Had an unexpected date night with Herbie. Went to see the movie The Hobbit downtown Ionia, and as I had previously suggested pizza and beer, that's what Herbie was dying for ! Pizza Hut closed at 10 pm, we arrived at 10:01, but Oliveras was open, so we had a very late dinner. They have small personal pizzas for $2.99 after 10 pm, so Herbie ordered, and ate, Italian sausage, green pepper and mushrooms, and I had artichoke, red onion and Calamata olives. Each topping was an additional 50 cents, except my olives, they were $1. H had a beer and I a glass of Merlot.
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Knocked about 6 things-to-do off my list today.
How about this for re-purposing : sheared the sheep, but their wool was full if burrs. Salle suggested using it as a mulch in the garden, did that with some of it around the grapevines, blueberry bushes, asparagus and fruit trees, but first, I lined the nesting boxes in the chicken house ! The only problem is that poultry are totally disgusting, they poop everywhere. I read that they don't mess their nests - bull, there is so much poop in their nesting boxes I could fertilise a good sized garden many times over, repeatedly ! The girl calves have found they can't escape anymore. Put bedding down for them, and for the sheep, expect cold weather in about 3 days. Had some response after posting the puppies on Craigs List before the posts were flagged, twice from both Grand Rapids and Lansing. Nothing fixed, but enquiries, so hold thumbs. Well, I'm showered, and my hair is nearly completely dry, Anni doesn't want to go outside, Mischka is lying next to, on me, and it's time for bed. I have such interrupted sleep, and there is so much to do tomorrow. Thank you to those who comment on my postings - sometimes I think I feel like I'm talking to myself. Last night when I took the cows back to pasture, they met up with their calves. I put the girls back in the pasture, fetched a bucket with some grain and led Milkshake and Daisy May back into the chicken enclosure. Did they escape when I opened the gate to shoo the ducks and geese in for the night ? Didn't think so, but it was dark, so maybe.
Cows started bawling earlier than usual today. Looked out the window to see Milkshake and Daisy May on the back lawn again. So, they are escape artists, as the gate was still closed. They followed me back in quite happily, I had the chicken grain buckets, After milking, I went to see where they were getting out and found the back fence pushed down, so straightened it and looped it tighter. Maybe it will hold them in, maybe not. That short 2 minutes the mums and calves were re-united was long enough to rekindle the bellowing, dammit. It's been raining for 2 days, and the shorn sheep aren't bunkered down in the shelter I rigged for them. Haven't taken photos of it yet, too yucky to be out if not necessary for farm chores. Yesterday we sheared 5 sheep, Salle, Sara and I. Their wool was full of burrs from their running wild all over out back. They won't stay in the pastures, bolt through the electric fencing. So they will have to stay in the front garden, the lower barn enclosure or the chicken house enclosure.
They look half the size they used to be. And the rams semes to think they were new ewes LOL. I'll see if I can catch the 3 babies and shear them too, I think one at least is also very burr-y. Built them a shelter this afternoon to protect them from the rain expected tomorrow. Will post pictures tomorrow, as only finished in the dark tonight. Anni helps with walking the cows to and from milking every day, but she needs more training as she nips at them when they are waiting for me to open the gate, and today Buttercup fell. She was limping, but looked better this evening. Found 8 eggs today, 1 duck and 7 chicken. Should be getting 3 new girl triplets sheep shortly. Seemingly their fleeces are beautiful. The puppies are doing well, getting bigger but eyes not open yet, and they still can't walk. I think I will sleep very well tonight ! Salle and her daughter Sara came down from Newaygo to learn how to shear sheep with me. We did 5, didn't get to the 3 babies, but the last one went much faster than the first one, even though we had to finish by lamplight.
They enjoyed playing with the puppies, cuddling with them and taking pictures. We weighed the biggest one, 2 lbs 2 ozs, and the smallest one, 1 lb 1 oz, half the size ! Of all the things I've weighed on my kitchen scale My husband turns 53 today. Although he is working on the farm, like fixing my chainsaw, he doesn't have to go to work.
