Frustratedearthmother's Journaling Journey

[frustratedearthmother]

Got a couple of things done today. I took down a fence that was around a storage shed in the back yard. I unwired all the panels and pulled em out of the grass that had grown up all round 'em. No wonder my back is sore...ugh. Then I mowed that area because I hadn't been able to get the mower in there for quite a while. I really need to get a new push mower. Mine died last fall - ok - not really died. The motor would still run, but the frame was so rusted out I was afraid the motor and the blades would go flyin' right offa there, so I retired it. Anyway- I need a new one because my big, bad Toro won't fit through my gates to the smaller pens. That was quite the chore.

Brought Red in to worm her. I'm gonna give Safeguard a try. I don't think I've wormed my goats with safeguard for ten years or more, so I'm hoping there's no resistance. The downside is that you've gotta do it three days in a row so it's quite inconvenient for goats that aren't easy to catch. Good thing Red is easy.

Cameo's production is really starting to wane. A while back I was getting a half-gallon a day - milking once a day. Now I'm getting half that. That's ok with me though cuz that's enough for me and DH. I'll probably dry her off within the next few weeks...maybe a month at most.

I think I have a pet pig, lol. One of the baby boars...the ones that are probably 4 - 5 months old just loves me. He comes up to me and rubs his nasty little nose on my leg and lays his head on my shoe jut waiting to be scratched. He's quite a character. If I don't pay him any attention he'll walk right behind me bumping my leg with his snout at every step. Helps that he's the nicest one of the baby boars so I might think about him being back-up to Big Daddy. I like nice boars! Big daddy is really easy and laid back too - that's why he's still here.

Gonna watch the rest of this UT game, finish up feeding and milking and then call it a night. I'm tired!

 

[NH Homesteader]

Aw pet piggie! That's so cute! lol, these pigs are something else!

 

[baymule]

We got our downpour. Of and on, got 2 inches of rain. Still drizzly.
That boar piggie sounds cute. He is a keeper!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

We really had a nice day despite the warnings that we could have some rough weather. Glad it didn't materialize. It was warm in the sun but we had a good breeze all day so it wasn't miserable to be out working in it.

I'm sitting here nibbling on 5 garlic stuffed olives and some Parmigiano Reggiano for my dinner. DH is having pork loin that I cooked yesterday. I had my big meal at about 3pm, so I'm just snacking for dinner. Enjoying a glass or two of vino and we're watching Skyscraper.

Don't know what's on the agenda for tomorrow. DH is going in to work to get prepared for a meeting early next week. I thought this was a good job when he got it - and I thought he was being paid a decent salary...but...if we take into account all the long days and the weekends that he works his hourly wage goes waaaaay down.

I had him pick up the insurance they have at his job because it's much better than my insurance. I had him on my policy forever. I told him to try and hold out for a year - and during that year to get as many of his health issues taken care of. He has a big problem with one of his hands...there's some kind of atrophy that goes along with diabetes that is basically turning that hand into a useless claw. His last two fingers on his hand are curled up and he can't keep them straight. I've been pushing him and pushing him to go see a hand surgeon and get this taken care of. The other thing we're tossing around is for him to have a gastric bypass or gastric sleeve...one of those things. Reason being that they can "cure" diabetes. One of the foreseeable problems is that he isn't heavy enough to meet the criteria for insurance to cover the surgery. His cardiologist is the one that recommended it - so maybe the insurance will take that into account and actually agree to it. And, of course there is always the eye issues. He has a cataract in his "good" eye and needs to have that surgery done at the very least. He keeps thinking he might need a vitrectomy in that eye which is the same thing he had in the other. Guess we will see what the eye doc says.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Oh my. The health issues just don't stop! Definitely get that sorted while you have good insurance!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

The health issues just don't stop! Definitely get that sorted while you have good insurance!

And just because this is our life - he woke up with a new internal bleed in his right eye. It seems mild, so really hoping it doesn't get worse. He had an appt with his eye surgeon last week - but it was cancelled and re-scheduled until sometime in November....argh! We were talking this morning about when to hang up the jobs...and I'm still hoping he can hold out until the end of next year.... He's already telling me that he can learn to be poor, lol.

We've got a big change coming in the weather! Have a big ol' front headed this way and temps are supposed to stay low for at least 10 days. "Low" being a relative term, lol. We'll range from lows in the 50's to highs for that time not topping mid-70's! Yay! Guess this is our fall, lol. Probably go back to summer after this passes...

Since I've got some of the pigs separated out it's easier to pay attention to the individual ones...and I've noticed that a couple of the barrows are looking a little rough. Maybe I need to worm them...or maybe it's just because they are smaller and get pushed away from the feed more than the bigger guys. Going to keep a close eye on them cuz they will be next on the "harvest" list.

Running a little later than usual this morning and I'm going to definitely have that 2nd cup of coffee before I go out!

 

[NH Homesteader]

Oh no! That's horrid! Your poor DH. I can't imagine what that's like.

What do you use for piggie dewormer, ivermectin? Gotta get them fattened up so you can fill that freezer again!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

What do you use for piggie dewormer, ivermectin?

I've only wormed pigs once before and I took the simple route. I took corn and mixed some ivermectin gel in it and fed it that way. It was only two pigs and they both ate it with gusto. I've seen where folks put it on a treat, like a peanut butter sandwich and feed it that way - but mine ate the corn just fine so I'll probably do that again. I'd like to get them separated though so I know they get it and don't have to fight the big hogs for it.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Yeah most people I've talked to do that, inject it into a cupcake or something. Then you can feed them individually. And then eat the rest of the cupcakes. I mean.... what? Lol

 

[baymule]

I buy the apple flavored horse ivermectin and squirt some on a piece of bread. Fold it over, mash the edges and toss it to 'em. Gulp. Gone.

I think you have a very good plan, use DH's insurance, and get everything fixed. You are talking about retirement, is he or will he be 65 so he can go on Medicare?