Frustratedearthmother's Journaling Journey

My goats do NOT mess around! We've got a baby on the ground - in fact - she did it not long after my first post this morning. I've been so busy all I did was iodine the naval cord. I don't think she's gonna have another one though.... I don't like single babies - they don't have a built in playmate :(
 
We made it back from our mini-vacation Monday evening and hit the ground running. Went out to see how everybody fared while we were gone. We left early Thusday morning so we'd topped off all feeders Wednesday evening and I am proud to say that everyone still had feed when we got home. Sooo, the feeders kept them fed all day Thur, Fri, Sat, and Sun. Some of them were darn close to empty, but now I know I can go away for at least 4 days and not have to worry. Automatic waterers did their job too!

The little buckling that was born the day before we left has had a struggle. The heat and humidity are stressing his little bitty lungs... so, while we were gone our neighbors took him into their house eveyday while the heat was the worst, then brought him back to mama in the evening to spend the nights and mornings. As long as he's out of the worst of the heat he's doing fine - nursing well and running and playing.

I went home at lunch time yesterday and brought him in and then let him out when I got home from work. Today I went home and checked on him, and while he's breathing hard I opted to leave him out. He's got to get acclimated sooner or later. Tomorrow I have to go on our last field trip of the season with our students. Even though the last thing I want to do right now is leave home again - we're going to an awesome place. It's a spa/resort and we're staying in golf cabins instead of inside the hotel. They've got 5 restaurants, but more importantly they've got their very own water park! Whoop! The kids are excited and so is our staff. This retreat is as much for us as for the kiddos. We deserve it for putting up with them, lol! This time tomorrow I'll be floating the lazy river.

This weekend I'm hoping to get caught up on yard work and try to start some tomatoes off of my current plants. I want to start cleaning up the summer garden debris and get ready for some fall planting in a month or so.

I'm sooooo ready for this heat to go away. I've still got one more goat due and I'm so wishing I hadn't bred her. I only did it because I was selling a very nice buck and wanted to use him first. Hope I get something wonderful out of the cross.

I've got eggs in the incubator, fixing to fill up the other one and after that I think I'm done hatching for awhile. I think I said that a couple months ago... I mean it this time. :)
 
Thanks! He is a cutey patootey!

Hot, hot, hot here - and not letting up. No rain lately either. I'm struggling to keep the 'mater plants alive. Okra and eggplant are still doing well. Chickens let up on laying for awhil, but now they're back to it.... got two dozen eggs yesterday.

We're still behind on yard work, so we'll try to get that done this weekend. My student/friend/worker is leaving for college next Tuesday so I don't have the heart to ask him to come work this weekend - even though I know he'd make time - he's just that kind of kid.

Kind of a rough day - it's the anniversary of my sister's death one year ago. Can't stop thinking about her - but I think about her every day anyway.

Have one more goat due in about 10 days or so.... whew... I'll be glad when that's done. I"m gonna lock up Red tonight and milk in the morning. I neeeeed milk.... need to start milking regularly so I can get some cajeta made for christmas gifts and some cheese for DH and me. Hard to get motivated these days....
 
I'm with you, Frustrated. Hot weather is so enervating. I've been just barely taking care of the most important stuff. Today started a cooling trend here, so I'm hoping to get caught up again too.
 
Woo hoo! We had rain! For just a little while this afternoon the temp went down and the rain fell from the sky...it was awesome! :weee

I took advantage of the cooler weather and disbudded the little bcukling. My neighbors named him Dorian while I was on vacation. Dorian was the name of the tropical storm of the moment (or did it ever become a hurricane before it fell apart?). Anyway...he hated me for about 10 minutes afterwards, but he's over it now! He's a total sweetie.

I took a good look at my goats today. Everybody is lookin' good! Even the old gals are slick, fat and shiny. I've got goats that are pushing 12 years old and they're skipping around like they're half that age. I've turned the mama Nubian does, and their babies, out to pasture. I just bring them in overnight if/when I want to milk. They're looking better and gaining weight rapidly.

One of the things I'm noticing is that the Kinder goats (1/2 Nubian, 1/2 Pygmy) are growing well. But - the little doe that's 3/4 Pygmy and 1/4 Nubian seems to be keeping pace with the Kinders. She's only a litle bit shorter (and she's several weeks younger) and is stockier than they are. I like the look! The little guy that was born 11 days ago is also 3/4 Pygmy and 1/4 Nubian. He's got the same look that she has. I might just leave him intact for awhile and see if he follows the same pattern. If it turns out I like him as much as I like the young doe I might just go beyond Kinders and create my own 'new breed'. If they mature close to Kinder size but even stockier AND they milk decently - I might have exactly what I'm looking for. Of course, I'm gonna give the Kinder's a real chance too...I'm only in the first generation of creating my own herd, so I'm going to follow that path also. Geeze, I need to be careful or I'm gonna have a hundred goats out there, lol! I'll have to keep a discriminating eye out and cull anything that doesn't meet my criteria. To start - I need to thin the herd of what doesn't work for me now.

Big dreams, huh? But, I've had goats for more than 20 years and I've succeeded, in my own opinion, with the Pygmies. I wanted a goat that would still meet show ring criteria and eliminate, as much as possible, the kidding problems that Pygmies are known for. I've still got one doe to kid out this year. She's very small and I'm a compulsive worrier. Hoping that it goes well and I can keep saying that my kidding problems are almost nonexistant.:fl
 
Ya'll come drag me outta my cave when fall gets here... I'm gonna hibernate for the rest of the summer... I'm done with it - I'm tired of it - I don't wanna do summer any more.... :(

Okay, whine over.

Tonights dinner was 100% supplied by my little plot of ground. I cooked up some pan sausage from the hogs, sliced some okra and onions into it and poured last years picante over it....let it simmer 'til the okra was done and yum, yum. Simple, but good. And, not one bit of it came from no stinkin' grocery store. Dat's what it's all about!
 
Sounds like a super delicious dinner! :drool

Sorry to hear that summer's got you down, hope you get some respite from the heat :hugs
 
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