I am really worried about Fly. He has blood in his urine and I can't afford to take him to the vet until the middle of June. I am going to order acidifers from Drs Foster and Smith. Hopefully, this will help. Judy is worried it is his prostate. When I took him to the vet in Oct. for the same thing they put him on acidifers. The vet said he had lepto before getting the results on any blood tests. Which I found out later is a longer process than just 1 blood test. Also he had no other symptons. Fly was also current on his shots. The tech said Fly's urine was neutral, but didn't go any further with it. It has also been recommended that I put him on Science Diet U/D. $$$ again. I am certainly changing vets.
A couple ducks were loose in the barn last night. I wish I could let them out full time, but the big dummies can't stay in the paddock where they would be safe. Noooo, it's off to the woods where the foxes live. Must have suicidal ducks. When I go in and put them back they know to got to the pen. They used to freak out and run all over the barn. Crazy things. The one duck is still sitting on the nest. I am giving her until this weekend to hatch the eggs that willbe over 27 days. I read someplace that is the incubation time. I will double check before we have THAT confrontation.
I am going to Ohio in the 28th of June to take a lesson. I am excited. It has been a while. I need it more than Fly. My meager skills have weakened in the past year. I haven't been able to herd as much as I would like since the fall. I just don't feel as competent. I can't figure out how to teach Fly what I want.
This weekend is a horse trial. It is the first one in a long time that I have gone to alone. Hope, I can handle the radio and scoring at the same time. The weather should be in the high 70s to low 80s. There is a storm predicted for Friday night. The Horse Park will be wet. I'll probably be in the woods with the 'skeeters. I would like to take Fly. It is just such a long day. I may just do it anyway. If I can get the car close to my jump he can be in the car with the tail gate up if it gets too hot.
Wish us luck.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Memorial Day Weekend
Well, Memorial Day weekend is over. Summer has officially started. It is cloudy and foggy. When will the sun come out for more than just a few hours? Is this what the future will be like when we are in full global warming. Glad I won't be around then.
I went to my friend's house for a dinner party on Sunday. It was nice. Had the best cole slaw ever! I didn't stay late or even get rowdy. Am I getting old?
The ducks headed for the woods on Saturday. Fly helped get them back. He is quite the herding dog. I wish I better. He deserves better.
I think I spend too much time alone. Maybe, I have forgotten how to interact with people on a social level. I don't get lonely or crave being with people. I know being out and about is good for me. Sometimes, I just have an emptiness inside.
I thought about Al quite a bit. I should have gone to the cemetary. I don't know why. I know he isn't there. I guess it just show respect. It has been almost 10 years and I still miss him so much. He would know what needs to be done first on the house and tell me how to get it done.
I need to find someone to do custom baling. I have a field full of nice grass that would keep the sheep through the winter. Hay is always a big issue when you have livestock. I don't know if I want big round bales or the square bales. Guess it depends on who I can find.
More sheep coming in July, I hope. I need some younger sheep. Don't want woolies. Hair sheep are better. They are calmer and don't have to be sheared.
Back to pondering.
I went to my friend's house for a dinner party on Sunday. It was nice. Had the best cole slaw ever! I didn't stay late or even get rowdy. Am I getting old?
The ducks headed for the woods on Saturday. Fly helped get them back. He is quite the herding dog. I wish I better. He deserves better.
I think I spend too much time alone. Maybe, I have forgotten how to interact with people on a social level. I don't get lonely or crave being with people. I know being out and about is good for me. Sometimes, I just have an emptiness inside.
I thought about Al quite a bit. I should have gone to the cemetary. I don't know why. I know he isn't there. I guess it just show respect. It has been almost 10 years and I still miss him so much. He would know what needs to be done first on the house and tell me how to get it done.
I need to find someone to do custom baling. I have a field full of nice grass that would keep the sheep through the winter. Hay is always a big issue when you have livestock. I don't know if I want big round bales or the square bales. Guess it depends on who I can find.
More sheep coming in July, I hope. I need some younger sheep. Don't want woolies. Hair sheep are better. They are calmer and don't have to be sheared.
