23 earthquakes since Sunday night. They were all very very small, and I haven't felt most of them, but they are coming from an unusual area not prone to earthquakes and that's a hella lot of earthquakes. WTF?

On Sunday I had the neighbor kid come with his little JD 4WD bucket tractor to bring some gravel from our pit, around to the driveway, and fill in some holes. He also brought some to where I have a gate going into a little field where I can move some of the goats. That went very well and it only ended up taking an hour. Now the driveway is much smoother, and there's a little driveway into my pasture. Improvements.

I sold a pair of wethers to a gal in Eureka and she just called for more goaty information. She seems reasonable ( she has horses) and I think she and the 2 lil' dudes ( now named Chevy and Elvis)will be fine. There's just a period of adjustment, like bringing home a new puppy.

Gerry came by and filled my semen tank, and he's always full of gossip and information. There's a man who is happy in his work.

Long lost J and M came yesterday and switched out some of their does. They took about 20 and left about 15. She also took a buckling of hers that I raised, and 2 does that I had here getting bred. Also that damned horned LM cross doeling that I couldn't keep in any pen on the place. No, I don't miss her now.

There's rain in the forecast so I should mow what lawn there is today before it gets too wet, and starts to grow again.
No word on ranch evacuation, I'm going to try to tidy things up some, the rain makes it harder to keep things clean, and maybe I can convince the new owners to let me stay.

I've been contemplating what makes people lie, or disillusioned about their lives.
I think it all comes down to something which when I realize it, makes me sad, even towards those that I dislike; if you lie, then you must find the truth inadequate in your own eyes.
I feel sorry for those that need to lie or embellish. Why not be satisfied with your life? And if not, why not change it so you are proud?
I don't understand this way of being.
And what are those that are lying trying create to those that they tell the lies to?
An alter ego? A part being played?
This will take some contemplation, as I don't get it at all.
And I don't think that deep down they really believe the lies. If they do, then that's a whole other problem, one of mental instability, which I suppose is also possible. But from what is that generated?

Why does this stuff happen when Ted is out of town. What's also wierd about these earthquakes is the fact that on our drive back from Redway last Friday, we were discussing the massive geological formation that is the bluff running up to Hydesville ( where these earthquakes seem to generate). A sheer cliff rising straight up with no river to have formed it.

In other news.

The show at The Palace was totally awesome!
Last minute costumes were fashioned ( I was Enid from Ghostworld, Ted was Jaques Cousteau) and we were off. As we turned down the alley to enter from the back, we could hear JB's bass..)
I hadn't really heard this band since just after they started playing together. They have been practicing steadily and it sure showed. They were tight and right on.

They started out wearing costumes ( hair band @ 1981) but it became too hot and restrictive. The guitarist almost passed out from heat exhaustion and restricted blood flow from those tight jeans.

The crowd loved them. The sound was perfect, being loud enough for me, yet still able to talk ( o k shout, but still be understood)even right in front of the amps.
They played from 9 until just after 1, which was a long long time to rock.

The crowd at The Palace was not the usual old farmer crusty dudes. This was a different crowd, and it was good.
I have heard that some records were set:
Best Halloween Night ever for the Palace
First time a minor (JB)has played
First time a band has played for Halloween
No annoying drunk guys, no fights, and I never saw even one cop all night.

The owner was totally stoked and paid the band above what he had promised, as the bar take was so good. He says he'll definitely have them back

Oh yeah and the guy who was Dawg, the Bounty Hunter ?( an awesome costume BTW) was Sean from Nilsens, someone I deal with almost every week. I can't believe I didn't recognize him!

Oh and also? It seems I now have a mohawk.

Why did it feel like we were having earthquakes all night last night?
Because we were.

Here are the earthquakes appearing on this map, most recent at top ...

MAG DATE LOCAL-TIME LAT LON DEPTH LOCATION
y/m/d h:m:s deg deg km

2.6 2006/10/30 07:21:50 40.529N 124.042W 17.2 4 km ( 3 mi) ESE of Hydesville, CA
1.8 2006/10/30 06:20:52 40.539N 124.066W 19.3 2 km ( 1 mi) ESE of Hydesville, CA
1.7 2006/10/30 04:23:22 40.431N 123.948W 4.7 15 km (10 mi) ESE of Rio Dell, CA
2.3 2006/10/30 04:00:48 40.517N 124.062W 18.7 4 km ( 3 mi) SSE of Hydesville, CA
1.8 2006/10/30 03:41:14 40.611N 124.123W 6.1 3 km ( 2 mi) NE of Fortuna, CA
2.0 2006/10/30 03:32:30 40.519N 124.055W 19.0 4 km ( 3 mi) SE of Hydesville, CA
2.3 2006/10/30 03:27:15 40.541N 124.058W 18.3 3 km ( 2 mi) ESE of Hydesville, CA
3.2 2006/10/30 03:23:54 40.526N 124.058W 17.9 4 km ( 2 mi) SE of Hydesville, CA
1.7 2006/10/30 02:39:01 40.431N 123.948W 4.8 15 km (10 mi) ESE of Rio Dell, CA
2.0 2006/10/30 02:15:03 40.532N 124.070W 19.0 2 km ( 1 mi) SE of Hydesville, CA
2.0 2006/10/30 02:08:37 40.516N 124.049W 18.6 5 km ( 3 mi) SE of Hydesville, CA
2.8 2006/10/30 01:56:57 40.523N 124.062W 18.8 4 km ( 2 mi) SE of Hydesville, CA
2.7 2006/10/30 01:55:41 40.525N 124.058W 17.9 4 km ( 2 mi) SE of Hydesville, CA

Rodbusters.

