Change of plans

Well, today did not start the way I had planned. I got a call from Betty, one of the caretakers for Mrs. T. She's not feeling too good. She'd only been there a few hours and felt like she needed to go home, then go to her doctor. I normally stay home all day on Mondays. I was going to be in my studio all day making wool dryer balls and  doing some needle felting. But had to go sit with Mrs. T til 5. I like to bring my bag of yarns with me and work on knitting or crocheting while I'm there.

So had to find someone to come in for tonight and tomorrow. Betty stays Monday morning til Tuesday night. Then Emily comes in Tuesday night til Thursday morning, then Betty comes back til Friday morning, then I come for the day til 5. Then Mary comes in Friday at 5 and works til Monday morning.  This works great most of the time. Til someone gets sick. But when 2 of the caretakers are sick? UGH!

I had sent a text to Emily but she never got back to me til later. Mary came in at 5 for me. Emily has had a migraine since Sunday and was going to the doctor tomorrow and isn't even sure if she'll be there tomorrow night. So I need to find someone for her now. I have another lady who comes in on Sat. (Darlene) to give Mrs. T a bath and do her nails. (And she said she's going out of town this weekend, so won't be coming this Sat. SEE?) She's so sweet. So she said she could come in tomorrow night but has to leave at 7 AM because she has another job during the day. Can this get more complicated? Why yes, I think it can.

So I called Mary back and she said she'd get there at 7 Wed. morning and then I'll come as soon as I can get everything done here. I'll stay til 5 or so. And that's all I know so far. I am hoping Emily is better so she can work Wed. night at least. And then hopefully Betty will be better so she can work Thursday. And this is crazy!

Then Mary wanted the next 3 Friday nights off. Darlene said she could work for Mary but not THIS Friday. UGH again! How did I end up with this job??? I don't know! And then, the MOST complicated part of the whole thing, when it's crazy like this, is paying everyone. UGH! I hate math! I have everyone's NORMAL pay week already written down, so all I have to do is look at my check register. But now, I have to figure all their hours. And they all make a different amount, which is crazy. Oh, this is not fun at all. It's a good thing I am taking a few weeks off from markets.

So this will help me writing all this down so I can see it. I have also written down everything so far, on paper, as far as who worked when and for how long. Otherwise, I would be a basket case for sure.

 I got a lot of knitting done today. Mrs. T. reads some articles from the paper out loud. She reads the same story, over and over. When it comes to having to turn the page to continue reading one story, she forgets and starts all over again. It gets to where I can read along with her. I'll tell her she just read that part and she says no, she just started. So I start saying everything she's saying as she's reading. It's kind of fun. Keeps my brain working. And the day went by pretty fast. Had a call from Linda this afternoon. I met her from Mary Jane's Farm forum and we talk about once a month. I really like talking with her. She can't post comments here for some reason, but she lets me know she reads my blog. Thank you Linda! And hope you feel better soon.

I got home and got the husband to get his gun and come out to the chicken yard with me. I wanted to hook the nester up to the mower and drag it out of the stall and he could shoot that darn snake when it came out. But we never saw it. And only got 1 egg. It was up under the dog crate in the driveway. I keep seeing the chickens come out of my flower jungle. They may be laying in there. We WILL get that darn snake! One day. And I melted his brand new nylon strap. It got wrapped up on the back wheel and on a pipe. Melted the end off. I told him I hoped he wouldn't get mad at me and call me stupid or something. He said "no, you're just a woman." Ouch. I thought that was pretty darn funny! I'll get him! But I love him anyway.

So I just finished up the mowing. Looked like rain. But it never did. A long day tomorrow too. So going to bed now. Have a good Tuesday y'all!

Making progress, a little at a time.

Yesterday, I got up wanting to do something. Didn't really have a plan. I just grabbed a bag of wool out of the cat room. Took it to the studio and started washing it. It was Annabelle's wool. Some was really good but most was 2nds. Which is fine, because I need to make lots more dryer balls. So did this most of the day. It rained off and on all day too, so had to bring the drying racks inside. I had both of them filled with clean pretty wool.

This is Annabelle. She's probably 95% Finn. Her mother, Lucinda, was full Finn and so beautiful. I miss that ewe. Had the prettiest black wool. Annabelle was a single lamb. And she has only had one ewe lamb, Buttercup. Buttercup was sheared this year and has some really nice wool.

The finished wool, drying. I also had another full one like this when I was done. I started carding it today. I'll be doing that for a long time. And this was just 1 paper grocery bag full. I still have big garbage bags full of sheep and alpaca to wash.

