Basket Auction

Our county held their fundraiser Basket Auction for 4-H last night.

LN helped as part of Junior Council committee. I went for the food! Chicken Salad and Dumplings and Fried Oysters and Mashed Potatoes and .... Food Coma

She dressed all pretty to carry items through the crowd and help organize silent auction for kids.

They were very competitive bidding for Zhu-Zhu? pets and coloring books.

Of course LN had no issue dressing up to promote the Mexican themed basket with her friends.

Today is dreary rainy day but 

Soccer anyhow, Soccer always, Soccer dreams, Soccer forever!

This was last springs picture LN still kicks it , competitive  girl I have!

I'm not complaining either, I put out some moolah for travel team, she puts out effort and then some!

One PROUD Mama! 

Kitchen Bliss

Gee, I feel accomplished whenever I get the crockpot going by noon.

It's definitely the little things, isn't it?

A little chicken, a little spices, a little carrots, celery, onion, potatoes and TaDa

Dinner in case I get swapped with customers or animals or kids or life in general.

At the same time why not some cheat machine bread?

I can pronounce all the ingredients and control the sugar and salt.

Machine does the work after I toss in the parts, Yummy!

Bread and potatoes are my weight triggers. I figure if I don't buy processed crap and make my own

it doesn't hurt as much. I try moderation but you know what happens !

Who else has a cider gun in their dish drain? Show of hands?

Don't worry it was washed and sanitized before drying next to dishes. It's time to begin next year's

breeding so meds and needles, bands and ciders are the norm in my kitchen.

I had to clear dishes so I could wash crud off these...

 Anyone need an egg or 2 or 10 dozen? They'll go to new homes by Saturday.

S takes them to auction and people who work there gobble them up.

Still think I need to cut down to dozen hens from 2.

Less work for me and less feed costs going out.

Neckropes are a good thing!

Excuse me Ma am...

Thank Goodness for Neck Ropes. Gemmie is a halter slipper as evidenced by the black one at her 

feet. She gets tied so her and steer only eat their own amounts. It also helps prepare them for being tied at fair for 10 days 24/7. Gem did not get the memo. Maybe she can't read?  

She needs to comprehend because she can't slip there even with neck rope as a backup I guess I need to knot her halter on.

Pigs are eating well and scrapping with each other. They decided to make a bathroom in the front of their pen where their feed pans are. Pigs are clean if you give them a dry area to live they will only go in 1 area so clean up is easier.  Yuck but we hung the pans higher up so I'll wait and see

what happens. They are eating well ALL 3 of them...

Goose are resident pig/steer/lamb/goat/dog doesn't care what we feed just so he gets

 to clean up what gets spilled.

Last night we opened the big pasture gate to move a round bale into the arena cows. Someone did not shut the gate back so Mouse the horse was out all night. We keep him in a smaller area so he doesn't get too fat or founder on spring grass. He was laying down near this

Its a huge white hair filled spot he must have been rolling like crazy. When he got up to run back to his regular area it looked like snow coming off him blowing in the wind.

This is Mouse from 2010-2011 winter , you can see he has alot of white to sluff off each year.

Bleck

Bleck not Blah

is todays mood...not a great thing

all the normal chores were accomplished with some bookwork because

YES I have not done tax work yet!

I'm trying but unexpected delays and all... well who am I kidding

I just didn't do em!

I'm sure I could finish up in few hours but then noone could bug me with...

Lisa or Mom come here or I need help or could you?

Sounds like a plausible excuse right? right? right?

I'm making corn/potato chowder with bacon and corn muffins for dinner.

Yum , maybe that'll motivate me.... maybe not

Wish I was here

or here

see I'm easy just not cheap! but I am frugal!

What a Weekend

I'm tired to the very core of me. Would going to bed at 6:oopm be a bad thing?

Yesterday me and LN spent the day at her 1st soccer tournament of the spring season.