We watched a show about building the new Bay Bridge in San Francisco, and I was fascinated by the rebar weavers.
They make these huge tubes/ cages/ tunnels of intricately woven and tied rebar in a variety of colors. They are really beautiful

a surprisingly productive day

I once again am greeted by a mass of vultures at the ranch when I get there. I also see not one but two fresh ewes. One has a single nice black lamb, the other ( finally the ewe I have been watching) has 2 small white ones. These don't look too strong. I get all of them to go into the small front field where I have been putting the ewes with new lambs. Now that's 7 lambs out of 4 ewes in October. This is all good.

I got a call from an ad I placed on Craigslist about the wethers and the gal shows up around noon. She just wanted some brush goats/ horse companions, and I sure am glad I took the horns of of at least a few of these guys, because that's just what she wanted. Now 2 goats gone and money in my pocket. And 3 new lambs. So far so good.

In the afternoon I went full speed ahead on the stanchion and now it's completely done except the last bit of the AI rails. That will be a real quick job and I should be able to get shipping costs on Monday for even more money in my pocket.
I did a lot of handwork on this stanchion as the headlock was made adjustable, and I kind of forged the latch. That was way fun.
Metal is so surprisingly soft and malleable and so much more forgiving than wood. It amazes me everytime I work. If I make a mistake I can re do it, or even fill in where I have gaps. No way can you do that with wood.
I am loving this stuff.

My new lambs are a bit weak so I have been supplementing with some sheep/ goats milk. They have been drinking it down so I think they'll be fine.

Tonight we will go to see Josh play at the local saloon for the "Freakers Ball". Since he is under drinking age, the law states he has to be in a "non alcohol zone", that is where no alcohol can be where he is. Like a cone of soberness. Fortunately they are totally accomodating this, which kinda surprises me. The band will be playing all original music, all night. They have been practicing for weeks, and putting flyers up ALL over town.

So if yer in Ferndale tonight, check out the Palace and "The Malone".

diaspora

well that was an interesting day.

looks like my beloved ranch home for the past 9 years will be sold and I wll be dispersed.

but i have some time to figure it all out. maybe 60 days.

we drove to Redway today to get a window for our new bedroom it was hot down there, probably at least 80 degrees. and walking amongst hundreds of windows out side was like walking around in one of those solar cookers.
it was nice

i have an urgency now to finish all the projects. i made huge headway on the feeder, and i imagine tomorrow i will finish the pre ordered milk stand
i even worked a bit on the big stanchion from jeanette and mike, for whatever reason. it is a project i have really wnated to do, and it's pretty easy.

baseball is done. the summer is over. daylight savings on sunday. my ranch will be sold. i might be done farming. a farmer without a farm.

Knitty diary

Oh and I got so carried away on that last post I forgot about my knitting project.
I received a pattern I ordered yesterday (duh, I probably have 2 other copies of this pattern somewhere, but where?) and I started knitting Lazy's wool.

I wondered if I could knit one whole sleeve in an evening, as the gauge (9 st=2") is a fast size for me to knit.
I started at the start of the ball game, and by 11:00 I was 2" short of my goal, but I was done. If I had started earlier I might have done it.
This makes it seem possible to knit a sweater in a week.

Ubuntu

Right before I woke up this morning I was having a long involved dream with sick sheep, buck goat advertisements and the hay guy from Loleta and his family.

Yesterday I got much done on the stanchion and got to the point where I needed the rest of the steel. Fortuna seemed a bit more expensive, but I hadn't realized how much more until I called. Not only do they charge cut fees ( 2.00 per) even when you buy a whole bar (20') but their prices were almost double! Well worth the drive to Eureka to save all of that.

Josh and I drove up there and picked that stuff up. He points out that the Boiler works, the Auction yard and Redwood meats all seem similar to him. My hang outs, full of big old dirty equipment and middle aged men.

In listening to NPR on the way home, Clinton (and others) were discussing Ubuntu; how life is relatively meaningless without social contacts.
"I am because you are"
I have been thinking along these lines for a few weeks,; as much as it irks me to realize this, it is true. Who you are is relevant through your relationships with others. (no "man" is an island"
In light of recent developments in my social circle this is really obvious, although not in a predictable way.
Society and relationships should keep aberrant behavior in check; when it's out of balance I think it actually works in the opposite way. Or when personal agenda preys on the weak in spirit.

