Frustratedearthmother's Journaling Journey

[frustratedearthmother]

No disbudding today. However, I did unload the feed and mowed the yard before it (tentatively) floods tomorrow....ugh.

@Mini Horses - I have NEVER in 30+ years of doing this goat thing had a doe go more than 150 days. In fact I think I've only had a couple that went as long as 150 days. Maybe it's because for most of those years I raised the little goats. Pygmy goats almost always (at least at my house) went on day 145.

Weird thing about the elders recall. My dad can remember tons of stuff that I am always amazed by. But - he has 'created' some memories that I don't have the heart to tell him are false memories. My dad was a twin. His twin brother died almost 2 years ago. Dad wasn't strong enough to make the trip to his funeral. But, he will tell you a story about being at the funeral and the burial beside their father. In reality, his brother was cremated. I will not EVER take that "memory" away from my dad. It brings him comfort, and in his mind, it happened just the way he tells it.

 

[Mini Horses]

Yes, the small ones will not carry as long. I specialized in the 28 & under minis and they carried closer to 9 -9.5 months.

I'm with you -- I would never fault your dad's "memory", after all that is what he saw in his own mind for his brother's service. It's all perfectly fine and just.

Going to check on my "due" doe who had a touch of discharge but, 3 hrs ago that one was laying nicely and her daughter due same time was suspect because she was standing to self, no one around her -- you know the hmmmm feeling -- All others were at their end of barn laying in usual groupings. I'm thinking tomorrow.

 

[sumi]

Good to hear your parents are doing o.k. I think of them often.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Thanks Sumi! Dad is almost thriving there. I say "almost" because they keep him in a wheelchair. I pushed him to walk to keep his strength up when he was here. I can understand their point because they don't want him to fall and he's definitely at risk. But, the good side of that equation is that he gets social interaction with the care givers and a few of the other residents. Mom is as good or better than she was before the UTI. It was sad that she said she was afraid - but she was able to say it and she couldn't even talk earlier. And, she responded appropriately to my questions. All as good as could be expected.

One more day at work and I'm OFFFFFFFF for five days! That might help make up for missing half my spring break when mom was so ill. DH is out of town for the next two nights so I'm actually getting some "me" time! However - the weather is promising to be quite sucky overnight. First of all I'm worried that he's driving in this terrible weather - it's worse where he's going than it is here. So, if I haven't heard from him within the next 20 minutes or so I'm going to start worrying and start calling him.

AND - drum roll please! I've got beans popping through and a couple of squash plants are up too. Woo Hoo! I'm gardening!

 

[sumi]

It sounds like they are doing well there and that is good to hear!

5 days off and some "me time" sounds wonderful Did your DH arrive safely?

No comment on the gardening I'm sitting here with all these seeds and snow forecast…

 

[baymule]

Me time is in short supply. You certainly deserve it, enjoy all you can!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I'm about an hour and a half away from FREEDOM (for 5 days anyway). And, wouldn't ya know it - POURED RAIN last night - geeze louise! Not much gardening gonna be done for awhile. I've got the little garden in pretty good shape - but intended to till a bigger area and get ready to plant big, tall, and short spreading, sprawling stuff out there. Probably wouldn't bother to till it except for it looking faintly like the surface of the moon. Pigs were in there for awhile. Oh well.... I could still plant my winter squashes in there - they don't care if the land is nice and flat and purdy. But, I wanted to put okra and maybe even a little corn out there too. That will be much harder to do with the craters and hills that are out there now.

I've got a lot of things on my "to do" list that may or may not get done. But, I'll do the best I can and if I can't - I'll get over it!

 

[Mini Horses]

I've got a lot of things on my "to do" list that may or may not get done. But, I'll do the best I can and if I can't - I'll get over it!

I'M there, right now!!