This is the soap I made a few weeks ago. On the left is ginger-coconut. With fresh grated ginger and ginger EO, with coconut on top. In the middle is the lemongrass made with lard. I love this lard soap. I used a yellow vegetable dyt for some color. Smells so good. On the left is the lavender-oatmeal I found in an on-line magazine, I think. I need to make some more because I only got 8 bars.

Also yesterday, in between washing wool, I made 4 batches of soap. In the blanket is my pumpkin spice soap. I had gotten a small pumpkin from one of the farmers at the market last week. Cut it up, put it in the food processor and added cinnamon, fresh grated nutmeg and some pure maple syrup and pureed it. This recipe has castor oil in it too. Then I sprinkled cinnamon and fresh nutmeg on top. Also used cinnamon and clove EO. The uncovered soap is Patchouli. I love this one. And also made a chamomile soap. I used Roman chamomile and Bergamot EO plus paprika for color.  Got these all cut today and are drying on the racks.

I also re milled some soap I had made last fall that just didn't smell. Grated 3 pounds and added Spiced Mahogany FO. Tried to make some swirls too. But I don't know if it's going to get hard. It was still soft today.

It's been quite hot here this month. The alpacas do not like this heat and humidity at all. I try to go out every day and spray them with the hose. They LOVE it! But apparently Misha was a little impatient and got in the water trough to cool off. I have a small kiddie pool in this yard, but it's a tadpole nursery right now. Plus my honey bees use it to drink from too. So I hate to move it. Might have to get another one just for the alpacas.

Today, I went to the studio and made calendula lip balm. I had ordered 30 lip balm tubes a few weeks ago. And I had gotten some flowers from my garden and dried them. Then infused them in olive oil for several weeks. Also had some bees wax from my garden hive that I had to take out. It was burr comb. And really clean. So got 25 tubes of calendula lip balm. Plus made 11 small jars of calendula salve. That's a pretty good seller at markets.

So I feel like I was pretty productive this weekend. It feels good to know I actually made some progress in the studio. I'll be making wool dryer balls this week. Plus some needle felting too. And probably more soap too.

I also have had a run-in with a snake in my chicken nesters this weekend. D*** snake! Caught it in the act too. Eating my eggs. That's just not going to happen here! I got a shovel and take it with me when I check. I saw it yesterday with an egg in it's mouth. I got as close as I could make myself get to it and tried my darnedest to kill it. It got away.It's staying behind the wire nester, under all that hay. It was in the far right nest box when I saw it with the eggs. So I took a green feeder box and shoved it in the nest box to keep hens out. And while the snake was in that one, eating eggs, a hen was in the nest box at the other end. So I guess the hens don't mind snakes?

So I have been going out every hour or so to check on the eggs. I saw the snake a few times today, too. It was going to the nest box on the other side. I saw it's head sticking out. It went back behind the nester when it saw me. I saw it later, but it didn't come all the way out. It got all the eggs. There's a dog crate that's been on the side of the driveway for awhile now. A hen lays an eggs every day in it. Well, today, there were 3 eggs! I guess maybe the hens were not liking the snake after all. Smart girls! My husband went out this afternoon with his rifle. He waited about a half hour and never saw it. Darn snake. We will get it. One way or another, we will get it. I still hate snakes. Especially snakes that eat my eggs.

So what's been going on at your house lately? Care to share?

Ok, it's official...

I AM A SLACKER!

There's just no other word for it. Well, maybe LAZY! I cannot get motivated to do a thing around here. It's because I have so much time. Not a good thing for me to have. I need help! I need a kick in the a** bad.


Ok, that's enough of that. Here's something growing behind the wood shed. It's really pretty. Some kind of morning glory I think.

And did y'all see my new metal antique lawn furniture? I just love them. The 2 round tables came with the house when we bought it. They need painted too. But they go perfect with the chair and glider. One day I'll sit in them and watch the garden grow stuff.

And here's Louise, outstanding in her field. She's doing great here so far. It's still funny when the sheep see her, how they freak out! But the alpacas are crazy when she even moves. They make this horrible loud high pitched noise like one of those big birds that fans their tail feathers. LOUD! And then they run. They are terrified of this poor big cow. Who does nothing but ambles around the pasture. Wondering what all the fuss is about. Maybe she thinks she should run and hide too? It's so funny. But she already had more solid poop than when she first came. It was nasty. It's lots better now, as far as cow poop goes.

So maybe I might do something tomorrow. I know I have to make zucchini bread for my friend to take to market Saturday. And pick okra again. Geeze, this is bad y'all.

I should know by now...

 to be careful what I post on this here computer.

