Husband update.

We went to the wound doctor this morning. He had a staph infection. The antibiotics are working though. The right ankle looks lots better today. They are going to check with insurance to see if they can do a graft next time to speed this thing up. I sure hope they can. Seems like they would agree to it because it would help the time it takes to get better. As it is now, we go there every week. If this helps speed up the healing, I would think they'd agree to it.

We were gone all day and got home at 5. Again. Same yesterday. Went to get the stitches out of his left arm from the surgery 2 weeks ago. Doctor wanted to cut out some more on the same arm, but still wasn't sure where. So Tiny said nope, no more for him. I can't blame him. It sure did mess him up for a few weeks.

So when we got home, the first thing we do is check the fire. It was almost out. The central heater has been on since. We did get the fire going, but it's just too darn cold to heat up any. And the darn central just blows out cold air, that we have to pay for. Makes me mad. And it's supposed to be about 10 tonight. I am not going anywhere else til spring. Plus having to run out and haul water to all the animals because the water buckets are all frozen solid. And feed hay.

I had to put all the cats in the "barn" next door. It's our little house, where I store hay. It has a kitchen and bathroom so we have to keep a heater on when it gets cold. And 3 of the cats got sick a few weeks ago when it got to 4 2 nights in a row, Poor Gilbert was so sick for about 5 days I thought she was going to die. And little Sybil was sick a few days too. So I put them all in the barn a few nights ago. Just left them in all day today since it was so cold. Poor cats. They're all over 10 years old.

Yesterday, we went to O'Charlies for a late lunch-early dinner. Tiny got a rib-eye steak. He always gets sirloins and they are always tough and he's so pitiful trying to eat the darn things. Never complains. So I told him to get a good steak. Even the cook came out to see how it was. It was marbled really nice and I could tell it was really tender. He did enjoy that steak. So no more tough old sirloin for him anymore.

I am just rambling now. I am trying to not spend so much time on this computer. I had thought about just turning it off but I'll try it this way for now.

Thank you all for your prayers for my husband. It really does mean a lot and it does help.

These chickens

These chickens are all about work. I thought of those little Face Book funnies, where someone says something like "people be like..." I made some for the chickens.


This one is: Chickens be like, we don't have time to eat. We're late for work!

And this one is: Hens be like, let us out of here woman! We're late for work!

Even though there is a nester box in the coop, these hens will jump out of the coop as soon as I open the door, and they run as fast as they can next door to the other nest boxes to lay their eggs. They don'y even stop to eat. They are true working girls, these hens! I just thought this was funny.

It just takes one...

to rock the boat. Sheep, that is. I have been letting them in to the chicken yard side of the farm so they can have the 2 stalls at night. Then they go back over to the bigger pasture for the day. But to get them back and forth is a bit of a job. They have 3 gates to go through. And I have to get them all at the gate to go to the other side and make sure they all go through to the other side. I have a fence I put up across the driveway to keep them from going into the yard. But then there's the whole driveway they could end up going down instead. So far, it hasn't happened. Til tonight.

I have been only giving them hay at night now, since the weather has been so nice. And since I realized I only have about 30 bales left. So I'll put hay in the 2 stalls at night to get them to go over there. It's been working rather well. But last night, I saw that there was a lot of hay still in there, so I just raked it up to make it look like I had just put hay in for them.

Darned ole sheep are smart. They whined for a little while til I went back inside. But they know in the morning they get grain and bread on the other side. So they always go. No problems at all.

I guess they were onto me tonight. And all it took was one sheep to go the wrong way and they ALL go the wrong way. Down the driveway toward the road.

It just took a few minutes to get them all back to where I wanted them. With a little cussing and hollering of course. Darned ole sheep! I think they will be staying over there this week, since it's going to be cold again. Like in the teens at night til the weekend. It just makes it hard to give them the grain when they are bumping me and running all over the place. It's so much easier to get the feed into bowls with no sheep around, then get them over to the feed. SO much easier. I'll have to figure out what to do in the morning.

This morning, I trimmed all 4 does feet. It had been a few months since I have done them. Had to clean the milk room up first. They weren't as bad as I was thinking. And I didn't make any of them bleed this time. I usually get at least one hoof too close. But they look good again. And Bubba and Stella were happy dogs! They love those nasty hoof pieces.

