Aftermath

The aftermath of livestock shows involves putting everything away after cleaning it all up.

This means the trailer as well.

So this ...

and this ...

Need this ....

To look like this ...

Until the next show in 3 weeks....

This has become my job somehow.

It required rewiring the pressure washer.

Not my job....

A friend completed that so I completed the trailer.

Now if I could just pressure wash the inside of my house I'd be happier than a pig in the manure and mud I just washed away.

Show 1

 

 

 

 

 

It's over, a long day but decent one.

LN showed most of her animals and tagged the rest.

 

 

Steer was well behaved for her.

Major plus as some have tossed her around.

 

Lamb worked about as good as she could for not having a lot of prep time beforehand.

 

Hogs did fine but one definitely needs to slow his weight gain.

 

Sisters bonded and bro in law too.

R and S2 are such good support  for LN.

Always around and lending a hand.

I love my kids.

quiet

All is quiet in the barn.

 

Pen gates swing open.

 

Head gate is abandoned.

 

LN and her dad headed out at 6:45 am to the show.

S is on the committee so has to go early to weigh in and tag animals.

I'm at the store working till noon then heading down.

LN doesn't show till early afternoon.

The morning show is a jackpot show we don't enter.

She uses the extra time to get animals ready.

Welcome to the show season legs.

Some of it is mud but some is NOT.

LN sheared her 2 market lambs last night.

Their skin is so thin it looks like we cut them but no we did not.

No blood just red bruising.

We use surgical blades so can't get much closer shear but those marks show.

Weirdly both lambs stood fine except their head work.

Usually the 1st shearing is a rodeo of jumping, twisting and general body throwing down mess.

Both have enough hamp in them to have wooly heads that need sheared or at least blended in.

They were not impressed with the blades so close to their faces.

LN was done in record time and was pleased with the results.

You just never know what is under that wool , it's a pleasant surprise this time. 



Getting Ready...

We are getting ready for the 1st livestock show of the season Saturday.

Heavy rain was forecast for today and it is delivering as we speak or read as it were.

So last night we worked....

Stubborn hogs were walked while the Momma cleaned their pen.

LN is shy, cant you tell?

Her steer was washed and blown out and the back up was brushed out.

Again while Momma cleaned and rebidded the pen.

Finally we walked the lambs and LN practiced setting them up.

She's keeping 3 or 4 but can only show 2.

2 are ewes I may put back in the herd so I'm good with her keeping them.

Tonight we shear and get all supplies ready for early morning haul out to fairgrounds.

 

Let the season begin!

 



Happy??? Mother's Day I think

It's not an original but LN sent me this text from her room today.

Gotta love my kids, just gotta :p.

R and LN already gifted me my shoes that I love.

Z left me a card when I was gone. It stuck it in my recipe holder.

My kids are the best. 

Money doesn't matter on this day. 

The best things are the little reminders.

Friday Fussiness

S and I took care of a few fussiness things today.

Things were fine but if I had my druthers as they say...

After weighing the market hogs it was decided to cut rations on one and bulk the other.

If you watch them eat the larger one bullies the other barrow and is the same way about water too.

I don't want to seperate them completely as they are on the only available concrete so they can't tear up the dirt floor areas.

Therefore we will seperate during feedings, sounds good ?

Ya know how when you start a "simple" fix it snowballs?

Yea it did!

We put a small pen outside the main pen which is where the white feed pan is .

But it had to be acessible for humans and strong for hogs.

This gate was left outside and was froze up.

 That meant a lot of wd40 or the like. That meant a lot of bad words. 

That meant "let's heat it up". 

That meant " we need another bottle of oxygen, I ll be right back". 

That meant "hold this bar here and push".

We finally freed it up but man ....

Of course that led to...

Changing this gates lags and hinges so it swings opposite so LN isn't fighting to go around it with her steer on a tiny walkway.

Then....

See the telephone post?

She ties her steers to it to wash them.

But the tin sometimes gets in the way and is sharp on her hands.

Sometimes it would be nice to have their heads higher so they stand still.

So we hung a ring about five and a half or six foot up in the post.

R and Z probably will be upset we didn't fix any of these issues when they were here with their animals .

As soon as all the kinks are worked out I ll be an empty nester I know.

When all was completed as S was putting his tools away he commented " I've done a lot today but none for myself".

Welcome to being a parent!

Wednesday Musings

A little heart that showed up when LN was washing her steer Sunday.

Not planned just happened as the best things always do.

Wood on the back of the barn overhang . Hard to tell but it has a red paint still in the wood after 40 yrs of weathering.

Early Madre's Day gifts from my girls.

R came up as usual on her day off.

We unloaded shavings into the funnel body, walked pigs and weighed them, sorted lambs ,cleaned steer pen together and went grocery shopping for her.

Quite the variety but it's easy between us, we gossip and discuss life issues.

We make a good team!

R gave me my presents from her and LN.

One's idea, the other shopped for em.

The most comfortable shoes ever.

They gave me another pair 2 yrs ago that I love and am wearing out.

This time they threw in flip flops by the same company.

Sanuks are the bomb.

Comfort is key for me !

Festival and Eye not I

Today LN & I (not eye) went to the MD Sheep and Wool Festival.

We met up with some friends of ours with a daughter LN's age and 2 younger ones.

We shopped at the vendors and brought home a couple of wool mug rug patterns.

An owl based one and a Thanksgiving one, I'll see what wool I have appropriate here and buy from my local shop what else is needed.

I'll take some pictures once I begin them.

I also picked up a drop spindle as I've been wanting to learn how.

I know someone who is going to get me started out soon.

I also brought home some dark blue wool roving that I'll spin with the drop spindle.

 

 

As for the Eye not I part of this post I give you exhibit A.

LN played in a game Thursday where she took not 1 but 2 elbows to her right eye.

This picture was taken Friday morning as soon as she got up.

I laughed at her then took her picture.

I am a great Momma.

She was hurting Thursday night but by Friday she was proud of it and ade up fearsome stories of bear attacks and gorilla punches, etc.

By today it still hurts mostly when she smiles or laughs but she'll heal.

By the time she returns to school Monday that yellowish tone will probably set in.

Oh well such is life....

School soccer has 2 games left on this weeks schedule and

there are several travel games spread over the next month.

LN is slowly starting fair craft entries.

She's 90% complete on a tailored pair of linen shorts.

A blouse is on tomorrows schedule to begin as well as finish the shorts.

Animals need worked if the weather is warm enough to wash and blow out her steer.

Lambs need sorted as potential keepers or sell lot.

Pigs need walked and sprayed off.

 

Always something...