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.........

Pizza and Home schooling

Well, seeing that today is Friday, in this house it's Pizza night.

Almost as bad as Nachos but not quite.

Sure sounds delicious and a great snack. It is delicious and great food........unless your the one who is making it.

I sometimes think I am the little red hen. Who will help me plant the seed?

So here it is:
First we have to milk the girls, to make the cheese.
Second of course make the cheese,
Make the crust, using the whey from the cheese.
Grow the cow or pig to make the sausage that goes onto the pizza (luckily one animal goes a long way).
Cut all the fresh vegetables that go on top (peppers, onion)
slice the olives, grate the cheese (pray that it has cooled enough so you don't cause blisters....
Place in the oven until cooked and of course serve.

OK, doesn't sound so bad,
Animal Husbandry, Critical control points and proper handling procedures with food (wash your hands, cover the milk (was that pail clean? Get that goats foot out of the bucket and start over..).

Chemistry: and standardize the recipe so that we get the same result, Mix the cow and goat milk what happens to flavor and texture and why?. Yeast in the crust and why does the whey work better than water.

Math: Weights and measures of ingredients. What about temperature of ingredients? Cooking temperature and why.Will fresh vegetables take longer to bake or will canned toppings dry out or get too soggy?

Critical thinking: What happens when the temperature in the oven is reduced or raised. What would happen when we use straight White flour without the whole wheat...(where do you think the garlic press is, where do you think you would find the can opener for the olives...)

Socialization: Patience (listen to Mom, I have done this a time or two......)

Language Arts: Reading of package for nutritional contents and calorie count. Portion control (yeah right..)

Communication skills......"Mom Pizza's done"

Farming Sadness

Today one of my Junior Does kidded. Not a bad thing but she was early. The Kidds were presented wrong and definitly stressed by the time I got out to help her. There is really no reason why it happend except that the Veal Calf is a bit rammy and could have caused her to go early, had he stepped on her or was overly pushy. The Kidds were small only 2.5 (breached, rear first)and about 5 lbs(head to the side legs presented sideways). My normal Kidd weight is at least six pounds (on the small side with 7.5 average). Should they had gone to term they would only have been just a bit bigger. So neither kidd was saved and I hope I didn't damage the Doe with my large invasive hand that was trying to reposition the kidd, least we loose poor Doe also. She did cry in distress, there was some blood, not tons, both placenta were passed intact.

We finished our animal care by Noon today and the gravity of the morning is having take on my spirit. I will always feel such greif when young don't have a chance or are not given a chance. We do all we can but sometimes it is not the destiny of anyone involved to be sucessful. I pray for the strength given to me at the start to help me put this in perspective. Better a loss in the barn than a loss in the house. Yes, I am grateful for what I have.

Mice and cats......

During my attending to the critters this morning, I was off to get some pig grain as the gang was rattling their near empty feeder. I opened the bin to bucket it out and met with at least 12 black beady eyes. You bet I yelled as they were about face level. They ran and I stood my ground. This brought the son running since the most yelling he hears from Mom is usually to get his tiny hinney in gear.

Where are the cats when you need them? Of course they are hiding from the spring rains that engulf us at the moment. Maybe the are a bit too well fed with all the milk and grain they get. So with nest removed and Mom's heart safe for another days heart attack my Son lays out mouse bait that will not harm the larger animals as it is only palatable to rodents.

I will put off getting the calves again as I don't want to be covered with calf scours (diarrhea) and have to ride an hour home soaking wet let alone stinky. Doesn't matter if you have rain gear, water usually runs down or through the vents that are strategically placed to soak you buttocks and shoulders and not in that order.

I walked by the hives and found that the one hive I had just put a new queen in had been growing a new queen. I found several pupae carcasses outside the entrance. Talk about giving you the heebee geebies. I can only hope I got her placed in time to grow new workers. Workers take about 21 days to hatch and they go through quite the training network doing all sorts of different jobs in their short lives. I suppose I shouldn't complain but what fun would that be.

I will continue the work of organizing taxes for next year and have my Son work on his current project that I will have him show at the 4-H exposition this year. I is likely to be the only one of its kind and very relevant. I won't spoil the surprise for those who will be at the fair in North Stonington sometime in July (I think it is the third weekend).

Once again the 4-H group is having some kind of get together this weekend. It is beginning to get a little difficult getting to the events. With the growing season beginning and my having to anticipate and make purchases for re-roofing the house my life isn't going to get much of a respite. I suppose I can rest when I'm taking the old dirt nap. My husband isn't very pleased either since there are quite a few things that need our combined attention to get the stuff done. It will all get done (or not) in the end.

I need a list of priorities. Yeah..........right, we both know how that works!

April Showers

As I walked my daughter down the driveway (1 mile round trip) we were exploring "sayings" and who came up with them.

Of course since the weather is rainy we spoke of "in like a lion, out like a lamb." and "April showers bring May flowers."

No I don't know who was the first to say it or who wrote it down so everyone else would learn them. Isn't it amazing that both of the sayings hold true in most years. Now if she were home schooled we would look it up and find other weather related sayings and discuss them. I would say that although my daughter goes to conventional school (for now) I continue to home school to enhance her spectrum of learning.

This year for earth day we worked in our garden (which is now ready to plant) and I hope saved one the Honey Bee colony by giving it a new queen. I wanted to go in and take a look to see how things are going but the weather will keep me at bay for a couple of days. We have our nectar all made for them since the blossoms that are out right now don't hold as much as the bees would like. I have a huge nest of Bumble bees pollinating my currents and cherries. Maybe their B52 size and noise keeps me from seeing the poor humble Honey Bees but I doubt it. The Bumble Bees have a nest in the front of my house in a old stump. I would love to see what it looks like however I would have to destroy it to do so. The entrance is about as round as a golf ball so it was easy to track them. Earth day was also the day one of our "Old Lady" goats gave birth to a huge buck kidd. She started labor early that morning but didn't kidd out until 2:00, OK maybe a little later that day. The kidd was in distress but all finally went according to plan. He is a strapping animal and he has a good home already.

