Miss this...

Miss this....

My boy doing what comes natural.

He has a calming effect on cattle.

He stopped to spray weeds for his Momma then caught a calf beginning to gentle him for his sister. No one asked him to do either. 

You would have to know him but it's his happy place. Such a natural thing.

Words are few to describe how I felt watching him. 

Came so far.

I love him.

Blouse dets...

Detail on the blouse was requested.

Here ya go MamaPea.

Coat wool has pale blue/sea foam color in it. We pulled that for her blouse.

Below is brown flecked wool for trousers.

The main body is 100% lightweight wool. The sleeves are mohair that LN knitted. I don't have pictures of her knitting because I sat with her "encouraging" her (keeping her from killing someone).

I started it off by doing a sample run with regular yarn. Good thing I did as we had to downsize the pattern by almost half. It had a 5 section repeat with plain knitted on each edge. We dropped it to 3 section repeat with no knitting on ends as it was circular to begin. LN's coat arms are form fitting so the blouse had to follow to fit inside comfortably. Since no pattern exists for sleeves set into a fabric body we made it up. I had a scarf pattern with a lace look to it. She started with 9"in circular needles to the armpit area. The rest she switched to regular knotted and flattened the pattern back out. It was tight going in the transition rows but after 2-3 rows it eased again. She reduced the first one by holding it up to a paper pattern of the sleeve. Careful notes were kept so second could be copied. 

The sleeves were pinned into the wool and sewed at 1/2". After trying it on and deciding what to resew she set them in at 5/8". The lining was folded up and hand sewed  to encase the raw edges.

Nerve racking to say the least but worth it in the end.

Fun Night....

Today/Tonight was 4-H Fashion Revue contest.

LN had good time and did well.

Pictures are hard to take with the stage lighting and dark curtains behind her but here ya go.

 

 

She was warm in her wool outfit but since we had snow flurries all day that was ok too.

 

Those mohair knitted sleeves were a pain but made a nice surprise when her coat came off.

 

That's all.

It's late and I'm tired.



How long...

How long can a body go without solid sleep ? 

Mine can't go more than 24 hrs.

I did more the other day!

I stayed up most of the night only catnapping between checking the labor and delivery. The next morning R showed up early and we worked most of the day on the calf, syringe feeding him, splitting his legs, holding him up to try nursing.. He has swelling in his head and tounge. It's a result of being so big and being squished in canal for a long time. It'll go down but makes nursing difficult. 

You can see the swelling and splits. We will try to take splits off tomorrow. 

I crashed last night and slept solid till this morning.

He survived the night so must have done something right.

He toddles around and must be nursing. I see him searching under there. He hollers sometimes but I blame R. She spoiled him by sitting with him all day yesterday petting and loving on him. 

I know survival of the fittest and all but with a smaller show animal herd we can work a little harder to save animals.

He is strong just needed a little help because of his size.

This lil boy does not need help. He flys around their field. He runs constantly. It was shocking to get him laying down.

Still doing taxes for a CPA. The 15th is rushing up on us. Mine will be last or on extension. Oh well I'm learning a lot.

Anyone???

Whose up pulling a calf at 4:20 am with a cold stiff wind blowing and temp of 34• ?

Anyone?

No?

I am!

Gemstone showed stream of mucous and waters beginning about 8:30 last night.

I checked every 90 min or so until 4 am.

I made S get up to help when I saw a 4" red tounge and a foot sticking out. I don't usually help if I see a nose and hoof.

This time we pulled and it was a struggle.

The head and feet came easier than I thought. The problem was the pelvic area and  back hips. It was stuck solid. I eased the tissues and finally he popped out.

S thought he was dead but I had faith.

I rubbed and thumped him. He blinked and moved. Breaths showed in the ribs.

Gem came and licked hard. She's still licking. His tounge is still out some. He's congested but moving quite a bit. It's only been an hour. 

I have faith.

Our nasty clothes are chugging away in the washer. Why not I'm up anyway.

Friday while I was at Wm & Mary in VA on a college visit with LN this happened.

S was home alone. He said one min nothing but an hour later out popped this calf. He was up and dry so S left to go to dinner. 

We have different views on that....

First time Diamond has had a speckled calf. Usually she throws mainly solid white or red calves. She changed it up for us. Good ole cow, witch to handle but good momma. 

I'm tired ,off to check calf then get few hours shut eye before starting again.

Choking

She's such a great kid....

It's prom season.

We went shopping.

I choked at prices.

R never paid much for all hers combined maybe $100.00 for 4-5 dances. We were lucky to find rock bottom clearance dresses.

This is LN's first time.

It cost more than R's total.

Enough said....

Tada...

Lots of tule layers underneath to ballroom size it. The lace top is attached between to the skirt with sheer tule.

