SSDreamin Blessings and curses

[SSDreamin]

Thanks Deb & FEM.

On a more UP note: The farrier came out to do April's hooves today. I had done my best the other day to get the snow pack away from the pasture gate the other day, but we both still had to squeeze through. April was fidgety and nervous, but he said she wasn't as bad as some yearlings he's done. He REALLY wanted to get a good look at Ice Cream, once I told him she was bagging up. He has 40 head of beef cattle, so I gladly took him in the barn to have him show me what to look for (imminent birth). Apparently, Hubs and I have been checking her tailbone, not her 'pencils', for softening He showed me exactly how to check her and where, then he said "When were you expecting this calf?" "Um...March?" "March may be coming at the end of this week, but I don't think she's gonna hold out that long. My best guess is 2-3 days." WHAT?!!! Holy-moly-smokes-alive, I'm gonna be a cow Grama! Cross your fingers everything goes alright, since I called the vet to let him know I'd be making a call for an emergency visit sometime soon if things went bad, and his receptionist said "He will not make a farm call until he's finished with all appointments here at the office." WHAT?!? So, if she starts struggling at 8AM, he refuses to even head this way (a 1/2 hour drive) until 5PM??? Ah, no. Wish I'd known this was his attitude about farm emergencies a LONG time ago, I'd have shopped out a better vet for my baby girl!!
So, today I am really going through the emotional range
I wonder if I'll have any marbles left when this week is over?!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Oh boy.... do you have any way of transporting her if necessary?

 

[Denim Deb]

I hate vets like that. I'd be shopping for a new vet.

 

[SSDreamin]

FEM, I was told it's a very bad idea to trailer them when they are over 4 months pregnant, and an absolute no-no when they are trying to calve.
Deb, I have feelers out already. Really wish we lived about 8 miles East of here - have you ever watched The Incredible Dr. Pol on Nat Geo? His service area *almost* reaches us. Bummer.

Here is a picture taken during our one day 'heat wave' - when it hit 40 degrees and DS#2 decided it was definitely t-shirt weather!

There's more snow build up as of now. All I've got to say is: Snow, snow, go away! I can't stand to look at you for one more day!!
Oh, please excuse the teenager's shirt - it's a play on Friday the 13th/Jason (it says Saturday the 13th on the calendar and Jason is bummed because Friday was the 12th teenage sense of humor, what ya gonna do?)

I think there's a garden under all that disgusting white stuff!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Here's hoping there will be NO problems and no need to even make a decision like that!

 

[SSDreamin]

Well, it's March. Still no calf. She still looks like she could have it any time. So thankful she held off though - Thursday we hit a real temp low of -24! I bundled up and went out to check on everybody - Ferdi was completely covered in white frost! Ice Cream has spotty frost coverage. The horses' eyelashes were frost covered and they both had white 'beards' - if it didn't make me fret so much, it really looked beautiful - especially Ferdi. Jet black fur completely tipped in white, almost like delicate lace. So, last night I went out and thought 'wow, it feels pretty warm out tonight'. Came in, checked the thermometer - it was 17, ABOVE!! Heat wave! It is a toasty 27 today and Hubby is up on our roof, clearing the snow. We have approximately 30 inches of snow built up on our roof. It does work great as added insulation, but it also weighs a ton, literally! There have been quite a few roof cave in's here lately. We factored in snow when we built the barn and chicken coop - they have very little to no build up.
We ran out of wood for our stove. We couldn't get a 2 yr supply built up because of Hub's work schedule, so we went with 1 1/4 yrs and crossed our fingers. I'd bet, if we could dig down to ground level, we'd find the 1/4 yrs wood, frozen to the ground. Instead, we bought a rick. Hardwood, dead standing, but unseasoned We've decided that we will order a semi-load (8 cord) this Spring (the road restrictions are still in effect, and will be for quite a while, and most wood dealers are out right now anyway). That will give us a good head start for next winter. We - and many others here (more than usual, in fact, which is why supply is so low) HAVE to heat with wood - we asked our propane company a couple weeks ago what gas was going for - $4.29/gallon I can buy a LOT of wood - even at these inflated prices - for the $1,600+ it would take for one tank of propane!! The first year we moved here, we were burning through 1 tank of propane per MONTH, even though we kept it at 62 degrees during the day and 59 at night, and that was during a 'mild' winter! SOOOO thankful we switched to wood!
I keep thinking lately of that PBS series (I think it was) that had those city slicker people (two families and a single guy + his Dad for a bit, who 'sent' for his girl) act like pioneers for a Summer in (Montana? Wyoming? Can't remember). They went through and reviewed all their work at the end of summer, to see if they'd survive winter. We would be an epic fail this year!! I suppose I should consider it a hard lesson in preparedness.

 

[Denim Deb]

If I hadn't been given the wood I was, I would have been in trouble. There's plenty in the woods next to me, and I'm allowed to get all I want. But, I haven't been able to get into the woods!

 

[SSDreamin]

Deb: Right across the street from us, we can harvest 5 cord a year of dead standing for $20. Trouble is, there is no way to get to it/get it out right now. Illegal to park on the road(it isn't much more than 1 1/2 lanes right now and you'd definitely block traffic), and even then you'd be wading through waist high snow to get to any trees
I foolishly went on night watch last night. At last check, Ice Cream had lost her mucus plug, so I figured that was it. Nope. Although, when I went out to check on her, she was SO lovely-dovey (the total opposite of her usual prima donna self!) She begged for scratches and attention!
Hubs is out trying to snow blow all the snow he dumped off the roof - to get in off the walkways and away from the house(right now, if you came to visit, you'd have to climb over a snow pile then walk sideways next to the house to squeeze by the snow to the front door) - I'd say it isn't going so well, based on the colorful language I keep hearing!
On another 'yay, winter' line of thought, we had to fix our mailbox. Again. For the 3rd time this winter. Got some new guy on the plow this year - I'm sure flying through here at 60 mph helps him get done faster, but it takes out a lot of mail boxes in the process!

 

[Denim Deb]

Saw a video of a snow plow that was going so fast thru a town it knocked some poor guy off of his feet and broke the windows in a car showroom!

 

[SSDreamin]

I saw that too! I'd bet the driver is related to this guy here!
No baby yet Poor Ice Cream - she is absolutely miserable! Not to be too graphic, but she has 'stuff' coming out of her vulva, which could mean 2-6 hours or 2-3 weeks, depending on which book I read Had family stop by last night and check out the new additions. They can't believe we keep the meaties in our back room (Yes, they reek, but they would NOT survive in this weather, even if we put them out in the coop with our Buff's). Yes, April looks like a baby horse, because she IS a baby horse And, the icing on the cake? "My, that cow is HUGE! She looks REALLY pregnant! - are you sure she's not having twins? I've never seen a cow that big!" Sooo...out of the what? 3 cows you've seen in your entire life, none of which were pregnant, I'd bet, she looks bigger? Then, you throw in my biggest fear, to make me feel better? What's the one thing that could not only make us lose the calves, but Ice Cream too? Twins. Thanks for that, city people. Go back home and make someone else freak out, would ya?? I think I'm getting touchy due to lack of sleep - I'm on a 3 hour check schedule, so most of my 'good' sleep is interrupted.
I may make a sign, anyway. 'Stress makes me twitchy. When I get twitchy, my limbs move uncontrollably. When my limbs move uncontrollably, you get punched in the face or kicked in the backside. Don't add to my stress.' Bet they won't even read it!