In this definition of Ubuntu, it really applies to us, here, isolated on the north coast:

It has also been described as a philosophy of life, which in its most fundamental sense represents personhood, humanity, humaneness and morality; a metaphor that describes group solidarity where such group solidarity is central to the survival of communities with a scarcity of resources, where the fundamental belief is that "motho ke motho ba batho ba bangwe/umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu" which, literally translated, means a person can only be a person through others.[2] In other words the individual's whole existence is relative to that of the group: this is manifested in anti-individualistic conduct towards the survival of the group if the individual is to survive. It is a basically humanistic orientation towards fellow beings.

Our small "interest circle", meaning local dairy goat breeders in this discussion, it seems we are all relative to each other. Plus, our limited resources ( information, supplies, genetics) are so much stronger if we can all work together. It may seem petty to apply the concept in this way, but this is my view lately in my "community".

And how can I apply ubuntu to my belief in karma, when bad things happen to bad people, or schadenfreude?

I guess it might come to the struggle for compassion.

No rain since June

Northcoast Weather

RAIN 0.00 today
0.00 inches last 24 hours.
0.39 inches this month.
0.39 inches seasonal (July - June)

tooooos

As soon as I started spinning that fleece last night, I lost the lock nut on the wheel. There's just no end of trouble in processing this one. But in a twist of good fate, the lock nuts I have for the stanchion bolts are the same size, so I was back in business quickly.

I got some good tips on checking the semen in my straws; it turns out that the last drops near the cotton plug are usually not good for checking, and rarely have good active dudes in there. That makes me feel a bit better about the semen, and I probably didn't need to use 3 straws, but if she settles then it was all worth it. Breeding my best milker to the highest rated buck should be a good thing.

I found a breeder nearby ( well, 2 hours..) that has Nigerian Dwarf does for sale. There is no one else anywhere around that is breeding these little dairy goats, so it's a good thing to start here. I might take a drive out there to see about them. She's also in a part of my neighborhood I have never been to before.

I need to get this stanchion done. Last night I worked on bending the rod I need for the latch and I had moderately good success. I have been fretting on how to do this, but it seems easier than I had thought.
I need to get some more steel..

Lunes

O K, so a doe came into heat yesterday, but she was not one I was expecting; in fact the 2 that were next in line have still not come into heat, which looks promising. This brings my rate up to about 50% which is totally acceptable.

I have been looking at a drop of each straw under the microscope which has been helpful. The 2 does I bred yesterday had very lots of very active swimmers.
Then I re bred the doe that cycled and I didn't see anything when I looked. So I pulled another straw and bred her again and still I didn't see. However, one of the does that did not cycle was bred to the same buck!
The doe was still in heat this morning so I once again bred her, and this time I did see some sperm, so maybe there's a chance. This is a really great buck (Sempervirens Benito) and I have settled does to him before..
However now I need blank slides ( I have been using a few slip covers I found...) and it seems there is no place anywhere around to get them. I need to order them.
In a strange but somewhat similar way I also need test tubes. I broke the second to last speculum last night and I'd like to make some more. Strangely, I have not found a supplier that carries both slides and test tubes.

In sheep news, that ewe still hasn't lambed, but I did get the newly fresh ewe and a limpy one sorted out and put in the front field where I can grain them. I'll try to sort out the other poorer ewes so they can get a little more groceries. No rain in sight means no improvement in the pasture for a while.

I need to force myself to process this black fine fleece. This whole project has completely stalled.
Time to sell the others on eBay.

Sunny sunday...again

I have been having such poor conception rates so far with my A I (1 out of 4 so far) that I am reviewing my procedure. I do see that maybe I didn't get a good timing on my 2 does ( too early in their heat) but I still should be doing better.
I checked my thermometer (it's fine) and I think I'll try thawing the semen at slightly higher temp (98 instead of 96).
I pulled out the microscope and checked last nights semen, and it was totally fine; full of active squiggly dudes.
The doe was in perfect heat, having just gone out of standing heat; I watched her walk towards the buck, somewhat interested, then walk away.
It's so damn frustrating.

My metal project is going much better. The headpiece is basically done, but it's a good thing I checked the e mails from the original order. I had forgotten that she wanted me to add A I rails! So now I have to figure out how to add them, but still be able to break it down for shipping.

Having more than one project going helps when I get stuck. After working on the stanchion, I took a break and started building the legs for my work table. It's hard to work on the ground, my back can only take so much of that. I have some heavy 1/4" 4" angle iron that I wanted to cut down for the legs, but could I cut something that huge?
Yes!
So now I have the legs, and I think I'll put wheels on the bottom so the table is easily moved.

Yet another sunny clear day. It looks like it's going to be Novemeber and still no rain. I think I need to start feeding the sheep, something I have only done in flooding. I have a new set of lambs and another ewe that is very close. They need more food than they can probably find.
I think I'll separate the fresh ewes and feed them.

