Frustratedearthmother's Journaling Journey

sumi

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Give your DH (and yourself) a massive :hugs from us. It sounds like quite an invasive surgery and if nerves are involved, I can imagine he must be in a lot of pain. Did they not send him home with something for it?? I don't blame the man for not wanting to go through more surgeries. He's been through so many of them and having had 6/7 done myself over the last 3.5 years, I can relate. There is a point where enough is ENOUGH.
 

frustratedearthmother

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Thanks @sumi! He really has had a rough road lately. He got about an hour of sleep last night - if that much. But, he did say that his pain level has decreased a bit. Those nerves that have been compressed for so long are waking up and they are PI$$ED!

I got all my hay bales moved last night and covered before today's impending rain. I've also rearranged the goats a bit - and none of them are happy. The bottle monsters are in the pasture and they hate it. I've stopped milking Noir and she hates it. I let the big bucks out into the front pen and also a young buck that has been penned alone (but next to the others) for awhile, they are mingling if you want to call it that. Most of their mingling is done head first. Good way to get rid of a scur!

Next on the agenda is to move some chickens that are enjoying my garden a bit too much. I plant seeds and they dig 'em up. An occasional seedling sprouts and they eat it. See a bug - dig it out - doesn't matter what they are digging out with it. They are in for a rude awakening. I'm gonna be doing some serious wing clipping - and they're gonna hate it!

Brought the little horses up yesterday. They enjoyed grazing in the backyard so much that they wouldn't leave. I literally had to get Gracie to move them out of the yard. That dog is tenacious and lives to herd (and kill rats). She's a better rat killer than herder though, lol. She gets too excited - but she's learning. She went after mama horse - and mama horse was having none of it. She was lashing out and at first I was worried Gracie would take a blow to the head - but she's faster than the horses. She got mama outta the yard and then went after Libby. Libby wasn't impressed but she did leave the yard. Flashy was the most stubborn so Gracie bit her in the butt. Actually she grabbed her tail but it worked. Flashy left the yard. They're learning too, lol.

Life on the farm - ain't it grand, lol!
 

frustratedearthmother

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Happy Friday! Well, it would be, but...

I'll be spending some of it sitting at the Volvo dealership...ugh. It's 45 minutes away and in a busy part of south Houston. And get this - DH thought he was gonna drive himself over there - one handed. Uh..nope! So, at least several hours of my day will be sitting on my behind drinking dealership coffee....BARF!:sick I could probably convince myself to eat a cookie but I'm still trying that healthy eating crap before I go have blood work again. I'm down 9lbs but have been slacking the last week or so...gotta get back to it.

Got the little horses wormed this morning but that's about it. I've moved the goats around and have cut out the morning feeding for all goats except the bucks. As soon as I can give them 24/7 access to a round bale they'll be down to one feeding a day too. Yay for the lower feed bill and less work for me!
 

baymule

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Dealership waiting rooms are not a fun place to hang out.

I had the last hay bale for the sheep placed just inside their barn. Then we used cow panels to configure a "hay ring" so the weaned lambs could access it from their side and Ringo and the ewes could access it from their side. It seems to be working.
 

frustratedearthmother

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I have to retract my comment about dealership coffee, lol. They had a Keurig and all the fixin's, fresh donuts, fresh cookies, bagels. Now I know why DH never minds going and waiting for his service, lol.

I did get the main bale surrounded by panel sections and it's turned out to be a good configuration. In another area last year I pushed one bale up against a fence that separated the bucks and does. Bucks would just reach through and eat from inside their pen. Had to push it closer to the fence after a couple weeks - but no biggie with the tractor. I noticed this week (after the long, dry holiday weekend) that there is significantly more hay being advertised for sale. It was a good weekend to cut hay.

We went to my sons last night for dinner. Pork loins, green beans, corn on the cob and a loaf of bread that I made last weekend. I had put it in the freezer and it was just like fresh baked when thawed. I need to make more tomorrow. DS and his wife want us to come back for hamburgers today and mentioned going bowling. If we're going to be able to do that - I need to get outside and work on the electric fence this morning....stoopid pigs! Not even sure how DH might handle bowling, lol. But his right hand is fine so maybe?

