Yay, we're over 50"!!!

RAIN 0.35 today
0.47 inches last 24 hours.
11.25 inches this month.
50.17 inches seasonal (July - June)

And still 1/4 of the year left!

I woke up 3 times this morning to 3 different kinds of weather; downpour, sun, partly cloudy.

I have a little Alpine doe, born last weekend here in the house. Yesterday morning she was quite sick, probably because since she ate so well I undulged her with too much milk. So I threw every remedy I could think of at her, and by this morning she was standing in her tub calling for a bottle.
Oh, her name? "What's For Dinner". Yes, that's her name.

I lazed around yesterday and didn't do any afternoon ranch work.
I have managed to whittle my chore time to under 2 hours from almost 3. Efficiency is the key, getting the pasteurizer going fast, switching does around so the slow milkers can hang while I do something else. When I had the dairy my chore time was about the same. Go figure.

I have a break in kidding for almost a week, then I have quite a few from the 5th to the 13th. After that I'm pretty much done but for a few in June, my yearlings.
I am milking 14 does right now, way too many. I might dry up a couple or sell one or 2.

Today is the deadline for kids to be born for the project, so what I have is what I have. Today we should get results from the blood tests, so I can get an idea of what I have to go. I have a nice pen of does, but midway through the first month, I discovered that my thermometer was off and that I hadn't been heating the milk high enough. There's a chance that a test will come back positive on these does, but maybe not. Otherwise I have the sweet seal pups just born to Annie and the 2 alpine does.

Eek I just realized that today is also the deadline for registrations to ADGA; tomorrow they go up $1.00 per form.
Guess I'll be doing that today..

Men Who Stare At Goats

Only Partly Cloudy

There was this one wierd moment on Tuesday when it was absolutely POURING rain and I and all the C/S's (3) were in the Old Grade B barn all crammed close together near the window for some light, trying to hold a 1 month old kid tight and still enough in my arms so R could draw some blood.

Other than that, a mostly uneventful few days. Annie had 2 beautiful doe kids which just made my day/ week/ month.
J came down yesterday with M and S ( who was sick and only woke once with pathetic cries and whimpers) and brought a few more weanlings, who promptly walked right through one of my gates...

Last evening the sun managed to come out and it was a beautiful sunset, complete with rainbow.


I cleaned out another pen and organized the kid part of the barn a bit, and managed to rake and sweep some of the yard.
Target had kicket the bucket over during milking yesterday morning, so I took advantage and washed out the milk room and scrubbed my milk stand.
I moved the Kiko kids outside into a pen and moved the buck kids into their pen. As soon as their previous pen has dried I'll move the first kids still in the big box out into a pen.

Last month I went to the Salvation Army only to find that they were closing. That was quite a blow as it's one of my favorite things to do, browse the only thrift store in town.
Then I found out that the local Animal Rescue was taking it over, that it wasn't really closing at all.
I went in last week and found a little coffee table thing that was perfect for mosaic-ing. Now I have to design it and get the tile. My first project.

It's raining! Wow! That's SO COOL!!!

The dentist yesterday was pointing out that we should have more than one day of not rain between systems.
I told him "sshhhhh" they'll hear you. Then we won't even get that one day.
And then, they'll throw in an earthquake or 2 just to show you who's in charge here.

My jaw still hurts from the dentist. I go back for a cleaning next week, which is what I think I really need.

Wife Swap was especially interesting last night.

Annie should have her kids today, so I'm off to check.

You'd think that as much as I hate the dentist, I'd take better care of my teeth...

Have I ever told the story of my Michael Kors' Mom (Joan) /goat/ Lion's Head connection?

It's a good one.
At the time I had never heard of Michael Kors...

It's just another day.

I've missed a few days; they just go by no matter what. Nothing you can do about it.

On Thursday Iwent up to J's dairy and helped her clip the udders on her milking string.
That was a lot of goats, a lot of hair and the wind through the barn wasn't making the whole thing more pleasant. But we got it done, just in time for the skies to darken and a nother windy rainy winter stormy night set in.