I finished "Drawn To The Rhythm"
yesterday; that was a pretty good book. I understand the esoteric passions, and the desire to compete. I am not sure with the cold water we have that I'll ever get to rowing like that here, but it did get back on the rowing machine.
Plus the fact that the sculls are so small that I might just be too big for this type of sport. Sara Hall is under 130 lbs.

It's been so warm I've been sleeping with the window open. It's either that warm, or it's the night sweats..
I feel like I've been getting good sleep even though I know I have been waking up 4 - 5 times each night, yet I can go right back down. This is a new pattern.

I ordered a few more pieces of steel and I am getting a better knowledge of the gauges of sttel I like to work with and what I need. I think I need to take another welding class as the amount I don't know seems to grow. There's a very good class at College Of The Redwoods, but it's always full. I guess I'll make a real effort to try to get into it next semester.

So I am completely done with the deck, as I put the support bars and the hinges on last night. Now I'll do the headpiece with nothing but an idea and a memory, which might be trickier than making one from a model I have. Nah, it's so simple.
And I found some black primer at Piersons which will make the painting part go so much better.
It's the details that are so tricky; grinding is way more complicated than it seems; as also is painting steel.

Another clear sunny day; I don't think winter will ever come this year.

Yes, I have found a new obsession
http://shygypsy.com/farm/

I have finished the deck of the stanchion and I am well on my way to finishing the headpiece. I imagine another few hours and I'll be on painting duty.

My doe did come into heat yesterday morning. Since she is still in heat tonight, I guess I just bred her too early last time; I'll re breed her in the morning.

I made meat loaf and mashed potatoes, then chocolate goats milk pudding.

Nothing happened today. The way things have been going this is a good thing.

Yesterday was a crazy emotional social storm, fortunately, only slightly involving me and my family.
As a barely involved outsider to the drama, I can be observant, yet I don't really know what is going on.
One thing I do know; if a friend is going to cut me off, I would appreciate a reason. I would give anyone I had been a friend with at least this much respect. But, I am not really that concerned, just a bit curious and certainly puzzled.
Combine this with the drama of last week and I think this could stop for a while thankyouverymuch.

The good news is we are all fine and mostly untouched by it all.

After my hay delivering visit in the morning, where the drama began, I worked a lot on the stanchion and I am basically done with the deck. I went to Amy's to see how her headpiece works so I will build this one the same ( it's adjustable!). I stopped by the Ironworks where the man in white ( I found out his name is Chuck, and working in a metalshop he wears white coveralls) cut me a piece just the right size. He is definitely the cutter.

My knit vest is coming out way to big and I am going to rip it all out.

My A I doe still hasn't come into heat ( still assuming she will..take that universe..), and Amy came by last night for me to breed her doe.

The sun is out again today and I will finish the deck and start building the headpiece. The next project is a work/ welding table. I have been working on my other stanchion deck, which is still too low.

I believe that the government is fully supporting the recent trend in tattooing so each person has individual marks and therefore is easily identified.

I expect to find my doe in heat this morning. This is me playing with fate trying to trick it into thinking I think one thing and the other will happen just to spite me. It's O K that I've written it down because it knows what I'm thinking anyway. But I am prepared for the disappointment..sort of.

This fleece is killing me. First I can't et it to dry so I set some on the heater each day so I have some to work with. It jams my drum carder, it is sticky and lumpy, but I'll point out again that is making beautiful yarn, I want to finish it quickly because it is barely satisfying and I have other much easier fleeces waiting.

On the knitting front, the vest I have been sort of working on for months is past the bottom of the armholes and marching up to the neckline. If I make myself knit ( it's really not that bad) I can easily do 2 to 3 " in a sitting. The hat I made the other night was very satisfying, but I need to at least finish one half of this vest before I start something else. I also think I have 1 finished sock somewhere that needs a mate.

I had a dream right before I woke up about a family that came to look at the ranch. Although they weren't all that nice to me ( and one lady fell in the lake behind the barn and almost drowned) they did tell me I could stay. I broke down crying and totally embarassed myself.

I almost have the stanchion deck done, I need to get a heavier piece of steel from the Ironworks today to make the cross brace. I must deal with the man in white. So I'll do a Fortuna trip and get some pictures of Hoppers headpiece which I will copy this time. She's coming by tonight for me to AI her doe. Again. This time for good.

On ironwork yesterday, I made a mistake which usually causes me to quit for the day. It's hard for me to do something twice, but in this case it was a really easy fix, so I bulldozed right through it. That was kinda big for me. The metalwork really goes fast and I can get so much done in an hour. I like the lack of sawdust, it's such a clean hobby, I don't get why girls are more often drawn to woodworking.

Toos

On Sunday Josh and I ( well, Josh actually drove) went up to Arcata to see "This Film Is Not Yet Rated"
The problem is worse than I could have imagined.

When we came out, it was raining, so we made a stop by the ranch to put some of my hay in the barn.

Poor Ted had my disease for the 24 hours, and he had to go to work. By Monday morning he was much better. Whatever it was I hope it was a virus and we'll never get it again, cause that totally sucked.

