Exhausted today. Slept till 2pm. Got up and fed. Rajah is not feeling well. Spent some time with him.
Odd weather things this year. Was talking to a neighbor about it. Lots of signs of spring which are way too early. The Great Blue Heroin that always lives up here during the summer flew up this week. He shouldn't show up until May or June. And all by birds are mating. The geese are pairing up and the peacocks are strutting. The male peacock tries to show everyone is feathers - he is strutting in front of chickens, turkeys, geese and ducks. The geese are fighting over mates. Yesterday one of the females apparently decided I was a rival and came after me. Now I know where we get the term "to goose somebody" from. She came after me from behind and bit my butt about 12 times before I turned around and swatted her away. Then she lept up and grabbed onto the collar of my coat with her mouth and hung there, flapping her wings at me. Then today I was stilling on the ground, working on something and the male Turkey jumped up on my leg and started showing his feathers and puffing out for me. None of these guys should be thinking about breeding until April or May. Not sure what has all the animals convinced they can start the spring breeding now.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Saturday January 27, 2007
Got up at 8:30 and loaded Sox into trailer. Drove down to Frenchtown to meet with a brand inspector and got paperwork to take him out of state. Drove 6 hours to Idaho Falls (Dave drove, thank goodness). Handed him over to our client and drove home.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Friday January 26, 2007
Had to go into town this morning to get the oil changed on the truck so that we can trailer Sox to Idaho Falls tomorrow. Picked up his transport papers and realized I had forgotten his brand inspection. Arranged with the Frenchtown brand inspector to meet at 10am tomorrow morning on our way out of town.
Fed all the animals double the feed, since we will be gone until very late tomorrow. Locked Sox into a stall for the night, hooked up the trailer and did some more work around the barn. Dave managed to figure out what was wrong with the generator and fix it - amazing the skills he's learned.
Fed all the animals double the feed, since we will be gone until very late tomorrow. Locked Sox into a stall for the night, hooked up the trailer and did some more work around the barn. Dave managed to figure out what was wrong with the generator and fix it - amazing the skills he's learned.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Thursday January 25, 2007
Today was warm (up to 40) and beautifully sunny. Took Ritalin to focus and spent about 5 hours doing outdoor work around the ranch. Cleaned out the trailer (most of it - some of the crap was too frozen to knock loose - that's the problem with not cleaning it out after each use...) and then I worked on the barn. Did a lot of cleaning up in there and completely cleaned out the storage room in the big barn. Made a good start on the mounds of hay and hay dust and such that accumulates when you store and feed hay in a barn. Got some of my supplies cleaned up from summer (still have piles of supplies dumped around the barn from summer). Let the goats out as I worked to play. Did the feeding before dark.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Wednesday Janurary 24, 2007
Sunny today and almost 40. Slept in till noon then woke to find the horses had gotten out and were wondering the yard looking for trouble to get into. Luckily it was only because I hadn't pulled a gait shut enough against some snow, not because of any downed fences! Got them back in easily and all is well.
Sunday January 21, 2007
Found a way to get a break from feeding once in a while. We'd let the dishes get so bad (and those are Dave's job normally) that Dave was willing to do the feeding by himself one day if I would tackle the dishes! Worked great!
Temperatures are climbing. Around freezing - a bit above during day, bellow at night.
Temperatures are climbing. Around freezing - a bit above during day, bellow at night.
Friday, January 19, 2007
Thursday January 18, 2007
Always exhausted after spending a day with my nieces. It takes me a day or two to recover. I don't think I ever played so hard when I was a kid!
Tried to get up at a reasonable hour today but was so wiped out I finally decided there was no reason I shouldn't sleep until I felt better - no schedule today. So I slept until 3pm and finally woke up without pain and exhaustion. Got up and fed. Animals are easy today, though all a bit high strung. I think there is a storm in the air - every body's racing around crazy today.
