Busy weekend!

I finally got water!!!! The saga started Friday night. The pump was pulled to get the information off the label i.e. hp, wires and volts. We got the pump, but a storm came and put and end to the installation. Saturday morning came the plumber came and installed the pump. I had to leave and I left him. I got home Saturday afternoon, hot and sticky and ready for a nice shower. NO WATER!!!! The plumber had left for FLA on vacation. He left no note...nothing! I am furious. I did a Rumpelstilskin. I called another plumber. He came out quickly. The first plumber had shorted out the pump. I had to get a new pump. Of course, it was late and another storm was coming. Probably the storm I cussed up in the afternoon. I got the new pump. The plumber came out and quickly installed it. I had water! Yippee, skippy! The septic still has a lot of water in it from the flooding, but I am careful. The livestock have fresh water. I can't drink the water yet, but that's okay.

Fly had a herding lesson on Saturday. He was very stubborn. He doesn't want to work for me. He will soon learn that working for me is better than a poke with a stick. No, I won't hurt him. He just needs nudges. I was exhausted when we were done. I felt like I had accomplished a lot. Herding isn't all about your dog. If you can't help your dog you are no help to the sheep.

Just when you think all is well

This morning I got up used the potty and went to make my coffee. The water was just a trickle. It has been a little screwy since the flood. Well, it quit. I have no water. That's the problem with this place too much water or none. I have a couple buckets for the toilet and some water for the dogs. I have a little water for the sheep. I will take my morning shower up at the neighbors. They have kindly turned over their guest trailer/house to me. They are even hooking up the washer so I can wash my clothes. What can I do for them? They are just too nice.

These inconveniences are still better than living in the city. We seldom have floods or lose water. In the city it is usually a bad neighbor who lives right next door. I am so lucky that I have good neighbors all around. There is constant noise in the city. Here it is quiet except for the frogs and birds.

No, I will not leave the country.

Passing Of A Gentle Soul

I just found out this morning that Tasha Tudor passed away on 6/18/08. She truly lived life on her own terms. How many of us can say that?

She had beautiful gardens. She made her own linen from flax that she grew. She milked her own goats. Of course, she had the corgis!

They just don't make people like her anymore.

Moving On

Yesterday I got the new mailbox up. I am getting to old for that stuff. My back is killing me today. I am so tired that I have a headache and my eyes hurt. I also cut some limbs and shoveled mud yesterday. I still can't bring myself to move cornstalks yet. The job is just too overwhelming. Not only were the fence posts pushed over some were moved 2 feet or more out of their holes.

I cleaned up the barn a little yesterday. I spread some lime and some shavings. I thought I would let the sheep into the barn for some dry areas, but they had to be rude and got into the duck pen and ate the corn I had left out for them.

Speaking of the ducks they are running wild. They are living in the woods now. I have to send Fly out to bring them back once in a while so they dont forget who I am, the lady with the food. I can't believe a fox or racoon hasn't gotten one of them, but all 6 are there.

I need a wheelbarrow. Guess, I'll have to break down and charge one at Sears. I am broke until the 26th. At least with the wheelbarrow I can move some cornstalks off the fence or what is left of it. I noticed yesterday also that the gate is racked. I keep finding more and more. I noticed this morning that the ditches in the back have taken on a lot of dirt and are much more shallow than they were before the flood.

Well, off to Sears and to see Mom.

After the flood

Life is moving along. The sheep are living in the barn lot. The ducks hate it. When the sheep bleat the ducks squawk. I have to let the sheep into the barn during the day as there is little shade in the barn lot.

I will be filing a claim with FEMA this weekend and with a disaster relief group here with my company. Anything will help.

My neighbors are leaving for Branson soon and I will watch their dog and property. My other neighbor said we could put the sheep in her pasture for a while. The barnlot is getting really nasty as is the barn

I wish someone would just come and take my hand and lead me through this. I am tired of being a grown up.

