Kind of crazy

Wow, I do not know what's going on with these huge gigantic pictures, but it's quite annoying to say the least.

Anyway, if you can possibly see these 2 paintings, they are beautiful. I found them yesterday at a thrift shop for $1.99 each. I always rescue paintings and pottery from thrift stores when I see them. And these just jumped out at me. The colors are perfect for my studio. Just perfect.

The 1st one has MRAZ at the bottom. The other is not signed. So I put these pictures on my face book page to see if anyone recognized the name or painting style. Someone said I should google it. So I typed in local artists with this name and came up with a guy named Tony Mraz from Chattanooga. I checked to see if he was on face book and he was. So I sent him a message asking him if these were his paintings.

It didn't take long til I heard from him. He said yes, they were his paintings. and that they had been stolen from his yard during a move back in either 2007 or 2008, along with several other things. He was so happy to see them.

I am not though. I really like these paintings a lot. I kind of wish I had not said anything about them. But I did tell him he can have them back. He said he would love to get them. He did say he'd reimburse me. I'm sad.

But anyway, it's kind of crazy that these turned up in a thrift store and I found them and they're his. Very small world, right?

New red boots...

Stella's little swimming hole...

Just sheep. And a few alpacas.

Earlier this week, I thought about asking my friend Cara if she'd like to take Freya and Olga for awhile. So I could have a break. I called her to ask her to think about it. The next morning she called back and said she'd love to have them! So her husband came in a little truck to get one of the stanchions and the feed barrel. I loaded the goats in my Trooper and took them to their new farm, not too far from here. Cara has all four of the doe kids. Plus another doe and her buck kid. They have 35 acres, so there is plenty of room for them.

It's been about 3 days now. And I don't think I've really missed them. Or the milking twice a day. I think it was getting to me. Having to hurry in the mornings to get out there to milk them. Then I never could go anywhere at night, because I'd have to hurry back home to milk. And I want to go places. So now I can.

I cleaned out the barn real good after the girls left that afternoon. Put down some mulch inside the barn. Got all the feed bowls and hay racks. Then put the sheep and alpacas out back.

And I don't have to hurry with the sheep. I can just take my time. I feel so much better. I even found two pretty good sized trees about 10' apart out back and thought I'd get a hammock. I finally found one yesterday. I'll put it up tomorrow.

I have way too many sheep right now. 8 ewes and 14 lambs. The ewes were all sick awhile back and they are finally all better. Then a few days ago, I noticed Legolas, one of the ram lambs, had a huge jaw. So got all my worming stuff together and got him good. All the others looked fine. So I've been keeping an eye on them all. He's better now. We've had so much rain here and the worms are really bad. It didn't rain for about 5 days and now it's raining again for the next few days. I really need to try to sell some of the lambs.

This back pasture used to be a pine forest years ago. They got pine borers and had to be all cut down. There are still piles of dead wood back there. The baby goats love to play on the wood. And I just think it's kind of cool looking.

Friday again.

It's Friday again. Wow, this week has just flown by. I've been busy getting things ready for my grand daughter's graduation party Saturday. Chloe graduated high school and Kansas will be going to high school in the fall. Plus all the May and June birthdays. And just a celebration of friends and family. I have so much food, I'm so glad I have an extra fridge to put it all in. I am so excited for this party! I bought 100' of really cool lights at Costco that we'll string around the trees then we'll put the tables in between the trees for shade. My son=in=law Jason will be playing music and playing some of his own music too. Lots of food, fun, friends, family and good music!

I have been trying to find some way to get the goats to produce more milk. I had been getting about 3/4 of a gallon twice a day between the 2 girls. I have tried calf manna before with other goats and they'd just eat around it. Never have given any to Freya and Olga though. So Monday when I was at the feed store, I saw a small bag of calf manna on a shelf. It was $17.99! So I asked Colby about it. He said one guy gets it for his rabbits when they have babies. He gives them just 1 pellet at a time and they produce a lot of milk. Anyway, so I got a bag. Started Monday night. Just a handful in the bucket of feed for them both. And almost immediately I started getting a full bucket. This is a gallon bucket. And they have not been able to go outside their pasture to browse along the fence row because they mowed hay and still haven't came to get the bales yet. I am quite impressed with the girls! So now, instead of 1 1/2 gallons a day I get 2 full gallons! I have 3 milk customers getting 2 1/2 gallons a week, and still bottle feeding 5 lambs, and I still have lots of milk. Some friends are getting a couple pigs and I'm getting half of one, so they can have some milk too.