Got a call from a client interested in buying one of the horses. Sold Sox to him - very pleased about that. He has Kalahari, Mariah and Stoney's second baby together. She is doing wonderfully and is so friendly that she follows him all over the pasture with her head on his shoulder. She is just two and is gentle as anything. His young granddaughter was staying with him this week and whenever he went out to feed he would put her up on Kalahari's back to follow him around the pasture. She's living up to our hopes for her! And she and Sox will do well together. We are going to deliver Sox half way (new home is in Utah) sometime in the next couple weeks.
Tried to get up at a reasonable hour today but was so wiped out I finally decided there was no reason I shouldn't sleep until I felt better - no schedule today. So I slept until 3pm and finally woke up without pain and exhaustion. Got up and fed. Animals are easy today, though all a bit high strung. I think there is a storm in the air - every body's racing around crazy today.
Got a call from a client interested in buying one of the horses. Sold Sox to him - very pleased about that. He has Kalahari, Mariah and Stoney's second baby together. She is doing wonderfully and is so friendly that she follows him all over the pasture with her head on his shoulder. She is just two and is gentle as anything. His young granddaughter was staying with him this week and whenever he went out to feed he would put her up on Kalahari's back to follow him around the pasture. She's living up to our hopes for her! And she and Sox will do well together. We are going to deliver Sox half way (new home is in Utah) sometime in the next couple weeks.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Wednesday January 17, 2007
Monday, January 15, 2007
Monday January 15, 2007
The creek in the Back 20 is hard to get to right now. Between snow and some trees that fell this winter, you can't get to (or through) the normal gait on the inner side. But that's where the best water access is, so I have to go through there every day. I've come up with a little routine that Dave finds amusing. Its really quite fun.
I have to take an ax with me to break the creek open each time I feed. I stand at the top of the hill above the creek and throw the ax down. It usually makes it about half way down the hill. Then I shimmy under the fence and slide down the hill (covered with snow) on my butt. The snow is really slick right now and I just fly down the hill. I grab the ax on my way down and skid to a stop just before the creek. Then I chop open the ice and walk out across the pasture to the front gate, which is not blocked.
That's the hardest part of feeding right now. Things are going quite well. It got up to 17 degrees today and right now (just before midnight) its only just under zero. So we're getting more normal temps for this time of year. Better than 30 bellow!
I have to take an ax with me to break the creek open each time I feed. I stand at the top of the hill above the creek and throw the ax down. It usually makes it about half way down the hill. Then I shimmy under the fence and slide down the hill (covered with snow) on my butt. The snow is really slick right now and I just fly down the hill. I grab the ax on my way down and skid to a stop just before the creek. Then I chop open the ice and walk out across the pasture to the front gate, which is not blocked.
That's the hardest part of feeding right now. Things are going quite well. It got up to 17 degrees today and right now (just before midnight) its only just under zero. So we're getting more normal temps for this time of year. Better than 30 bellow!
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Sunday January 14, 2007
Definitely sleeping less the last two days. Slept till about noon, but then got up and didn't go back to sleep until bedtime. So that's a good sign.
Temps still between positive 10 and negative 10. Hard to keep water to everyone, but feeding is not too bad. Dave's still helping. Generator wont run in negative temps unless we start it before the temps drop, so we're having to watch that pretty closely.
Temps still between positive 10 and negative 10. Hard to keep water to everyone, but feeding is not too bad. Dave's still helping. Generator wont run in negative temps unless we start it before the temps drop, so we're having to watch that pretty closely.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Saturday January 13, 2007
Power went out again in the night, but not such a big deal on the weekend. Once the sun hit the solar panels it came on again. Still hovering around zero when we geared up to feed around noon.
Fed together - again, much easier. Have to do some hard work with ice right now. That's the biggest thing. Only got down to about negative 10 in the night. Was almost up to positive 10 during the day.
Fed together - again, much easier. Have to do some hard work with ice right now. That's the biggest thing. Only got down to about negative 10 in the night. Was almost up to positive 10 during the day.
Friday January 12, 2007
At one AM this morning I realized the electric power was out and woke up Dave. He spent an hour outside trying to fix the generator. The temperature was negative 30 degrees and his final assessment was that the electric wires wouldn't work in that kind of cold. The main problem with that is that he is suppose to start work at 7 AM and if the power is out, he can't. Ended up waiting until 9:30 AM when the sun hit the solar panels and everything came back on. Got to work late, but got in a day's worth after that.
