life moves on: what i am up to!

Totem Progress

Well there hasn’t been any progress and in fact all I did do was take pics in daylight. Had a couple other things going on and planned on carving but never arrived there. But I have a bunch of pretty pics to look at as well as updates on projects.

Some of the projects I am going to include discussion on are carving a totem and my process of doing so. Another project I will be addressing is my hay production and how my haying operation may soon become more productive as a result of supposedly better hay storage, in other words I will be describing how we practice safe hay making with the use of a prophylactic device. Also I have recent pics of whackers and her brood, as they pose for the 1 week old pics. A couple of pretty pics of zinnias and of course a pic of Gorgeous Georgey Porgy pumpkin Pie , and not to be left out Babe and Buddy.

I will add a pic of the totem in the daylight as this pic will sow more of the detail. Which there isn’t much yet the theory or truth as it may be is that you can take it off but you can’t put it back on applies to carving anything. You cut someone’s nose and it has a significant effect on your sculpture. My process is more eliminating what I don’t want. I usually work from the top of the sculpture down, constantly checking my proportions mostly in my head squinting my eyes automatically as somehow this might help keep things focused in my mind, when in reality I just need to find my glasses. Would like to say this carving thing is magical, but I am surprised more that very few get it besides me. It has become part of the process for me to whack away at a block of wood till I am satisfied personally with the outcome. I have a graveyard of unfinished projects that eerily take on a personality of their own waiting for me to finish, a lot I have sold and logs are lying out there waiting for me to draw out that special carving that stirs my soul. Guess this is what moves my soul, and much like music to another. We only have one life, take time to do what you love.

Now it is time to practice safe haymaking by buying rubbers for my hay bales. An opportunity to sell wrapped hay was presented to me and I needed a way to wrap my bales. So I went to Rural King and purchased large rubber or plastic garbage bags designed to fit a 6 x 6 foot round bale. This should be able to completely seal my bales against weather preventing hay loss due to spoilage. . At this point it reminds me of how you know if a prehistoric brachiosaurus, male and female are screwing on the back forty. You find your round hay bale covers missing. At four dollars a bag it seems to be a worthwhile investment to improve hay quality. Still I am looking at reseeding to improve stands of forage grasses more appropriate to market demands. I need to manage my hay processing to improve quality and lower cost if I am ever going to get anywhere with this venture. A get in or get out attitude still exists. I always have the option to rent. I think I would have a problem not making hay though as I would surely miss it and that smell of hay curing in the field. Imagine thousands of fresh cut flowers scenting a fresh mown green lawn minus the lung drenching fog of exhaust from an internal engine, and you have what farming is about. Hay drying in the sun.

Whackers is still doing good and she seems to be safe. Persistence is what life is about. If you don’t care to exist, nature will surely grant you your wish. But if you choose to make this world your own, nature will see that through persistence at times you will be rewarded. Losing previous flocks to whatever, Whackers has learned a response to make her legacy in the forms of her children carry on, and become more battle hardened. Whether it is an instinctive or environmental response, I don’t believe anyone can tell, as I would surely say it is combinations of both that assure their safety. Instinct drives them from harm, but recognizing new danger would depend on experience based on your environment and how it changes. Imagine if we had foxes and coyotes or even wolves in the picture, as the situation may be, that it would be harder to keep domesticated animals at all.

Enjoy the pretty pics.