While I was at Costco shopping for the party, I saw this bottle of wine. I just had to get it. It's a white wine I think and I really don't like white. I usually get reds. But I love the bottle. It has my name on it!

This morning, after the sheep and lambs ate and my 2 bottle lambs had their bottles, they wanted to see what this hen was up to. I took a cute little video of her pecking Frodo when he got too close. The a few others came to see what was going on. That's Ella on the left and Frodo on the right. When she laid the egg, she started the egg laying song, then the roo came and joined her. Then Frodo laid down to take a little lamb nap. And I grabbed the egg before they all smashed it.

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

Random Friday post...

It's Friday! I really never cared what day of the week it was. I think if I had a favorite day, it would have to be Mondays.When my kids were young and in school, I always loved when Monday came. I could get them in school, clean the house, go shopping. Just have some time for myself.

I put a little fence around the mockingbird nest. The sheep were out in the garden and they were getting close to the nest, trying to eat the leaves. So I got a little scared they might knock the nest out or put a hoof in the nest. I felt better anyway. I think the mom and dad did too. These babies are so big already! They'll be flying soon.

This morning, I went out to check for eggs and I saw these 2 up on the hay bale. I got a video of her laying an egg. It was amazing. I've seen it before, but it just amazes me. Can't get eggs any fresher than that. Don't know why the picture is so huge.

And this is 2 of the fig bushes. Or fig trees. I went out the other day and saw how huge they are and am wondering how the heck I'm going to get the figs now! And they are all 3 loaded with figs.

I am still having barber pole worms in a few of the ewes. STILL. I noticed Campbelle last night with a puffy jaw, so gave her some Safegaurd and Red Cell. This morning, she looked lots better. I was getting the Red Cell in a syringe and Annabelle was right next to me. She sniffed the syringe and I put it in her mouth. She started licking it, so I squirted it in her mouth and she took the whole thing. Then Amarillo did the same thing. Geeze, and here I've been catching them and straddling them and pushing it down their throats! Sheep! They will always amaze me.

So I went out back to mow so I could let the sheep out there tomorrow. The lawn mower just quit when I got off to open the gate and would not start back up. Made me SO mad, I hit it with my right hand and I do believe I broke my pinky. I broke it years ago and it's been crooked ever since. I have a knot on the middle top and it's pretty swollen. I have got to learn to control my temper! Especially when it comes to my hands. Now I'm hoping it doesn't kill me to milk the goats. UGH!

More babies!

The 3 Mockingbird eggs hatched last week! This is them not too long after hatching. All mouth!

                               This is them a week later. Getting some feathers, but not many yet.

Every time I say something to them, their mouths go wide open! SO cute. The parents are doing a good job. But, this nest is about 3 feet off the ground, in this maple tree in the garden. I have been hacking away at it over the years. It's got a wild rose in it too. So not many branches with leaves on them. And it's supposed to rain today. I want to go put my canopy over them. But my husband says to let nature do what it will do. Maybe the mother will cover them with her wings if it gets too bad.

I went in the milk room yesterday evening and looked up and there were all the barn swallows, hanging out at thei Then they all flew out and were flying all over with Sam and Rosie. I love them.

Beautiful day

I decided to take my fleeces to a mill. I called yesterday and talked to the man who owns Golden View Alpaca and Mini Mill in Kodak, Tn. Not too far from me, maybe a 2 hour drive. So I am outside today, skirting all these MANY bags of wool from my sheep. Listening to Celtic music and birds chirping and sheep chewing their cud. What an amazing way to spend a beautiful Friday!

P.S. Annabelle only has a little bit of puffiness under her jaws now! I've been giving her Red Cell, hoping to get her blood built back up to fight this. I believe she will pull through.

Annabelle

This is Annabelle last night. So puffy. But this morning, she's just a little and mostly like loose skin. But probably by tonight, it'll look like this again. She's up and eating and seems ok. I am giving her and all the others Red Cell every day til they are better. All the others look great. Just Annabelle is still hanging on to these horrible nasty worms.

