Wet, wet, wet today ! Snow and ice melting and flooding - the tunnel, the lower barn, the chicken house ! How I absolutely detest mud season.
While I worked on Star, avoiding her kicking, trying to strip her, Herbie aer up the sump pump to clear out the tunnel and lower barn.
Last night I took Star and Shaw out to the pasture as the lower barn was so wet. Tonight, after Herbie pumped it out, we went to fetch Shaw so that they'd be together again, after putting more straw down for them. Separated them for 3 hours after putting more meds in Star so that he couldn't suck it out.
Fetched Star, she led rather well to the milking parlour. Tied her up with grain in the trough, injected her with penicillin, cleaned her, and the kicking started again. Poor girl. Got the milking machine on her 4 different times, got lots of lumps out that quarter, but not enough. Rubbed her down with horse liniment, udder cream, hot cloths held against her udder, massaged her. Had to rest every now and again, to calm her down, and for me to catch my breath. Lots of dancing around behind her and next to her, whipping the milking machine and lines away from her feet, scooping poop away, squeezing a teat whenever one was in reach.
Tied the rope around her middle, just above the udder to control the kicking. Worked a little, but Herbies solution of tie-ing her leg to the post worked better. I was worried about her falling, but she didn't. Untied her and let her loose. She went straight to the hay trough and munched away but when I tried to pass her to throw the water out that I used to clean the milking equipment, she headed for the door. Girl doesn't trust me at her rear ! Can't say I blame her.
Expecting up to 10 inches of snow again tonight, and temperatures down to -16 without taking wind-chill into account. This has been a mean Winter.
Teri came Sunday to buy eggs and get the Earl Grey tea I ordered for her, with her son Jes, the one that lives in Russia.
Today Vicki came to collect her jars and deposit, since moving to Cedar Springs she's found a new fresh milk supplier just around the corner, and Angel came to collect eggs. Her husband died last week, but her kids and grand-girl are still with her. Invited her to come over any time she needs to. They were married for 39 years, it's a long time.
Herbie got a 3-day week-end, and offered to take me antiquing yesterday. We found 1 or 2 places open, Monday is not a good day in the antique hunting business, and then moseyed on over to a casino as Herbie had his 5-yearly itch ! Casinos' are not my thing, find the smoke-laden air too hard to breathe and all the little old gambling grannies hard to look at.