I thought you were late

I felt that the first time heifer "Lovely" was over-due her calf date. I was very correct because "Just" had her calf last night! That would make "Lovely" over due by about two weeks!

Just in case you were wondering it was another Bull calf who has yet to be named. OK, I just named him "Ditto" since they are colored exactly the same (well about as close as you can get) except the second one has a bit of curl to his hair and probably horns too. Close enough and the message to the children is the same.

Well tomorrow is Election Day. Yes, I am deep in thought still. I will vote and I hope you will also. Don't come and complain to me unless you do vote. It only takes a few minutes and then we can talk about politics. Not that I like talking politics but if you participate I would be willing. I was surprised at how many people don't vote. There were 200,000,000 (that's two hundred million)voters in 1997. There must be more by now. In the average election only around 50% of registered voters will participate. Disgusting numbers and disappointing to say the least. Nuff Said.

Well I must go. I have to take some animals to auction, and the Ducks that were harvested (18 total) to where they are wanted and go to a "Mega" store and purchase just enough food to see us through next week. I miss the garden already. It was very convenient to just go out an pick dinner. So many different combinations.

My son and daughter have dug up all the "Canna Rhizomes" (don't you just love fancy words) and my son wants to try and sell them at a dollar a pound. A real bargain since they go for 25.00 per plant at any local nursery. The Canna roots that he dug up will set at least five per rhizome.

Well off to my busy day, have a great one.

The truth.......

Well as the truth has been told to me I am not feeling so bad about loosing the last few animals. Poor things (bull calves) did not have their colostrum for at the minimum 12 hours and who knows really how long it took.

I don't blame them (the farmer) they have a huge maximum capacity farm with over 300 milking three times a day. They make close to 30,000 pounds of milk a day so I can see how a (basically useless in their book) bull calf can be over looked. The cows udders are so huge that the calf (who looks at the high point of the udder)for a drink can't always find it. Sometimes the teats are so big that the calf can't manage.

Without the colostrum as we all know, the calf has no antibodies from his dam to take him through the first important few days of life. No matter what I do by the time I get him will help (that is without spending a large quantity of money). So there I have it. Still feel bad though.

So now I have two more and they are fine and healthy. Drinking up a storm and flitting about.

On another subject.

My daughter has a slight hearing loss in one ear. I have been called by the school no less than four times about the subject. The pediatrician was not worried nor was I but none the less I had to take her to the Audiologist to make sure there wasn't some form of vegetable growing in her ears. The doctor gave her the thumbs up but still she took 2.5 hours to test and recheck. What a long day....
I don't mind making sure my girl is healthy (the school was trying to tell me she could have a tumor or something, thanks for that!).

What really bothers me is that while I had my daughter bring home extra work I have again realized that the girl has no concept of her vowel sounds.

Yes, I am frustrated.

Yes, I have been working with her myself,

No, the school thinks there isn't enough of an issue to get extra help.

If you don't know your short vowel sounds do you think you will have difficulty reading and learning to spell? Sure my girl can do American Sign Language (something I have always wanted to learn) and speak Spanish so I guess they don't expect her to have to know how to read or write at this point. Is it me? Am I expecting too much from the school to teach her the basics of our language?

Sure I sometimes call my daughter the trophy wife in jest but it looks like the school is going to have her major in it!

I admit it!

I admit it .........today I am exhausted!

My poor back is in need of rest. Of course the rainy weather doesn't help but days like today remind me that someday I will need one of the motorized scooters to get around and my farming days are numbered.

I am sure that if I would stop falling down it would help immensely. Nothing lately irks me more than landing on my assorted body parts while challenging gravity to stay upright. I used to be pretty well balanced but with the mud and muck around, loose footing and rocks, well, I have been bouncing (more likely that is my imagination) off the ground more than usual. While at the angel girls concert last night (which was very nice) I couldn't even sit down. I will push on today as usual, maybe not as bright and cheery (yes this is bright and cheery for me) but forever onward and forward.

Two new calves yesterday brought in from other farms. Calf scours, so I immediately switched them to goats milk along with some bismuth and Albon and they, although still squirty, look much brighter and content. Poor things. I know they are destined to be veal but the conditions that they came from were less than nice. I appreciate how much care that I give my critters. Kindness always pays off no matter whom is on the receiving end.

The bees were buzzing yesterday so I postponed my visit to the hive. My fellow bee keeper had peaked into her hives and found her queens released to I will imagine that mine are too. I will wait until Sunday to move the bodies and frames around to make feeding them easier. I will also add pollen substitute to give them much needed energy.

The new layer chicks are excellent as well as the Cornish Cross meat birds. The coop is overly hot so I air it out every few hours. I won't remove the vent covers since the weather is so drastically changing from day to day. I am sure it is worth the extra effort. I would imagine the hatchery that the chicks came from will no longer offer chicks in February. They must have suffered huge losses. It amazes me that people don't care much for animals in transit and don't shelter the chicks as they should.

The pigs are also excellent. Drinking milk like pros and growing quickly. The over wintered turkeys actually bred and have fertile eggs. I am contemplating incubation. Maybe.

Well on to school work and organizing for taxes for next year. Busy weekend ahead.