Laundry Adventures of The Farm Kind

 

 

 

 

 

     I have a clothesline on my farm. It is the best way to dry clothes in the summer. I do laundry frequently as farming can be messy and dusty to say the least. Today I have two loads of laundry on the line from a rather typical day.
    It is fall and time to pregnancy test the cows. It has been a really busy day and I seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time a lot.  When I was catching my saddle horse he sneezed and blew horse slobber all down my shirt. Yeuck!  The first bit of laundry.  Then when I was leading him across the small creek in the gully below the barn I realized my gumboots have a hole in them as cold spring water trickled into my left boot. Yes the next laundry. So after I saddled up I went and got dry socks and a less slobbery shirt. It didn't take long to get the cows corralled and sorted. I was ready when the vet arrived and my brother had come to help.  He would work the headgate and I would bring the cattle up the chute. Well the Vet has great clothes for this messy but needed chore, full length coveralls with a  waterproof vest/apron. He is ready for his work and as I move the first cow into position I know it is going to be a long day. She coughs and farts and covers me with cow manure from the chest down! I look up to see The Vet and my brother laughing hysterically...sigh!

   It took several hour to get all the girls preg tested and only one was not in calf, quite a good record. It made up for the fact I was cover in debris from head to toe! Yes more laundry! I changed into clean clothes and finished dealing with the cows. I herded them to  new pasture and watched them a while as they enjoyed fresh grass. Riding back to the yard I  organized my thoughts for the rest of the day.     

   I had to put some posts in along my driveway. The ground is really dry in the fall and I knew I would have to pour water in each picket hole before I could drive the small sharpened posts into the ground.  Well I had a bite to eat and then loaded my tools and the pickets into the truck. I also loaded a 5 gallon pail of water to pour into the holes.  I used a steel bar to make the holes about two feet deep, then I pour water in them until it reaches the top of the hole. Now I let that sit and do the next hole until I am about 5 holes ahead. Then I go back and drive the pickets with a post driver.  The day was right on track as when I hit the first post the first blow it forced the water back up along the post and all over me! I was covered with muddy water from head to to...I am beginning to see a pattern! I sighed again and went on with my work. I finished driving the pickets with only three more blasts of muddy water. I was a filthy mess as I drove home.  More laundry into the wash!

   One more major chore for the day...I have to change the oil in the tractor and take the Front end Loader off to do it. The Front end Loader is run with hydraulics and I always seem to get oily when I am dealing with it. Today is no exception. As I back away from the loader and stop the tractor to disconnect the hoses I get sprayed with hydraulic fluid! Drat, dang nab it and darn it! At that point I knew I was calling it a day. I would finish the engine oil change tomorrow as I now had tons of laundry to do.

   After scraping and presoaking I  filled the washer for the third time and took the second load out to hang on the clothesline. The first load was happily flapping in the breeze and drying nicely.  I hung the wet  clothes up and went into the house.   I poured myself a tall glass of lemonade and grabbed some snacks and went  out  under the Apple trees.  I really didn't think it was safe for me to do anything else, I was running out of clothes!

   Being a Farmer is a joy and there is nothing else I would rather do but it can be trying when it comes to laundry.

Stay clean and stay safe!