He was talking to Anni last night, asking her why she had a litter of hamsters ! It's true, they do look like little hamsters, with blunt faces. It's strange to think these little things will become sleek Border Collies like their mum, Anni, and papa, Fletch. One seems to prefer sleeping on his back, and another makes little krrr krrrr krrr noises. Herbie though it was trying to growl at him yesterday ! Wonder how long before their eyes open. They have tripled in size since birth, Salle is going to be really surprised when she sees them tomorrow. Later - just tried to burn the house down ! Made Brandy Tarts for Herbies' birthday, and put the sauce on the stove, and then went to milk the cows. On driving up the driveway on the buggy after taking the rubbish to the curb (tomorrow is rubbish day) I smelt sugar burning. Didn't even switch the buggy off, just ran inside, turned the gas off, opened doors, put fans on. Think I ruined the pot. Had to start the sauce again, but this time I stayed and stirred it until it was ready. Silly girl ! Just made 7 lbs of butter. 4 lbs unsalted and 3 lbs lightly salted. There is enough cream left to make another 5 or 6 lbs tomorrow, it was too cold tonight as I keep it in the garage. Brought it into the house, and it should make wonderful butter tomorrow. If you read the ingredient labels on store butter, it says only cream, but there is a preservative in there as well, as mine goes funny if kept out of the fridge too long, yet store butter lasts indefinitely. Therefore I keep mine in the freezer, which seems to work rather well.
Herbie is currently teasing me about my typing, moving his fingers like spiders while staring into my eyes. He seems fascinated by my touch typing. Fetched 1 ton of beastie feed from the mill in Westphalia today, and stopped by at Randys' to visit with Brownie, our bull, and Fletch, our ex-dog and the daddy of Annies' puppies. Fletch was excited to see me, jumping up all over me with very muddy paws, making oy oy noises, which Randy didn't appreciate. Brownie came around to where I was standing when I called him, making his way through all the cows. He is one good looking bull, but has this strange thing about rubbing his head on the ground while pawing with his feet. I think he has an ear infection. I fed him some freshly picked grass, and rubbed him under his chin. Randy said he had 7 new calves this week, wow, he has lots and lots of cows. We should go fetch our calves from him, maybe tomorrow or Wednesday. As I went to the podiatrist today, and then fetched the feed and did some shopping, I only arrived home just as it got dark. Checked in the chicken house, and not one egg ! Found 1 down in the lower barn, but didn't check the flower pot or under the tarp where I usually find 2 eggs. I hope the chickens didn't peck the ones in the chicken house until they broke and then ate them. I found 5 there yesterday, so it's odd that there were none today. Currently only about 6 eggs each day from +/- 150 chickens, but then I'm not sure how many of the newbies are male. But the ratio of feed / eggs is way off. Yay, tomorrow is the start of Herbies week-end, and Wednesday is his birthday, 12/12/12. He is rather excited, saying that he will win the lotto on Wednesday as it is a special day. From your lips to Gods' ears, my love. Maybe I should bake him a Carrot Cake, his favourite. Or maybe a Brandy Tart. Besides bread, I haven't baked any sweet things recently. A grey and dreary day, intermittent snow, but there isn't a full coating on the ground, just a little left from the night before last, when I was surprised to see it white outside. I know it is the 2nd week of December, and we have only had 2 very light snows, but long for warmth and sunshine. The cows look lovely with their woolly winter coats, and when I scratch Anni, can feel the double layer she is sporting for Winter. Sargeant shivers his ass off, but the cats and Rosco are OK. I wore long johns for the first time this Winter last night after my shower, although wearing plain jeans today, not the flannel lined ones, nor long johns. Considering going out to cut some wood, but seemingly I may have stuffed up my chain-saw by putting unleaded in it without the mix of oil. Need to make butter today, have about 3 gallons of cream just waiting. Made French toast this morning with the bread I baked yesterday, served with spiced apple butter (bought, not home-made) fake maple syrup and mascarpone cheese, yummy. Yesterday outside our front door. |
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March 2023
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