My work was so slow, maybe a day a week for 2 months -- weather so bad nothing got done. Now -- warming BUT so much work there's not enough hours in the day. I'm leaving in a few for a 14 hr day!! Not looking forward to it but, might rain and heavy winds AGAIN. Darned winds have been 20ish each day for past 4 and not easy to do much like that...especially alone.

If the daylight gets longer, faster, I may have a few hrs to do more than feed. Hmmm, don't know where I will fit sleep in there... You know, winning a lottery would fix it all.

Right now and thru May is our super busy time. It's like teachers work 9 mons & off 3 -- we crunch the work for several months, then slack, crunch again, then slack. Retail wants resets done for new product lines.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Knocking a couple things off the to-do list. Just working leisurely - it's BEE-YOU-TEE-FUL today! I'm savoring this weather because it'll get way too hot way too fast so I'm going to enjoy this day!

I trimmed a couple trees and fed the trimmings to the lactating does and the bucks because they don't get out much and not much greenery in their areas. They tried to literally mow me down to get those leaves. I'll do a bit each day just to stretch out their dining pleasure, lol.

The meaties are now enjoying the great outdoors and away from the confines of the brooder. The quail babies are now enjoying the brooder and away from the confines of their little tote. And, I have a broody. Whoop? Eh? Ambivalent about it mostly, lol.

So why do I feel like ordering some poultry from my favorite hatchery?

I don't want no more stinkin' chickens, lol. So, instead of chickens I want some guineas! I like guineas. I want some. They aren't available until May or June... can't remember.

I've always wanted turkeys tooo - but not those big monster turkeys. I want Midget Whites. They're not a whole lot bigger than a big chicken so then I ask myself "WHY?" If they're not much bigger than chickens why bother? I dunno.

And, my son wants a duck. He wants just ONE duck. But, if I'm gonna get him a duck - I'm gonna get him three ducks, lol. Can't have just ONE of anything. So, if I get him three he'll have one "justincase" duck. I'm not a big fan of ducks sooooo don't really know what kind to get him. Maybe, since they'll probably end up back at my house eventually I should get some really cool ones!

Need to go do something else. What to do next? Guess I'll just head outside and see what happens!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Well, well, well.... I had no intention of butchering a meaty this early - but butcher one I sure did. I was looking out the window and saw Gracie stick a paw under the chicken tractor and drag out a baby. Dang it if she hadn't chomped it just a I was running outside and yelling at her. GRRRRRRR. She didn't do a lot of outside damage - one hole in it's nether region and a broken neck - so I butchered it, lol. It's about the size of a quail so I wasn't gonna waste it. Stoopid dog. It's her only fault - if it's little and it moves fast - Gracie will get it. She's now in the house - and loving it. I'd put the chicken tractor out in the goat pen, but afraid they'd never stop trying to get to the feed in there....and...the backyard is full of clover. Chickens LOVE clover and it's high in nutrients for them. Meaties do well on clover so I'm not gonna waste the free feed. Gracie will just get to be a privileged house dog until the meaties are too big to fit through the little gap under the chicken tractor. The gap is for the wheels that make the tractor easy to move.

I have one whole row mulched in the garden. I put down feed sacks and thick hay on top of them. Its the only way to walk in there right now cuz it's wet and muddy. Ugh. But, if this gorgeous weather keeps up it'll dry pretty quickly. And, hopefully it'll allow me to till the other area while it's soft enough from the rain and before the heat gets here that will bake that gumbo just like concrete.

I have a tomato blossom!!! Crazy! Sure hope the stinkin' stink bugs stay way this year. Hopefully with the couple of hard freezes we had it'll make a huge dent in them. I need to figure out how I'm going to stake the tomatoes this year. I need to get to it cuz some of them are getting pretty big. I waaaaay overcrowded the tomato plants I put in the raised beds. Need to get creative with their staking to keep them from just forming a huge tomato plant blob. I so desperately neeeeeeeed tomatoes this year. I haven't had a good tomato crop for several years now and I'm in withdrawal for sure.