Hi I’m Mike, its may 1st and today on the project list we shake things up a bit as we
get going on our big spring project, we’re also going to take a look back at what we
have completed to this point, its all today on the project list.
On Our Wyoming life
Welcome to Our Wyoming Life and the project list, this board behind me is the list.
A constantly growing list of things that need done around here on the ranch.
We add to it and we take away.
If this is your first time here, please consider subscribing as we take you along to explore
the ranch and escape the ordinary, 3 times per week.
With videos from all over the ranch, from the pastures to the gardens.
Today we are going to be putting the project list on hold.
Don’t worry, that doesn’t mean that we have run out of things to do, it just means
we have a big project starting today, that we need to get done.
We are going to get to that in a few, but first one task that is no fun, needs done.
Number 13 has been our sick calf, he was brought into the barn the first time after his mom
brought him to us, she knew something was wrong that she couldn’t fix.
We brought him in, he was dehydrated and his body temperature was way low.
We nursed him back to health that first time and gave him back to his mom in the corrals
where we could monitor them closely and about a week later he fell ill again, again with
the same symptoms.
This morning after keeping him in the shop for the last two weeks, medicating him, feeding
him and trying to nurse him back to health again, he passed away.
This morning we are going to bury him in the pasture close the chapter on number 13.
Losing an animal is never easy, especially when you have many late nights and hours into
trying to save them.
When you put that much effort into saving a calf, it tends to hit you hard when they
don’t make it.
You second guess yourself, you worry about something affecting other calves and you generally
just feel down about it.
Now some could say that this is an unfounded or baseless feeling considering that in this
business, most of these calves will be headed to your dinner table in a little over a year,
but it is true.
Each animal here is our responsibility, we take care of them and they take care of us.
And we continue to take care of them even after death.
We like to think that we are part of something much bigger than ourselves, each day millions
of families sit down to dinner and although losing one calf isn’t going to cause anyone
to starve or go hungry, and its not going to break the ranch (hopefully).
I guess its just the principle of the thing.
And in the end there are hundreds of other animals that need my help as well, not as
much as number 13 hopefully but just the same.
With him buried, his story is over, but our story continues.
And so does the project list
We started the project list on November 28, 2017.
Actually, this list has existed for years prior to that.
It started as a way to keep hired hands on task.
I would put something on the board and when they found themselves without something to
do, they could go to the board, pick a project and get busy.
Now its evolved into a way to keep me on task as well and from the very first projects we
tackled together, from breaking ice on stock tanks, to cleaning out the pigs corrals.
I’ve drug you along though dirty jobs, through dangerous jobs, and even a few unexpected
adventures.
We’ve helped each other, you’ve given me solutions to problems and I’ve tested
theories.
We’ve worked on equipment and we have went out and checked cows in the middle of the
night.
But now the project list gets to evolve a bit as we tackle our big spring project.
And like any good project, it comes from the wife.
We have two weeks to build a new high tunnel.
The high tunnel parts are already here, they were delivered about a month or so ago but
spring snow storms and weather have kept us from working on it until now.
Its not a small project.
We have started some of the dirt work required to complete the pad where its going to sit,
but all needs leveled and finalized.
We had a good rain last night, so working out on the site of the new high tunnel is
out until it dries up a bit, but that’s ok.
We have plenty of prep work to get done.
First we can inventory all the parts of the new high tunnel, since the boxes broke when
it came off the truck, we want to make sure everything is here and accounted for.
This new project will take up our next few project list videos for a while.
Each Tuesday, my plan is to catch up on what we have been doing the previous week, then
take you with me for that day.
When we are all done building it, we will also be putting together a few instructional
type videos for people who may want build their own.
I can tell you that when we built our first high tunnel, we had nothing but the instruction
manual.
Over the years of dealing with it, we have learned a few tips and tricks that we cant
wait to pass along to the next builder, and hopefully make it a bit easier for them.
Let someone else learn from our mistakes and benefit from our experience.
I would have killed for that when we built our first.
With inventory complete and all the parts here we can get to building and we are going
to start with the rafters which we can build here in the shop then move out to the site
when we are ready for them.
Building them in the shop will allow us to have them on level ground while putting them
together which will be very important when its time to put them up.
Each rafter consists of 7 pieces of two inch pipe, and once we pick out the pieces we need
as there is a different piece for the top, the sides and foot we can take them all in
the shop to begin assembly.
Its not difficult to put together, although slipping the pieces together can be a pain,
they are stubborn but with a few smacks of the rubber mallet they slip together and once
the whole thing is dry fitted we can go ahead and start attaching them together using tech
screws.
The instructions say I need to use 50lbs of force but I’m not really sure how I am supposed
to measure that, but it goes together smoothly enough.
Only 18 of these left to go.
While doing once job my mind can wander and I’ve been thinking about 13 now out there
in the field and I really should head out and reseed the area where he is buried.
Lets go do that, then I will cut you loose for
the day.
Next project list, we will definitely have more done, with a lot more to do.
I’ll catch you up when we meet up again next Tuesday.
Make sure you like, subscribe and feel free to share this video, especially if you know
someone who is looking at building their own high tunnel, on a large or small scale.
Erins got a new video coming up this week from her other gardens as she gets ready to
start outdoor planting as well and she will take you through her spring garden prep.
Until we see each other again, have a great week and thanks for joining us in our Wyoming
life.