Tawny & Georgie Girl along the fence line.
Even though we look forward to spring time, we know it will also be a muddy time for a period. The spring rains wash away the snow that is left and the dirt and grime of winter. Maybe that was how spring cleaning got started. The animals lose their winter coats and the spring rain makes them soft and shiny. We don't have as big of a problem with the mud outside of our horses' paddock. Our ground gets soggy in places, but if you don't walk there or drive on it, that area will dry up fine. Unless a horse gets out and tromps all over that spot.
A muddy paddock!
In the paddock, that is another story. The ground gets walked on by three heavy animals and leave behind deep tracks in the ground. That makes a lot of mud when it rains for days. A quick rain in the summer doesn't do much damage. It just runs off. Our paddock has a little hill right near the barn, where they have always found relief from the mud, if they didn't want to be inside.
Dark Shadow all dirty from laying in the mud!
Soon though, the summer weather will dry it up. The paddock grows a little bit of grass, but they don't seem to like that grass as much as the kind that grows in our yard. When we first moved here in 1999, this whole paddock was all forest. My husband cleared it, using only his chainsaw. No heavy equipment at all. Even the stumps. We used to let the horses out in the yard to eat our grass, but they got a bit wild and wrecked our garden. Now they get the grass from the lawn when my husband cuts the grass. They nicker when he takes the lawn mower out!
"Fresh grass is SO good!"
Our lawn mower is electric, running on batteries that we charge in the house with our alternative energy system. That means there is no nasty fumes on the grass they are given. Just nice fresh grass from the lawn. We try not to use anything that will contaminate our gardens or our lawn. Our lawn furnishes us with wild foods, known as "weeds" in the other world. We try to make that extra effort to keep it safe. After all, it is for our health and our animals' health!
Copyright © 2013 Kathleen G. Lupole
All Photographs Copyright © 2013 Kathleen G. Lupole