It rained, it poured, it thundered, it lighteninged. It poured most of the day. LN still played all 3 games. Her team won 2nd after much rule book reading. 2nd and 3rd played a 0-0 game so rules were read to figure placing. It all came down to goals scored on LN s team were less than goals scored on opposing team who ended in 3rd. Good start to season considering they were missing 2 vital players and started 2 new to team players. Next week they scrimmage hopefully with a full team roster. Monday LN starts her Middle School team schedule. Busy time is upon us for sure.

We went to PA and bought a market hog today. It took most of the day but LN has her 2nd hog.

Mission Accomplished!

I stopped at my Dad's to see him since we were within a few miles of his house. He looks good but he breaks my heart each time I see him. Me and him were 2 peas in a pod most of my life. He doesn't seem to like me or want to be around me now and I don't know why. I asked him and his wife but was told nothing is wrong. Something is wrong. I just keep remembering it's not me I haven't changed how I feel about him so rest is up to him. It just breaks my heart. I try not to think about him so I don't cry.

What a Weekend!

Mt Favorite Time of Any Day

My favorite time of any day is when I spend time with my kids. That probably isn't much of a surprise to most parents reading this. It's what we're doing together that may surprise most people.

My SIL S2 brushing LN's feeder calf ACE.

We don't go to the movies together or attend plays or parties. Nothing fancy bout us! 

R looks so happy chasing her new calf Baby Bones.

LN is so camera shy, doncha think?

  We clean manure, work with show animals, torture each other and generally act inappropriate to one another.

Only thing missing is Z. I wish I saw him more but it was a good afternoon/evening with the rest.

Joy

Both the push mower and vacuum cleaner are not working.

Seriously me and lawn mowers don't mesh well at all. I only have small bits of yard and I can't keep any mower working for a season let alone a few. I have new gas and spark plug but no matter if I pull my arm completely out of the socket it won't fire. I hate that new mowers can't be worked on, everything is sealed up like it's a crime to allow homeowners to tinker. Of course it wouldn't matter to S he thinks mowing is a crime itself. I do it all or it doesn't get done.

When I moved here 20 years ago he fenced off the driveways at the road and turned cows out to mow.

I was warned but didn't believe when he said" I don't mow, or do vehicle maintenance or clean or cook or do anything for personal lives." I believe now and I believe later I will.... Oh never mind.

Vacuum cleaner is another story.

I paid full retail price for dyson "it cant lose suction". Bull crap!

My does frequently. I paid a shark to tune it up and its worse. Makes me want to break something or someone more to the point. I'm tired of doing all this myself.

Help a little or call it like it is!

Stupid red calf gets out now daily. I don't know where either. I patched what I thought was the hole but no it wasn't, it was only one I found.

Sun's shining. Oh Joy! Like we won't pay with a miserably hot humid summer filled with bugs.

That's all the happiness I got for today.

Off to watch scrimmage LN's team is playing. Then back for more joy and sunshine!

Yippee Skippy   !!! 

If I had a Million Dollars

If I had a million dollars...

I wouldn't tell anyone ever. I know who needs some and who just wants some!

I definently would NOT be living in Delaware. Too Flat, too humid, too many people!

I'd blow a wad on a large as I could piece of private mountainous ground in Montana, Wyoming or Utah.

No people, no congestion, no flat land, no humidity.

I would help out those who needed it. Hard to say who that would be.

I've needed for my whole life so I might just take care of me 1st.

Yep that's selfish I know. I should feel bad....I don't. Living hand to fist isn't bad. I'm used to it.

Whole point is mute cause it will NEVER happen anyway.

Just in case I have my remote ranch planned in my head, all the sheds and barns I will need.

My little house for me and LN. 

Probably won't take S with me though.

#1 He doesn't like mountains, cold or snow. #2 I do #3 I'm tired of compromising which is fancy for always giving in to his needs. #4 I don't want to. Period enough said...

Can you tell I'm frustrated? I am. Life is not as it should be.

I can't fix it now but I will.

I refuse to live my later years unhappy. LN is 12 in 7th grade so I have a few years.

I vow this will happen.

Losing your Temper...

"Loosing your temper is like peeing your pants. Everyone else can see it but only you can feel it"

That just says it all...