I started spinning one of the black merino fleeces from one of my yearlings yesterday. What a whole different operation from my silky Romney fleece. This one is soft, fine, crimpy and sticky. It is very hard to card as the drumcarder wants to clog and choke. I managed a skein last night, and I'm trying to get the rest of the fleece to dry ( it was out in the rain too) so I can get this done quickly, as it's a real pain. I did knit up a swatch, and it is the most lovely soft yarn, but what a drag.

My AI does are due to start coming back into heat if they didn't take, so I must steel myself against the disappointment. The first doe was bred to the last straw of that buck, so it would be nice if she was one of the ones that stuck. I did so many AI that even if my conception rate is really low, somebody will have taken, and I do have Misty already bred. She was the first doe AI'd this year, so maybe that's a good omen.

The sun is finally out today for the first time in almost a week. There has been no action at the ranch, but I can't find any real estate listings either. I figure either the place will sell right away, like some other local person has been wanting to buy it, or it won't sell. The real estate market seems to really have slowed way down this year. I can't remember the last property that has sold...

I have no headache today! I need to get back to work on this stanchion and send it off.

World Wide Whole Earth Catalog

Stewart Brand invented the internet ( or at least the web)

Quease

Landslide video

My helpers

Poor Ted seems to have gotten my disease...and on the only day he absolutely can't stay home from work.
Well at least we know that it will be mostly gone by tomorrow...

Friday and Saturday we ran around getting supplies and doing a dump run. Seems we might need to do that a little more often. The new bedroom is completely cleaned out and the walls can now get worked on and finished.

I challenged myself to do knit a hat in one night last night. The other knitting project is going soooo slowly ( tiny stitches) I needed some satisfaction. I found a good fast pattern online and by 2 am I had a new hat. There's a toss up between using larger needles and thicker yarn and the ability to knit fast. I might try this hat again with a circular needle, which I can definitely knit faster.

The last does that hadn't shown signs of heat have come in. I think only 3 more does have shown no signs, one of which is mine and one of which is one of J's does who had been with the buck so maybe I just missed it.

I got 2 more new does from my neighbor on Friday; 2 grade Alpines out of my buck Marvin. They are quite nice, one being especially nice, and possibly able to register her up tp 75% so that is good. I am done buying does, and I need to sell some of these wethers. I think I'll run an ad this Friday.

Cool short animated film!

October lambs!

I can't remember the last night where I slept all the way through, and as I lay in bed last night I hoped that I could do it. On waking up this morning I found that I had managed a full night's uninterrupted sleep.
Which contained a very long and very detailed dream involving, of course among other things, the fair and fair paperwork and Susan at the main desk, Josh and a plane flight, the goats, my neighbor.

Yesterday I felt so much better, but still not close to 100%. As I approached the ranch in the morning I started thinking about new lambs. I usually have new ( out of season) lambs in October, which certainly helps the pocketbook, but I had none at all last year.
Anyway, I'm driving and thinking about looking for new lambs when I see the field, with about 15 or 20 vultures...
But then I indeed see a ewe with a set of new lambs, one black one white, and they look fine. What were the buzzards after? A weak old ewe? I stop the car and walk out in the field to see; I can't see any body large enough to be a full grown ewe, maybe a 3rd lamb, or someone elses lamb...? As I get out there, I see that all the fuss was about the afterbirth! What a relief! And 2 new lambs; however the white one is extremely tiny.

In other ranch news, I finally got the big Ford truck started. That engine is so strong, once I got the battery charged ( ahem) oh yeah and some gas in it (urp) it turned right over. The engine is definitely not the problem with the big Ford truck.
I turned it around and parked it where I could wash it off and get it pretty so I can SELL it.
I checked on my tiny new lamb in the evening. It was a good day to be born, sunny and warm, and the lamb ran so fast I couldn't catch it, so it must be alright so far.

And my old foundation doe. Princess Leia, was finally in heat yesterday, and today I will A I her. Oh yeah, that was in the dream, too.

After almost 2 days in bed I feel slightly better. I have no idea what this was, but it certainly involves a killer right side headache.
I feel like I can get out and do a few more things today. I only managed 30 minuntes of chores yesterday, the absolute minimum.
Alternate sweating and chills. And lots of sleep.

Not much else to report.

National Coming Out Day

I'm a 48 year old American female. Any more you already know, or it's none of your business.

i feel like crap

A reprieve

Wow that was not the phone call I was expecting.
Yes, the ranch has gone on the market today. It's on for 2 months ( for more than it's worth, IMO) then off for the flood season if it doesn't sell, then back on in the spring.

No I am not kicked off. As a matter of fact, S says there has never been any talk of asking me to leave or a 30 days notice. That just about made me cry,

There is actually talk of a buyout, or a partnership. In that case I am probably totally safe.

Wow, this is fantastic news for me.

