Tires & hay sniffing

Tires are so scary! Especially when they aren't attached to anything normal, like a tractor. This one has been turned inside out to serve as a feed bunk. It's been riding in the back of the truck for some extra weight, but since we needed the bed to haul shelf-making materials from Menards, out it came this afternoon.

What's that?!

Scary thing! Run away!

Huh... what's he up to now?

Is there food in there yet?

While the horses were eating out of their conquered nemesis, I fought with the latest bale, trying to get all of the frozen layers of bottom hay loose and thrown over to the cows. I was hoping it had warmed up just enough today that I could peel it off. Unfortunately, not.

The big round bales are stored outside in long rows. The horses don't - or at least shouldn't - eat the bottom layer that's been sitting on the ground, and the cows will pick through for the pieces that they consider edible. Problem is, once I manage to get it separated, it's difficult to tell what's moldy & what's just snowy & frozen without sniffing it - moldy hay has a very distinctive smell. So... I think I managed to get all of the bad bits off the bale, but I'm still trying to get all the hay dust out of my nose.

I also managed to bend the pitchfork tines prying frozen bits loose. They just don't make'em like they used to!

And finally, the shot of the day....

Ever see an icicle drip up?

The temperature made it all the way up to 22' - the tire must have been just sun-warmed enough for the ice to flex out of the tread.