Opening Day

My worries about how Frankie would act on the trail and how well my fence would hold up were as usual unfounded. The day I decided it was time to open the gate I made sure there was plenty of hay scattered around the track so he would stop running periodically and eat. I grabbed my camera to document the whole thing and let him go. At first he looked at me as if to say "You really gonna let me out there?" Then he took off up the first hill! The hay was a good thing because he did stop and eat the little piles I left him. Emma was very confused and unsure about the whole thing. She was slow to catch up to him but when she did she ran as fast as her little legs would carry her. They did find some grass along the way and quickly scarfed up what little was there. It was wonderful to see him running so free and enjoying the space.

There are two corners I would like to take out a couple small trees so he may move through a little easier and safer. I also think that next year I will go in and kill off a section of growth where the Mayapples and ferns grow in order to plant some grass. it has been a pain keeping after the ferns, they sprout up constantly and I am tired of walking the trail and pulling them.

I have not had the trail open every day because I went on vacation and did not want my neighbors to have to walk the trail checking for ferns and any downed areas of fence that deer have pulled on. I have actually only had one time the deer completely pulled apart a section of fence. They learn quick but must be getting through it still. I see them out in the track area periodically.

I still have not hung the big hay barrels yet. I have been so busy there are some things I have not gotten to. My new hay nets from Chicks have been great. They have 2" holes and are very well made, easy to open and large. It will all happen eventually. I am not as anxious about it anymore. Now that the fence is done and I have had them on the track a few times I feel much better. I think with the heat and bugs they will only want to be out there in the mornings and maybe late evenings. Winter will be the time they use it the most I am guessing.

Here is a series of pictures of their first trip through the track. Frankie waited patiently for me to open the gate...

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep.

But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.
This poem by Robert Frost keeps coming to my mind as I am out in the woods working. I love being in the woods and it is hard to imagine some times that I am in my own back yard and not some far away place. Unfortunately some of the things that make the path so beautiful are poison and I have to remove them. The ferns that I love will definitely need to be dug up as they are very toxic and last all summer. I don't think the animals would intentionally eat them but I am not taking any chances of course. There has been another strange greenery that has popped up in several patches through out the lower part of the path. They are beautiful umbrella like plants that I did not remember seeing there before. I had to look them up on line to find they are a common forest plant called Mayapples. They are very toxic including the roots so I will dig them up too.

I am so close to being ready to turn Frankie and Emma out onto the track. I was sure I could do it by this weekend but needed a little more fencing to finish. I went to the local Fleet Brothers yesterday and wouldn't ya know they were out of the white electric rope I was using for the lower portion of the fence. He will get it in by Wednesday so I am not sure if I can let them out before next weekend. The top row of electric tape is finished and the second row of rope will be done but I really wanted the third row of electric as well. He would be fine with the two rows probably but I will feel it out and see. I plan on locking Emma up and hand walking Frankie through the track first. He gets so worked up in the woods for some reason and I don't want to be tripping over Emma while I am dealing with Frankie. I will let her on the track after Frankie has had a chance to be on it on his own and run around a bit. Once he is calm I will let her join him. I just don't want her to get run over! She is a big 200+ lb goat but she gets nervous when he gets running fast.

Oh, I almost forgot, the ATV's are GONE!!! My neighbor got tired of them too and so they went back to their original owner to dig out trails there too. That is such a relief I just hope they stay gone.

Below are a few spring time picture I wanted to share.

This the view from the back of the paddock near the entrance to the track looking back toward the house and barn. The door frame in the paddock is from an old door we had there when our dog had a bigger run. I use it for hay nets and am planning on making a stock for Emma so I can trim her feet easier. Frankie is way up there in the pasture grazing.

Frankie enjoying a little spring grass.

Emma rubbing her horns, her favorite past time.

The stream below has been fenced off because it is protected and is very mucky at the bottom. They will just have to be happy looking at it.

A Few Seps Forward, A Few Steps Back!

Thought I was right on schedule until last Saturday and I went out to do a little work on the track. When I first walked down to the area I was working on I didn't notice the broken pole until I stepped on the pieces. My neighbor's boys have recently gotten two ATV'S and according to the tire tracks they had ridden right through my pole and broke it in half. They have been riding in the woods every day and the noise is starting to get to me. Our property connects and they have been having a blast riding all over their adjoining five acres. Now, these are friends of mine and my boys and theirs grew up together so I can't say a word to them because they have every right to ride back there on their own property. They are nice guys but I just can't believe that after all these years of no one going back there they pick now to do this. Frankie is all freaked out over the noise and at night there are lights flying through the woods. Of course every time they zoom up the hill the ceremonious WHOOOOOHOOOOOO! has to be sounded as well! So the broken pole kinda was icing on the cake. It was an accident I am sure and no big deal to fix but still I got really frustrated. Next, my neighbor comes walking down the hill obviously upset over my fence and wanting to find the exact property line. I think he thought I had gone way off the line but after we spent some time going over the area we found that I only went over at two places. Both of those I new I was over but his wife said it was ok because she was going to connect to it too. So again not the end of the world but I did hate for him to be upset with me.

Today I spent moving the line and redoing some poles and taking off some hardware. I had to cut a portion of track out completely to avoid his property. My biggest concern is one area that comes very close to my stream and the gully that surrounds that part of it. I had to narrow out the track at that point and the footing is a little tricky for him. It is safe enough but I hated to have to change that one area. it is just my bad luck the property line comes so close to to the gully. It could be worse and I would be totally cut off from the back of my property so I am trying to stay positive.

As I start to see the track come together and the top rung of fence going up I am getting excited as well as nervous too. I guess it is pre-fence test jitters! He will be a spaz in the beginning and I just don't want him to hurt himself. Then there is the ATV issue. If they are back there Frankie will have to come in. They ride the fence line at top speed and the motor on those things are very loud. Frankie will go nuts for sure! I just hope they get bored with them soon and the summer heat will chase them away. I am a high school art teacher and we are on Spring break for a week, the weather is looking good so I hope to finish the track before break is over. When I get him on it I will have to do mornings in order to avoid the ATV's. Maybe Frankie will get use to the machines and not be bothered by them after a while. He will ride on the road with eighteen wheelers flying by but then things like lawn mowers and ATV's will freak him out! This certainly has been interesting so far.