Back to pondering.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
May 17 LIfe and Death on the farm
Today started off okay. Had a long conversation with Patsy on the phone early. Barb is off this weekend training one of her dogs. I took Tyler with me to the dump. I stopped at Doc's and weighed him. He has lost 6lbs in the past couple years. He has old man's skinny butt, too. He will be 11 in a couple weeks. Tilly, his sister, is fine. Go figure. Ty is a funny dog. I went to the grocery after that I went to TSC. While I was in TSC he enthroned himself on my herding box, a large plastic storage box, next to the groceries. I guess he was guarding them. There was meat in there! He didn't bother the bags. He just laid next to them.
In the afternoon I went to see Mom in the nursing home. We had a good visit. She looked pretty in a read sweater and khaki capris. Red is a good color for her. The young Marines came in and gave her a gift and a certificate for being a veteran in honor of Armed Forces Day. Tilly came along for the ride. She pushed open the door of Mom's room and ran up and down the hall before I could catch her. Everyone got a kick out of that. I know the residents love to see pets there. It is such a boring life. I wish we didn't have to warehouse our old people, but in these times we have little choice.
Went to Cox's and picked up some low acid tomatoes for Mom, parsley, lavender, basil and rosemary. I don't use a lot of herbs, but when you need them you need them. I love lavender. I have never had much luck with it. I am going to plant it on the west side of the house. It is drier there and I think it will be happy. Guess I am not going to have flowers this year. Money is very tight. Oh well, next year will be better and I will go nuts with flowers.
At home we relaxed for a while. I dozed a little. I heard the dogs barking and thought I heard a voice. I got up and looked outside and saw nothing. I went to the back door and saw a deer leap over the back fence. That must have been it, but no. I then heard bleating. I went out the front door and here comes Toby carrying a struggling fawn across the sideyard toward me. I told him to drop it and he did. I brought him in. I called Joe, my neighbor, and he said to leave alone and the mother will come back. She hasn't. The fawn has since died. I don't think Toby killed the fawn. It was probably injured. Toby hasn't messed with it since. I am leaving it until the morning in case the mother comes back. I want her to know her baby is dead. I went out and looked at it closely. There are few things more beautiful. It is perfect. The feet are so tiny. The legs so thin. I can't believe how small it is. It makes me sad to see it.
So such is life on the farm. One of the ducks is setting on a clutch of eggs. If they don't hatch out by the 30th I will dispose of them. The cycle is 27 days and I am giving her plenty of time. All I have to do is figure out how to get them away from her. The rooster is still very fresh in my mind.
A man I used to work with committed suicide on the 3rd. I just heard about it this week. I don't understand suicide. I have though about seriously when I was depressed. Since I couldn't think of anyone who would take my dog, Jessica, I didn't do it. Jess saved my life. How can anyone kill themself. I just don't understand. Dead is forever. This man killed himself on his daughter's prom night. Suicide is the ultimate act of selfishness. I don't have any sympathy for someone who does it. I have been chastised for that opinion, but I don't care. I am pretty flexible on many things, but not that. I have heard that this man had a drinking problem. Okay, he was an alcoholic and had lost a couple jobs because of it. Still there is help for depression and alcoholism. Get help.
Well, it WAS a beautiful day. We need it. Mowing tomorrow and moving the hay ring and the lumber to make a bridge over the ditch. Maybe, I'll work the sheep with Fly. I'll plant the plants and plant my free trees. Hope the sheep don't eat the trees.
In the afternoon I went to see Mom in the nursing home. We had a good visit. She looked pretty in a read sweater and khaki capris. Red is a good color for her. The young Marines came in and gave her a gift and a certificate for being a veteran in honor of Armed Forces Day. Tilly came along for the ride. She pushed open the door of Mom's room and ran up and down the hall before I could catch her. Everyone got a kick out of that. I know the residents love to see pets there. It is such a boring life. I wish we didn't have to warehouse our old people, but in these times we have little choice.
Went to Cox's and picked up some low acid tomatoes for Mom, parsley, lavender, basil and rosemary. I don't use a lot of herbs, but when you need them you need them. I love lavender. I have never had much luck with it. I am going to plant it on the west side of the house. It is drier there and I think it will be happy. Guess I am not going to have flowers this year. Money is very tight. Oh well, next year will be better and I will go nuts with flowers.
