Paws, Pears & Pasture

Misty seems to have perpetually muddy paws.  She loves to dig, apparently a Pyr characteristic.

We needed to get the Back Pasture safe for putting the animals in there when we go to Scotland.  Jean-Marc will be holding down the fort, and it will be lots easier if he doesn't have to refill water tanks.  That means putting the animals in the Back Pasture along with a round bale of hay since the grass has not recovered from the summer stress.  It also means de-pearing the pasture!  Our four ancient Keiffer Pears (which we were told would only bear fruit every two years) have put out an abundant crop for the second year in a row.  They tend to fall on the ground and rot.  The animals love them, but we're afraid of colicky horses, so the pears had to go!  We used the truck as a ladder . . .

. . . and got as many pears as we could.  They are down in the basement, hopefully ripening in 65°-ish cool.  Up till now we've only frozen them for use in pear pies and compotes, but if they ripen right, they are supposed to make excellent eating.

Since the trees tower far above where we can reach, even in the tractor loader, the final step in de-pearing is to use electric fencing to keep the animals away from the trees.  This has the added benefit of keeping them off the grass they love the most, which happens to be in the flat areas around the pear trees.

We could perform the de-pearing at our leisure because the animals are in Kara's Pasture.  Sara and Siobhan are checking out one of the new gates.  It's only a minor nuisance to have to open and close this gate to cross Kara's Pasture to get to the Back Pasture.  It's more than made up for by all the extra new pasture.

Sara, Siobhan, T-bone and Brandy are spread out enjoying this never-before-grazed hill below Kara's house.  Although actually, Sara is checking us out as we come out of the Back Pasture with the truck and a load of pears.  Just maaaay-be we might give her some!