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01/07/2003: "Leave It To Beaver"
Well, it looks like Indy has another nickname - as if he needed yet ANOTHER one. Beaver - as in chewing the bark off any tree he can reach. Thank goodness, there aren't many within reach of his babyish choppers!
Our place was a working farm not too long before we got it, so, since what we’re using as pasture was under cultivation so recently, there aren't any trees inside the fence line except for the huge oak just back of the barn. We put wire around it some time ago since the Beav was snacking on the bark. Not only am I unsure how healthful oak bark might be, we didn’t want him to kill that wonderful tree that shades the barn.
There are lots of trees OUTSIDE the pasture fence on all sides except the west where there is a working field. Fortunately, almost all of them are far enough back to be well out of his reach. On the upper part of the east side though, there is a “wild” strip between us and another field. There are some trees there that ARE close to the fence, and they’ve come under attack. In spite of having three feeders full of hay - one outside, two in the barn - and grass easily reachable under the thin snow cover, both he and Ami were gnawing on those trees the other day like they had nothing else to eat. Arrrrgh! HORSES! I don’t even know what species most of these “volunteer” trees are, and I don’t really care so much if they kill these trees, but I sure don’t want the trees to kill them!
In the past, we have found vinegar to be an effective equine repellent. So, there I was, out in the snow trudging up and down that fence line, spraying vinegar all over every tree and weed within the reach of my sprayer. We have been planning all along to clean out and redo this fence - looks like that may move up in priority.
It’s hard to stay mad at those two Goofballs though. Yesterday morning, as I was TRYING to make my morning coffee, they were putting on such a show running and playing in the snow that I let my coffee get cold watching them. Are they worth all the work and worry? OH YEAH!