The bridge on Meridian Road is set back in its moorings, but all the mud from the last flooding is still on the road. When I went down to see if I could drive across, I tirned around and got myself stuck so I had to call the cavalry ( Ted) to come and pull me out.

The weather is alternating between winter and spring, sometimes within the hour. Right now, bright sun and blue sky. It doesn't even look windy. Shhhhhh.....

I've done some work on a sheep inherited by Jim McVicker, a local artist who often paints in Brian's garden. Years ago we saw a painting of his in a local gallery, and there I am; he painted me hoeing Brian's strawberries right in the middle. At the time, we were poor young parents; no way could we consider buying an original painting which cost more than our rent which we sometimes had trouble meeting. We heard the painting sold and went down to the Napa valley, I believe.
ANYway, the last time I took care of his sheep, I told him instead of paying me, could I get a copy of the painting. He had a slide and made a print and on Friday we went and picked it up.
There I am, probably over 15 years ago, in my overalls weeding:

I got pulled over the other night, for a brake light out.
I was pulled over by the very same guy about a month ago. Twice I had dropped one of the feeder panels down on the back of the truck and had broken the plastic. I had used the faux red tape stuff but it wasn't completely covering the white; the law.
I pointed out that Ted had replaced the light but now the bulb is out.
So this morning I am working on it, maybe it's the fuse?
I ended up leaving the lights on and got a dead battery.
The truck was all the way down at the end of the lane, impossible to get to it with the other truck. So I pulled the little truck with the big truck and got them lined up so I could jump.

I'm going to stop parking all the way down the lane.

So, about your groceries....

Is Whole Foods Wholesome?
The dark secrets of the organic-food movement.

So I will give our local Co-Op credit, as I know that they strive to carry locally grown products.
They sell my lamb and for years they sold my eggs. They actually seek out local.

Spring stuff..

.TODAY...SHOWERS LIKELY IN THE MORNING...THEN CHANCE OF SHOWERS
IN THE AFTERNOON. HIGHS 50 TO 55. SOUTHWEST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.
.TONIGHT...MOSTLY CLOUDY. CHANCE OF SHOWERS. LOWS IN THE LOWER
TO MID 40S. SOUTH WIND 10 TO 15 MPH.

Yeah, back to the rain we go. Sunday didn't rain at all and it was a beautiful sunny but cold day.
Yesterday was a bit cloudy and a few sprinkles, but it was still not REALLY raining.
And so far the forecast for the week is "chance of showers."

Does are kidding these past few days. I got triplets from an old Racer daughter that I bought back from J, a doe for me and 2 bucks for the doe to raise. Yesterday morning I found Triumph with a big buck kid from one of the few successful AI breedings . Velma was looking like she had had a kid, but there was none to be seen. Then I saw the afterbirth so I knew there was a baby around there somewhere...I checked outside the rolling door and sure enough all curled up somehow she got herself outside, there was a wierd fliffy white doe kid. She's pretty strange looking, although now that's she's a day old she looks a bit normal. She does have one ear neatly folded back, and one hanging down to help with her Liza Minelli look.

I went down to Salmon Creek on Saturday and brought back a doe for me and one for J. It was a beautiful day to take a little drive through the Redwoods and hang out in the sun talking goats.

Yesterday J and M came down and brought me some hay and to pick up their doe, who I had been milking. Poor Mike is on crutches after knee surgery. Actually, I was expecting him to be in worse shape than he is, he seems to be getting around well. They had spent the afternoon at the new Casino, which I have yet to visit.

It's time to move some of these babies and yearlings all around so I spent the afternoon doing just that. The late bred and open yearlings have been turned out in the pasture with the bucks. Now that the rain has quit the grass might start growing again. I haven't mowed ( or needed to mow) the lawn for weeks; that is sure an indication that nothing is growing. Many pastures in the valley are now just mud fields, the cows have gotten so far ahead of the grass and the ground is so so soft.

J also took sweet Rosebud yesterday. I hope she does O K at J's dairy; she's the bottom of the pecking order here, and such a sweet girl. She comes when she is called by name. I must remind myself that I can't keep every goat, and Rosebud had a doe kid to keep so she can go and be a dairy goat now. I did tell J that if she doesn't work out I'll take her back.