Her mother, Lucinda, died from Barber Pole worms when Annabelle was about 4 months old. It was so horrible. I didn't know much about it then. But did all I could for her. She was my favorite ewe. Black and had the prettiest wool. So maybe Annabelle is just more susceptible to these worms.

And she had quads too. But is only raising one of them. The other 3 are with my friend's 3 kids, who love them to pieces! They are named Arwen, Galadriel and Gandalf. They all look just like the other lamb, Goldberry. And all very healthy and happy. And spoiled.

I hope I can pull Annabelle through this. I'll worm them all again about the 7th.

I think one thing that made this worse is the lambs would jump up in the trough when I fed them. And of course they had poop on their feet. So I don't feed them in the trough any more, only in pans and those feeders that hang. So the lambs have theirs and the ewes have theirs now.

And it is NOT fun having to drench 8 sheep every day! I can't even imagine having more than 8.

So please say a little prayer for my sheep, that they get over this. Thanks!

A small miracle

This morning, after feeding the sheep, they all were ready to move. So I got all the fences up and gates open. I turned around when I was done with all that and ALL the 8 ewes, 14 lambs and 2 alpacas were right there by the gate, ready to go.

So I opened the gate and they ALL walked right out and across the driveway and into the garden. I almost could not believe that just happened. I didn't even hardly say a word, just opened the gate and they all went out, one right after another. That has not happened since they all had lambs.

There was always 5 or 6 lambs that didn't pay attention and got left behind. I had to chase them all over to get them out and with the rest. One time, there was only 1 lamb, the smallest of them all, little Pippin, who would NOT go and I  had to chase him  all over the field, then had to go get the husband to help. So I always have this fear of that happening.

Then of course the crazy in me comes out and I start screaming and cussing and who knows what else.

But this morning, there was a miracle here at Outback Farm. And I thanked the Lord a lot! It really was amazing. Maybe the lambs are just older now and know the drill. I don't know and I am just happy.

New milking parlor!

When I tell my husband about a project I want to do, he thinks about it awhile, then jumps right in on it. Sometimes without telling me. Or it could be right in the heat of the day, with not a bit of shade anywhere.

That's what he did a few days ago. It was hot and about noon and there was no shade at all right where I wanted the parlor. But he was out there, getting started. I told him I'd help when the sun went behind those trees.

So we got to work when it was shady there. And did this. I really love it a lot! It was like a flippin' sauna in the milk room. And I'd literally be dripping with sweat. So here is my new milking parlor. The girls like it too.

The only thing bad is the girls would jump on the stanchions and poop. Yuck!

So I put a fence around it. To keep them out during the day. Also, when the sheep are back here, they won't get in while I'm milking and bother the goats. I just need a few more loads of mulch to put around in there and outside the pallet gate. I love pallets. They are the most useful things ever.

Oh, and the view is amazing out there! And cooler .

My babies...

are getting ready to fly! They cannot be old enough already, can they? It just seems like a few weeks ago they hatched.

I walked into the milk room this morning and looked up to see one of the babies out. It's so cute.

Then a little later, there were 2 of them outside the nest. One hopped back in. I don't really know how many there are. I've seen 3.

And I checked the Mockingbird nest out by the bee hives and all 3 eggs have hatched!! They are all skin and bones right now. In a few days, they will be better to take a picture of.

Sick sheep

My ewes have Barber Pole worms. Last Thursday night, I noticed Campbelle had some puffiness under her jaws. I got some Valbazon from a friend and gave her some. Plus some Red Cell and a B complex shot.

Next morning, I saw several others with puffy jaws. So wormed them all and gave shots and Red Cell.

I got a round bale of hay Friday for them.

Then Sat. gave them all Ivermec and more B and Red Cell.

I still have 1 ewe, Annabelle, who looks a little puffy today. I won't give any more wormer til next week. I'll continue to give them Red Cell for a few more days. And I mowed the field where they are now and will keep them here til they are all better.

I cut some cedar and gave it to them today.

I completely forgot that all the ewes got these worms real bad 3 years ago when they all had lambs. I should have given them worm meds after they lambed. But I thought they were all doing so good. We did give them all Ivermec last Saturday when they were all sheared. Then boom, 5 days later, this.

