure how much I would trust a collar and the control unit hanging from the collar to keep a bunch of cattle on our land however it would work great for interior fence. Interior fence subdivides a large pasture into several small paddocks so the cattle eat their forage more efficiently and so that each paddock can rest and recover between being pillaged by hungry heifers. If the Virtual Fence failed for some reason, they would still be contained on the whole pasture by a conventional fence. Always some new agricultural product to think about, Dave, isn’t there?
I hope things are going well in Carrington, North Dakota for you and yours. Our interviews on my Sunday radio show always make me feel like we’re in Carrington having a cup of coffee. When the interview is finished, I always feel like we both go back in time a little-even though our conversation is mostly about current events in our lives.
I am preparing for spring and summer, Dave-which is to say I am preparing to take care of cattle. I think one of the constants in my life has been cattle. No matter what, I have somehow been able to keep cows, heifers, bulls, feeders or some variant involved in my life. I find it very rewarding. They key to maintaining this relationship is to always improve my facilities and methods in handling and caring for the cattle. This spring, I plan to re-plant some of the paddocks although I haven’t decided what seed I will use. I would also like to build some sort of shade above the cattle chute. Last summer, we had to work a few cattle for foot rot and some shade would have been nice for the cattle and the humans involved in the process. I guess there’s always something that needs improvement, thank goodness.
Tell everyone hello, Dave. Your little bro’
Rural Reflections 