Steel / Wool

I got back on track with the stanchion that has been ordered and got almost the entire deck done.
In the morning I replaced the wire on the welder and did a few test welds with the new larger wire. .005 makes a surprising difference.

I went to get hay in the morning and when I got to Nilsens out jumps Jet; I had no idea she had jumped in the truck. Then, after my hay was loaded, I realised that my wallet was at home, so back home and back to the feed store, sans Jet this time.

In the afternoon I finished spinning Lazy's fleece. Now what to do next?
I'll get back on knitting, and probably spin cotton until I decide what to do next.

I joined a YahooGroup that is all about the sock knitting machines, and I got an e mail from a guy in Eureka who has 2 of them. He invited me to come by to see them ( and his etchings??), which is excellent. He says there are 2 more people in the country that have them.

I had a committee meeting in the evening, which up until yesterday I had decided I was no longer going to be involved in. But, I got to thinking about what the problem was, and that if it is promotion, someone needs to step up and take care of getting the buyers to the sale. So I'll be that person; for one more year; sort of do it or shut up. First order of the day is an email to the U C Davis goat head who is involved in Dairy Goat days, as they have invited Deborah G to give a presentation. Deborah G! who was very involved in starting the project, but has not been involved at all for many years. That has to be dealt with now. She can have some credit for starting, but not much else.

Agter the meeting, which I quickly ducked out of, I went to the ranch to work more on the stanchion. I have the deck steel and frame done, the supports are cut and ready to weld. The legs come next, then I start on the headpiece which I should be able to so in a few hours.
And I need to look into a portable band saw for better cuts as the 49.99 chop saw is not giving me accurate cuts.

Oh yeah, and I missed a call from S Z, in which whose hands are held my ranch fate. I am sure it's time for me to go. But, I still haven't heard.

Fiber Fair Sunday

Even thought I did come in 2nd yesterday I was pretty happy about the spinning contest. I beat me closest competition, although he might have had mechanical problems, and I missed 1st place by only 4 yds. The 1st place winner was so far out
ahead of me at Ferndale, knowing I only missed by a few yards was nice. And I didn't go all out the whole time, so I definitely can pick it up a notch. That, and I'll definitely get a speed bobbin for the next one...

The Fiber Fair was quite nice, and surprisingly busy. Cohyn and I arrived about 1/2 hour before the contest so we checked out the booths. He is always interested in whatever is going on, and the drop spindles really caught his attention.
I met couple that raises Angora Goats ( where Mohair comes from) just the other side of Redding and I am considering getting some, if I still have a ranch..
I did buy some of their 70% Mohair/ 30% wool roving, which is really gorgeous.
As far as fibers go, I was looking for some nice handspun cotton, of which there was none. Actually, there was no cotton at all.
I then found some deep blue roving, coincidentally from the #1 spinner who is also the gal who is processing my fleeces. I think I'll spin that and then ply it with one of my soft black fleeces for a nice dark blue/black yarn.

In one of the booths I found some lovely socks, which are a weakspot for me. I go through socks like nothing and my feet are almost always cold, so I definitely picked up a pair. They were only 20.00 so I got to thinking about sock nitting machines, which I knew a very little about. ( it takes me 2 full days of knitting all day to make a pair of socks by hand)

When I got home I did some research and found that there are lots of these little gems out there, and not very expensive. About 100 years ago there was a company or 2 that promoted and sold these machines as a way to make money at home knitting socks.
So there are literally thousands of these out there, and parts are easy to come by.
I even managed to find a YahooGroup that discusses them, and has like 1,000 members.
I'm watching some eBay auctions to get an idea of what they might cost...

Cohyn spent the time back at the house waiting for his parents, and learning to spin on the spinning wheel.
In the evening I spun another skein of Lazy's fleece, and I think I might only have 1 or 2 more and I will be done with that. I managed to get 5 separate shades out of his one fleece.

First place...OF THE LOSERS!!!

Sunnyday

Well we didn't miss all of the rest of the sunny days of the year, the sun came out yesterday, and today is already clear and bright. Even warm!.
Cohyn and I are going to the Fiber Arts Fair today; there's a spinning contest and I have some butt to (try) to kick.

I managed to get a lot done yesterday; I finally conquered the problem I was habing with the latest stanchion build. I was told not to get the cheap chop saw, and indeed I couldn't get a goot 45 deg cut. So I spent a good hour grinding the angles until it all fit together properly. I tack welded the frame together, then I ran out of wire! I have used up one whole spool of welding wire; fortunately I have another, and the next spool is a larger wire (.035)which should be better suited for my needs.

I also moved all the kids in the barn out for these last few weeks when the weather seems to be holding, and moved all the wethers out as well. I moved the 2 dry does that needed to be bred back to the barn, and moved the Kiko does out of their pen and into the GP.
I hauled Tarachandra to Sandras and had a good chat with her about thangs, all goaty.

I still need to card wool for the contest, and Neleven is in perfect heat this morning to get A I bred...

summer is over

Road trip!!