Last night I got down on my knees and started scrubbing the kitchen floor. I can't remember the last time I did this. In my opinion it's the only way to really get a floor clean. I think once I get it totally clean I will put down a fresh coat of paint.

Yesterday was the 2nd anniversary of my Aunt's death, last week was the 4th anniversary of my Father's. I called my cousin and my auntie over the weekend; it's always good to hear their voices. My Uncle is the "greeter" at Windham Ski area; that cracks me up, I can totally see it! He just can't get away from the theater.

Yesterday the geese and swans were swarming all over my side of the valley. They make such a ruckus, and when they fly over en masse like that you can hear all the poop falling like rain on the tin roof and splatting on the yard cement. I stood in the big barn doorway to watch them, 10 or more individual groups with hundreds of birds in each, all going in different directions at different altitudes and suddenly a big swarm of swallows swooped from behind the barn and descended on the lake that is the hay field. Darting and dashing as they fly, and sipping water, how do they know it's the first day of spring?
I am very glad to see the swallows. Traditionally the swallows return to Capistrano on March 19th. These swallows aren't my swallows, so they really haven't returned to my "mission" yet. When I see them hanging out in my barn, back to rebuild last year's nests, then I will say they have returned.

What is funny?

So this guy's not funny, but I like his dissection of how comedy works, and tools to use.

The Callback is one of my favorite comedy techniques.

Today the sun is out, but it's cold and windy

I think the sun is a flower,

That blooms for just one hour.


All Summer in a Day

The story deals with a group of frolicking schoolchildren residing on an inhabited, tropical Venus at an unspecified future time. The thick atmosphere of Venus still exists at this time, and it is constantly raining, so seeing the sun is a very rare event which occurs only every seven years for an hour or two.

The story is mainly about Margot, a little girl who moved to Venus from Earth five years before. She remembers the sun and the way it looked and felt. She doesn't play much with the other children and she is an outcast because of her sensitivity and the fact that she may return to Earth soon. She almost had a nervous breakdown from living with the constant rain.

She writes a poem about the sun. "I think the sun is a flower, That blooms for just one hour." She also describes it as "a penny" or a "fire in a stove". The other children don't believe her and the class bully William starts to harass her. While the teacher is out of the room, he convinces the other children to lock her in the closet.

The teacher finally comes back and takes the children outside once the sun comes out. They finally see the blazing sun and the blue sky. In their astonishment and joy, they all forget about Margot. They run and play in the warm fresh air.

Once the rain begins again, the children go back inside. All of a sudden, one of the children remembers Margot, still locked in the closet. They all walk slowly down the hall, realizing what they have done and let Margot out of the closet. ?

Sunny and windy

It was only partly rainy yesterday!

Yesterday was first contact; our first meeting with those who are involved in helping us fix up our house and hopefully add an addition.
It seems everything is do able so far, the biggest part will probably be putting in a new septic system which we pretty much assumed anyway, so there was no great shock there.
I see this will be a long expensive project. In the end hopefully we will have a bigger more finished more comfortable house to ward off the cold wet Northcoast environment.

There is a new listing on the real estate mailings I get; it's a perfect place. 10 acres, big barn, pond, garden, fruit trees, small older house, but we are talking Ferndale California, so the price is 3/4 million. Just cements my view that we will never buy a place like that around here. That's just a ridiculous amount of money for that; we know the same place somewhere else ( with better weather!) is 1/10th that price.
http://www.flexmls.com/cgi-bin/view.cgi?20060318055119151233000000&id=1&s=3

Today I'll probably go to the breeder in Salmon Creek to see about a doe. My 2 does due today still haven't kidded...

Welding and knitting.

It was a mouse. It wanted cheese.
It was a cute mouse, sleek grey and brown.
Jet ate it.

When it quits raining, even for just a short while, it's really quite nice out.

Still no new baby goats, but today seems likely.
I was hoping to take the trash to the dump today, the rain makes that more costly as we pay by weight...

The weather report actually has only "partly cloudy" for the next few days..
It's pouring right now.

Is the Twilight Zone where I'll wake up from this and we are actually in a drought?

