Cementing it

I mentioned earlier that we're pouring more cement to make a larger silage pad.  (A silage pad is a cement slab where we pile the feed we grow.  We cover it with a plastic tarp and tires, then take a little of it out every day to feed the cattle the rest of the year.) 

Pouring the pad is quite a process - and really fun to watch.

First, there's the sky high pipeline.

 It takes a lot of guys to do it, since of course it sets quickly.

Look how far that angles!

Pasture to pavement.  It was a really wet part of the pasture anyway.

They used something called a laser screed.  I don't know if this is the brand they use, but the link offers a good description of how it works.  Basically, it levels the concrete using lasers. 

I've only heard the word 'screed' to describe a written rant before, but I see now that this use is the second definition.  No angry rants here!  It looks great and we're ready to fill it up. 

Building up and tearing down

There's so much to see around here ... so much going on.  We get up early, we stay up late - summers are the best! 

It rained the past two days, thank goodness.  Kris said the corn's going to be short, but at least it'll have ears on it now.   

We're adding onto our cement pad so that we can store even more feed outside for the cattle.  Drought or no drought, we're going to have more cattle and that means they need more feed.  And we need a place to put it.  We're using the muddiest part of the pasture for the silage pad.  Here's the truck delivering one of its many truckloads of sand to put under the cement.  Note the fascinated kids, too.

We continue to modernize the facilities.  Current studies show that cattle do better when they have lots of ventilation.  So, we took steel off both sides of the barn in order to let air circulate better. 

The cattle have a lot to see, too.  We continue to have visitors and friends stop by for their annual visit.  Dump trucks, destruction, and animals.  It's practically Disney World.