Warmest it got was 5 degrees today. I slept until noon, had lunch and went back to sleep. Got up at 4 to feed. Dave was getting the generator going while it was still "warm" since it isn't working right once the temps drop so low.
We fed together - the animals are doing fine. They do amazingly well at these temps. Got down past 20 bellow zero again before we went to bed. Left the generator running all evening, knowing that it wouldn't start up again if we let it stop.
Warmest it got was 5 degrees today. I slept until noon, had lunch and went back to sleep. Got up at 4 to feed. Dave was getting the generator going while it was still "warm" since it isn't working right once the temps drop so low.
We fed together - the animals are doing fine. They do amazingly well at these temps. Got down past 20 bellow zero again before we went to bed. Left the generator running all evening, knowing that it wouldn't start up again if we let it stop.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Thursday January 11, 2007
Worn out from taking care of my niece yesterday. Got up in time for lunch and went right back to bed. Got up at 4 and Dave helped me feed. So much easier with two!
Temps hovered around zero today (dropped bellow quickly when sun went down). Hoping this weekend to have energy to move some horses around and do more with the water situation.
There's a peacock sleeping on the porch, up against the sliding glass door. Wish I could let him inside. Its so cold - I worry about them. But, of course, that's ridiculous. I can't let them in.
Can I?
Temps hovered around zero today (dropped bellow quickly when sun went down). Hoping this weekend to have energy to move some horses around and do more with the water situation.
There's a peacock sleeping on the porch, up against the sliding glass door. Wish I could let him inside. Its so cold - I worry about them. But, of course, that's ridiculous. I can't let them in.
Can I?
Wednesday January 10, 2007
Had my niece here all day. Fed during her nap then got a nap of my own. Was warm again. Not a hard day.
Tuesday January 9, 2007
Dave felt good enough to start helping with the feeding again today. So much easier with 2 people. Also, its 40 degrees, so there was no new ice - didn't have to do water. Was a very easy day!
Monday, January 8, 2007
Monday January 8, 2007
I did it. In both back pastures, the horses were down bellow at the water when I came to feed. They didn't have to be moved. Thank goodness. I fed everyone. Exhausted. Going to sleep now.
Sunday January 7, 2007
Fed in the Back 20 first today. Drove up to the top and all the horses were there. Saw no evidence that they had left the top since yesterday and the creeks were covered over with snow and ice, due to the high wind and snow we got yesterday.
After I fed I went to dig out the creeks. The problem with creeks in the winter is that you can't just clear them anywhere. Horses wont walk up to a creek edge they are unsure of. If they can't see where the rest of the creek is, they risk breaking through the ice. And even aside from the danger of falling into a creek, a horse can break a leg easily by falling into any kind of hole. They simply wont approach a creek they can't see clearly, no matter how thirsty they are.
Oh, and one other complication adds to winter watering in creeks. As the snow and ice build up around the hole you chop out, the ledge around that hole gets deeper and deeper. Eventually the horses can't reach the water because they are standing too far above it. So, digging out the creek isn't a simple issue once winter has been here for a while.
My first challenge was getting to it. The creek nearest the trail to the top of the pasture (where I am feeding) is not near a gait. I took an ax, a shovel and a broom and tossed them down from the top of the hill. Then I shimmied under the fence and slid down on my butt. Picked up my tools and started digging from the trail. If the horses can't see a clear, safe path all the way, they wont go to it.
I dug out the creek, shoveling snow off of it and from all around. Then I took the ax and started breaking ice. Broke about 6 inches off in a big hole. Had to make sure the edges were strong enough to hold a 1000 lb horse. Finally got that clear. Then I had to take my ax, shovel and broom and climb back up the hill I slid down, scoot under the fence and get back in the truck. Tool me almost an hour. I am exhausted and not strong today. Kept having to sit down and wait for the dizziness to go away, or to get my strength back. Sat in the truck for many minutes, resting. Then went on the the Middle 20.