Also did a little spring cleaning. It was so beautiful today, it got me up and doing things. I worked in the bedroom and got a lot done. Will be going to take a load to Goodwill tomorrow and some recycling to the Community Kitchen. And spend some time with my mom. We've been missing our Tuesday's together.

And will y'all please say some prayers for my husband? His right ankle is just not getting better. In fact, it's been infected. I was telling the nurse last Thursday at the would care center that I was concerned about how it's not healing at all and looks horrible. The doctor came in and did some things. He took a culture to be sent off. And we're trying a different type treatment instead of Silvedene cream. But I ran out. So will go get more tomorrow. Also put him on antibiotics. He's not been feeling too good and his blood sugar has been around 200 for over a week now. So I knew something was wrong. They may try a water treatment soon.

Y'all stay warm. It's gonna get cold again!

And peace is restored to the Kingdom once again.

Friday, I put an ad on CL for the roosters. It was really getting bad around here. The poor hens couldn't get a moments peace with all these guys chasing them all day. And for those with chickens, you know what I'm talking about. When there is more than 1 rooster, the testosterone is flying. It's not fun at all.

So, this one rooster seemed to be the one that the hens liked. He would go into the big coop at night with all the hens. The other 2 roos would go to the chicken tractor. So I just got the 2 roos in there a few days ago, by their selves. Put the ad on CL. And got a call a few minutes later. A friend not too far away came and got them both!

I was so happy. And I could tell right away that the hens were happy, too. And Black Bart is very happy. They are ALL his now! And he is a good rooster. Doesn't have any favorites. Just goes along with whatever the girls want. He's good like that.

                                          Here's the big boy. The king in his peaceful kingdom.

Misty morning sunshine

I am so glad I carry my camera with me. This is what I saw this morning while I was feeding the animals. Isn't this awesome? There was mist across the road, gently rolling along. It got closer and closer. The sun was coming up and the sky was getting brighter. It was just beautiful. I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I do. I know it's beautiful all over, but to me this is the most beautiful place on earth. I love it here.

And just thought I'd throw in some bacon. This is some from the pigs I started raising then sold. This is some of the best bacon I have ever had. I am seriously thinking about getting a few more. If I can raise them where these guys finished out their happy lives. It's like the perfect place to have pigs. We shall see.

These goats.

I was looking out the bathroom window yesterday morning and saw this. How many times have you seen the same thing? At first, I thought she was just in a deep sleep. I called her a few times and got nothing. I ran back in to get boots on and go check on her. Just the way she was laying, I thought she was dead.

Then she gets up. Scares me every time! And it has happened many times. She was just laying there in a very deep sleep, enjoying that nice warm sun.

So I decided to let the goats out on the other side of the fence, in the over grown vine jungle. They love it over there.

Sandy kept going deeper...

and deeper.... til she almost disappeared altogether. I could hardly see her. Must have been some really good stuff back in there.

That lasted about 10 minutes. Then they went out into the wide open pasture next door. Where they are NOT supposed to be, because it's not ours. But they always come back in to their goat yard to rest. I have good goats.

I counted my hay bales a few days ago. I only have 35 bales left. It's about the middle of January. I have been giving the sheep about 1 1/2 bales a day, once in the morning and then again in the evening. They also get grain and bread in the morning. I have 18 sheep til the end of Jan. 2 of the rams go to the butcher. I just might take the other 2 as well. Then I'll just have 14 ewes. Much more manageable for me right now.

The goats get about 5 flakes, plus grain and bread in the morning too. Then more hay at night. I have 4 does and a buck.

The alpacas get a hay feeder full because they are in the back yard right now and there is not much to graze on. Plus they get grain in the morning.

I have decided to only feed hay in the evening from now on. They are all out grazing what they can all day. Plus I go out and cut privet and honeysuckle and cedar for them all to munch on. And I cannot tell if the sheep are pregnant or just fat butterballs. They are huge. If they are pregnant, it will be a few more months, because there are no udders yet. They should all be pregnant because there are 3 rams out there with them and have been for several months now.

There is SO much to do around here. But hubby has a doctor today and some errands to run. I did get in a cleaning mood this weekend. Unusual for me. Could hardly sit still before I'd get up and go clean something. It sure feels good though.

I hope you all have a great week. And stay warm and dry too.

Blue Sunday

 Just some blue to brighten up your day!

Have a great day y'all!!!