JUSTUSNAK...Summer coming to an end!?

[justusnak]

13 April 10

Wow, what a long day. It started with getting laundry on the line..one load. LOL It went from " im gonna take it easy and do laundry all day" to..." what else can I get done while the sun is still shineing" day.
So, one load on the line, went out to feed and water, and shuffle goats around. I have 2 stalls in the barn for the goats...but only one access door. So, Pebbles gets put in her stall at night, away from the guys...and the boys get the other stall with acess to the outside. Mornings the boys go out in the big yard...and Pebbles gets the smaller yard, with the barn. So...got them fed, and shuffled..get a few wuffles from everyone..especially my little lambs. Then off to the coops. Opened the big doors and windows to freshen it up a bit....let the reds out to free range...then off to Orschelins and Tractor supply. Its a 40 minute drive one way...so I dont make this trip often. I get to Tractor Supply first...They have Cornish Rocks...about 2 weeks old...for $2.00 each, minimum 6 purchase. So, I grab 6 of them and back away...slowly...from the ducks. They looked to be several weeks old, but were white Pekins...not what I was looking for. Then I was off to Orschelins. Bad bad place for me to go, without supervision. They had several tubs of chicks..and they take such great care of them. I saw 2 tubs of cornish cross. So I asked about the price... $1.00 each. For real!?? I'll take 20...( Where did THAT come from)?? So, I now have 20 little peeps just waiting to grow up so they can go to freezer camp. Got the chicks all settled, and decided I would get started taking down the old goat fence...just part of it. Well, the neighbor boy came over, and asked if I had anything for him to do today. Hmmmmmmm...I just LOVE these kids!! So we put in a post...and the gate to the goat pen...then drug out 4 hoses, cleaned the troughs and refilled them. Oh, he complained some..." its hot...this is hard...OUCH I hit my thumb" ...whine whine whine! LOL However, we were able to get it all done...before hubby came home. I brought him inside to pay him for his help...I thought $10 was fair...and he said.." well, I was thinking, you keep the money, if you will take me to the skate park in town" Well, its like 15 minutes...and definately not $10 worth of gas, so I gave him a ride, and $5.00. Got home...started dinner....Fried chicken, mashed taters...yum. The neighbor girl came over and asked if I had a chore for HER! LOL So, I told her, if she would take down the old fence..she could have it for her dog yard. But, I couldn't pay her money. She was THRILLED to get the fencing...so I threw in a few T posts as well. A friend of thier moms said he would help them put in the fenceing. The fence is not "old" we just put it in about 3 weeks ago, but the goats were climbing it and bent it pretty bad in some places. Its still useable..but will take some work. Finished dinner...made gravy for the taters...cleaned a few green onions and radishes....and we ate like thieves.
Tomorrow...laundry...for REAL....well...at least ONE load! LOL I need to start the mowing....before Fridays rain. It takes 2..or 3 days to mow everything here...at least untill I get more fencing. Hopeing the garden gets tilled tomorrow...since the rain is coming Friday. Im ready to "play" in the dirt!!!

 

[Occamstazer]

Sounds like the springtime activity bug bit you!

 

[Farmfresh]

I guess YOU are feeling better!

 

[justusnak]

I guess YOU are feeling better!

You know...not really. LOL Im still coughing, wheezing, and hacking..so I just work slower. LOL
So, yesterday....our little stray cat Sophie was acting strange. She is VERY preggers...or should I say...WAS very preggers. Every time I would open the house door, or garage door, she would insist on trying to get inside. This is not like her at all! So, last night, about 11 pm, I hear her scratching and clawing at the front door.:/ She was hanging by her claws, from the window...freaked me out, then it hit me...she was CLOSE to delivery. Duh!! I have this plastic crate on the front porch, so I grabbed an old blanket...and placed it inside the crate, with enough blanket left over to cover the top. She jumped right in. I just checked on her....she has 4 tiny little kitten in with her. Guess I will move her to the garage. She wont be safe out there on the front porch. There is a BIG orange MEAN tom cat that hangs around, he is at least ONE of the daddys. I saw one orange kitten. The other 3 look to be calico..like her, but with more grey. Kittens...just what we didnt need! Guess who is getting FIXED in about 8 weeks? LOL I will try to get pics later....I dont want to disturb her right now. a few of the kittens are still wet, and she is nursing them. I HOPE she is done haveing kittens. LOL

 

[Farmfresh]

Kitties in the springtime. You gotta love it!