Didn't have to shovel to the creek here. The wind had blown the original path the horses use clear. Just had to shovel off the creek itself, then chop. Shaking too hard to hold the ax by the end, but I got it done.
The problem now is that horses don't always drink as much as they need if it is hard to get to water. If there are no tracks leading to the water by tomorrow, I have to move them. They can't stay in that pasture if they wont drink. Horses are at great risk in winter for colic (which can kill them) if they don't drink enough.
I drove back to the house and fed there. Drove the truck around to every feeding spot - couldn't bring myself to walk even between the barn and the birds. Thanks to heavy-duty chains on the truck, the truck plowed through all the snow in the yard and I managed to get the feeding done.
This is the start of real winter. It only gets harder from here. If my energy doesn't pick up this is going to be a real challenge. I can barely manage basic feeding right now and what if I have to move all these guys tomorrow? That will involve repairing fences and finding the creek which hasn't been chopped at at all - at least a foot of ice...well, I'll deal with it tomorrow.
After I fed I went to dig out the creeks. The problem with creeks in the winter is that you can't just clear them anywhere. Horses wont walk up to a creek edge they are unsure of. If they can't see where the rest of the creek is, they risk breaking through the ice. And even aside from the danger of falling into a creek, a horse can break a leg easily by falling into any kind of hole. They simply wont approach a creek they can't see clearly, no matter how thirsty they are.
Oh, and one other complication adds to winter watering in creeks. As the snow and ice build up around the hole you chop out, the ledge around that hole gets deeper and deeper. Eventually the horses can't reach the water because they are standing too far above it. So, digging out the creek isn't a simple issue once winter has been here for a while.
My first challenge was getting to it. The creek nearest the trail to the top of the pasture (where I am feeding) is not near a gait. I took an ax, a shovel and a broom and tossed them down from the top of the hill. Then I shimmied under the fence and slid down on my butt. Picked up my tools and started digging from the trail. If the horses can't see a clear, safe path all the way, they wont go to it.
I dug out the creek, shoveling snow off of it and from all around. Then I took the ax and started breaking ice. Broke about 6 inches off in a big hole. Had to make sure the edges were strong enough to hold a 1000 lb horse. Finally got that clear. Then I had to take my ax, shovel and broom and climb back up the hill I slid down, scoot under the fence and get back in the truck. Tool me almost an hour. I am exhausted and not strong today. Kept having to sit down and wait for the dizziness to go away, or to get my strength back. Sat in the truck for many minutes, resting. Then went on the the Middle 20.
Didn't have to shovel to the creek here. The wind had blown the original path the horses use clear. Just had to shovel off the creek itself, then chop. Shaking too hard to hold the ax by the end, but I got it done.
The problem now is that horses don't always drink as much as they need if it is hard to get to water. If there are no tracks leading to the water by tomorrow, I have to move them. They can't stay in that pasture if they wont drink. Horses are at great risk in winter for colic (which can kill them) if they don't drink enough.
I drove back to the house and fed there. Drove the truck around to every feeding spot - couldn't bring myself to walk even between the barn and the birds. Thanks to heavy-duty chains on the truck, the truck plowed through all the snow in the yard and I managed to get the feeding done.
This is the start of real winter. It only gets harder from here. If my energy doesn't pick up this is going to be a real challenge. I can barely manage basic feeding right now and what if I have to move all these guys tomorrow? That will involve repairing fences and finding the creek which hasn't been chopped at at all - at least a foot of ice...well, I'll deal with it tomorrow.
Saturday, January 6, 2007
Saturday January 6, 2007
Dave tried to sleep all day today. He's been sick all week and still had to work, so this is his only chance. He did pretty well - was in bed till 3:30pm before he got called by work and had to get up and get on his computer. Hope it helps - he's been miserable.