At this point I'm just fine with the rain as long as it doesn't flood in my barn. "Hey water, you stay over there, okay?" I take what I can get.

I started knitting myself a new wool vest last night. It's really the only thing that truly fends off the chill. Since my thumb injury of last summer, I wondered if I would be able to knit, but it doesn't bother it at all. The gauge is small ( cast on the back 146 st) so this might take a while. Since I have found something to pass the rainy daze away, this might make it stop raining.

Maybe I'll see if I can get some steel for my feeder project today.

Welding and knitting.

It was a mouse. It wanted cheese.
It was a cute mouse, sleek grey and brown.
Jet ate it.

When it quits raining, even for just a short while, it's really quite nice out.

Still no new baby goats, but today seems likely.
I was hoping to take the trash to the dump today, the rain makes that more costly as we pay by weight...

The weather report actually has only "partly cloudy" for the next few days..
It's pouring right now.

Is the Twilight Zone where I'll wake up from this and we are actually in a drought?

At this point I'm just fine with the rain as long as it doesn't flood in my barn. "Hey water, you stay over there, okay?" I take what I can get.

I started knitting myself a new wool vest last night. It's really the only thing that truly fends off the chill. Since my thumb injury of last summer, I wondered if I would be able to knit, but it doesn't bother it at all. The gauge is small ( cast on the back 146 st) so this might take a while. Since I have found something to pass the rainy daze away, this might make it stop raining.

Maybe I'll see if I can get some steel for my feeder project today.

How do I do it?

Fiddler on The Roof is on!

Drowned rats

The rain just goes on and on and on.
We might get a break on Sunday at about 2:35.

Yesterday I ran to Fortuna for basic life errands; gas, bank, Thrift store, Dollar Store, hay, coffee, mouse traps.

A pretty uneventful day except for a surprise phone call I got in the afternoon from a local Lamancha breeder with a tempting offer.( and some local goat gossip); a long time breeder I really respect ( she always beats all of us in the show ring when she shows) but have little contact with. More news to come as it develops.
It was great to talk to someone new for a change, and exchange kidding experiences so far this winter and the crappy winter we are having. She is also having does kid a few days early, as well as having wild colors popping out! All of us Lamancha breeders seem to be having wild splashy colored kids this year.

I worked a bit more on the feeder, but now I need some steel so I'm stuck until I get some.
I have 2 does due to kid so I should scurry out.
Speaking of scurrying; no mouse but the bait was gone. I am concerned that it's a rat not a mouse EW!!!!

RAIN 0.55 today
0.91 inches last 24 hours.
8.77 inches this month.
47.69 inches seasonal (July - June)

Goats and mice and welding

Well despite the crappy weather yesterday ( one good thing, no wind!!) I had a productive day.

Before I left the house I got a call from our neighbor; a goat call. Her goat is sick, what is wrong with him, what should she do.
I do love these calls; she did call the vet, who was really no help. I like the vet, but he is not always right when goats are concerned. He makes wide assumptions...

First thing I noticed at the ranch was that Target, who had gone slightly off her feed the day before, was getting ready to kid. However, she looked poor and was shivering, so I went to Randy's for some dextrose and calcium, gave it to her and ran home for my goat blanket.
By the time I got back she had had one buck kid, but she had been so huge, that even though I couldn't bump another kid, I was pretty sure she had another. So I dove in (ew) and found...what part of the kid is that? Yes, it was a tail. That's a problem. I had to get the rear legs, well I got one anyway, and sweep it all the way forward to get it lined out to come out. Fortunately there was lots of room and after a bit I did manage to get one rear leg and get the kid out. A dead buck.
All in all Target is doing well, she is coming into some milk, and taking good care of her kid. She quit shivering and dove right into her hay and grain.

I spent the afternoon watching her and working on the feeder. I finally cut the second side off and now the dimensions of the feeder are apparent. I decided to turn the whole thing upside down as I work on the legs of the thing.
It's been a good project for my first big one, I am learning a lot about the process and the tools. I do definitely know that if I had built this thing from scratch with new material that it would have been faster and easier.
My next one...