Well that was fast, fun and surprisingly painless! AF is a great travel partner and she made the trip fly by.
Up at 6:30 (well I actually woke about 4:30 and tossed until the alarm went off). Got to the ranch to quickly do chores and we were out of town by 8.

No, I won't wait in a 4 car line for a cup of coffee. But 2 cars, well, O K.

I haven't made the drive to Redding in almost 10 years. I had been partway about 3 years ago, to Weaverville on another goat/ semen exchange, and it was at about the same time of the year. That year was also a bad fire year, and the scorched hillsides and smell of smoke was also apparent. This year the fire crews were still in attandance with encampments that look like a rock concert.

We made it to Redding in plenty of time in less than 4 hours. The truck we were meeting was runing behind schedule so we bivouacked at the Burger King, where, it turned out, Amy had regularly done the same many years ago as part of a dalmation rescue/ transport ( fallout from 101 disneys).
We ate, and waited, and waited long enough that the truck of bucks I had fought enough to break the rear window of my cap. The same one I had so proudly repaired last spring. Well, at least I know just how to fix it, and a temporary suture of black tape did the trick for now.

The truck finally arrived with a load of does that she had picked up from yet another breeder and brought to us. Yep, we made the exchange right in the Redding Burger King parking lot. Our does look good, and it seems everyone was happy with all of the purchases.
It was all so easy that I almost forgot that I was getting a nice fat check..!

Then right back down 299 we went. It was warm and sunny and the afternoon was really great for the drive home.
I made it through the 2:00 naptime doldrums and we stopped at the Whiskeytown dam to check out the Glory hole, which was not flowing this time of the year, but was still nonetheless a creepy and stomach turning site.

A stop at a thrift store in Willow Creek (screech..THRIFT STORE!!!...) and back to the coast just in time for Friday rush hour, as much as it was, which wasn't bad at all, and then we're unloading our new charges and checking them out.

That ride was so easy I wouldn't mind doing it again. Probably was the great company, so I might have to bribe her.
I also shouldn't have had that double shot mocha at 4 as I was exhausted but unable to sleep when I got home and decompressed. I'm still a little logey as I fell asleep at about 10 but than was wide awake at 11 until almost 3.

It also seems we missed the only sunny day here for the past week as it's dark and dreary again today.

Still no word on my status at the ranch. One day at a time.

On Foi Gras

(and vegetarians in general IMO)

Anthony Bourdain
Salon

And that's where, for me, the issue broadens. Telling people what they should and shouldn't eat is cultural imperialism -- and deeply disturbing. That a group of people could say, "You know, how you eat and how you've been eating for hundreds, if not thousands, of years -- traditional Jewish cuisine, Western European food since Roman times -- that is wrong and should not be allowed." I find that offensive. Ethnically insensitive, jingoistic, xenophobic, anti-human and disrespectful of the diversity of cultures on this planet, and for human history. But that's just the kind of law that has passed -- in Chicago, our second city, no less. It's a win for the forces of darkness, willful ignorance and intolerance.

Serendipity

I needed to take some pictures of the bucks that I have for sale. I didn't realize that I had the camera set on B&W.
I sure like the way this came out. I might have to try some more like this.
I don't really like the lack of depth of tone in the digital B & W, though, but this, after some editing, is almost acceptable.

Game 2 ALDS

Oh geez, it's tomorrow I'm getting up at dawn to drive to Redding with Amy. The 3 ( or is it 4 by now) way goat exchange will happen sometime around noon.
It just dawned on me that it was tomorrow.

I need to get pics of my little bucks as the recipient still hasn't decided on which one(s) she wants.

I am more than halfway through lazy's fleece and now I have started the lightest part. The wool is long lustrous and almost pearly silver, really beautiful. Now I need to get the sweater pattern I have in mind. This is a pattern I have knitted numerous times, but I have lost and ordered it more than once. You'd think I could do it from my head by now.

I was worrying about the state of my does yesterday, thinking I had so many that I needed to breed. But on looking over them I realized that pretty much all of the Alpines are now bred; it's just the Lamanchas that are still open ( and any AI does that haven't settled, which could be all of them). That was comforting.

No word on the state of my ranch future. No one was at the house yesterday, and I can't find the place listed. I really hope they call me when a decision has been made.
Must Play Lottery.

The ballgame last night was postponed until this afternoon. The Mets won theirs.

I guess I'd better clean out my truck today, or else all the goats and Amy will be sitting in my lap.

Nureyev

I don't enjoy watching basketball, but this kid is beautiful.
Reminds me of Pistol Pete.

Iggy Pop's Rider

Diesel

Yep, it's raining. So it begins.
I have the hay I bought sitting outside on my hay wagon.
I did manage to get my fleece off of the porch when it started last night. I need to cover my little engine.
Otherwise mostly everything is inside.

While watching the ballgame last night I suddenly had the feeling that they had lost. But they were winning, and they eventually won. That was wierd.

So with the rain I guess I'll get some diesel and set stuff on fire.

