Nap Time

Oh the joy of a simple nap. I usually take power naps that last from 10 min. to about a half hour. Yesterday was no exception. I thought I would sleep for at least an hour but 15 min. in I awoke refreshed and ready to continue my day.

What I really need to do is get into bed before midnight every night and it would probably work wonders for me. I am always trying to do just one more thing every day and I seem to be getting less and less sleep. So now my mantra will be put off for tomorrow what I should have done today.

I am looking forward to nap time today.......if the phone doesn't ring or if the kids stay away from me or if the dogs don't start barking at the wind........

Great Goats

Well we have started the agricultural fair season. Since our 4-H group is so large I figured that I would bring plenty of goats to let everyone have a chance to show one if they wanted to. The 4-H Expo is July 25-27 and it would be good for them to practice their moves from last year.

Most of the children got to participate at least once, with some twice. Great fun was had by all and both the goats and myself are tired. Oh and they all did very well to boot.

As I hurdled over the cliff edge by doing two goat shows on consecutive days I am still feeling a bit tired. The goat pens are also very quiet and docile. I'm sure today will be different since the goats didn't have to get grain and drop children to activities all day. Today isn't looking any better but I will demand a nap today.

My husband will start the roof next week. 60 square will take some time since the old needs to come off and general maintenance and repairs will happen at the same time. He will be off "work" for several weeks so my work load hasn't gotten any better. At least we will have a dry place to hang our hat this very cold winter (forgot about the cold since it's been in the 80's and 90's with the dew point well in the seventies it has been like a tropical rain forest!)

The garden grows very well with tomatoes set followed by squashes and peppers. We have harvested some peas and how quickly you munch as you pick. The raspberries are ripe as well as the gooseberries and currents. We harvested cherries weeks ago.

A friend or fellow cliff diver extracted "some" honey.....yeah 45 lbs worth. Maybe next year for me. I stole a frame or two and the children and Dave drank through it. I did sneak some off so I could savor a stash and have some on hand for colds this winter. I am such a little ant.......

Jever Wonder......

What I do when I miss posting for a long time?

I spend my time answering replies to my postings of my products on various pages.

There are a few different types of people who want information.

There are those who really want to buy product, those who are just seeking information to see what they should grow on their farms, those who are looking at my marketing tools, some who are just looking to make on line friends.

I was disturbed today when one of the tire/information seekers said they were going with a different farm due to the fact I was not forthcoming with information. The only question they asked what what breed of beef we sold. I answered the dairy crosses exactly and no more. How much time do they think I have. Ask specific questions, I give the answer, or call the phone number on the add or in the reply.

What? You think I wasn't going to complain about something today?

Come to find out the person was another farm. Oh surprise, surprise. I don't have time for that. I am marketing the beef for a friend and now I know why he doesn't want to do it. I think my price will go up.

So we are all fine here and the garden is growing so well. I am having trouble with the seeds as some bug thing is eating them before they get big enough to transplant.

I will use another technique and start them in a broad flat and move on.

Message you later.......

New Month...

I sure hope the summer months hold less excitment than the spring.

Well the garden has been planted and I will continue to plant for the next month and a half. I stagger crops such as beans, lettuce, spinich and the bracias to make sure of a long harvest season.

I have just realized that I have forgotten to plant some onions. No it's not too late and I will run out to the grain store and pick up some sets and in the ground they will go. Along side the peas, tomatoes and anything else that doesn't mind that strong vegetable who doesn't take well to weeding so mulch we must.

All the plants are doing well. I have a feeling that the hay season will be difficult this year with unsettled weather making it difficult to dry the grasses. Damp hay will start to decompose and I don't want to burn down the barn we have yet to finish and have inspected.

The goats are milking well and the goat kidds have found homes and some are left to replace our older milkers. Veal and chickens have been harvested and new ones are also doing well. Wait things are going too smoothly.........when will the other shoe drop? Or have both shoes dropped and I just didn't notice number two!?

Well out to water the garden. Enough to you.

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!

OK, maybe not.......

So since last I wrote all has gone more haywire than I like to admit. I have lost more animals this year than ever in my career.

I know it was not due to my poor husbandry but to circumstances beyond my control. It doesn't help one feel any better though. I have completely run out of room in the burial plot. Where to put the next one is the question.

Now I figure the spring season has only about a month left to it and with this particular Spring season I will also let go of the sadness that is collected.

I am looking forward to the growing season and am putting seeds in the ground at this point. I will plant my started plants this weekend. I don't think the 4-H has anything planned this weekend. We have been very busy with community service and charity events.

The trailer is getting closer for occupancy with the windows being cut in this weekend (yup spent all that money and I put big holes in it). Carpeting on the sleep deck and floor and a set of stairs are in the works.

Two more Does left to kidd and that will be it for the season. No, I don't know when they are due. It was a bred this year or not so I wasn't paying too close attention.

I have dealt with some people I will never deal with again, but they were counterbalanced by others who are completely and honestly trying to invoke a good feeling with younger generations in the area of Agriculture.

I will continue to do my best to help everyone I meet in this area as well as keep the good food growing for those who have the inclination to buy excellent product close to home. We are ever closer to the milk licence and will get there soon. I now have my vacuum system with the buckets and claws (both cow and goat).

So the turning of a page and another chapter laid to rest. I'm sure things will improve this next season. Yes, I am the perpetual Optomist........

That's it I'm done...........

Such frustration the past few days.

It has to be the weather.

The animals are cranky.......I'm cranky.........children acting like animals..my lack of sleep......

It has been cooler damp weather. My newly acquired buck is ill. No I don't know if he will live. Very upsetting. I am doing all that I can but it doesn't look good. I don't have a 1000.00 let alone 100.00 to call the vet in on a Sunday to have him say that he's clue less and I have already done everything he would have done.
He has been here less than a week, all was fine, who the heck knows...

Children working on paperwork for their 4-H exposition......The hot dog sale was fun yesterday. The kids actually sold out early. Not much earlier but the parents were ready to leave also.

The new calves are fine and so are the rest of the critters. A few mishaps due to husbandry (literally the husband!).

I have come to a conclusion that a family line of my Alpine are genetically weak. They just don't work well with the bucks that I have been getting. If the Does don't go Cystic the Does who do kidd, the offspring are small and weak. I have several generations and it isn't getting any better and it takes a lot of work to pull the Kidds through. All in all there is only 40% or less viability rate and it takes a toll on a person. All the other lines are fine. Problem is that this family has wonderful long bodies and tremendous personality, great milkers......oh well.......

Things will only get better and if not I will think gratfully of the times now and stop my whining.........