At home we relaxed for a while. I dozed a little. I heard the dogs barking and thought I heard a voice. I got up and looked outside and saw nothing. I went to the back door and saw a deer leap over the back fence. That must have been it, but no. I then heard bleating. I went out the front door and here comes Toby carrying a struggling fawn across the sideyard toward me. I told him to drop it and he did. I brought him in. I called Joe, my neighbor, and he said to leave alone and the mother will come back. She hasn't. The fawn has since died. I don't think Toby killed the fawn. It was probably injured. Toby hasn't messed with it since. I am leaving it until the morning in case the mother comes back. I want her to know her baby is dead. I went out and looked at it closely. There are few things more beautiful. It is perfect. The feet are so tiny. The legs so thin. I can't believe how small it is. It makes me sad to see it.
So such is life on the farm. One of the ducks is setting on a clutch of eggs. If they don't hatch out by the 30th I will dispose of them. The cycle is 27 days and I am giving her plenty of time. All I have to do is figure out how to get them away from her. The rooster is still very fresh in my mind.
A man I used to work with committed suicide on the 3rd. I just heard about it this week. I don't understand suicide. I have though about seriously when I was depressed. Since I couldn't think of anyone who would take my dog, Jessica, I didn't do it. Jess saved my life. How can anyone kill themself. I just don't understand. Dead is forever. This man killed himself on his daughter's prom night. Suicide is the ultimate act of selfishness. I don't have any sympathy for someone who does it. I have been chastised for that opinion, but I don't care. I am pretty flexible on many things, but not that. I have heard that this man had a drinking problem. Okay, he was an alcoholic and had lost a couple jobs because of it. Still there is help for depression and alcoholism. Get help.
Well, it WAS a beautiful day. We need it. Mowing tomorrow and moving the hay ring and the lumber to make a bridge over the ditch. Maybe, I'll work the sheep with Fly. I'll plant the plants and plant my free trees. Hope the sheep don't eat the trees.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
May 10, 2008 Posting number 1
This is my first blog. I thank Jon Katz for this. I have admired his blog for some time. Mine will not be as elaborate nor as in depth.
I am basically using this as a farm journal and diary.
I am lucky I have 3 really good friends, Patsy, Barb and Sue. They have been with me for around 20 years. We have literally been through life and death. I have other friends who are almost as close. I will probably talk about them in later blogs.
I have a small farm. It is just over 10 acres. I have 6 sheep, and 6 ducks. They are the dog toys. I have 3 Pembroke Welsh Corgis, Tilly, Tyler and Fly. I have a chow mix, Toby. I also have 1 barn kittie, Kiki Dee.
The farm is called Fox Fen Farm because it is rather wet most of the year and we have foxes in the woods. I wish sometimes I had looked at it differently before I bought it. I was young and needed to get out of the house I was in due to my late husband's illness. A bi-level was not working for us. He could no longer navigate the stairs.
I have no real hobbies other than gardening, reading and sheepherding. I used to cross stitch, but my eyesight isn't what it used to be.
I was on vacation all week and hardly did a thing. It was a mix of depression, a cold, and icky weather. Also, as I have gotten older I have gotten more lazy. Besides the tractor wouldn't start and I can't afford to fix it right now. It is something fairly cheap. I am letting this tractor rule my life. When it is running life is good and when it is not I am depressed. I have a love hate relationship with the tractor.
I am basically using this as a farm journal and diary.
I am lucky I have 3 really good friends, Patsy, Barb and Sue. They have been with me for around 20 years. We have literally been through life and death. I have other friends who are almost as close. I will probably talk about them in later blogs.
I have a small farm. It is just over 10 acres. I have 6 sheep, and 6 ducks. They are the dog toys. I have 3 Pembroke Welsh Corgis, Tilly, Tyler and Fly. I have a chow mix, Toby. I also have 1 barn kittie, Kiki Dee.
The farm is called Fox Fen Farm because it is rather wet most of the year and we have foxes in the woods. I wish sometimes I had looked at it differently before I bought it. I was young and needed to get out of the house I was in due to my late husband's illness. A bi-level was not working for us. He could no longer navigate the stairs.
I have no real hobbies other than gardening, reading and sheepherding. I used to cross stitch, but my eyesight isn't what it used to be.
I was on vacation all week and hardly did a thing. It was a mix of depression, a cold, and icky weather. Also, as I have gotten older I have gotten more lazy. Besides the tractor wouldn't start and I can't afford to fix it right now. It is something fairly cheap. I am letting this tractor rule my life. When it is running life is good and when it is not I am depressed. I have a love hate relationship with the tractor.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
