Frustratedearthmother's Journaling Journey

[frustratedearthmother]

Ahhhh, everybody should have a pygmy goat - they ARE so darn cute! I do enjoy them - for sure - most of the time - except maybe today when they kept dumping over the feed cart and ending up under my feet and chasing each other cuz they're all not used to the new ones again, and being pigs over the food and jealous that I'm paying attention to the others, and all that stuff!

The new little guy is drinking a half-gallon of milk a day - AND - I have to pasteurize it for him. OMG - what a PIA!

I have got, got, got to butcher this weekend - I've been saying that for awhile and I haven't done it yet. Too much stuff going on right now. I am totally overwhelmed and have to make some changes. I got home from work at 5 and went outside by 5:30 to take are of the critters. I didn't get in until 8:40 ish....and that's along with being out at 5:20 this morning and working for an hour before I went to my job. My weekend days are sunup to sundown and I don't mind it, but I think the rest of my family doesn't quite "get" that I actually enjoy working all day outside. But, it's becoming tooooo much! I have a long weekend coming up with Easter so I expect to get a lot done.

Oh - and to top things off I have to have a tooth pulled. I am NOT happy about that. I had a root canal and a crown on this tooth over 10 years ago so I didn't expect any problems. Last weekend I felt some tenderness in my neck and dang it if there isn't a big ol' lump right under my jaw. Of course, I quietly panicked! I knew it was a swollen lymph node, but wasn't sure why. My tooth didn't hurt, but was just slightly sensitive to pressure. I had a full scrip of antibiotics from last summer when I stepped on a nail (doc prescribed TWO antibiotics and I only took one..eh) so I took them per directions. Didn't fix it. Went to the dentist today and had the xray and it showed that the root on that tooth had split! No way to fix it so it's gotta go. I'm gonna miss that tooth - we've had lots of good times together. The steaks, the seafood, the desserts! I may have to have a wake... Anyway - will probably be getting an implant when it heals. Do you know how much I HATE going to the dentist???

I'm tired and haven't started the NEW antibiotic yet - so I'm gonna have a glass of vino and go to bed. G'nite ya'll!

 

[hqueen13]

Aww bummer on the dentist! That sucks! I had an implant done a while back and it was not as bad as I thought it would be. Hope you're isn't too difficult!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Thanks! I am NOT looking forward to it - but it's gotta be done and things will get better - but just UGH with a capital U!

I took a vacation day today cuz the only time the farrier told me the only time he could get here was at 1pm. Well guess what? At 2pm he texts me and says he's gotta do 4 more horses before he heads my way... OK. I can deal with that. Ya know what time he got here????? FIVE PM! And you wanna know what time he left - 6:45. He does a really good job on my horses so I'm not gonna complain, lol. But - geeeeee whiz! I felt bad for him though because he had done 13 horses before he got here and he was tired!

He's a really tall guy - about 6'4" and he's gotta get all the way down and do my mini's. If they're being really good he'll even get on his knees to do 'em, lol. They are mostly good, but two of 'em have founder issues and they don't really like to stand on 3 feet cuz it hurts! But, he's so good with 'em. Probably the best farrier I've ever seen about not getting nasty with 'em if they mess up. But, if they do - he's not mean - but he won't turn loose of that leg. One of 'em pulled back today and he held on to that foot and backwards we all went. When she reared up I held on until she reached her peak (all of about 4 feet!), then I turned loose of her and over she went! Sounds kinda mean, but she learned a lesson. Set back and you end up on the ground. I wouldn't do that with a big horse - too much weight and they might really hurt themselves going over - but these little guys just hop up and stand perfectly still afterwards. And this one deserved it, cuz she's the one that has good feet so she didn't have any reason to be acting stoopid.

Before he got here I moved the baby quail out of the breezeway. They're big enough to be outside now. Also butchered 6 of the grown ones. I had those 6 from cage to freezer wrapped in about 50 minutes. I'm getting faster! Then planted a blueberry bush, a persimmon tree, a plum tree and a mulberry tree. Weeded some of the raised beds in the yard and hoed a couple garden rows. Fed the critters, milked the does, had dinner and trying to relax now. Donn't know why, but I'm just a liiitttle bit sore, lol!

Tomorrow I'm going to be planting a few more things in the garden. I need to re-plant some squash that didn't sprout, the green beans that the goat ate, and some okra. I've got volunteer okra sprouting all over the garden, but it's NEVER where I want it. It grows in the valleys instead of the hills so I need to put it where I want it. I haven't put out any winter squash yet, so that's on the list too. Oh,,, and cucumbers - I keep forgetting cucumbers.