My energy is still low. Lower than I can afford it to be. Just doing the normal feeding had me dizzy, shaking and gasping. Then, of course, there were problems. The fences in the back 20, which have been so weak and in need of replacing, have been knocked half way down. But there is no way I can fix fences today. Can barely walk through the snow around the feeding areas without seeing stars. So I fed up top (the other end of the back 20) hoping to keep them away from the weak spots until I could fix them. (They only pick at the fences because the babies are across the fence from them. I have not been able to fix the Middle 20 fence yet, so the babies can come right up to the main herd's fence and say hello.)
Took me an hour. The snow was drifted 2 feet deep in the road in some places so I had to charge the road all the way up the hill. Got stuck a few times, but with the chains on, I was able to get unstuck. Got the hay out then had to convince the horses to cross the creek (which they can't see right now because of the drifting snow) and come up the hill. The babies ran the other way, which made the adult herd refuse to leave where they were. Took almost an hour of walking the hill, calling, driving down to them and leading them up, to get everyone up. I am dripping with sweat and exhausted. Shaking.
Need to go out and check water. We got hard winds all night and more snow, so the creek is largely buried. I know they need me to find a safe path to water for them, but I couldn't today. If I stayed out much longer I would have risked passing out. Too dangerous in this weather to allow that. The water will have to wait until tomorrow, as will the fences.
What am I going to do if my energy doesn't pick up? I can't leave the fences down. Someone will get tangled in them and get hurt. And I have to be able to do water every day.
Worry about it tomorow, I guess. Can't do anything about it today. If I have to I can spend the rest of the winter just getting the feeding and horse care done, then dropping into bed and sleeping until feeding time the next day. Surely I can come up with the energy to do what is needed if its all I do.
I'm just glad that winter isn't breeding season. There's no way I could juggle my work with my energy if I had someone else's horses here. I could not put off this kind of work if I had other people's horses here, not even for a day.
My energy is still low. Lower than I can afford it to be. Just doing the normal feeding had me dizzy, shaking and gasping. Then, of course, there were problems. The fences in the back 20, which have been so weak and in need of replacing, have been knocked half way down. But there is no way I can fix fences today. Can barely walk through the snow around the feeding areas without seeing stars. So I fed up top (the other end of the back 20) hoping to keep them away from the weak spots until I could fix them. (They only pick at the fences because the babies are across the fence from them. I have not been able to fix the Middle 20 fence yet, so the babies can come right up to the main herd's fence and say hello.)
Took me an hour. The snow was drifted 2 feet deep in the road in some places so I had to charge the road all the way up the hill. Got stuck a few times, but with the chains on, I was able to get unstuck. Got the hay out then had to convince the horses to cross the creek (which they can't see right now because of the drifting snow) and come up the hill. The babies ran the other way, which made the adult herd refuse to leave where they were. Took almost an hour of walking the hill, calling, driving down to them and leading them up, to get everyone up. I am dripping with sweat and exhausted. Shaking.
Need to go out and check water. We got hard winds all night and more snow, so the creek is largely buried. I know they need me to find a safe path to water for them, but I couldn't today. If I stayed out much longer I would have risked passing out. Too dangerous in this weather to allow that. The water will have to wait until tomorrow, as will the fences.
What am I going to do if my energy doesn't pick up? I can't leave the fences down. Someone will get tangled in them and get hurt. And I have to be able to do water every day.
Worry about it tomorow, I guess. Can't do anything about it today. If I have to I can spend the rest of the winter just getting the feeding and horse care done, then dropping into bed and sleeping until feeding time the next day. Surely I can come up with the energy to do what is needed if its all I do.
I'm just glad that winter isn't breeding season. There's no way I could juggle my work with my energy if I had someone else's horses here. I could not put off this kind of work if I had other people's horses here, not even for a day.
Friday January 5, 2007
Got up around noon and did feeding. I feel pretty good when just in the house, but can tell my energy is low when I'm doing work. Just doing the normal feeding leaves me exhausted, shaking and dizzy. Have to do a lot of sitting to rest as I walk between barns. Learned some years ago that if I push too hard when I'm like this I can pass out. So I've learned to take it slow.