I finished "From The Fair" after about a year of reading one chapter at a time ( in the bathroom. TMI?) I loved it and I will be reading more by Shalom Aleichem. Maybe I'll even read "Fiddler" after seeing the movie and the play so many times.

I am halfway through Ann Tylers new book "The Amateur Marriage" and it sucks. I am not sure if I will finish it. Such a dissapointment. I love so many of her other novels, this one has nothing going on for it. Predictable, boring characters, none of the quirkiness I love in her writing.
"The Accidental Tourist" and "Clockwinder" are so memorable, so engrained in me, what has happened with this schlock?

We have a mouse in the house and today it must be annihilated. It hides behind the refrigerator where Jet, the mouse hunter, can't get to it. It wakes me in the night..I was up more than once last night.

The winter that never ends

Well the good news when I woke was that the pounding on the roof during the night wasn't torrential downpour which would mean flooding again, but it was all hail, which was covering everything.

More comments from neighbors who have lived here their whole life:

"Nice winter we're having"

"How much more of this can we take?"

Forecast for the week:

.TODAY...OCCASIONAL SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. SMALL HAIL
WITH SOME SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. BREEZY...SOUTHWEST WIND 15 TO
25 MPH. HIGHS IN THE UPPER 40S TO MID 50S.
.TONIGHT...SHOWERS LIKELY IN THE EVENING...THEN SLIGHT CHANCE OF
SHOWERS AFTER MIDNIGHT. LOWS IN THE MID 30S TO LOWER 40S. SOUTH
WIND 5 TO 15 MPH.
.WEDNESDAY...SHOWERS LIKELY AND BREEZY. SOUTHWEST WIND 15 TO 25
MPH. HIGHS IN THE LOWER TO MID 50S
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...SHOWERS LIKELY AND BREEZY. LOWS IN THE LOWER
TO MID 40S. SOUTH WIND 15 TO 25 MPH.
.THURSDAY...SHOWERS LIKELY AND BREEZY. HIGHS IN THE LOWER TO MID
50S. SOUTH WIND 15 TO 25 MPH.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...SHOWERS LIKELY. LOWS IN THE LOWER TO MID 40S.
.FRIDAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY. CHANCE OF SHOWERS. HIGHS IN THE MID 50S.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...MOSTLY CLOUDY. CHANCE OF SHOWERS. LOWS 35 TO 40.
.SATURDAY...PARTLY CLOUDY. CHANCE OF SHOWERS. HIGHS 50 TO 55.
.SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY...PARTLY CLOUDY. SLIGHT CHANCE OF
SHOWERS. LOWS IN THE 30S TO LOWER 40S. HIGHS IN THE MID 50S.
.SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY...PARTLY CLOUDY. LOWS NEAR 40. HIGHS IN
THE LOWER TO MID 50S.

Yep, like living in paradise.

I need a bigger shop

Time lapse of the building of an airbus

I'll always remember the sunny Sunday..

The sun came out and yesterday was a very good day.
I spent almost all day at the ranch, other than a quick trip to Fortuna for banking and a disgusting 1.00 BK mustard and ketchup burger. I won't do that again.

In the morning I had talked to Pat's daughter who was still moving Pats things out of the house. She told me that M in the little rental hadn't paid the rent for onths and what should be done. I called S and left a message, also asking about fixing a water leak I had in the steel pipe.

When I got back from Fortuna, there was a pickup in the driveway at the ranch, and I met J's uncle T Z. He had already talked to M about moving out ("So, M, what's your plan" he asked him).
For some reason, after talking to him for a while, I asked him if he would look at my leak. Oddly enough he had already fixed it, without having talked to S who I left the message with! O K this guy might get things done/ fixed. He gave me tips on fixing stuff and stories galore. Just what I need over there, someone who will be willing to get things done!

For the first time in weeks the water was low enough and all the goats were out of the barn. J's yearlings were grazing and the milkers were out in the paddock. Finally.



With the yearlings out of the barn, I cleaned the cement yard in front of their pen. I can still get this done the way I did before the tractor; pitchfork and wheelbarrow.

I came home in the evening and watched a lovely movie "Walking and Talking" in IFC.

