Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Are you lookin' at me?


I was in the bedroom making my bed and looked up. Bout got scared to death! There's John Henry looking at me through the window! Silly boy.

Fresh raw cow milk


This is not goat milk. I sure wish it was. But look at that cream! Nearly half the jug is cream. This is from my friend's Jersey cows. She has 2 that she's milking now. I have to get milk from her while I am waiting on goats to kid. Which shouldn't be too much longer, but it seems like some of them like being as big as an airplane.

Monday, January 28, 2013

Farm exercises and cold fresh air.

There is no better way I know of to wake up in the morning than good farm exercises and cold air hitting me in the face. Especially after sleeping to nearly 10 am. Because I took Benedryl earlier this morning. Because my eyes were running like crazy and I was  sneezing. I have to get up at 6 so I can get my grand daughter ready for school and on the bus at 6:40 and it's still dark outside, so I go back to bed til daylight. I am not one of those dark-thirty farmers who does everything in the early before daylight hours. Not me. But I am an early-bird and like to get most things done before noon.

So my feet hit the floor running when I saw the time. Good grief! Pull on my dirty farm pants and boots and go outside. It's cold out there! But by the time I am done, I am sweating and jacket-less. I have hay in the house-barn next door, so grab the 2 wheel wheelbarrow with only one working tire, go next door for hay. Feed sheep while over there. I had already checked on new momma and kids. Gave her a shot of Banamine because her udder is still hard. And rub her udder down with coconut oil mixed with peppermint EO. Babies are sleeping and look fine. Trudy looks like she wants to go outside. So out she goes. Then acts like she's forgetting something, so goes back in a few times. Babies still sleeping. So out she goes again with the rest of the does. With no kids yet.

Get the hay. Feed the sheep. Go back struggling to get the wheelbarrow up the slippery path to the garage. Take hay to does and bucks. Also have already fed dogs and cats before all this. Then go check the nest boxes for eggs. 4 of them, still a bit warm. Back to the house for coffee. I love that stuff!

Next I am headed to town. Then I have got to go get my truck and get it loaded with 37 bales of the hay I bartered fro a half a lamb. There are 4 bales left of the 180 bales I had gotten last year. 180 bales. And it's almost the end of Jan. Those 4 will last til the 1st of Feb. But we're supposed to get some pretty heavy storms starting Wed. SO I need to be prepared to feed lots of hay in the barns.

So I am woke up now and ready for more. I hope y'all have a great week.

(The reason I am taking Benedryl is becaues I am snuggling with these new kids. I have to kiss them and smell them and all. Then my eyes itch so I do all that and next thing I know, my eyes are all puffy and swollen. I do this with kittens and baby lambs too. I have to wash my hands really good after each snuggle session. But sometimes I forget or can't. And for some reason, these new Benedryl pills just knock me out, even though they say non-drowsy formula. Well, they aren't.)