Goodnight all

Busy Busy

Meet Bernie Bernard!

LN picked up her 1st pig, a barrow which is a castrated male pig.

This is her market hog. We still need to find another one but he's a start. He loves animal crackers.

The steer and heifer on the other side of lattice work do NOT like him.

They'll learn.

We started LN showing hogs 3 years ago when 4 years ago R was showing her steer.

She had to lead him through the 100 or so hog pens at the fair to get to the show ring.

The steer was dead broke until that moment, he picked R up and threw her into hog pens. It took 4 big guys to hold him down and force him fighting all the way through the hogs. Going back was worse. R cracked a rib and was bruised.  She had to take him back through 2 days later for Auction. Same issues, Same results. Solution - LN bought  hog next year and we penned them inside steer pen.

Has worked for 3 years so we're keeping it going. Of course now LN loves to show hogs so that helps. 

Not sure she's crazy about showing beef but she'll try and we'll re-evaluate after fair.

Little Brat Kid

Well apparently everyone can see me :}

Last night me and my girls were picking and grabbing goat kids to put in the creep feeder befor I grained nannies. They are all 4+ weeks old. They eat their moms grain and

I need to wean in the next few weeks so I need them to eat creep regularly.

I scooped up a kid and held her against my chest and started to lift her over the creep gate. She slammed her head back into me just catching my chin and impacting on breastbone.

No biggie, I've had worse encounters.

Wrong...

This was 5:30 or 6 pm. At 8pm I felt a tightness like heartburn. By 10 pm it was worse.

 Wierdly I sometimes get heartburn from drinking tea and had just made a pitcher and had a glass.

I went to sleep after learning my sis in WVA had been held overnight at hospital

 for arm tighness and blurry vision. Bad Omen.

I didn't sleep well and by 2 am I couldn't breath w/o alot of pain.

I assumed it was heartburn but in my half asleep mind I wasn't sure.

I got up and it was worse. That's when I remembered kid smackdown.

I probably bruised breast bone or chest wall. It hurts beyond words. I've been in bad wreack and had seltbelt slam me hard. It feels like that. deep breaths hurt.

Stupid kid was all of 20-25#?

Really ? Seriously? I can't believe this.

I've slept off and on all day in 15 min increments cause it hurts to lay down or sit up.

Grrrr....

Hello?

Mama Pea at A Home Grown Journal emailed me and said this blog is showing private to her.

If you are able to see this post out there in cyber land please comment so I know I'm not as crazy as the title of my blog suggests.

G O N E all gone...

The title is something my family repeats to babies and toddlers.

 It also applies to the post yesterday. My hard earned 16 should have been 20 loads of manure are gone all gone. Some of the pile underneath was from the cowpen this winter. It's almost gone too.

Yesterday this...

Today this...

I received a phone call last week asking if I had manure available. I did and they said I'll call you next week.

I figured they were like others who say the same but you never hear from them.

Wrong, they came today and shoveled/pitchforked 2 large pickup loads. Seems they are from next county north and plant large gardens to help out people they know who can't always afford food.

In talking to them they said they fed 12 at Thanksgiving that weren't eligible for food stamps/shelters/food kitchens but they still didn't have enough to feed themselves and their families.

This year they are growing a large garden to help these people year round.

What a great give back idea. One of the guys shoveling had never been to a farm.

He was neat to talk to. Very informative about their mission.

He said where he lives in the city people help each other out and look out for each other.

I laughed a little and told him country folks do that too!

He sounded surprised at that making me wonder why?

I guess each group has some incorrect views of the other side. Makes you or at least me think a little more.

16 loads and a Surprise

16 loads later and the inside goat pen is stripped to dirt and sprayed. 

I only used 3 bales of straw so how is that possible?

Some of the nannies are showing bare patches of skin especially on their legs.

So I doused them with lice/fly/tick meds. Wendy's  leg is worst and her topline is wet here where I was roughing it up to soak in the meds .

They were not thrilled. I even did kids with a much smaller dosage.

They were definentely not thrilled either.

 I figured guess I better spray their inside pen as well. Hopefully it solves the issue.

