More Muck

Off to Memmingen hospital in the morning for the pre-op check up. All went very well and was done in two hours. So all set for operation on Tuesday.

Back home to enjoy the wonderful weather although Farmer Franz came by with 3 tank loads of slurry which added a certain perfume to the country air - Eau de vache.

We have the debate every year as to whether to do the horse fields. As most with horses will know, horses are not the best pasture managers and they don't actually need high quality "milk cow" quality grass. Lots of herbs and mixed grasses would be best but we need fields the size of Siberia. Our major problem is we have wet, sour fields ideal for things like buttercups which are in their fresh state, poisonous to horses although they avoid it. At worst they get diarrhoea. Once dried in hay, it's less critical.

To "sweeten" the soil, we actually need to lime. Theoretically not a big problem as one of the local agricultural merchants has a huge spreader which is very cheap to hire. However with my ancient John Deere it is a nerve racking adventure so I tend to "avoid" it. Really must get around to doing it as the buttercups are spreading like wildfire.

Franz has said he will be spreading some "manufactured" organic fertiliser containing 40% lime and interestingly also sulfur, which in days gone by the farmers got for free from our car exhausts before catalytic converters. 

Franz had to spread the slurry today as he is one of the pall bearers at a funeral tomorrow but it is quite timely as it is due to rain tomorrow.