In the summer, the last chore comes around 6 p.m.,  when we get the grazing animals out of whichever pasture they are grazing in. We are maintaining a fairly rigid (for us) rotational grazing schedule, especially with a pony, who would eat herself nearly to death of left alone.

We also have a limited pasture, we need to let each pasture refresh after a couple of days. We have three now with our new fence. This was the second day in the side pasture. The sheep usually go back to the pole barn, they are not yet shorn and get worn and tired in the heat. They don’t stay out too long, but we sent Red and Fate out if they are, or even if they aren’t.

To get the donkeys out, one of us walks behind them and claps and says “let’s go girls, and Lulu and Fanny, who are wicked smart, trot out of the pasture indignantly. Donkeys do not love being told what to do. Chloe will keep eating until Maria puts a halter on her and then she agreeably walks with her out of the pasture.

Chloe loves Maria and while she won’t leave the pasture without encouragement, she is happy to go when Maria is holding her halter. Sometimes she just runs right out. Then we lock up the pasture gate and tomorrow, we will switch to another pasture. I love the afternoon light, it works well here.

This is the last chore of the evening, one of us does a final walk through around the barn before we go to bed, to make sure the fences are up and the animals are okay.