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Thursday January 4, 2007
Have been trying Ritalin as a CFS treatment (because it can give energy) and am finding some benefits. If it doesn't make it harder to get the rest I need in the long run, it may help. I woke up at 10:30 today (Dave woke me up) and was going to go back to sleep but was energized. Well, my body was tired, but my mind was going. So I wrote for most of the morning.
At one pm, I went out to feed. Checked on all my critters. Emptied the truck of 7 bags of grain and cleaned up the big greenhouse/birdhouse to make more room for the birds (there was a lot of unnecessary junk in there taking up space). Let the goats loose for the day and they followed me around. I walked most of the little barn pasture to check the electric wire, but before I got to the middle 20 to continue the fence work there, I was exhausted. Shaking and dizzy. Finished the feeding and went in.
Slept for three hour and just felt exhausted to the core. Guess that was a bit too much to do today. I'm really weak this evening, but my mind is too awake to sleep.
The goats are still out. They are camped out on the porch right now, eyeing the cat door. Every time a cat comes in they race over and try to figure out how it did it. I'm afraid one of them is going to stick its head through and get stuck by its horns. I'm even more afraid that they will decide to go to the upper porch and discover the dog door (which - unlike the cat door - is plenty big enough for them to come through).
At one pm, I went out to feed. Checked on all my critters. Emptied the truck of 7 bags of grain and cleaned up the big greenhouse/birdhouse to make more room for the birds (there was a lot of unnecessary junk in there taking up space). Let the goats loose for the day and they followed me around. I walked most of the little barn pasture to check the electric wire, but before I got to the middle 20 to continue the fence work there, I was exhausted. Shaking and dizzy. Finished the feeding and went in.
Slept for three hour and just felt exhausted to the core. Guess that was a bit too much to do today. I'm really weak this evening, but my mind is too awake to sleep.
The goats are still out. They are camped out on the porch right now, eyeing the cat door. Every time a cat comes in they race over and try to figure out how it did it. I'm afraid one of them is going to stick its head through and get stuck by its horns. I'm even more afraid that they will decide to go to the upper porch and discover the dog door (which - unlike the cat door - is plenty big enough for them to come through).
Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Wedensday January 3, 2007
I am worn out but feeling better. Dave is still pretty sick but better enough to try and work today (we can hardly afford for him not to). Jarred is feeding, so I can rest a bit. Have been working on sending out 250 newsletters and promotional calenders to clients. Want each to have a personal note, so its taking a while.
The weather this year is the strangest anyone has ever seen up here. It keeps getting warm again. New Year's Day it was 5 degrees when I came home at 9am (not uncommon for this time of year) and it was in the 30's when I went to bed (very strange). Was 42 last night when I went to bed. Is cooler, a bit, and snowing hard right now. But this up and down has been happening all winter. We'll get a normal few days - night temps near zero or bellow and day in the low 20's - and then it will jump up to the 30's and 40's. No one's seen this before. Its making the road very bad. It warms up just long enough for the top layer of snow to melt, then drops so it can freeze. Much of the road is 2-3 inches of ice. Never seen the like. We have had to put chains on the truck more this winter then in all the other years combined.
The weather this year is the strangest anyone has ever seen up here. It keeps getting warm again. New Year's Day it was 5 degrees when I came home at 9am (not uncommon for this time of year) and it was in the 30's when I went to bed (very strange). Was 42 last night when I went to bed. Is cooler, a bit, and snowing hard right now. But this up and down has been happening all winter. We'll get a normal few days - night temps near zero or bellow and day in the low 20's - and then it will jump up to the 30's and 40's. No one's seen this before. Its making the road very bad. It warms up just long enough for the top layer of snow to melt, then drops so it can freeze. Much of the road is 2-3 inches of ice. Never seen the like. We have had to put chains on the truck more this winter then in all the other years combined.
Tuesday, January 2, 2007
Tuesday January 2, 2007
I am weak and exhausted, but not as sick. Some cough and a mild sore throat. Dave is full-blown-can-hardly-move-sick. He couldn't work today. Jarred will feed so I am just trying to take care of Dave and keep us stocked in wood, keep the fire going and the electrical system working alright.