She has shoes.

We're doing her hair.

That will help with the cost. She was quoted a $125.00 price for a up do.

Maybe getting her nails done though.

Maybe have a date coming in....

Don't wanna jinx it.

If not she's good to go with her friends .

Dreary day

It's a dreary Monday . Drizzling, chilly overcast let's eat hot soup kinda day.

Perfect day for this question...

Do you think about your actions with others? 

Is there anything in your past life you did or said that you work on changing in the present so you don't repeat it?

Are you willing to admit to wrong things you have committed?

A little deep for a dreary Monday huh?

I think about things I did in high school, in my 20's or even presently that I'd like to change and /or never repeat. 

I'm trying to be a better person by admitting even if it's just to myself what I need to change.

Admit and then start changing.

I think I've come to the realization that not everyone can look at the mirror image of themselves and actually see it.

Maybe I'm rare but I don't think so. 

I have more faith in humans.

Maybe not in the choices I've made in the people I've chosen to be involved with or the actions as a result.

It's not all them, it's me.

It's another hard thing that I've had to admit too.

Geeze what a depressing post for a Monday .

Off to look for rainbows, unicorns and puppies. ;)

Chain

I usually think about a few things I want to accomplish tomorrow as I go to sleep. Last night I passed out so nothing.

This morning while I did daily morning chores I made my mental list.

Simple things :

*Take down Christmas lights (don't judge me)

*Clean gutters as I'm up on the extension ladder anyway

*Wind up and return all the extension cords from said lights to the animal tack boxes I borrowed them from

*Wash kitchen rugs and kitchen floor

*As always take care of customers

*Get hamburger out of freezer for sloppy joes

*Clean front pad at barn of all the hay and straw chaff from running it out the loft to customers

Seems simple...

No where did I list...

*While shutting tractor off in shed after dumping chaff to chickens , hear and see horse that's 25 and lame kicking his feet up and bucking high and racing around his lot

*Investigate and see LN's steer in my garden on the opposite side of the property from his pen

Thus ensued a rodeo of sorts.

Mama cows are only serrated from steer by 2 fences 10 ft apart which sheep are in. The cows are acting simple and screaming at steer . This makes steer holler and prance around garden tearing things up that should not be there (again don't judge). I have to wait on a customer while keeping an eye on steer as between him and his proper pen there is a 15 ft spot of "fence" that is comprised of a rope tied to two trees. Steer not suppose to be in that field and horse doesn't need more. 

After customer leaves I go through 2 gates in sheep pen. Walk into garden and try to get him to leave and head to barn by intimidation. Hahhaaaha he scoffed at me and stayed at fence calling cows. I traipsed back to barn. Opened gate in case he followed to his pen. See where he got out as he jumped a small wooden gate of sorts that needed replaced and tore it apart. I grabbed grain and a halter. He has not been lead regularly and isn't "fond" of it. Yes I know it's on the list. Went to big cows and haltered and tied them with a bit of grain as far away from him as possible. Next thing was back down to garden with grain and halter. It took a few attempts but I haltered him as it stole grain. He did not want to leave garden under the electric fence that was not on that he went in under. I unhooked a section so the baby felt better then pulled and conjoled him all the way back to his part of the barn. He's locked in right now. He walked sorta and didn't try to pull away so regular lessons will ensue. After all this I then had to fix garden fence so horse stays out. Pull apart the mangled mess where he jumped out and put old gate that's higher up, find chains and make it right. Put all gates back like they are supposed to be.

During all this notice sheep and cows water is low. Drag hose and starry fill ups. Notice mineral tubs need replaced in both so drag them out and dump in each pen. Remember to turn off water and untie big cows. 

It's  a chain of events that snowballs constantly.

The original list is complete. Gosh I love a clean kitchen floor with rugs still warm from the sun.

Gifts

Saturday is the baby shower for my granddaughter. I've been working as fast as possible but I'm slow and have a busy life. 

I finished knitting the blanket last night and ran it through express wash cycle.

It wanted to skew diagonally because of the lace pattern I suppose. I pinned it out and will see how it dries. Fingers and every extremity crossed please.

LN wanted to make this....

It's a swaddle pocket. 

You slip the baby in the pink pocket. Cross sides over her torso and tie tightly. Hopefully it's simpler than receiving swaddle for the first timers. The fabric is flannel with low lift batting sandwiched inside the back main piece. The pink is striped with white . The crossover that will show has the elephant pattern on it.

Sorry to show you my cutting mat has seen better days. Still works though....

Feeling Meh...

LN bought a truck from an older friend.

Last night she drove it home alone.

Today she drove to school and home from practice.

I realized it was coming.

Last one mobile and looking at colleges.

It really hit me today .

The end is racing towards me.

Big changes coming.

Decisions to make for both of us.