still life with black eyed susans

I don't like brush hogging this time of year because of cutting all the summer wild flowers, but I had to cut along the fence where the angus and herefords are breaking it down, so I can then proceed with repairs.

The original puddle fence is oak boards on locust posts, but with the horses all gone, and now with feral angus roaming the field I have had to electrify it because the bovines just push and shove until the fence breaks. With the electric fence they get a good zap and learn to leave the fence alone.

So this morning I serviced the brush hog to include grinding the blades (an interesting process in itself as the blades cannot be removed without an acetylene torch), then cut along the fence. I avoided most of the wild flowers, which I will cut later in the Fall once everything has bloomed and seeded. This big bunch was right in my path and so it came inside to cheer up Dr. P rather than being chewed by the brush hog. 

We see the oncology surgeon next week to see if her latest tumor is resectable. A lot on her plate these days.