Frustratedearthmother's Journaling Journey

[baymule]

Ouch on the head bump! I know that hurt!
I’m glad you got to enjoy the grands, just not long enough.
Sounds like a good recovery after surgery, keep up the home therapy. Will he go to a therapy center or continue at home?

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Ouch on the head bump! I know that hurt!

It did hurt! I had to be a big girl for the grands though, lol.

We had planned to get a whole bunch of chores done, but it didn't happen. That's ok though - I don't want to see them just so they can do farm chores.

For the first time the pond got some serious fishing pressure. I'm pleased to say that it didn't disappoint. Everyone who wet a line caught fish. Bass and bluegill and even one small catfish. GD went out early yesterday, while I was still getting DH fed and settled in for the morning, and she caught 8 fish before I even got out there.

Today I will be stretching some water hoses out to the pond. We've not had rain for weeks and weeks. The pond level has dropped considerably. No where near drying up, but I'm worried about the oxygenation right now. I'll set a hose up to spray water where it disturbs the surface and adds some oxygen. Kind of along the lines of a fountain, but without the cost of installing a fountain. The only good thing about the level dropping is that I was able to get the mower closer than I've been able before. GS finished up with some weed whacking and now we've got a totally cleared area around one side. It's really nice.

Sounds like a good recovery after surgery, keep up the home therapy. Will he go to a therapy center or continue at home?

The first few days after surgery were baaaaaad. I kept thinking "what have we done?" But, with tiny, incremental improvements he's finally able to move his legs fairly well. They're not really getting "stuck" to the floor as they were previously. He needs to concentrate on taking evenly spaced steps. He tends to take a good step with the right foot but only brings the left foot even with the right, instead of stepping ahead. The worst problem we're dealing with is his balance. He has no awareness of whether he's upright or "listing" to one side, or even worse, backwards. I keep a PT Gait belt on him. I can help keep him steadier that way. He's not allowed to walk without me being right with him. He broke the rule a couple days ago - grrrrr. We have a follow-up appt. Monday and we'll talk about PT at that time. Preferably, we can get home based PT again to start.

I need to force myself to list some goats this morning. I really need to move a few out of here. I'm such a procrastinator and I kind of hate the whole selling process. Wish we had a close auction barn..

Need to get DH fed so I can get outside and get started. I've got 15 bags of feed waiting to be unloaded. It can wait until I have another cup of coffee.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Yesterday was a good day for outside work. Bright and sunny, but not terribly hot. I got another raised bed cleaned out and ready for planting. I have some savoy cabbage plants and more broccoli to go in there. I already have some "normal" cabbage and some baby broccoli in the ground. Also got a tub planted with potatoes. I'd like to get some greens tucked in somewhere.

Saw the big guy breeding one of the does again today. That's another one that didn't "catch" when I thought. I'm gonna have a bunch of spread-out kidding dates. I guess I shouldn't complain about that. It will be what it will be, lol.

Today we have a follow-up with the Neurosurgeon. DH has had good days and bad. Friday was great - yesterday not so much. He fell against the loveseat yesterday. He got all cocky thinking he was doing so much better and tried to walk by himself while I was in the kitchen fixing his lunch. I heard a huge crash and my heart dropped. He fell so hard that he shoved the loveseat about 18 inches away from him and knocked everything off of the end table that sits at the other end of the loveseat. He fell right on his butt and he's really sore. His head bopped the arm of the loveseat - thankfully not on his incision site. It scared me so much that I ordered this:

Soft Elder Protective Hat Head Safety Helmet Ear Fall Prevention for Old Man(Gray)​

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09PDCDLK6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I love how it's specifically indicated for "old man!"


.

 

[baymule]

Bone headed men give us ladies almosta heart attacks!