Today rain is back in the forecast. What I should really do is climb up on the high barn and put a tarp over the holes in the roof.

It's much easier to peel a banana from the non stem end.
Really. Do it.

Way more than necessary

O K I have been searching for this number for a while now, and both T and I came up with it today.
What our percentage of rainfall ( average to date : year to date) is.
I know it's been a wet year. I was thinking it was 150% at most;
turns out it's more like 164%.
We've gotten half again as much rain as average.
And it's going to rain tomorrow.

Warmer, but still no sun

This morning it's 50 degrees out and no sign of frost. No sign of the sun either, but no rain.
My tractor, after it's rescue from Creepy Lagoon Island, seems to have no clutch. I talked to Tim yesterday and he gave me some tips on how to work it free. I'm going to have to pull the battery out and charge it first, also get some diesel ( closest diesel is in Fortuna) then I'll give it a try. The amount of tractor work to be done grows every day.

I thought I had a great bit of goaty gossip, and it turned out that Amy already had it. Dang. It's still a good bit, though. I got a call yesterday, from the mother of the gal who worked for me in my dairy years ago; she was training for her own dairy which she has since started. It seems the mom (S F) who has inherited and run a cow dairy for about 5 years, has decided to sell the cows and transition to goats next winter; she called me looking for does to buy.
Wow, this is big local goat gossip news.

I have 3 does due coming up this week, with a few to follow before the end of the month.
Ted brought me home 2 more big boxes so I am set up for more new babies. The ones here in the house, now that the weather is warmer, will go to the ranch today.
I started putting tools back in their place now that the water has quite receded, and maybe will stay well away from my barn. Of course, rain is coming in this week. But, I need to get back to work and finish the feeder.
My little trailer turned out to be even handier than first thought. In the flood I had housed some of the little babies in it and that worked out well. During yesterdays milk test I needed a baby goat proof pen to keep the dam raised kids locked away from their moms for 24 hours, and the trailer worked perfectly.

I woke up this morning thinking of my bucks, and now that breeding season is over I think I am neglecting them. This week I'll work on them, worming, shots and trimming their feet.

Mexico still sounds good to me

http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/03/12/travel/12next.html?th&emc=th

Mérida was founded in 1542 by Spanish conquistadors. Francisco de Montejo and his army dismantled the Mayan structures that were there and used the stone to build a cathedral and other buildings that still surround the Plaza Grande. This central square and the streets or calles around it, known as El Centro, are where many expatriates have chosen to live.

Except for the early afternoon — when most people go home to take a siesta — this roughly two-square-mile area hums with activity. People crisscross the main plaza carrying shopping bags or making their way to one of the many government offices or the Universidad de Yucatán.

Shady pocket parks offer relief from the heat and everything seems softened by a pervasive, though not unpleasant, halo of dust. The air has the faint, warm smell of roasted corn, probably because of the many restaurants and outdoor cafes in the area serving thick, saucer-sized homemade corn tortillas.

Most of the plaster buildings in the historic district are from the early 19th century and have high ceilings, Moorish ironwork and colorful, patterned floor tiles called mosaico. They are also bargains, at around $40,000 for a four-bedroom, two-bathroom colonial home.

"A lot of the places are wrecks with trees growing out of the center," Ms. Dallin said. "And labor is cheap so it doesn't take a lot to fix them up."

Foreigners have done much to preserve and transform Mérida's historic architecture. "It's kind of an expat hobby," said Werner Gross, who is restoring his second home in Mérida after fixing up and reselling the first.

Local laws require that only the exterior of buildings retain their original look. "Behind the facade, you can basically build a brand new house," Mr. Gross said.

Often hidden inside the nondescript plaster blocks that line Mérida's streets are grand tile foyers, tropical central courtyards, marble bathrooms and sleek kitchens. The English Library sponsors walking tours of homes and gardens every Wednesday at 10 a.m. (Calle 53, No. 524; 52-999-924-8401; www.meridaenglishlibrary.com).