                                         This is my little bottle lamb, Ella. I LOVE her ears!

                                                  And here's Legolas and Elanor. So sweet.

I hope they will all be well soon. I hate when my animals are sick. Makes me feel so bad. I should have known.

Crocheted bed spread

It is finished! Finally on the bed. It has sat over here in my studio for a year I guess, just waiting for me to finish it. It was calling me today.  I really love it.

So maybe now, I can go spin some wool.

Making...

   washcloths and dishcloths, out of an old towel. I was just going to throw it in the garage for my husband to use as a rag, but decided to make it more useful.

I feel like I am accomplishing something today!

And later, I will spin some wool.

Shearing and castrating...

DONE!

Saturday was sheep shearing day here at Outback Farm! We usually shear in March, but with pregnant ewes, we decided to wait til the lambs were all born. Kind of wish we hadn't waited. But these guys will not have any more lambs!

I had them all in the back yard, waiting, for 3 days. Saturday morning, I fed them, then put the cattle panel up to keep them in this little corner.

Matt decided to shear them right in there.

We got Amarillo first! I was SO glad to get her sheared. It had been 14 months for her. It took a good 5 hours to get all 8 sheep done. He trimmed hoofs and I wormed them all. They all had very pale eyes and gums. And it was so hot too. It really wore them all out.

When the ewes were all done, we started grabbing ram lambs to castrate them. One by one, we got all 7 of them castrated! But it sure was horrible. Those poor baby boys laid flat on the ground for a few hours. I was going to put them all out back right after, but I had to wait a few hours for the boys to recover. I held them and petted them for a long time. But they are all just fine now. I am so glad to have both these jobs done!

Not too long after I got them all out back, it looked like a big ole storm was coming. The sky got all black and grey. The wind started blowing really bad. I had milked the goats a little early and put them up front. They were being a little mean to the lambs. Then I got all the sheep and lambs and alpacas in the barn and shut the fence so they'd all stay in for the night.

Well, I thought they were all inside. Til I saw 3 lambs and a momma up on the hill. They didn't seem concerned at all. So I got them down the hill to the barn, opened the gate and they all went right in! And none of the others went out. I was amazed.

I was taking hay and water to all the animals and it was lightening and thundering all around me. It was scary! And stupid. But I have to take care of my animals, right?

We made it through that crazy storm. But the power flickered on and off for awhile. There were big trees down all over the place, from here to Tn. Real strong winds. And it was all over the country, apparently. Crazy weather. I hope everyone made it through ok.

Now on to some more projects...

Babies!

Sam and Rosie have 4 babies that I can see. There could be another on the other side. They had 5 last spring and they got so big that one of them fell out and was dinner to one of the cats. Poor baby. I love Barn Swallows! But my goodness, these birds and I are going to have a head on collision one day. Me going in the milk room and them flying out!

And today I was going to check my bee hives and saw a Mockingbird fly from the little tree beside the bee yard gate. There's been a nest in it but I thought it was an old one. I have always cut branches out of the tree and there's also a wild rose in it that I whack on all the time. Then the sheep are out there and they eat the leaves. The nest is only a few feet off the ground. But aren't these eggs beautiful? My favorite colors together. I hope they make it. I still have 2 old cats and I've seen a few strays cats around lately.

I also have a redbird couple nesting somewhere near. They come around in the morning when I feed the chickens. I gove them sunflower seeds too. Then of course all the sparrows.

And a few days ago I saw another favorite bird in the apple trees as I was leaving. The American Goldfinch. I LOVE them. So lots of birds around. And I am not planting a single flower this year. For the birds or the bees. And I see the hummers are back too. I need a new feeder for them. My old one had lost all the yellow filter things and honey bees were going up in the feeder and drowning.

Oh sheep!

I had planned on leaving the sheep in the side yard til Thursday morning, then putting them in the back yard, where they will stay till they get sheared Saturday morning, then out to the very back pasture.

Well, I should know better than to make any type of plans where sheep are in them.

Last evening, I was in the studio and I heard lambs whining. Lots of whining. I looked out the front door and saw sheep out in the front garden. And lambs NOT in the front garden, but running along the fence that separates the yard and garden.

So there went those plans.

