Rebecca's journal-may be time to restart this

justusnak

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so sorry to hear about the poor kitty. At least it is not out there suffering any more. You have a good heart to try to save that kitty. I just wish it had a better outcome.
 

Wifezilla

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Still better than being out in the wild suffering and hungry.
 

rebecca100

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I knew it was in bad shape when i brought it. I had hoped that they would be able to do something to help it, but I guess with limited money and it in such bad shape, that it was unrealistic to try to save a sick possibly wild cat. I am such a sop. I cried when they told me that they were going to put it down after I got back to the car. And it wasn't even my cat. I get too attached especially when something needs help.

Anyway here is a pic of the mule.
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She is in the bottom area standing on her mountain from the pond being dug out. That is the donkey wanting in on the picture in the front. You can just see his ears. The mule kinda freaks me out. She is really gentle and comes running when she sees one of us, BUT she is extremely jealous. She stays with me the entire time I am in the pasture staying between me and all the other animals. She also lays her ears back and goes after anything that dares to get too close. It is a little disconcerting to be in the pasture with a mule that lays her ears back and glares at everything in site. She will literally get between me and everything else and push me with her shoulder the other direction. I am really not sure how to take that. DH rolled with laughter the first time he saw her do it. Then he spent 30 minutes deliberately walking too close to the donkey who she has a special dislike for just to make her glare and run and run the poor donkey off. Meanies, both of them dh and the mule. As long as we aren't in there she gets along with everything. I just wish she would realize that humans aren't her foals!
 

Denim Deb

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OK, that mule needs to be put in her place. She has decided that she's the alpha, and you're hers, plain and simple. I'm not sure how to deal w/mules, I've heard that you don't deal w/them the same as you do w/horses. (If it was a horse, I'd know what to do. :/) But, when she pushes you, she's herding you. She is NOT saying your her baby. At the very least, get either a lead rope or longe whip, and make her back out of your space when she gets too close.

I do have a friend on another forum that has mules. If you'd like the name and a link, PM me, and I'll send them to you. And, you will be asked how you know about the forum-this is a security measure to keep spammers out. But, don't worry, just tell them you're my friend (different screen name, so I'd have to give you that), and they'll let you on, no problem.
 

rebecca100

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I have very little experience with mules too. She is definately invading my space, but I am not sure how to deal with it either. I do know mules think totally different than horses. They remember more too. Ive been poking her in the neck with my knuckle in a tender spot when she gets too close for comfort. Dh had a mustang that did that, and she was a great horse. So I am not sure if it is really a bad thing or not. Other than the jealous thing, she has not had any problems. I just dont want her thinking that she is the boss either.
 

rebecca100

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Well this morning dh is on a plane! The place he works is flying him out to southwest Texas near the border to pick up a wench truck and drive it back. Anyway yesterday the plant stand that I always get my plants at are having a half price sale until everything is gone! Whoo-Hoo! They are already way cheaper than anywhere else and I can ask questions. All the fruits are already producing and normally have fruits or flowers on them. So I went and bought out almost all the berries they had left. They had already sold all the muscadines including the bronze I had wanted. I got 5 Kiowa blackberries with berries already on it, 2 blueberries the same way, a fig tree, variegated mint, pineapple mint, orange mint, 2 Rex begonias, 2 angelwing begonias, and a double impatien all for $35! The berries were normally $5 each, but I got them for 2.50. The fig was $5 and everything else was 1.50. I started to get all the raspberries too since they were loaded down, but they were the trailing dorman raspberries and I already had 2 of them. I didn't like them because they didn't really taste like a raspberry. I may end up going back and getting them anyway. I also seriously wanted the fuyu persimmon. It had baby persimmons on it, but even half price it was still $12 and I don't have anyplace to plant it. These are big beautiful plants that are IMO cheap even at full price. This morning one of the horses knocked over the ducks nest box and broke 3 of her eggs that were days from hatching. They were all cold too. I put the unbroken ones back in the box and put two of the cracked ones under a heating pad. Right now my bator is out of service so I am hoping the heating pad will do the trick. I put them in a ziplock baggy with an opening on one end with a straw to let fresh air in and a folded damp washcloth in a corner to keep the humidity up.
 

rebecca100

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P Allen Smith all day on PBS! So far he has showcased backyard farms, his chicken tractors, chickens, goats, goat milk cheese making, bees, and been morel hunting! Of course that is along with his beautiful gardens, and orchards and recipes. I could watch him all day long. I always learn something useful everytime I watch his show! He is about eating healthy and eating what you grow. His garden depresses me though because mine is NOT doing as well as I had hoped. I think it is just too hot for it. The plants look healthy, but the harvests have been disappointing.
I took a break from watching him to work the mule. We kept the lesson short and easy. I harnessed and dry drove her. She was a little upset by the blinders, but otherwise she did great. Dh started that loud monster he calls a motorcycle and it spazzed her out a little, but even though she was totally freaked and wanted to bolt she didn't and kept her focus on me. We seem to have the issue with running the others of and trying to push me away taken care of also. I think she is overall going to be a good addition to the family and that coming from me is a big compliment since I don't like mules. :p. This evening when it cools off some the kids and I are going to pick those dang worms off the cabbage again. My poor cabbage plants have been under attack for the last week. We have been going over them daily, but the bugs just keep coming.
 

Farmfresh

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My POA mare Cayenne never did like blinders, so I ended up driving her in an open bridle. ;) It worked great for her.

I think part of her problem was a cataract. She had a "speck" in one eye most of her life. Finally when the speck grew the vet diagnosed her as having a cataract.

Glad to hear the mule is working out. :)
 
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