Another crappy by product of no cold spells this winter to kill diseases.

When I came inside tired and sore on my hands from my 16 should have been 20 heavy loads

I found this waiting...

Mama Pea @ A Home Grown Journal sent me my Pay It Forward !

So cool , a trivet or giant coaster she crocheted. I love the colors.

She included a nice handwritten note.

You made my day Mama Pea!

I recieved an email last night telling me to look for a package. I assumed a few days since she is so far away from me. The USPS did a fast turn around on this deal.

Good Deal and a Good Day!

Get up...

I hate when I hear "Get up, cows are out!".

Aparentently LN was mad her 2 she feeds in the morning before school wouldn't come inside .

She left a note I found after catching and returning them to their area. Within 5 minutes they had made it through the maze of our barn including stepping up 2 ft into main part and making a few tight turns to get outside near the road. The only thing stopping them from a full run was green grass alongside driveway.

S went around while I blocked other side of our horse shoe shaped drive and herded them back towards barn. The heifer is a squirrel but she ran straight through series of turns and steps down reentering their area. Johnny the steer slowly followed.

Seems LN in her anger didnt rechain a gate she went through attempting to bring them in.

Guess alls well that ends well. She will be hearing an earful tonight you can be assured.

Baby Bones as he has been dubbed looks 100% better.

Barely any turn to his left leg in this picture and hip isn't swollen anymore. I found red calf Ace under his mom yesterday though. I'll have to watch and make sure he's not sucking on her. Baby Bones needs all the milk so Ace may have to be seperated with his mom who has lots of milk too.

Since I was rudely awaken this morning I fed up earlier than usual and came back to house flipping  pushing and groaning open storms and dropping screens in half the windows.

I guess time for fresh chicken manure filled air blowing through the house since it's pushing 70* all week.

I'm hoping this causes the weather to turn cold if I open up everything.

A breeze would be nice no matter the smell.

The usual couple loads are up on the lines. Only difference is it is everything from shorts and tanks to jeans and long sleeves. Make up your minds!

I suspect the steer and heifer didn't cooperate with LN because of the heat. I drug the fan out and turned it on them , locking them in for the day. It's earlier than I usually start this but weather dictates. The steer need to start staying in so his coat doesn't sunburn an icky shade of red-brown.

I let them out after sunset and all night.

Today their stall is gross and needs cleaning but at least they are cooler. They actually feel wet to the touch during hot days. I don't want them to lose their hair coat either so cooling fans are on in March. 

Long hair is important in fitting process at fair.

Never this early before...

WoW

What a messed up weekend.Friday night hand sewed with LN for 4 hours on her coat.

Saturday sewed with LN for 6 hours in MD with her mentor.

Saturday night went to Ocean City,MD for the night to celebrate a friends birthday.

The beach was cold, windy but pretty. Had a nice meal and visit.

Sunday drove home 1hr and 45 min so LN could meet with kicking coach and went to look for new cleats at his request. Didn't find any so online we go.

Another week begins with normal chaos added to my LN making varsity starting lineup on

school soccer team.

Lots of nightly practices and games with animal chores and 4-H thrown in.

I still hope to get garden going this year. If wishes were....

I'm going to look at a new to me sewing machine that a local store has traded in.

Alot of money but am I worth it ?

Calf is almost walking normal, swelling is way down. Yea hope for complete recovery.

Lambs and goats are getting weaned soon. I still have to band males. We tried to band one Friday but it seemed every time S put band around top of sack 1 testicle slipped up inside body. I gave up after cutting 1 band off. Try again soon though so they don't get too big.

 I had an issue with that last year that I don't want repeated.

S is getting some old equipment ready for a local auction. Makes me happy when any junk things around here leave permanently.

Just a pretty picture to enjoy from an old trip to mountains few years ago.

Just Another Maniac Moment

After being around 65* wind wind blowing yesterday the temp has dropped 20* and wind is now blowing chicken manure through every crack in my 100 yr old home.

 I know it's necessary but it STINKS!

Why did the government feel the need to limit when farmers can spread and disc it in?

