Frustratedearthmother's Journaling Journey

[frustratedearthmother]

I will give it a try. I've used the row cover in years past and it's the only way I've harvested tomatoes. But, I can't cover everything, so I'll give the light trap a try. Thanks!

 

[Corn Woman]

Guess I'm thinking about a different type of stink bug because the kind we have don't fly. What kind of stinker is this one ?

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I have several types - ain't I lucky?

Saw some of the 'regular' smallish green ones, also have brown marmorated stink bugs and as a bonus - Leaf Footed Bugs.

Just heard that we might have rough weather tonight - winds gusts of 50-60 mph possible - that'll wipe out my row cover for sure... but... I WILL put it back up!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Our rough weather wasn't really so rough. We did have some good winds, and a lot of lightning, but little actual rain. I went out early and checked the tomato covers...had to pull them back around as they'd blown up and over the supports. Saw a bug or two, but not tons of 'em. Also milked this morning. I'm still milking sporadically and the girls are doing well on the stand. Spooky has calmed down the most, and Lil Bit is doing okay too - even though she is and always will have that bottle baby attitude. Neither of them is giving me enough milk to really bother, but it is good training.

Cocoa - the first generation Kinder is doing surprisingly well. She's giving about a pint per milking, and that's with me not even trying to strip her out - and she's nursing her kid.

But, Red is still queen. I got two full quarts this moring and she's nursing her triplets full-time. She'll easily go over a gallon a day when I start milking regularly. I'm still thinking about buying a real milking machine. DH is pushing it. I don't mind milking by hand, but FOUR of them might get crazy. I had a good milk customer last year that I need to call. I think her 'puppies' might be missing their goat milk! I need to think about getting some more pigs too. I could raise them mostly on milk and eggs right now. I'd just need to build a pen because I housed the last ones in the garden area and my garden is in production right now. I don't think I'm going to put pigs in it again because I want to leave all rows and beds undisturbed so that I don't have to do all that tilling and row/bed building. That's a lot of work!

I think I put old gas in the lawnmower yesterday so I need to get outside and see if I can get it going. It was working well, then I gassed it up and it wouldn't even start again. GRRRRRRRR....

Farrier is coming out to give the mini's a pedicure today. I've got them caught up and penned just waiting on him. Not even sure what time he's coming, but I think it'll probably be later today after it cools off some.

Time's a wastin' - gotta get busy!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I fixed the lawnmower! I think the fuel filter has some gunk in it, so all I did was bounce the mower up and down a few times to dislodge the stuff. Then I'd start it and it'd run a few seconds and die - then I'd bounce it up and down again... lather, rinse, repeat. After a few rounds of that - it ran like it was brand new. I got the barn yard mowed before the farrier got her to give the gals their pedi.

I weeded in the garden for an hour or so this morning, watered and mulched. I'm going to have to re-do the whole tomato row cover - but I knew I was going to. We just kind of threw it up the other day. Tomorrow morning I'll get it done right. AND, I found more stiky bugs up in the new raised beds in the back yard area. Geeze, louise! I've always had a few tomato plants in pots on the back porch and I've NEVER had the bugs up here - but yep - now they are.... sigh Gotta take care of those too.

Farrier came right about 2pm....hottest part of the day. We got up under a shade tree and it wasn't too bad, but it wasn't fun either. Mama and Livvy, the two oldest gals were pretty well behaved - as usual. But, Flashy has issues. She's blind in one eye, so she really doesn't like to be handled on that side. She's a little cranky when the farrier is on her blind side, but all in all she didn't put up too much of a fight. She tried to pull away twice, but that's why I love this guy - he will NOT let go of that foot. At one point when she tried to pull a front foot back he raised it up in the air and she had to hop to keep her balance, lol. After that she kept herself planted in one spot until he was done.

The last time he was here we actually put her on the ground because she was acting stupid. When she started this stuff last time he held her foot up and I pulled her head around and before she knew what happened - she was flat on the ground. That'll make a believer out of them real quick. If you have taken away a horses' two methods of evasion - fight and flight - they look at you in a whole new light, lol. Works on a lot of behavior issues. But, thankfully we didn't get any where near needing to do that this time. She was almost great, lol.

He and I think alike on behavior issues. Even though they are small - they need to mind their manners. I went ahead and told him to put me on the 6 week rotation instead of me just calling him when they look scraggly. I've had issues with their feet for the last year or so... so I need to keep on top of it.

Oh, oh, oh!!!! I did my first fecal today. Red is looking a little rough, so I grapped some of her berries when I saw her drop some fresh ones. We followed the directions from Fiasco Farm... wasn't all that hard. I'd ordered all the stuff a few weeks ago. We found a few suspects, but less than 10 eggs so she seems to be good. DH is having a blast with it... Tomorrow we're going to do the bucks and the babies. Is it wrong of me to want to see some coccidia in the baby poop? I don't want them to have it, but I do want to see it! Most babies carry at least a small load (if not more) so I'll bet we get to see some.

I have pig in the oven for dinner - and I'm a hungry girl!

 

[Denim Deb]

I saw a farrier pick up a mini baby that needed to be done. She was fighting him every step of the way.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I used to pick up mine when they were babies too. It's a great way to tame 'em down when they're little. Works with baby goats too... hold 'em until they stop fighting and then let 'em go....


Today was one of those "I shoulda gone back to bed" days. DH and I were re-doing the row cover over the tomatoes this morning and I stepped on a nail. Ouch. I yanked my foot back and my shoe stuck to the nail, lol. I didn't think too much about it at the time... went inside, washed it off, put some hand sanitizer on it and a bandaid and went back outside to finish up.

"A" came and did some mowing, but he didn't stay long. He graduated HS last night and was really, really tired because he was up all night at "project graduation."

DH took him home and I came inside to rest and my foot started throbbing.... then it started swelling... then it started getting really red... then I went to the urgent care center. I'm on two different antibiotics and they gave me pain pills too. I filled the pain pill prescription, but I probably won't take 'em. I'm funny like that. I don't like that weird, altered feeling they give me. But, I've got 'em 'justincase.'

Gonna head to bed in a few... I want to sleep.

 

[Denim Deb]

Ouch! Take care of yourself. Nails can cause big problems.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Oh yes they can, and this one is doing pretty well... Geeze, I hurt! I tried to play like I was tough today and stayed on my foot alot. It did't hurt at first, but it's really upset with me right now... And, while I'm whining.. my arm hurts where I got the tetanus shot. This nurse did NOT give good shots...geeze. It was like slow motion or something, lol. I give my goats better shots than she gave me... Ok, I'll stop now....

We got the tomato tunnel out in the garden pretty well finished. And then, DH worked on a framework over the raised beds in the back yard so we can cover them too. It's a never ending battle, but I do love fresh tomatoes. I won't even eat one from the store in the 'off' season. They have absolutely no taste.

It rained again! In fact, it rained for hours - just the kind of nice, slow soaking rain that we needed. Couldn't work outside in it - didn't want to work inside - so we went to the movies. Saw Star Trek - ehhh - it was ok.

I picked zucchini tonight along with three kinds of peppers, some rattlesake pole beans and some yard long beans. I'd forgotten that I planted the yard longs until they started producing. Even though they come up short by measurement, they taste pretty darn good.

Back to work tomorrow... But on the bright side - only 6.5 years until I can retire!!!!

 

[Denim Deb]

The tetanus shot normally does hurt worse than the actual injury. Are you able to soak your foot in epsom salt?