It was 48 degrees F early this morning, and although today was a nice and sunny 85, it's currently 61 and dropping and there is that chill in the air. It's expected to rain this week-end and then thereafter we can hopefully get a 3rd cutting of hay.
We have settled into a new routine in the farm. Herbie gets home from work anywhere between 1 and 8pm. He sits in something not moving and then has dinner. I eat with him if it's before 6, otherwise not. Today I made white rice with fresh chopped tumeric root, a red lentil coconut curry (it was yummy, Dad) and green beans with lemon, black pepper and fresh garlic. Then we watch 2 ½ men and go up to bed around 7 to 8 pm. We cuddle until Herbie falls asleep, then I get up and go do evening chores. Last night he surprised me in the garage. Boytjie performing woke him, he looked out the window and saw me in the pasture with the buggy so thought I needed rescuing :). Nope, just giving hay to the cows, horses and alpacas. Boytjie still does the pawing and growling, but he keeps his distance. That last chase around the pasture has given me some status back. He stopped smoking a week ago. Didn't tell me, and when I commented about him not drinking his morning coffee anymore, he just said he didn't feel like it. Once he told me he'd not had a cigarette for a while, I understood why he wasn't drinking coffee anymore. His mornings were sitting on the buggy with coffee and a smoke. No smoke, no coffee. No wonder he slept most of his weekend, he's got nicotine and caffeine withdrawal :(. But I'm so happy he's not smoking anymore :).
Yesterday I cut about ½ of Roscos' fur off. He actually let me ! I shut us in the garage and he stood for me, with breaks every now and again, and then he'd race back to me and I'd cut some more. He had pieces like felted blanket tags around his back end from his hips back, around his ears and legs, and under his belly. He wasn't keen on me fiddling with his tail or close to his ass, and he wouldn't let me cut under his chin so that's still gross with some burrs stuck in there too. He doesn't look so big anymore :). Think I'll try brushing him tomorrow as he really liked me scratching his back. Didn't see any fleas, and didn't find any ticks. Remember the last dog shearing I did - Sargeant. Miss that little boy.
Tomorrow it's Teris' birthday and she's coming to make cheese with me. Not sure which one she wants to learn how to make, but think it's going to be fun.
Yesterday we went to get Herbie a new pair of work boots. When I asked him today how his feet felt, he said like they were in heaven. His company supplies him with boots, but they're so heavy he feels lile he has concrete blocks on his tender feet :).
Dolly has a huge abcess on her hip where I injected her with penicillian about a month ago. I didn't see it yesterday, and today it's the size of a grapefruit. Not sure what to do about it. Will have to Google it. Maybe syringe it out, or make a hole for it to drain and then peroxide it.
Only found 7 eggs today, including that huge one. Not good from over 100 chickens, but I don't know if the young Buff Brahmas' are laying yet. Have been finding eggs in the back flower beds and on the back lawn, but they may be from our older girls. Don't know where our guinea girl is laying either.
So cool watching the hummingbirds drinking sugar water from the feeders. Have a couple of feeders stuck to some windows for easy viewing. The one boy has a red ring of feathers around his neck, then there's a completely gray girl, and another pretty boy with a iridescent green head. Only seen 2 at a feeder at any one time, so there may be more than one drab girl. Last year we had 8 at once.
Both butterfly bushes are in flower. The large one outside the family room has white flowers, the smaller one that the geese / chickens tried to kill is pink. So we lost the purple one :(. The Rose of Sharon is in full flower, both pink and purple flowers. It may be 2 plants intertwined, or it may have the purple part grafted onto the pink original. My rock garden is also looking fantastic. Now if only the chickens will leave the roses alone, we may get some flowers in the front too.