I put a weight tape around my 9 week old Nubian buckling today. He's 51 lbs! I predict that this guy is gonna be HUGE! The doe that I bought is thin, thin, thin. Only weighing in at 110 the day I brought her home. In comparison - RED - my favorite (and biggest Nubian) is about 180 lbs and she's NOT fat. But, K'ili - the new doe (a.k.a Velcro) has gained 5 lbs since I brought her home... in about 5 days! She needs it! She's never gonna be a great big doe - but I think she'd top out about 145 - 150 if she ever carries the weight she needs to.

Today is catching up with me - think I'm about to head to the bed. G'night!

 

[Denim Deb]

Hope you had a good night's sleep, don't blame you for being tired one bit!

And I hear ya on the farrier. That's why I like for him to come first thing in the morning!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Did get a good night's sleep - and grateful for it!

I spent almost alllll day in the garden yesterday. I did lots more mulching, lots more weeding and lots more planting. I put in 4 rows of corn and two rows of okra....hmmmm....rows are probably 25 feet long. I put some Buttercup squash in an area that formerly held a pair of chickens, but I kicked 'em out. I've got the mounds strategically placed so that the vines can climb the fence. Then I gave in and planted some bush beans...I was gonna stick with pole beans but I just couldn't stand it anymore, lol. I re-planted some scallop squash and yellow crookneck that hadn't sprouted and put in lots and lots more pepper seeds. Hopefully - they will make pepper plants! I've got a few tomato plants that are probably 3 -4 ft tall with blooms all over - so hoping I'll get some early tomatoes from them. And, almost forgot about the potato's - they are growing like crazy. And, slight bummer, but had to replace most of the pole beans that the goat nibbled on....stoopid little goat. She ate the tops of just about every little bean out there and they suffered immensely. A couple seemed to be recovering, but that was the exception instead of the rule. Geeze.... I know I did more, but dang it if I can remember it all.

Today started with butchering some of the meaties. I had intended to do more, but it didn't work out that way. I also managed to get a couple quail done between chickens. My helper came over today and cleaned out the feed/milk room while I finished up butchering. He took everything out an re-did the wall between that room and the main barn so that the chickens can't jump the half wall. They are so bold! They'd try to sneak food out of the feed pan while the does were on the milk stand... the nerve of them! They are now officially locked out.

I have a varmint and whatever it is - its taking quail right out of their cages. I moved 16 half-grown quail outside into a cage and the next morning there were FIVE left..... FIVE! Something ate very well that night. I moved the remaining ones back to the house. Next night two of my biggest male quail that I had separated so they could be new breeders - gone - ARGH! My guess is a 'coon. We set a couple of live traps last night and caught a big fat nothing. Tonight I went and took the little murderess (varmint dog par excellence!) for a walk out to the pens but we saw nuttin'...not even a mouse. Kinda glad we didn't encounter a coon - cuz good as she is I'm not sure she could win against a big ol boar 'coon. She's tough though and absolutely fearless so I'm sure she'd try....I just don't want her to. Think maybe I'll invest in a pellet gun.
Gonna enjoy my Easter Sunday and do minimal labor, but I'll be back at it Monday. So nice of my job to give us Monday off.

Happy Easter all!

 

[FarmerJamie]

Have a blessed day!

 

[Denim Deb]

Same to you. And I hope you catch whatever is eating your birds.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Thanks ya'll! Easter was a picture perfect day here - couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day.

Today was my last day of Easter vacation so I tried to make good use of it. I took it easy yesterday - but made up for it today. My story is pretty much the same day to day, lol. Milking, feeding the bottle baby, mulching, weeding.... all that stuff. But - it is what I do, lol. Some folks would definitely call it boring, but I find such interest in the little things. While outside working I can watch the baby geese learn to navigate the pasture. I can watch them dive into the pond with so much enthusiasm. I can see the interaction of the new doe trying so hard to fit into a new herd. I find it all kind of amazing. Mundane stuff I know to a lot of folks, but its kinda like a laboratory to me...observing...learning...planning the future experiments (a.k.a breedings and plantings)...and hoping for a good outcome.

Back to work tomorrow... whoopee!

 

[FarmerJamie]

FEM, I hear you. Was at my sister's yesterday and spent a while out in the equipment shed with my BIL looking at his latest toy purchase, and having a middle-aged man talk pretty much on the exact same topic.

 

[Denim Deb]

While it may be mundane, no 2 days are ever exactly the same. And that makes it interesting.