I finally broke down and bought a super bag of feed. I had to scoop it all out into buckets and dump in metal trash cans, but well worth it. Saved me $100. It figured out to 16 cents per pound versus the bagged feed at $12.75 per 50 # or 25 cents per pound.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I finally broke down and bought a super bag of feed. I had to scoop it all out into buckets and dump in metal trash cans,

Were you able to get your regular feed in a super bag? Whew, I know scooping that all out was a lot of work! I've considered it - maybe I need to inquire about it the next time I'm at the feed mill.

It figured out to 16 cents per pound versus the bagged feed at $12.75 per 50 #

Sheesh! My main feed is over $17 a bag. I've recently started cutting it with some other feeds. I found another option that still has 16% protein but is lower priced because it has a lot of fiber. I don't mind fiber, it's good for them. They don't love it because the pellets are bigger than normal. I recently started adding a little bit of chopped corn - only because that's all the new Boers would eat! They didn't love anything on the menu here when I brought them home. I just integrated them into the main herd about 10 days ago and they've learned that they can't be picky if they want to get anything to eat, lol. Competition makes them hungrier dontcha know, lol.

Several does I thought were bred have recycled....ugh. That sure screws up my plans.

Been working on the raised beds some more. I got another one planted and another one cleaned out. Need to amend it and then I'll get some seeds in that one too. Have more onions, garlic and potatoes to get in the ground too. The potatoes will go in tubs. The onions and garlic will very likely go into the openings in the cinder blocks. They did really well in there last time.

Follow up with the neurosurgeon went well. After hearing about his fall and also about how his balance is non-existent they sent us for another CT scan. It didn't show any problems except that the ventricles within his brain are still holding too much spinal fluid. They don't want to adjust his shunt yet... sigh. They want to wait another few weeks to see if anything levels out on its own. Argh!

 

[baymule]

No, not the regular feed that I’ve bought for over 25 years. I’ve used the pelleted feed for horses, sheep, feeder pigs, even laying hens. It’s 14% and it’s been great. BUT the super bag is 16% has rolled corn, some pellets, cottonseed hulls and some kind of meal. Haven’t used it by itself yet, using up the last of the pellets and will mix them to transition to the new feed. More protein and costs less.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I hate to even say anything about the lack of rain - but we could use a little.

I've been trying to move some dirt off of the big mound into some low places. The pond dirt was really packed well by the guy who dug the pond. Packed clay that's dry, dry, dry is like trying to dig into solid concrete. I've got some done, but have plenty more to go before I'm finished.

Worked in the raised beds again. I've got 4 of them cleaned out and two of them are planted. I've got broccolini, regular broccoli, regular cabbage, savoy cabbage and collards planted. Also have one tub of potatoes planted. Still have more tubs so need to plant them too along with onions and garlic. It's hard to get a lot done because I'm constantly running back in the house to check on DH. I'm making progress but it's slow.

Just sold a young buck. Have a few more to move out. A couple of pregnant does and a yearling. Probably sell a Nubian doe and her baby too. I want to sell them as a pair, but mama is thin. I need to wean her baby and get some weight on her. I won't sell something that's not in tip top shape so she gets a small reprieve and a lot of feed, lol.

 

[Mini Horses]

I love savoy cabbage. Rarely find it in stores...so grow! You're doing well to have planted anything.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

You're doing well to have planted anything.

I HAD to! It's my therapy. It helps that the beds are close to the house in the backyard. Hope I can keep up with it, but much easier to do in fall/winter as opposed to spring/summer. There are a couple of volunteer tomatoes and some volunteer Thai basil too. Hope I can actually harvest at least one tomato. I'll build a greenhouse around it if I have to, lol. Not sure what they are except that its some type of cherry tomato.

Glad to have sold a buck - they're usually the last to go. I'll be on the lookout for another buck before next breeding season. I like to run three bucks. No rush. I have time to be picky.

 

[baymule]

Yes, definitely need rain. I got over four feet of rain from January to June. Then it stopped. Going open sheep and dry lot then.