Flood June 7, 2008

We had a flood yesterday. Yep, I am in West Central Indiana. I am lucky that I don't live near the rivers. I lost most of my pasture fence, my septic is full of water as is my crawlspace. The ditches on the property are full of debris. I thought I had lost my sheep. I finally heard one. It was trapped by debris against the paddock fence and the water was still rising. It bawled and I bawled. This is the worst flood I have seen here. Later in the morning one of my favorite sheep showed up in the yard. How she got there I don't know. She is very tame. She even came up to the porch. In the afternoon 4 more sheep showed up. The water in the paddock was too deep to go get them then. The pasture butts up to the paddock on one one side. They were up next to the one that was trapped. Finally, in the afternoon he got out. The sheep still wouldn't move. One of my neighbors stopped by and he tried to undo the fence by the sheep, but it wrapped around a corner and he couldn't get it undone. Later 3 more neighbors stopped by and we finally got the 5 sheep into the barn. The 6th one was already in the barn. It was hard work. They didn't want to do through the water. They had had enough deep water I guess.

I took at shower at my neighbors guest house (trailer). It was great. I need to wash dishes. I guess I'll do it camping style in a wash tub and dump the water in the yard. I can't do laundry or flush the toilet. I did laundry at my other neighbor's today. Their septic is in a different location than mine so it isn't full of water. Any serious toilet business has to go on elsewhere. I hope FEMA gets here in a hurry. Of course, this is FEMA (government). I understand they just got help to the people who were vicitms of the Great Chicago Fire. We are forecast for storms tomorrow again. I can't stand the thought.

Fly got to play in water yesterday. One good thing about this flood is we have no sewers to back up out here in the country. There are no livestock very close, except the sheep. By the time he got to play in the water the poop was long gone I imagine. He was so funny. That boy loves the water! The other 2 Pems, Tilly and Tyler had to stay in the house. Tilly runs off and it was too hot for Ty. Fly couldn't help herd the sheep back to the barn. He is too inexperienced and he is also vertically challenged.

I am going to try to post a couple pictures here. By the time I got the pictures taken the water had gone down. It was up against the house over the porch.

Herding Ducks In The Minivan

I hadn't planned on posting again so soon, but things happen.

This morning was perfect duck weather. So, the ducks decided to take a stroll. I didn't know this until I was leaving for work (of course). I had just backed out of my parking spot and there they were on the right side of my 400ft drive. Hmmmm, what to do? It was too late to get Fly, the duck herding demon. I couldn't take a chance of the ducks getting on the road. No livestock insurance on the new policy, I don't think. The only option was to gun the van around the ducks and jump out in the rain and head them back to the paddock. As I passed them I noticed they moved to the side. Hey!!! I got around them and made a K turn and headed back toward them. They turned and started waddling up the drive. I tooted the horn to move them faster and they did and didn't even break or scatter. When they got back to the paddock they went under the gate and I went on around the circular drive. I hope they stay in the paddock. I doubt that they will.

Maybe, I can trial with the van instead of a dog. I wonder how the sheep will react? The van is so much more cooperative than the dogs. It IS more expensive to feed the van though.

Beautiful weekend

What a beautiful weekend it was! I had a horse trial on Saturday and my jumps all had shade. I met a really nice lady and her hubbie. They are from Avon. She was my partner on my jumps.

The breeze was pretty constant on Saturday. It made it really nice out. It was sunny all day. They had had a little rain at the park the night before, but it made the ground a little softer. That is good for the horses. The grounds crew was on top any spots that got too soft.

Fly got to herd ducks again yesterday. This is an everyday thing now. The ducks head to the barn as soon as we come outside. Fly pushes them around the barn and into their pen. He is very agile. He gets between the pallets that lean again the wall and the ducks shoot out the other side and go into their pen.

Two of the ducks keep getting out. I don't know why the others don't follow, but that is okay. I need a good nickname for these two. I am sure it is the same two.

We took a long walk yesterday at the park and had a picinic afterward. It started raining so we left. Tilly has been getting a hitch in her giddyup on these long walks. I am debating on leaving her at home, but I think it helps keep her in shape for herding.

My mother was in the hospital over the weekend. She got to go back to the home yesterday afternoon. They found she has a bleeding ulcer.

I have been in a bad mood since yesterday. Don't know the problem. I just am not wanting to be around people or dogs. Guess I'm screwed.

Read a blog from Jon Katz about a lady who wanted to see his dog, Izzy. She was dying and not in hospice. Long story short. A few hours after she met Izzy she passed away. Must have been something there that gave her peace and let her go.