I keep a thick layer of soft wood shavings on the floor of the new barn. Claire and Honey prefer to stand in it beneath the heat lamps or fans, depending on the weather. They will also recline on the shavings for a nap if the weather outdoors is uncooperative.
As a result, I constantly need to skim out the large deposits of mule muffins they will drop on any given day. I take those out back throughout the week as soon as a wheelbarrow is filled. I go around Saturday morning collecting any outdoor groupings – they have their favorite spots – that may have accumulated during the week. The mules are prolific poopers, and that’s okay because that is one of the ways I can tell that there are no issues with colic. Better out than in.
Moreover, given that the barn floor is concrete with a thick layer of rubber matting, I am forced to regularly scoop up the wood shavings to the floor, where about an inch of the bottom layer becomes a sponge for the urine.
So, I have to basically swap out the entire shavings bed. The old going to Hadrian’s Wall via wheelbarrow trips and the new bags (usually 8 bags) of wonderfully smelling shavings purchased at Murdoch’s and humped down the hill to the barn.
Now the rainy Spring we’ve been having has forced the mules inside more than they would like, so those shavings replacement days come more often than I would like, but I’m a full service Green Acres Lawyer, and this comes with the territory. The good news is that the process provides a better workout than at the gym. I no longer wonder how my grandfather, Spaghetti, stayed so fit into his 80s.
The ground was still a little soft which made pushing the wheelbarrow a little more challenging and my arms a little longer. But I completed all of the round trips necessary. After all, I only have the one wheelbarrow and once its filled, it’s got to be emptied.
Over the past six years I’ve managed to create four wide wall to wall lines of Hadrian’s Wall moving from back the ridge at the end of the property forward towards the house. The good news is that over time those lines have converted to thick layers of rich composted soil. The high quality poop – the mules eat nothing but the best hay, fruits/veggies, supplements and snacks – and the soft wood shavings also help break down the compost. Add to that mixture a snowy winter and a wet spring and you can see how green is my valley.
So, that was how I honored The Lord’s Day, my wicked day of rest. But once that was in the rear view, a shower and some Aleve took the edge off this old body
I rewarded myself by binging on an awesome new BBC series about a group of young Dublin gangsters called Love/Hate. You can find it on BritBox.
Well, I have things to do and then a swim.
You fine, five readers get that second cuppa in you and head off into your Mondays. But don’t worry, Tuesday will be here before you know it.
And no matter what else we find served on life’s plate, let us make today a great one.
