Disbudding, done for the year.

I took the girls to get disbudded this afternoon. They were not happy with me at all. Ella Belle had to go back for a little scur that was making her look all wonky. And we can't have a wonky looking doe, right? So she looks much better. Her brother, Ira Joe, has some scurs too, but he didn't want to go. They all did great. My friend Kendra, has been disbudding for me for years now. She lives in Trion, which is about 35 minutes from here. She's really good and gentle and gets it done pretty quick. One year though, I had so many kids born within a week of each other, that she came here and did them all. And castrated some of the bucks too.   But that's the only time she's come here to do it. Her 2 kids and husband all came out and watched. Her husband had to help hold Ella Belle while she fixed her up because she's quite bigger than the triplets are. And she was not a happy girl about the whole deal. And she let us all know it. So that little job is done for the year. I don't think there will be any more kids this spring.



Mariah wouldn't even look at me to get her picture taken. But she did in the next one. She's so cute. Every time I brought out a kid, Kendra's kids would oohhh and aww at them. They have LaManchas and Kendra said it'd been a long time since she's had to hold ears back.

Do any of you disbud your kids yourselves? It's just one of those things I'd rather get someone else to do. The first time I took kids, I cried. It was awful. Now it's just one more thing to have to get done. And I know it only hurts for just a few minutes. Then they are just fine. I can do a lot of things. That's just not one I want to do. And this time, we bartered for soap. Cool.

This garden

The garden this year is nothing like I have ever experienced. I actually got it started back in the middle of March with potatoes, collards, kales, radishes, beets and lettuces. We had SO much rain in between. Then heat. Then freezing cold. Then just plain ole cold. All the poor little plants didn't know what to do. Then we had floods. And most everything was washed away. All my good soil too. So this is what it looks like today, June 5th 2013.

These tomatoes are looking really good. I did have to replant most of them. I just tied them to the stakes awhile ago. And weeded. There are some tomatoes on some of them. And I have basil in between them too.

This row really took a beating the last flood we had. I had all kinds of squash and zuc seeds and plants and cucumber seeds too. Most of them were all washed away along with the soil. But the ones left are doing good. I did put Epsom salts on each plant too. I think that's helped them.

These are the cucumbers already trying to climb the fence. There are little tiny cucumbers on them!

Looks like just a bunch of dirt, but there are field peas and beans coming up in these rows.

And some potatoes came up. I am planting squash and zuc seeds in the spaces where nothing came up. Here are some potato flowers. And a bad bug.

There are some eggplants in the mulch here. I just gave them some fish emulsion so I hope that helps them. I also have several coming up from seeds in a flat that I had ordered from Johnney's.

Here is where I just pulled up all the big tall radishes that did nothing. I'll plant something else here now. Just got to figure out what. The cabbages I planted back in March to the left are finally starting to grow. The beets in the middle are too.

This is the collard and kale rows. Just sitting there, doing nothing. I have picked some kale a few weeks ago. They are under a pecan tree and I planted too close together. They need more sun. I did plant more kale over to the right, in the full sun. It's all coming up, doing pretty good. Now we just need a little rain.

Here are some field peas popping up in the very sorry soil I have here. But they don't seem to mind. I can't wait for some good ole field peas and rice! My favorite meal.

So, there is my pitiful looking garden. I was almost ashamed to post pictures. I have never had to replant before. I would have had bean flowers blooming by now and I'd be picking loads of green beans in a few weeks. But not this year. This fall, I will be planting clover as a cover crop. It really needs it.

How does your garden grow? Any luck? Have you harvested anything yet? I would love to see your gardens too. And hear how they are doing so far.

Ticks!

Last night, I felt an itch on my back. I felt a little tiny bump and thought it might be a little seed tick like we found on Kansas the other day. But it wasn't. This morning, this is what I pulled off my back. Yuck!!! It's not one of the regular ticks I see a lot but one of the ticks I see on dogs that get huge. And it was on my back! So disgusting. I had made a plantain salve last year so put some of that on the spot. It helps with itching and healing. I need to make some more because I use it a lot. I also found a recipe for a tick repellent that I will be spraying on me and Kansas when we go outside. I hate ticks!

I do believe this is going to be a bad tick year. I have found ticks on Sandy the goat too. She gets them around her face and on her ears. And I guess the dogs are full of them and they are in the house.

Anyone else seen ticks or had them on them already? What do you do to get them off? We usually put Vasalene (?) on them to suffocate them then pull them out. The little tiny seed tick on Kansas was on her leg where the crease is at the top of the leg. And they get behind an ear or knee. Be careful and check for ticks!