Frustratedearthmother's Journaling Journey

[frustratedearthmother]

Went out to milk this morning and the devil kids that I had penned up were out and had sucked their mama's dry....grrrrr! Guess I'll have to do a better job of containing them tonight. That's a gallon of milk that I'll never get back. Ugh! I really need all the milk I can get to feed the little orphans. Today I'll inventory the milk in the freezer and see how long before I have to start buying cow milk. I should really think about weaning Lucy's girls. They're over 10 weeks now. They're big and sturdy and just everything I could have wanted in replacement does.

Yesterday I moved a couple of big tubs to the area that I want to garden this year. I need to move more but still so muddy where they are at (and getting muddier). However, I can get some barn poop/dirt shoveled out to mix into the tubs I've already moved. I picked up some pepper plants a couple days ago because I have not started a single seed. Such a slacker this year... DH does love his hot peppers.

We had a tiny bit of rain yesterday and its raining pretty seriously right now - but its supposed to clear up and be sunny this afternoon. I'll believe it when I see it. I want to get some butchering done this weekend so I'm really hopeful that it stops raining and gets cooler like "they" say it will.

Need to decide what's for dinner and get something out of the freezer. I love to cook - but deciding what to cook is a royal pain.

 

[NH Homesteader]

10 weeks already?sheesh! Time flies.

Silly escape babies. That's not helpful !

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Only 1pm and I'm whooped! Fed the bottle babies twice already - getting ready to do it again at 2:30. I got Toltrazuril into the babies. Lucy's babies, at 10 weeks, are 40+ lbs. Cameo's babies, at 7 weeks, are over 30lbs. Geeze! Cameo's babies are as tall as Lucy's babies but there's almost a 10 lb weight difference. Lucy is Kinder - and I'm wondering if that tiny bit of pygmy is what is helping those babies have some extra bulk. They are little tanks for sure!

Got the last big round bale moved. Did I take the easy way and put on the hay fork....uh no. Did I drive myself crazy and smash up the bale moving it with the front end loader - yep. Took me at least 3 times as long, wore me out changing gears, forward, backward, bucket up, bucket down, turn around and attack it from the other side....ARGH. (but it was fun!)

Seems like my 'to do' list is getting longer instead of shorter! Every where I look I see something else that needs to be done....sheesh. Nothing to do but do what I can. And when DH retires I'll give him the list, lol!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

And, the work continues... I wormed every goat on the place except the one I couldn't catch and the pygmy. All membranes fairly pale...argh. Might buy another kiko buck instead of doe. Then I could cross these gals back to the new guy. But...it's just a glimmer of an idea right now. Ya'll know it takes me a long time to go from idea - to planning - to implementation. Kiko's are really taking off around here so hoping that they will sell good too when I'm ready to turn loose of more than a random bottle baby.

Saw the creepiest/coolest/saddest thing today. I was walking by the hog pen and I heard this really high pitched cry...like a baby bird or something. So, I'm looking and looking trying to hone in on the sound when what to my wondering eyes did appear? A big ol' Garter snake....and what was making the cry? The green tree frog he was working down his gullet. Poor frog! I didn't know they could cry? Walked back by the same spot later and Mr. Pig was chomping down on something.... I wonder if he got the snake?

I know it's not a great pic - but if you look close you can see that the snakes mouth is open - and there's a tiny little foot sticking out.... eeeek!

 

[baymule]

Frog snack for the snake, snake snack for the pig.

My son asked me if I wanted a milk goat/cow last night. My answer was that if I had the acreage for a cow, I'd get a Jersey nurse cow and baby calves. Pen up the calves at night, milk in the morning and then turn them out. If I didn't want to milk, then just not pen them up. I am not that dedicated to milk every day.

I hope you are getting the sunshine we are for the next week. After all the rain we've had, it is wonderful to see the sun! May the sun shine on you and the wind help dry things up!

 

[NH Homesteader]

Hmm another kiko buck sounds good. So does moving those nubians along. What a nightmare of a parasite party you have down there

 

[frustratedearthmother]

It's been the perfect storm for parasites for sure. Even at the vets the other day he said he's NEVER seen anything like the last 18 months in fighting parasites.

This morning no goats sounds better than more goats, lol. I'm trying to figure out how to do milking and bottle feeding after I go back to work next week.... argh!

Cool and windy this morning and going to stay that way all day. We had a few hours of sun yesterday. I think we're going to be cloudy for the next few days but rain chances, while there, are fairly low.

Lots to do - need to get to it.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Oh … @baymule....I vote for a milk goat or two!

 

[Lazy Gardener]

I once caught a big ol hoppy toad. I had him in a bucket and was transporting him to the safety of the garden. (hubby was mowing, the dog likes to kill squeaky things, and the chickens were out) That toad squealed and carried on the entire time I was transporting him.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

It really must be spring! Critters are showing up in the strangest places! I found this guy up against the wooden fence in my backyard trying desperately to teleport through the fence to get away from Gracie.