Religious right strangely silent about Foley


If there's one thing you have to concede to America's Religious Right, it's that these folks have an amazing media and public relations network and can issue press releases, get on television and radio and, when they really want to, mobilize their lemming-like flock faster than Jack Abramoff can bribe a Republican Congressman.

And yet here we sit, four days after it was revealed that Republican Congressman Mark Foley was using the Internet to go after teenaged boys, and all you can hear from our own little version of the Taliban is dead quiet and crickets chirping.

Odd, isn't it? The same people who can move their followers to boycott any company that believes gay people even have the right to exist, can't muster much outrage over one of their own preying on young boys and, more importantly, the Republican leadership in the House of Representatives ignoring it to save their political hides.

With the news out since Friday, James Dobson's Focus on the Family (FOF) still doesn't say a word about it on their web site. In fact, if you go there right now and do a search on "Mark Foley," the closest thing you'll find citing Foley is a statement from March 2006 entitled More Funding Needed to Combat Child Porn.

They quote Foley in that piece as expressing concern that children will continue to be victimized if Congress does not act more proactively against child predators.

"We are still not funding it enough," they quote Foley as saying. "This is one of the most pervasive, dangerous elements in our society."

You just can't make this stuff up.

Baseball in October!!

Another good reason to be a Yankees fan, we get more baseball!
I'd hate to be done with baseball. I'm never ready for the season to be over.

1st inning and they seem to be hitting well..

The family was at the ranch today with another real estate agent. But I know this one, he was our agent when we bought our place. He knows about ranches. We'll see what happens next.

I found a ewe with maggots today. Ew. That was a fun project. She's in the pen with the prolapsed ewe. They're both doing fine, considering.

The first rain makes the roads slippery...greasy

. First measurable rain event of the season expected late tonight
through Thursday...

A low pressure system located along 130w will develop a cut off low
off the northern California coast tonight. This system will bring
unseasonably cool and wet weather to the San Francisco and Monterey
Bay areas tonight through Thursday. Rain chances will begin late
tonight over northern California... and will increase and spread
southward on Wednesday as the low approaches the coast. The best
chance of rain is from late Wednesday afternoon through Wednesday
night. Showers are expected to linger into Thursday and possibly into
Thursday evening as well. This weather system also has the potential
of producing isolated thunderstorms across the region... particularly
on Wednesday afternoon and Wednesday evening.

Rainfall totals through Thursday morning are forecast to range
from a quarter inch to a half inch across most of the area... to as
much as three quarters of an inch in the Santa Cruz Mountains and
as much as an inch in the Santa Lucia mountains above the Big Sur
coast in Monterey County.

Motorists are urged to drive with extreme caution once rainfall
begins. This will be the first significant rainfall of the season.
Several months of dry weather has allowed a film of oil to collect on
roads. Rainfall on top of that oily layer will initially result in
slippery driving conditions and increased stopping distances.

Raw milk is like Heroin

The Raw Deal
The FDA says it's dangerous. Selling it is illegal. So why does an avid band of devotees swear by the virtues of unpasteurized milk?


Our son earned perfect attendance awards for many years when he was in elementary school. Never had earaches, or allergies.
He has had raw goats milk since he was 1 1/2. He's now almost 19, and 6 ft. 2" and still extremely healthy.

Thank you Washington Post.

Places to stay in New York

Just sticking this here for personal reference...

http://www.newyorkmetro.com/travel/travelcolumn/17557/index.html

Gravel is heavy

I hauled 2 trailer loads of gravel yesterday and made a sort of inroad through the gate here at home. It took a lot out of me, my shoulders and my little truck.
I think I'll have the neighbor kid and his little tractor bring the next loads.

Still no notice from the landlords or the real estate agent or a lawyer. I still figure when I do get notice I'll have 30 days..

It was supposed to rain but today is sunny and clear. I was looking forward to a burn pile to get some crap dealt with, but I don't dare until we get some rain.

I had the callback in a dream this morning. I was dreaming, woke up, went back to sleep and a character from the first dream appeared in the second..

I want to be the person that obsessively picks away, the tinkerer, the folk artist,

http://www.agilitynut.com/spec.html
I just like to sleep too much

O K, so I think I'll start seriously working on making the home place the base of operations. First I need to relocate a bunch of gravel so the gate to the field is operational since a neighbor decided to ditch the road there.
So I'll see if I can haul small loads at a time from our gravel pit, but I also think I'll contact my young neighbor who has a little loader tractor.

This not knowing is a tough one. But having the home place set up will be a good thing, regardless.
I would really like to be able to find pasture for the sheep though. They are the money makers, wool growers, and easy income. My home pasture isn't suitable for good wool production.

Yesterdays milk test went fine, and I managed to get 2 does bred AI, so we'll see in about 3 weeks..
My ewe with the prolapse is doing well, it hasn't re emerged yet. I need to mess with her to make sure her string harness isn't digging into her.

So much is going on. Ted is really moving along with the new room. That will really change home living. Maybe all of these changes are o k, really. I just need a garage to put all of my stuff in.