  A few days ago, I posted pictures of Louise, the new cow. Of course, a few people stated that she was awfully thin and I should be grain feeding her to get her conditioned for winter. Well, good grief, for one thing, she's a huge Jersey. They are thin! And she came from a pretty small pasture with no grass. She just got hay and grain when milked. Then we think she had a miscarriage not too long ago. And is a little depressed. She didn't eat for awhile after that. So we thought this would do her good to be here, eating all this grass and helping me out.

  Then I posted the pics of Bubba eating grapes. Oh my, you'd think I was trying to kill my dog, the way some people reacted! Grapes are SO poisonous to dogs! Do not give dogs grapes! It could kill them! And, also onions and garlic too? I have given my dogs raw garlic in their raw dog food for years now. They are still alive.

  That's another thing to not mention. That I actually give my dogs RAW meat! People just about go ballistic. RAW meat? You feed your dogs RAW meat? How could you? They're DOGS! They need vegetables and fruits and grains and wheat germ and and and... Good grief people. Dogs eat raw meat all the time. And have for years. SHoot, they've even gone out back and brought a deer leg or two home to munch on.  My dogs are pretty healthy. I also give them raw bones. But please don't tell anyone.

  And Heaven forbid I should ask advice on anything farm animal related. Or honey bees either. I can ask 50 people the same question and get 50 totally different responses.

  I will learn some day to not say anything about sheep and worms. Or sheep and castrating. Or anything sheep. Just post happy sheep, munching on grass in the beautiful  lush green pastures. Happy animals are what people want to see, right?

  And while I am saying all this, I'll say that people who kiss chickens and let them sleep with them are CRAZY! My chickens are not pets! I don't even really like chickens. I like eggs. That's about it on the chicken liking. Well, I like eating chicken too. But chickens are nasty. They stink. They carry all kinds of nasty things around on them. And have you ever butchered one? Yuck! They are gross! That's all.

  And I hate bottle feeding lambs and goat kids too. I like it fine for the first few days, then that's all. I've had enough. That's why I am not going to breed my sheep this year.

  Oh goodness, this internet. It's gotten a little out of hand, don't ya think? It's made people think they can say or do anything now. So I will have to be careful what I post. But I do like to stir things up, just a little. It's kind of fun to see what happens! Some people are funny.

Rainy Monday...

 It's just a wet day today. We sure do need it. I sure wish I had found some kale seeds though. I'll just have to wait awhile now to get anything planted. A late fall garden, I guess.

  Went out to check on the animals. Saw the sheep and alpacas, but no cow. I thought maybe she was over in the little barn across the field. Some of the sheep were under the shelter on the garden shed. And some were under the eave of the studio. So walked over and peeked inside the barn stall. There was Louise, laying down. She just about took up that whole stall! She's pretty big. It's probably 20x20 and she was in the middle.

  The 3 lambs look so much better today. Cara has just a little bit of puffiness under her jaw. The other 2 don;t have any. I'll not use any more worm meds and see what happens. But to me, they look good. And have more energy.

  Hubby got back last night from going to Indiana to get the grands. They had spent about 2 weeks with cousins in Wisconsin. They met husband in Indiana and they spent the night with his son and kids. On the way back home, they stopped off in Knob Lick, Kentucky, to pick up my antique lawn furniture from Miss Wilma. It's raining or I'd get a picture. It's a metal chair and a glider. Painted yellow and white. I'll put them out in the garden, in front of the garden shed. So I can sit and rest after working in the garden.

  It's just a nice day to stay inside and do nothing. But I need to go take my oldest grand, Chloe, to her school to see why she hasn't gotten her report card yet. I think she said she owed some lunch money. Then I want to go to get some activated charcoal so I can make a facial soap. Can't wait to make some. Also want to make some pumpkin spice. I got a little pumpkin from the farmer's market Sat. to use.

  I was making some chicken salad the other day. The dogs are right there in the kitchen every time I am. Waiting for something to fall or land in their mouths. I was cutting grapes and gave one to Bubba to see what he'd do. He ate it. So gave him some more. He likes to catch food too. He's good at it. Stella didn't like the grapes. I was cutting up some cantaloupe yesterday and he ate some of that too. Silly dog!

Happy Monday, y'all!!

I hope this works.

 I asked my friend Sarah a few days ago if she had a dry cow that I could borrow awhile. I had read that cows and horses don't carry the same worms as sheep and goats and were good together. Sarah has 3 Jersey cows she's been milking. But Louise must have had a miscarriage a month or so ago. So she needs to dry up. So her husband just brought her out here to stay awhile. I forgot how BIG cows are! And how stinkin' messy they are too. Yuck!

