Frustratedearthmother's Journaling Journey

[NH Homesteader]

We've had to turn on the boiler at night! 35 here tonight, then 80 by Wednesday. Yo-yo weather for sure! Not envious of 95 though. Yuck!

 

[Mini Horses]

Woke to 52 this AM...got to 75ish late day. It's 54 now & supposed to hit 48 by 6AM. Brrrr. At least no A/C for past week. Soon I'll get it packed up for the year. Windows open all day, nice...had to close them about an hr ago as it was getting too chilly inside! Have a day off tomorrow and thrilled. Worked last 8, including today.

Haven't had rain so, able to work some needed things. Wed I will be off and plan to put up some fence where I'm tearing it out tomorrow. Never a day a fence isn't on a list. Need to get to work on a little winter shed for a buck soon. Real soon. With all the crappy weather across "everywhere" I do worry about my own little spot and severe cold & snow. Been very decent last couple years so "we're due", as they say. Such a PITA to trudge around for ice breaking and hauling hot water!! But -- my choice & responsibility. It gets done. But I don't have to like it.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Oh the lute, so not a desired breeding! Geeze bucks, reel yourselves in! Lol. Glad those eyelids look good.

You should get some pictures of your new quail for us nosey folks!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Woke to 52 this AM...got to 75ish late day. It's 54 now & supposed to hit 48 by 6AM. Brrrr

Brrrrr.... I'll take my weather for another couple months not to have to deal with cold! But 75ish - I could do that too!

Yep fencing is always an issue. My bucks are in a pen made of stock panels. I had the bottom of them lined with welded wire so itty bitty goats couldn't walk right through them. Pigs made short work of the welded wire just by rooting around close to the stock panels. UGH!

Sooooo, little nigi doeling walks right into the buck pen to share their feed - she ended up sharing a lot more than that. Think 20 lb nigi doeling and 120lb Kinder buck. Nope - not gonna happen! I wouldn't have even thought he could get down that low...but he did.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Eek! Yeah, not a good plan! How rude of him! Good thing you saw it happen so you can deal with it now, rather than later

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Hmmmmph! I'm just a little ticked off at my personal weakness... I couldn't help myself. I did it. I did it even after I said I wasn't gonna did it!

True confessions - I bred a doe tonight. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! I can't help myself when I start thinking about the possibilities. Ya see, I've got this doe that's 1/2 Nigi, 1/4 Pygmy and 1/4 Nubian. (her mom is a Kinder)

So, I bred her to a buck that is technically a Kinder, but he's 3/4 Pygmy and 1/4 Nubian.

My curiosity is how much Nubian will come out in this cross. I'm not so concerned about the Nubian traits like ears or nose....I want a goat that's a little bigger than the sire and dam. This is just pure curiosity on my part.

Hoping there's a nice udder in there too - but mostly I'm interested in the kids... gonna take awhile until I get that question answered.

Stoopid new quail didn't lay a single egg today. Grrrrrrr. I'm sure they got a little stressed n the move - but they better pick up the pace!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

And today when I got home the nigi buck was out. I seriously walked the perimeter of their pen a month ago and didn't see any weak spots. I don't know what it is about these cedar posts that won't hold onto a staple.... ugh. Don't know why I even try...

 

[NH Homesteader]

geeze boys!! Curious what you get from tat breeding too.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Last night we're all sitting around the dining room table eating dinner and my dad says to me...."Don't plan on cooking anything this weekend because I'm going to town to buy a barbecue pit and a brisket and I'll cook it for us." Very sweet idea dad.... He can't stand up for more than a minute or so - he certainly can't carry anything when both hands are on his walker - and I have no idea how he plans to get to town - but by golly he wants to! Such a sweetie. Except that means I will be cooking a brisket this weekend...and I have to work Saturday. Maybe I'll just cook one in the oven. But - what an insult to a brisket! LOL Ya know, to a Texan - anything but slow smoked brisket is a crime!

Dad had gotten better about being strong enough to get up and down from chairs and such...but yesterday he started asking for help again. I won't let mom help him...guess I'm just a mean ol' witch. He can do it - he just doesn't want to. I know it's hard for him, but he needs to keep doing it to keep his strength up.

I broke down yesterday and contacted two assisted living facilities. Already feeling guilty about THAT! Haven't heard back from either of them yet. Really don't think my folks can afford it anyway right now. We would have to sell the house and use some of that money to supplement their monthly income to be able for them to afford it. I'm guessing it'll probably be 5 - 6K a month for both of them.

Here's my thought: Does it make sense to move them back home (even with help), buy all new furniture and appliances and then need to move them back out when it becomes obvious that they need constant care? Major hard decisions coming up and I don't want to make them.

Got a whopping two more quail eggs yesterday. I really should NEVER send my DH to do any animal stuff. He was supposed to get two males and it looks like there's three. Don't need three males and 4 females...grrr. I probably need to separate them now. With that ratio there will be too much breeding competition and the males are gonna drive the females crazy.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Don't blame you for not wanting to make those decisions! And it stinks that your brother isn't all that helpful, isn't that the whole point of siblings? Not having to do it all yourself? Ok maybe not THE point but seriously...

Very sweet of him to want to cook for you all, hope it doesn't cost you your day off cooking brisket!

Sounds like you need more quail. Female only!