None of their business, no how, no way! Go govern people in houses that are paying for chemicals to be dumped on their yards so they stay bright green with no weeds.

Yea that's gotta be healthy!

This has been another maniac moment from yours truly!

In other news the chiropractor like to have tore my neck off but he put everything back in order yesterday.

It hurts the soreness of everything seating back in place.

Some of my daffodils that are multi colored are blooming finally. So pretty!

The Nandina bush has held onto alot of it's berries this year. Guess the birds weren't stressed to find food?

Wendy our 9 year old start to our goat herd (sounds important but only 4 nannies)

She's stole extra kids from other moms. They like hanging out with old girl.

My garden of weeds. Yes I did not clean anything up and haven't done much last few years.

I'm planning on this being the come back year.

Calf born Wednesday evening had a vet call today. He was pulled after a long battle.

We know we stressed and pulled his front legs and probably pulled his muscles. He walks stiff legged.

Hope that wears off and it should.

 But...

See the left side upper thigh? Vet checked why it bowed out, no broken anything. Possible he had popped hip out but it moving his leg around last night I heard a loud pop and click sound in his leg/hip. Maybe I inadvertently put it back in place? I don't know. Vet didn't seem worried too much.

She figures maybe soft tissue damage when mom stepped on him getting up.

Now we wait and she if this changes as he progresses in size.

It's always something.

He's nursing well and walks up and down 200' field they re in so he doesn't seem in pain.

Wait and see ....

He's Here

He arrived with all kinds of problems. Well 1 major problem.

She couldn't push out the 90# plus calf.

He was Aggie's first calf and he was a doozey.

In the end there were 2 men, both S's pulling with calf chains, R laying on her head to keep her from getting up on us and I had my hand inside pulling head and other hand moving Vag skin around whopper size head.

We got him out and both were breathing Thank God.

It took about 4 hours recovering but both got up and he got a drink and I collapsed.

R took a shot to her face as heifer cow got up as he slipped out finally.

Aggie struck R full on face shot with her skull so I'm sure the headache will be around R for awhile.

I pulled my neck and back out but I'm happy calf and Ag are alive and doing well.

I have them in large gated area because he s still bit wobbly.

We pulled his legs so hard I'm sure muscles are strained but he'll work it out in a few days.

This shows his bow legged stance for now, I'm sure glad he's ok.

I guess the white is dominate even breeding to red/white shorthorn bull and red roan grandmom

but I'll take it.

Now to call chiropractor!

Anyone have any good name suggestions? We use jewel names for herd but he won't be kept after

he's shown as a steer so that name isn't as important.

Philadelphia Flower Show

Philadelphia Flower Show runs all week.

I've went several times about 10 years ago. For Christmas S bought me a ticket

(well 2 actually but noone wanted to go and I enjoy not having to stop or hurry for other person Yep I'm just that mean!).

 I went on the bus Tuesday. I get motion sickness.

 I got seat mate who was very nice but talked whole way up.

Dramamine worked!

The theme was Hawaii which meant everything was tropical. That was disappointing.

Variety is so nice especially since we live in zone 7, unless its changed I haven't checked.

I like dish gardens in cement troughs.

Orchids were beautiful!

 

Huge living wall of lettuces looked so appetizing but alas no picking allowed.

Tranquil seating area with globe water features and tropical plants looked inviting but alas no seating allowed.

At the entrance and exit was this cool halographic underwater scene

with orchids living in the tracks in between the panels. So cool but hard to photograph!

Better vies of panels that were overhead.

I loved this cool tree.

This was sculpture on the Convention Centers ground floor. It covers full story under stairway making you think it supports 2nd floor.

Pretty cool huh?

Outside lot had cool mural in the middle of all the smog and chaos.

I think the city of "Brotherly Love" can keep their chaos. I need me some country!

I did have a good meal at the adjacent Terminal Market so day wasn't a total loss.

I doubt I'll return to the Flower Show.

It was definently more commercial and not much reality.

But a day away was overdue. Of course I worried all day about all the things I wasn't getting done.

Still....