As for that mean old tom, I have been known to trap stray roaming tom cats and "band" them before re-releasing.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Aww! Congrats on the new kittens!

Our calico had 6 kittens about 2 weeks ago, but she lost the two smaller ones. They just weren't doing as well as the others. So we have 4 healthy kittens doing very well.

That cat is living co-habitatly (is that a word?) with my - believe it or not - chickens! Mama kitty has her kittens out in the chicken barn and she leaves them there to go hunting.

I love this cat! (I really hate cats) but this one is special, because she's not ever attacked (knock on wood) one of my chickens or chicks! It may help that we had a broody mama beat the snot out of her last year.......

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

kittens!! peeps!!! wow!! spring is springing!!! whoot!

i'm waiting for our TSC to get desparate and put all the extra chix in the $1 "bargain barrel"

 

[Aidenbaby]

I used to live in Dallas when I was a teen. They had a program that they would catch feral cats, spay/neuter them and then re-release them. From what I understood it was to help control the rat population and by re-releasing them they were also helping population control, something like more mouths to feed less kittens born or something like that.

 

[justusnak]

Well, I decided to move Sophie to one of the coops. She is still there, with her babies...food and water. Im hopeing she will stay in there, its safe, and quiet..well, other than all the chickens. LOL
Got 3 loads of laundry on the line...scrubbed the kitchen...swept and mopped...vaccummed the whole house...then tackled some of the mowing. I was able to get about 1 1/2 acres mowed today. The goats and sheep were loveig it. I made sure to make a pass and throw the grass into thier pens. They all filled up on fresh cut grass...took a long drink, and are now lazeing in the shade. I have about an hour before hubby gets home, so I think I will go check everyones waters...its really warm out there, mid 80's I think. Then get MY water...and just realx in the shade at the picnic table..and stare at a barren garden. Soon...it will get started...I hope.

 

[justusnak]

Another productive day...and im pooped!!!
Got started early...7am, coffee in hand, headed to start laundry. I was able to get 3 loads on the line today! While doing laundry, I have to admit...I played at the computer. Well...sorta played, and did some research for getting liscenced as a Wildlife rehaber. After reading all of the "must haves, and must do's" I decided to waite another year. Or so. :/
Finished hanging the last load for the day, then went to scrub the kitchen, sweep, mop, shake rugs...and clean counters. Heck, its was only 10 am! So, I grabbed the vaccume...and started from top to bottom..and in between. Everything vaccumed....dang, only 11:30. So, at a few pieces of cold fried chicken with raddishes and green onions...a big glass of water...rinsed my dishes, and decided I would head out to mow. Started mowing about noonish...and got about HALF of it done by 3:30. The goats and sheep were so funny. When I first went by thier fence, they ran off, scared of the mower...then, they realised I was throwing fresh cut grass IN thier fence...and all came running. I wish I could have gotten a pic of Casper..the white goat.. He was standing at the fence...eyes squinted..mouth open...catching the grass as it flew in his face. I made several passes..just to laugh more and more.
After putting away the mower...I went to check on Sophie..those babies are soooooo cute!! This is what she had. I dont know thier sex yet, gonna waite a few more days to handle them.

Came inside...got cleaned up a bit, and started hamburgers for dinner. I added onion and garlic to the patties, and cooked them on the george forman. Too hot in the house to really cook anything else...so I threw some chips on the plate..and hubby was a happy man.
He finished dinner...then went out to get the tiller going. The small garden (20x20) is ready to go. Tomorrow I will put in the beets, peas, taters, and onions. AFTER I put in the fence. The chickens heard the tiller going and came running for good diggins. Now they know the soil is fresh, it will be hard to keep them out.
Tomorrow, I plant....Friday, it rains..good timeing I think.If we can get the other garden to dry out a bit more(40x80)...then I can get going in there...green beans, tomatoes, peppers,corn,cucumbers, and some sort of hot pepper, yet to be determined. Im sunburned, sore and tired....I just LOVE SPRING!!!!!!