Here is a picture of the fence that goes from the yard to the garden. This is what I have to do to keep it closed. There's probably 1 1/2 feet between the gate and the fence post, so I have to put that 4x4 landscape timber in between, then wrap the chain around all that, then put the shearing stand in front of all that. Fun, huh?

Well, the ewes decided to change my plans up. they all pushed the landscape timber out of the way (I think the stand had been moved and not put back) and went on it. They didn't tell the lambs though. And of course, lambs being lambs, were not paying attention and doing lamb stuff. When they realized mommas weren't around any more and on the other side of the fence, they all had a little lamb fit.

So here I go, the crazy shepherd, trying to get the lambs out there in the garden. Had to put up little fences and other things so they would only have one way to go. Got them all in the garden, finally.

This is the gate where they went out into the pasture our neighbor let us use for years. But not anymore. So I put some fence up and this piece of tin, and a board to prop it up. And there's a roll of fence that I'll use to corral the lambs to get them to go back out. Because they always seem to go the other way when I want to move them.

So this morning, I opened the gate to get the sheep to go to the back yard and it went pretty good. Had about 10 lambs that we had to herd. Then they all went to the back yard and that's where they will stay til they are sheared.

We will also castrate all the ram lambs  and get that job done.

I mowed the garden and side yard this morning. Then went out to where I want to put the stanchions and mowed it real good. We got our old refrigerator from our oldest daughter yesterday and put it in the milk room to hold all this milk I'm getting now. It takes up a lot of room in our fridge.

So slowly, we are getting more things done around here.If only the sheep would do what I want them to do! I really need a Border Collie to help me.

And the alpacas are out back with the goats. That way they'll be out of the way. And I will just about guarantee that Saturday morning, when we try to get the sheep in the corner where I hold them to be sheared, that every single little lamb will be right there with them. I'd be willing to bet money if I had any.

Getting things done

Just look at all these wooly sheep! And to think that all but Amarillo were sheared back in September. Can you see the 2 lambs in the feeder? Yep, I think I need to make them a little feeder just for lambs. But these guys would still do this.

Had a message from my shearer this morning. They will be here Saturday to shear the sheep and trim feet!!! I can worm them all too then. I also want to see if they'll help castrate the ram lambs. I just want to do it right.

I am SO glad to know they'll be shorn soon! I worry about the sheep and alpacas til it's done. Then I feel like a weight is lifted off my shoulders. It's just one of those yearly jobs that seems to hang over me. I guess because I am depending on someone else to do it.

I'll "shear" Olga tonight when I milk. She really is looking quite shaggy.

Doesn't it just feel good to get jobs done? Me and my husband went out back this morning and fixed the electric fence. And all 3 wires are now hot! He had done a lot of mowing and trimming around and under the fence earlier, so that was done. And I had gotten some more poles, because they seem to be replaced a lot. There were whole strands of wire missing. I have no idea what happens back there, but we seem to have to do this at least twice a year. Maybe deer get stuck and break things. I have no idea. I just know things happen. And I hate to do it, but I think I'm going to spray round up under the fence, just to keep the hay-grass from growing underneath.

It's a bit windy today, so I think I'll wait til it's not blowing at all to work on the bee hives. I have everything I need to do it now. Just gotta get in there! I will be wearing my bee suit and have a smoker going.

I made 2 batches of soap for a wedding order. I need to make one more today. Then cut it all and wrap it. Just 30 bars, but 3 different scents. I think next time I'll say they all need to be the same scent. Or more of each.

And I noticed yesterday evening that the 2 alpacas were whining. Just kind of moping. If anyone has alpacas, they make this sad sound when they are stressed or unhappy. But this morning, Misha, the red one, didn't eat with the rest of them. Then he didn't eat any hay. And he went to the shed and laid down, by himself. So I asked my friend who raises alpacas, what she thought might be wrong. She asked about strange dogs and the poop. I said no dogs, but there are 14 new lambs. She gave me a few things to try. He seems better already. I moved them all over to the studio yard this morning, where the round hay bale still is, and nice good clover and grass. I'll keep them here a few days, then to the back yard to get ready for shearing. Then after shearing, to the very back pasture for awhile. It's getting tall back there.

Anyway, I just feel so good about the fence working again. And getting other things done. And the 2 sheep all better. And then the alpaca.

Npw off to make some more soap...