An Up And Down Day

Beyond the fence that goes around the big hay field, you will find the slope that is too steep to mow for hay.

When we lock the cows out of the fields in the spring the cows use this area for grazing. The area is rampant with Canadian Thistles. It is another spot where I try to control the thistles with mowing using the small tractor with a rotary mower behind it.

I have to use the slope as a guide to direct the direction of mowing. With the rotary mower running, I start at the bottom of the hill and while mowing, back up as far as I can  and still keep the tractor from stalling out while in 4-wheel drive reverse.

Once a tree or stump or old slash pile blocks my backwards accent, I shift to drive and mow down to the bottom where I start the process over again. The seat belt comes in very handy while I am concentrating on what is behind me when going up hill, and the hidden stumps that are under the tall thistles as I make my way down to the bottom. (I did mow one off this year, but to my defense it was very short and very rotten. So I didn’t feel bad about it or harm the equipment.)

It is an aerobic workout as I hang on, switch controls and wiggle from looking forward to looking backward with each pass.

This one area took two full days of mowing. The thistles are now beyond the time when I can control the mature seeds and any that I missed while mowing are now beginning to float on air currents.