#10 - Pinto the BlogDog - Doin's on Sweet Hills Farm

That's me, waitin' for some action.

   

   
      HOWDY FOLKS!  Pinto the BlogDog here.  How're ya all doin'?  It couldn't be prettier here today.  The sun is shinin', it's about 88* outside, and there is not a cloud in the sky.  This is crop growin' weather!  It was rainy for a coupla weeks, which was good - the land was desperate for rain.  The farmers were very happy for the rain to come.  But now, the growin' plants need warmth and sunshine!

     Now, ya know, on a farm, spring and summer are busy times.  In the spring, the farmer has to prepare the soil for planting, then he plants the little seeds, and then he fertilizes 'em.  But, now that the crops are planted and fertilized, the farmers are cultivating and irrigating the little plants.  They irrigate, irrigate, irrigate, the crops grow, grow grow, and then comes harvest.  In the farm-shops they're fixing the tractors, harvesters and cultivators - greasin' and getting' 'em all tuned up.  But here in my yard?  It's Q-U-I-E-T.

The wheat has grown a lot in the last coupla weeks,
what with the rain and  sunshine.
That white bar at the bottom is the irrigation pipe.

     I mean, have you ever watched crops grow?  Ya can't hardly see nothin' happ'nin'!  But the farmer,  he checks his crops every single day.  He watches over 'em.  He coddles 'em.  He touches their leaves and stems, he peeks at 'em, digs in the soil and rolls it around in his hand to check for moisture.  He looks up at the sky, he stares at the wind.  All day.  Every day.  All summer long.

Wheat being irrigated.  See the heads that have formed on the top of
each plant?  That's where the little wheat kernels are growing,
getting heavy and plump, and full of nutrition.

     I mean, really?  But, M'Lady reminds me that the farmers' crops are important to him, they are his lifeblood, they are his everything!  He plans all year for them, he loves his crops, he grows 'em and harvests 'em, and then sells 'em to feed you and me.  He does all this 'cause he loves to farm, he loves the land he cares for, and he feeds and cares for his family, too.

Sugarbeets are comin' right along.

     So this is what's goin' on:

     The wheat is growin'.

     The sugar beets are growin'.

     The pasture grass is gettin' gosh-durned tall.

     The hired man comes every day to irrigate the crops.

     The farmer comes every day and s-t-a-r-e-s at the crops.

     The sugar beets are being cultivated.

     The horses are grazing.  That's all they do.  Heads down, eat, eat, eat.

     That's it.

     Huh.

Merrygold in her grazing muzzle and flymask.

     One thing interesting is that Merrygold has to wear a grazing muzzle, 'cause she gets like a porky-piggy-tanker if she doesn't have one on.  The muzzle has a little hole in the bottom, see, 'bout the size of a half-dollar.  She can reach about 20% the amount of grass she would eat without the muzzle.  This way she gets to be out in the pasture with Roxie, otherwise she would have to stay in the corral.  She's happy, eats all day long, and she stays svelt like YoursTruly!  M'Lady tells Merrygold that she wishes someone loved her enough to put a grazing muzzle on her!  Hahaha!

     Oh, and the horses both wear flymasks.  That's what's on Merrygold's eyes.  It keeps the flies out of her face, the sun, dust and wind, too.  Pretty helpful.

     Well, gotta go.  It's dinner time!  Y-A-Y!!!  Dinner time!  Dinner time!  Dinner time!  The best time of the day!  (other than breakfast-time).  Catchya later!

     Keep your tail waggin'!