My peacocks came back!! I was so glad to see them on our porch again today. I rushed out with food an water, but they had already found the found their way back into the little greenhouse, which was left open for them and they had plenty to eat. It looks like they are just roamers. I sure hope they stay around.
My peacocks came back!! I was so glad to see them on our porch again today. I rushed out with food an water, but they had already found the found their way back into the little greenhouse, which was left open for them and they had plenty to eat. It looks like they are just roamers. I sure hope they stay around.
Monday January 1, 2007
Woke up at 4:30am with the most painful sore throat I've ever had. Couldn't go back to sleep but had promised Lucy (3 year old niece) that I would be there when she woke up, so I waited around to play with her. Got home around 10am and dropped into bed. Just feel like hell.
Went to Jarreds, hoping he might be willing to feed a couple days. We have the money for two more days right now. Really am feeling sick again and Dave is full-blown sick. Jarred said he could feed tomorrow and Wed. I did the feeding today, with Dave's help, then we both went to bed.
Oh! My peacocks are gone! They flew away! I am so sorry I let them out! I don't know if they'll survive on their own and they don't have any food. Damn, I wish I hadn't let them out!
Went to Jarreds, hoping he might be willing to feed a couple days. We have the money for two more days right now. Really am feeling sick again and Dave is full-blown sick. Jarred said he could feed tomorrow and Wed. I did the feeding today, with Dave's help, then we both went to bed.
Oh! My peacocks are gone! They flew away! I am so sorry I let them out! I don't know if they'll survive on their own and they don't have any food. Damn, I wish I hadn't let them out!
Sunday December 31, 2006
Didn't work on the fence today. Fed and then went to town to spent the afternoon with my sister and the girls. Spent the night there so My sister and her husband could go out. Had a really wonderful time with those girls.
Saturday December 30, 2006
Started Feeding again today. When I am feeling well enough not to be miserable, I really like being the one in charge of this. It is satisfying to walk around and check on the well being of every animal on the ranch, and greet each one, each day. Leaves me feeling good.
I was feeling better enough that Dave and I spent work on fencing today as well. The babies and donkeys have, for a few weeks now, had access to the rode between the Middle 20 (where they are suppose to be) and the Back 20 (where their moms are). I had so much trouble weaning these three that I decided to leave this be. They were safe, just causing some destruction to the stack of hay I keep in that location. And it did allow them to be weaned, finally. I could not keep them in the middle 20 because the fence is weak without the electric and the electric was down with 3-4 trees on it.
It was sunny and in the 20's today, a beautiful day. Today Dave and I spent 2 hours cutting those trees and hacking the wire out of the ice and mud it had frozen into. Got it all loose and the fences all free. We have a couple hours work to do yet on getting the wire back up, but this was the hardest part. We left the rest for a few days. Once it is up, babies and Donkeys will not be able to get out of the Middle 20 anymore and our haystack will be safe.
Also, let peacocks out today. They need the air and space and are suppose to bond to land in a couple of weeks. They all flew up on the roof of the house and sat there all day. Beautiful to see!
I was feeling better enough that Dave and I spent work on fencing today as well. The babies and donkeys have, for a few weeks now, had access to the rode between the Middle 20 (where they are suppose to be) and the Back 20 (where their moms are). I had so much trouble weaning these three that I decided to leave this be. They were safe, just causing some destruction to the stack of hay I keep in that location. And it did allow them to be weaned, finally. I could not keep them in the middle 20 because the fence is weak without the electric and the electric was down with 3-4 trees on it.
It was sunny and in the 20's today, a beautiful day. Today Dave and I spent 2 hours cutting those trees and hacking the wire out of the ice and mud it had frozen into. Got it all loose and the fences all free. We have a couple hours work to do yet on getting the wire back up, but this was the hardest part. We left the rest for a few days. Once it is up, babies and Donkeys will not be able to get out of the Middle 20 anymore and our haystack will be safe.
Also, let peacocks out today. They need the air and space and are suppose to bond to land in a couple of weeks. They all flew up on the roof of the house and sat there all day. Beautiful to see!
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