Some things are more involved than others on a farm. Like with sheep. One day, I think all is well. The next, not so much. I was pretty sure the 2 boys I castrated were doing so much better and made it through the worst part. So I had left them alone a few days. I moved them all over to the big pasture a few days ago. Then yesterday, I noticed the boys were moving slow. Laying down off by their selves. Got closer and noticed lots of gnats around their back ends. Also saw Cameron, one of their sisters, was limping a bit.
So grabbed some feed, antibiotic shots, wormer, wound and fly sprays and hoof trimmers. Got them all in the little feed area. Got both boys and checked them. One felt a bit warm. Gave them both shots, wormed them, doused them in wound and fly spray. Then got my 3 little bottle lambs and trimmed hooves and wormed all 3 of them. Today, they all look good.
Then a little later, I had gone outside to check the mail and heard one of the young lambs. She was standing beside the electric net fence, which was not on, but I haven't taken it down yet. I walked down to the mail box and on the way back, she's still standing by the fence. On the other side from the rest of the flock. I then realized, she'd gotten her head stuck in the netting. Stupid lamb! So ran over and got her head out. Then took the fence down and rolled it up and took it away. That's 4 times a lamb had gotten stuck in that fence. While it wasn't on, thankfully.
I had a pair of wrens build a nest in the back porch laundry room. All the babies hatched and then all decided to leave. I was so glad they left when they did. Because that night, a snake got in there and was probably looking for the babies. I only saw it because it knocked down a jar off my canning shelf. So I turned the light on and looked out the window. Saw the tail going up and up on my shelves of canned goods. I screamed for my husband and scared him to death! It took an hour to get that darn snake. I'll spare you all the details.
I finally got motivated to make soap today. I made 3 soaps. All the same recipe. 1 is cucumber-melon. Another is cucumber-basil. Another is cucumber-mint. All with fresh cucumber, basil and mint. I love how different they all turned out. The basil is green from the fresh basil. I love that one. Can't wait to take them out of the molds. It says to leave in molds only 3 hours. But they are still a little soft and still setting up. So I just left the tops off. I'll take them out tomorrow and cut them to cure. Only 4-6 weeks for these. I'll make more maybe Thursday. I want to make a ginger soap.
And the honey bees are doing so good. They seem to be growing and growing! I had added a box of frames on each hive a few weeks ago. When my mentor came a week ago last Thurs. They hadn't done anything in the new boxes yet. I've been feeding them sugar water the past few weeks now. I went up yesterday to check on them both and just took the top off. There were so many bees I could see through the hole in the top. It was late, so didn't take that top off.. I'll wait for a nicer day to check on progress. It's supposed to be gloomy and rainy all week here. But am happy they're all doing so well.
I've been making more needle felted things. And carding some wool. Going to markets. My cucumbers are taking off right now. And okra. And tomatoes. I'm getting a few ears of corn every few days just for us to eat. It's so good. I want to get the garden tilled and start on the fall crops soon. But not this week. Which is fine. At least by the 1st week in Aug. Can you believe it's almost August already???
I'll try to be more consistent here. I just feel so boring right now. Hope y'all are having a better week.
