I fetched the fancy metal chairs from the lower barn, put the comfy cushions on them. Used the buggy as the watery / poopy / mucky muck outside the lower barn door is not for the faint-hearted. Just backed that baby right up into the lower barn. Daisy May was inside, and came to the door as I was backing up, then she skedaddled, plopping through the liquid. Funny girl.
Didn't milk Dolly today as I spent some time with my husband last night and it was dark by the time I went to do the evening chores, and trying to get a lying-down cow up and out the pasture in the dark is no fun, so I left her there today and brought her up tonight. Will milk in the morning. She was so good. I called her, and up she came. Clipped the lead to her collar and she followed me all the way, not once trying to be stubborn and eat grass.
I'm so mad with our energy company. They tried to take the money out a day early, so it was returned insufficient funds by our credit union. They then sent me an e-mail saying I need to pay by cheque, and a hard copy by mail, so I did. They banked the cheque on Sept 23, and then re-drew the same amount from our bank account on Sept 24. Called to speak to them about this, got some snarky guy named Marty, who treated me as if I was an imbecile. So we are over a $100 in credit for our electricity / gas bill, and have under $30 in our bank account as a result, and it's only payday next week. Being broke isn't any fun. But then I look at the magnificent meal we had today, and realise we may not have much money, but our quality of life is rather good.
Had a wonderful catch-up talk with my sister today. In the Shaw family, we firmly believe in multi-tasking, and driving is the best time to talk to friends and family. My dad does it, Tanya, and me too. Only, I don't really drive so much anymore, which is it's own blessing, I suppose. She's well, her business is doing well and maybe she and her husband can come visit the farm at some stage. That would be nice.
Noddy has a parking spot in the garage, and I hunted around until I found the auto doodat to open the garage door, eventually found a fresh battery for it, so now I can drive up to the door, open it, park and close the door, all hopefully without the chickens getting into the garage to eat the dogfood and make big stinky poops in the garage.
After lunch, I went out and re-raked the hay field for the 2nd time. Hopefully I'll bale on Sunday at the latest. Man, that hay is looking good ! So far, for this 3rd cutting, I've spent about 9 hours on the tractor. I'm getting to the place where I can stand up, turn around, sit down, put my feet up (had to today as I was bare-foot and that centre console thingy gets hot) all while at 1800 revs, going up and down the rows. Ah, almost forgot. Had some lovely red wine with the BBQ, so was a little tipsy driving around the field. But I kept my shirt on today, after getting a little red the day before yesterday :)
Finished our bedroom yesterday. Re-did the stilts the bed stands on as it had pushed the metal legs through the plastic risers on the left side of the bed. Put the wheels back on to make vacuuming under it easier. This makes the bed a bit lower, and I can no longer fit that under-the-bed storage container on wheels under it, but that's how it will be for now. Even cleaned the windows, inside and out, and the insect screens. Also did the 2nd bathroom. Now need to tackle my bathroom, and then move down to do the kitchen, although with this lovely weather we're having it's a sin to be inside.
Received the OPP results on the sheep this afternoon - negative. So no Johnes or OPP (the CAE equivalent for sheep) in our flock. Now Daron should take the 3 he'd reserved, and I'll add this information to the advertisement on CL, and maybe move some ewe lambs before Winter sets in. Yippee, some money coming in ! Well, have the Vet bill still to come.
Gabriel is much better, and the hanging lump under his chin has diminished greatly. He's eating, and although his horns still look a little red to me, he is much, much better. Thank you God, as I couldn't afford another Vet bill for him, and the possibility of having to load him up in the trailer and schlepp him to MSU for further investigation as our Vet had no idea what was wrong was a little daunting. Also glad we don't have to cull him. Although he had no temperature, his fecals were clear, the liquid in his bag was just clear liquid not saliva, I don't know what the problem was and can therefore not manage it in future. Rather frustrating, this farming thing, every now and again.
Well, off to bed with this lass, as there will be a bawling mama cow and calf in the morning.