Walking Buttercup back to the pasture after milking was a bent double endevour !
Was doing farm accounts last night, and only went up to bed after 1:30 am with Herbie. Still not finished, but getting there. Last years' formulas and pages are the set-up for the future, using the calendar I write everything down on, the cheque book, receipts, so I know that from now on it will be much easier at tax time, IF I KEEP UPDATING THEM ON A REGULAR BASIS ! Need to make more money on the farm, still have much more going out than coming in.
Last night Buttercup pooped in the milking stall, twice. What's up girl ? Missing Dolly ? Randy says Dolly is doing really well, it seems that she was coming on heat late yesterday, so maybe she'll be bred today, and I can fetch her tomorrow. He is surprised at how much milk she gives, although he had to teach her that silage was food. She loves silage, so he said he'd send some back with her. I don't know how I feel about feeding the cows silage. I'm working on cutting their grain at milking time, maybe give them shredded beet with molasses and then move them to hay only, and then give them nothing in the milking stall. They don't graze at all when their babies nurse, they stand and chew the cud.
Cleaned the garage floor yesterday. Used the scraper we use in the chicken house to get all the crap off the floor, but didn't want to pour Jik (bleach) on the floor because of the puppies, so used white vinegar instead. Yay, Anni didn't poop in the garage last night. I let her out for extended periods, twice, although Sargeant left me a present. Anni still eats the puppies poops, I know it's disgusting, but yay for her.
Mischka didn't come for food this morning, and then I saw her playing with a really fat mouse. Looks as if she caught it in the horse trailer, which is still attached to the truck, waiting to go fetch Dolly.
Miss Spencer, who is taking a girl puppy for her, and a boy puppy for her son, wants a live chicken when she picks up the pups next month to keep with the puppies. What a great idea. I put them outside yesterday again, and 2 were interested in the chickens, moving towards them, with the chickens cocking their heads, and then backing away. I put them on the walkway to the chicken house, which is cleared of snow, but they go into the snow until they are shivvering, then I brought them back inside. A little drink of warm milk from mama Anni, and then a pile of sleeping puppies. They are soooo cute. They run to me whenever I go into the garage, and I've split their feeding into 2 pans, as the one was just too small for 8 of them. Anni finishes up what they leave, but it's not much. I will expose them to the poultry, cows and sheep in the next month they are here, but will have to watch them with the alpacas, as they could be stomped to death. The cats haven't shown much interest, and Rosco hasn't been near them yet.
Sargeant didn't have a good night. The puppies have taken over his sleeping spot on the warm pad, and then when I checked later, Anni was lying on his spot. He growls at the puppies if they move towards his food bowl at feeding time, but otherwise he seems to steer clear of them. If they follow him, he backs away. Silly boy, if I was him, I'd lie in the warmth of the puppy pile.
My friend Teri sent me the following quote, isn't it cool ?
I don’t know where Prairie Girl’s desires will take her. But I know that regardless of where she ends up, she will always carry the skills she has learned from growing up on a farm.
She’ll be strong– both inside and out– from fixing fence, stacking hay bales, and shoveling manure.
She’ll be confident and assertive from handling livestock, riding horses, and milking the cow.
She’ll be capable from learning to create butter from fresh cream, shoot a gun, make yeast bread rise, and drive a tractor.
She’ll be conscious of the natural rhythms of life from planting seeds, watching baby calves being born, and helping to butcher meat animals.
And she’ll be brave from having experienced rattlesnakes and blizzards and powerful prairie thunderstorms.
So even if she leaves the farm someday and finds herself as a successful career woman wearing high heels and business suits instead of muck boots and Carhartts like her mama, the life skills and lessons she’s learned from the homestead will be something she can carry with her for her entire life.
But then my thoughts transport me back to the present and I mention to her that we still need to collect eggs to finish out the morning’s chores. Her eyes light up and she claps her little hands as she bounces with excitement.