Gonna be a hot/muggy one today and I hear that there's "something" brewing down in the Gulf. Isn't that special? Time to give the generator a check-up and stock up on gasoline. Gasoline is my biggest storm prep. Gasoline and ice - lots of ice too. I've been saving milk jugs from bottle feeding the little monsters. I mix goat milk and cow milk to feed them, so I've got a lot of jugs right now. I need to do like @baymule does and get my freezer organized so I can get all spare jugs filled and frozen. Then if we do lose power I'll open the freezer once and pull out some ice and a few quick meals to go in the ice chest. Same with the fridge so I won't have to constantly open the freezer or fridge. Hoping it doesn't happen - but it would be really foolish not to prepare for the "justincase"

Gotta go gather my tools and get on that fence repair before it gets any hotter. Thankfully got all the mowing done yesterday after getting home from the dealership.

Happy Saturday!
 

frustratedearthmother

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Whew...already miserably hot and humid. Just general garden maintenance on the agenda today....along with basic storm preps. Not too worried about what's out there right now - but makes sense to do the things that can be done ahead of time.

My friend who has folks bale their 20 acres texted me yesterday that their pasture has been cut. Last year she had them set aside 3 big bales for me and she's promised the same this year too! What a friend! I'll make sure to take her a "jug o' thank-you" when I go. My guess is that they will be baling today or tomorrow ahead of the rain coming in on Tuesday. We've been hot enough that it should be dry enough to roll. That will give me 12 bales and will do enough to ease my mind about the immediate future. I won't start thinking about getting more until folks start getting in their second cutting later this summer/early fall.

Almost time to start thinking about herd reduction. Still have a couple nursing does so I will wean babies before they go on the sale list. Have four wethers that will be butchered this fall - so that will help. They are sweet little guys, but they've been labeled freezer fodder since the day they were born. At least three of the Nubian does are going to need to find a new home also. Maybe even Dusty - the Nubian buck...:( Might hold him one more year to improve udders on the Kiko crosses that will kid this fall. I have a feeling that Conan is NOT gonna put good udders on his gals. That's where Dusty will come in handy crossing back to those gals to improve udders on the next generation.

Stupid boars broke out of their pen because "somebody" didn't hook the electric fence back up after "somebody" moved hay through some gates the other day. :hide
I haven't seen any reproductive activity - but I'm sure if there is activity - it's happening at night when it's cooler. I got all but one boar, Big Daddy, put back up - but there ain't no moving him if he doesn't wanna move! Gonna have to put some of these sows on the "stock reduction" list too.

DH is till having significant pain after his procedure. Enough that it's interrupting his sleep. The neuropathy in his feet has also been acting up a lot - maybe stress induced - but that also keeps him (and me) awake at night. He's such a sweetie he's been moving downstairs to the recliner to let me sleep. Helps some - but then I worry about him and that interrupts my sleep too, lol. Kinda damned if you do and damned if you don't.. But, this too will pass.

Been harvesting a few little things from the garden. Jalapenos and other various peppers, yellow squash, a few tomatoes, and radishes so far. Eggplant is blooming and the winter squashes are setting fruit. Green beans are setting blossoms too. Red rippers are just now poking through the ground. Okra is growing, but not near bloom yet. Replanted corn - ever hopeful - rarely gratified...:(

Saw a couple stinkin' stink bugs a couple days ago - but they seem to have moved on. :celebrate

Finally got the wayward chickens outta the back yard. They were such troublemakers! They got their wings clipped and tossed into a pen. Hope they learn to behave! And, I can get the poop covered back porch cleaned up now.

Back to it!
 
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baymule

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We went to Cleveland yesterday for a wedding, then to Tarkington for the reception. The humidity was dripping. We sure don't miss it! it is humid here, but much, much lower.
 

FarmerJamie

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Here you go, low carb strawberry cheesecake
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