Currently working my way through 2 ⅔ bushels of pickling cucumbers. Then have 2 bushels of tomatoes to tackle, 1 bushel of red potatoes and the shopping bag full of elderberries I picked along the roadside, and about 10 red and yellow peppers, although those I'm planning on freezing. Together with some courgettes, all these were packed into my car at Darlenes'. Also want to attack that 50 lb bag of onions !
Dolly is still the best cow ever :). She gave nearly 3 gallons of milk today, and hasn't pooped in the milking parlour, or even the lower barn in weeks. And she's dropping her milk immediately now, so it's all going much quicker. Having the hot water in the feed room is also wonderful. Thanks Herbie and Dad. The water runs rather slower than that in the house, and it's yellow (?) but I'm getting the timing right. Only flooded the feed room once.
We have bats in the milk parlour. There have been droppings on the floor, so I pulled the piece of insulation down thinking it was mice, to have 2 bats lying stunned on the floor. Shoosted them into the sand floor room and swept up the mess. And today there are droppings a little further down, so I presume they've just moved into another piece of insulation.
Laying is way down. Only finding 4 to 7 eggs daily. The young ones aren't laying yet either. This humid heat is a mare. I keep checking that all the beasties have fresh, cold water.
Dolly was on heat yesterday and today, so that calculates to an end May 2015 calf. Here's holding thumbs as Boytjie goes next Saturday. Daisy May was also acting strangely today, lying in the sun by herself in the middle of a path. She stayed when I approached, which she just doesn't do, and only heaved herself up when I reached down to touch her. Then later she lay down in the main pasture while all the other cows were eating in the veggie garden. Her udder isn't any larger, so I'm wondering if she's having false contractions that some of our other cows had about 6 weeks before they calved. So I'm hopeful that she is actually preggers.
Yesterday I loaded Anni into the back of Noddy, let Rosco hop into the passenger seat, and took them to the local shelter who were offering Rabies shots for $10 each. So they're protected for the next 3 years from any rabid wild animals out in the woods. The people at the shelter were all staring at this tiny car with this huge white dog in the front. I took a photo, but it's not very good as Rosco tried to escape when I stepped back to take the photo. Also did their licensing. $10 for Rosco, but $25 for Anni as she isn't fixed ! Just another tax.
Earlier today, Anni was chasing something in the old apple orchard next to the sheep enclosure. I heard a quack, and although I pushed my way into the thick undergrowth, it kept moving away with Anni hot on its' tail, and I never even caught a glimpse of it. I know we're missing on of the new Rouen girls, so I think maybe she's sitting on eggs. I hope she isn't injured. It's not a safe place to be with the fox, raccoons and opposums out there.
This heat is also taking the wind out of Herbies' sails, his words to me when he got home this afternoon. The weather forecast last week gave a 50% chance of rain the end if last week and the weekend, but it didn't rain. We should have cut the hay ! Now the next 19 days forecast is for 40 to 80% chance of rain every day ! Mike is baling hay tomorrow, and ours isn't even cut. Damn. I think I need more accurate weather info, although I drove past a guy cutting his hay on Friday but forgot to tell Herbie.
Good night. Bedtime for me.