The sheep and alpacas are NOT too happy about these plans. Not at all. No siree. Not happy.

                                     They all had a little private meeting way over in the little yard.

But Louise didn't care at all. She was munching away on their mineral block. They also had a few things to say about that!

Still trying to decide on a plan of action. Haven't come up with anything good yet. I did put a board across the smaller gate, so the cow can't get in this yard, but the sheep can go in and out, to the field. When they think she's not looking. They'll get used to her, I suppose. Some day.

Meanwhile, Louise is going to eat. She sure has plenty to keep her busy. She didn't have anything like this where she was.  I hope she doesn't get sick.

So life on the farm is constantly changing. Still thinking about some pigs too. I have that electric netting fence I think I'll use to move the pigs around, following the sheep and cows. When they are over in the other pasture. This one isn't mine. Just borrowing it. So don't want to put pigs out there. But I also heard pigs will take care of the worm load as well. So between Miss Louise and a few pigs, these sheep should be ok. And Mel is coming tomorrow to get Charlotte and Claire, the 2 lambs I wanted to sell. This will leave me with 12 Finn sheep and 2 alpacas. But I have a big ole cow now.

Worms and bees...

I went to the farmer's market this morning. I had a soap sale this week at both markets, trying to make room for all my new soaps. I am going to take a short break from both markets, so I can make more soaps and salves and also lip balms. And wash wool for more dryer balls and needle felted animals. I need to build up my fall and Christmas inventory. Now to just get motivated. I am such a procrastinator though. I'll wait til the very last few days and then get busy. If I have so much time, I think I have SO MUCH TIME and will get to it later. Then later comes, and I have to work, work, work! But I think I do better like this. I just need to change my way of thinking.

And I am very discouraged and upset about my lambs. Poor little Cara barely made it up with the rest of the flock this morning when I went out to check on them. Poor baby. So I gave her another B complex shot and went ahead and wormed all 3 of the bottle lambs with more Dectomax. And gave them all sheep nutri drench.

Today, after market, I went to Tractor Supple to get some Safegaurd, which I read kills tape worms. That's what I saw in Cassidy's fecal the other day. There were 4 wormers that specifically worked on tape worms and that's all they had. I also got a 40# bag of Diotemacious Earth to sprinkle around where they take their siestas. I'll do that every day. Also put some in their feed trough. I so hate this.

I talked to my friend Sarah, who has 3 milk cows. I asked her if she had any that were dry now. I had read that cows and horses don't get the same parasites as sheep and goats and work well together. I think cows like the taller grass , where sheep like the lower grass. So she has 1 dry cow that is really not feasible for her to be feeding like for a whole year, so she's going to see if they can get her out here. That will be a good thing to help with all the horrible worms we are plagued with. I hope, anyway. Has anyone else had luck doing this? I'd love to hear about it. I just feel like I'm such a horrible shepherd right now. I wish I had a dry lot and a load of hay. I will be getting some hay and will try to keep them in for awhile. See if that helps.

I am so happy that I still have 2 hives of happy busy honey bees in the middle of August!!! My 1st hive last year lasted about 2 months, and was invaded by wax moths. Bees all left. So I have no idea what I am supposed to be doing right now for them. I have a friend coming Monday to get the last 2 lambs I wanted to sell. He has bees and said he'd check them while he's here. See if I can harvest a few frames of honey maybe? We shall see. I hope I can take at least 2 from each hive. But they are the busiest girls. They are coming and going all day. They are drinking water from the sheep's trough. I have bits of wood in there so they don't drown. But there is always some that do. I hate that. I also have a small kiddie pool in the side yard that is a tadpole nursery. The bees drink from there as well. I have a big piece of wood in that pool so they can drink from that. I love these bees.

I read somewhere that an older man, who'd had a few hives for a few years now in Missouri I think, was attacked by his bees while he was mowing. He died. They said he had a heart attack, that's what killed him. But he was covered in bees. So sad. It makes me think I better be careful and more aware of my bees when I mow around their hives. Anything could happen, I guess. You never know about wild creatures.

I don't know if you can zoom in on this pic or not, but these bees coming in are just loaded with bright orange, almost red, pollen. All on their little tiny legs. So cool!

But I am so happy both my hives are doing so well. Now to just get them through winter.

So I have THE WHOLE WEEKEND to myself!!!! Husband went to Indiana to get grand kids. What shall I do? It just feels good to have TOTAL quiet right now. No TV! Seems like he's constantly got that darn TV on.  There is so much to do. But there's always tomorrow, right?