We went to the 4-H auction on Friday and Saturday. I was spared purchasing anything on Friday because I had forgotten my money at home. They don't grant credit, yes I asked. Saturday I was not as lucky but most of the items are useful and the children participated.

Sunday I went to Canaan Ct. to meet someone from upstate NY to pick up my new Toggenburg buck. I realized you can't get to Canaan from here so I went to Fall River first. Upon arriving home I went out directly to look at another fixture for the someday Dairy Operation. Yes it will fit and I will have to call and go pick it up.

I look forward to Wednesday when my new Milking System arrives. I finally ordered on from Parts Dept. since the local guy had been less than happy to help me. I asked he get or make me one back in January. I think I gave him long enough. Sure then he calls and says that he thinks the parts are coming in today or tomorrow. Yeah sure. I offered to pay the shipping to send it back but he declined. I'm not so sure that they were coming in how about you?

Mom is feeling better with her Sinus infection and I look forward to her next visit. Tomorrow I am off to pick up a couple more calves. Too late to go today as I got chilled and needed to get some much needed rest. I have found staying up to 11or 12 (let alone any later) isn't what it used to be. No alcohol involved just makes it better the next morning but it doesn't make getting out of bed any easier.

WELL THAT DOES IT!

Today I was told that I really wasn't a farmer. OK then.........I may not be the biggest producer in the world but I do have many clients that have been with me for years. They have seen prices go up and never down. They understand working with animals is not the easiest thing in the world, let alone try to turn a profit.

I'm sorry that the day of the family farm is over but guess what consider yourself lucky if you had lived that way. By the way big shot.......why are you driving a truck for a living now? You could have cared for your parents and still run your farm. Your only kidding yourself.

I may not have the largest farm in the state but it is basically self funded and grows from it's own profits. I can not afford to go in debt to wait for years of maybe payback.

The other new is ........you guessed it. This is the way of the future. Lot's of small farms that support many families in their local communities. Just like is was in the old days of guilds. A town baker, a town butcher and I also will have the candle thing taken care of too.

I'm told that corporate farms are all that are left. What narrow sighted people we live with. More children are interested in animals and farming than ever before. Get your heads out of your IPods and off the DVD screen and look around. Things have not changed too much. We (the small farmer) just make technology work for us. We don't work for technology.

When the manure hits the spreader as it someday wil, my children will be able to live off of what is left of our precious land and help others. Don't count Americans down and out yet. Blame the government for all that has happened but guess who voted most of those politicians into office wise guy.

Ford Dealer.

It amazes me that car salesman actually make any money.

Don't they realize that most of the decision making, money budgeting,fashion statement as well as utilitarian use has to get through us woman first?
What idiots!
I recently purchased a different vehicle for my husband and had nothing but a hard time from a salesman who thought my bark was worse than my bite.

Poor him. He did not realize who he was dealing with.

I warned him that I was going to take the vehicle to my dealer to go over and all the work that I had requested be taken care of before the sale had better had been preformed.
You guessed it.........what a list came to me on that account from my Mechanic.
When I spoke to the Mechanic from the original purchase dealer he said that they had gone over the truck and it was in fine working condition. When I talked to the Sales manager he backed up the mechanic and the saleman. I then told him how could his Mechanic have even looked at the vehicle since the odometer read exactly the same mileage as when I first test drove it? What did he do? Lay his hands upon the hood and ask almighty to show him any sign of malfunction?

They were unwilling to fix the truck or buy it back. I don't trust these people nor do I want anything to do with them anymore. Since I paid cash the truck, it was now in my name and they didn't have to do anything. I mentioned the warrenty and I was laughed at.

Well I called Ford Motor Company Customer Assistance that is just what I got. Yup more fuel for the fire. Ford regretted that due to the age and mileage of the vehicle(NO I CAN NOT AFFORD A NEW ONE) they could not purchase back the vehicle. Customer assistance told me to work it out with the dealer, they were however forwarding the transaction to the executive branch of the company and the dealer was going to hear from them. I said "fine, you don't want to help, guess who has more control over this than you?"
I said, the Department of Motor Vehicle.

Who would have guessed that the dealer would have called me so quickly the next day. Offer to pick the truck up and make the repairs my mechanic had found. Who would have thought that the Sales Manager would have been shown the actual worn out parts. Who would have thought they would put new tires on the truck and fill it with gas like they should have done in the first place?

Why does it have to take getting me spark spitting mad before anyone will take me seriously. I'm a very big girl and they should just know not to tick me off. The Sales manager said I was being sarcastic.........I said better sarcastic because what happens instead will make the reciever melt in your hand, burn your head and cause brain damage.

So now they will deliver the truck back to my mechanic, who will go over it again to make sure things were repaired as they said they were. Maybe mentioning to the Ford Motor Company that this dealer was selling vehicles that were unroadworthy and untrustworthy. That they failed to represent Ford in a honest and trustworthy light. Perhaps mentioning that in this economy when things are hard enough for most of us and they should appreciate customer loyalty. Customer Service noted my long history of purchasing Fords and using Ford Dealers for repairs.

The damage has been done. I have a network of people that span long distances who have friends.....well you get the idea. I do my best to say nothing at all when I have nothing nice to say, this time however I will not hold my tongue.