Foreigners are not only buying and rehabilitating real estate in Mérida's central district, they are also snapping up decrepit haciendas in the surrounding countryside. From the 1880's to around 1945, many of these haciendas were the leading exporters of the fibrous material used to make rope and twine, which they extracted from henequén, a spiky plant similar to agave. But when synthetic fibers came along, the once-grand haciendas were abandoned and allowed to fall into ruin.

At least a dozen haciendas within a 30-mile radius of Mérida have been restored. Some are private residences, and others have been transformed into resorts.

Well it is way cold here this morning. Cold cold as in everything is covered in thick frost. I think this is the hardest frost we have had in 3 years. It's a good thing my avocado plant is living inside.

Cold cold means no rain! It looks clear for now, and for a few days, but more rain is coming in on Monday or so, a warm rain which are the ones that pour down and drench. The water level has gone down significantly in my field, but it's still wet and soggy. I turned my colt out into the pasture finally, as there was enough grass not submerged that he might find something to eat and not turn what is available into a soggy muddy mess.
I saw Snakely actually out eating some grass yesterday. I can't remember when one of the does was actually grazing last. The bucks have had open pasture almost all along, as their pasture is the highest I have.

Amy is coming to milk test this morning, so I need to feed these inside babies and get out. I need to buy hay before I get to the ranch too. It's always a nice monthly visit with her, goatie type gossip and all.

Ted had first contact with the construction guy yesterday re: our house addition. So many people involved, it is a huge project, and the thought of having a bigger house is like a dream come true ( I often dream that we have another undiscovered room)
If the weather is going to be this crappy, the only way to be able to deal is if the inside space is big enough to do projects in. I am hopeful and optimistic. Hopefully by next winter....

Misery loves company

I went to the feed store this morning to get some hay. The fellow that works there is a cattleman/ cowboy who has numerous leased ranches around the valley where he raises a few beef cows, including a ranch about a mile past my leased ranch on Port Kenyon. He also is my neighbor, living a few miles up the hill from our home place.

I haven't really been talking to the other farmers I share this valley with about the winter we are dealing with. I do know that my other neighbors and friends whose cows I milk occasionally have had a bad year, drying their cows up early in the first flood in December, and having other health problems including losing more than just a few heifers.
It is strangely comforting to know this; that it's not just me an incompetent novice farmer who can't take farming problems.
So while at the feed store I ask AT how it is on his place past mine.
"Wet" he says, his face looking tired and older.
"This year I wish I didn't have any cattle"

Wow, that's quite a statement. I was a little shocked. He's probably raised cows his whole life. His brother also is a cattleman, and I think his parents were ranchers. But this year almost has him beat.

In a strange and not quite understood by me way, I felt a little better hearing him say that. That it's not just me on the worst ranch in the valley having ridiculous water/flood/mud/animal problems.

Today, the water is finally out of the barn. For now.

I still have the headache. Today I will run out of sudafed and have to find some nore as it is the only drug that seems to touch this one.

Water receded yesterday, although very slowly and very little. It is fortunate that the rain has let up. It looks like it will be light for a week or so; hopefully it will be long enough to get me out of danger, and I will, for the 3rd ( or is it 4th) time this winter I will have to clean up the flood muck. I started last night sweeping the silty muck out of my barn while there was still some water in it as it's easier that way.

My committee had it's meeting last night; fortunately it was short. At this point, 5 years into this project, it's pretty much all in order, we have very little to discuss or change.

My sheep spent this last flood on the river dike, which was a good thing. Not that they were smart, just that they were grazing there when the water came up. I hadn't seen them in a day so I hiked through the water on Meridian Rd and found them across in another field. The water in the road was mid thigh, so needless to say I got water in my boots.
Abby was sent and she pushed the bunch back across the road into my field and I see I have a new set of lambs; balck and white twins. It was a good thing they rode the flood out high and dry, those lambs would have not had much of a good chance if they were born on the flat in the mud. I think these are my last lambs for this go round. I did see a ewe get bred a month or so ago, so I will have early lambs in the summer.

My babies here in the house are doing great, and soon I will have a dry spot to move them out to. The tiny Alpine was a bit stubborn yesterday about eating, but she woke hungry this morning and even did some goat antics in her tiny box. Out of Rosebud, I am calling her Rosebutton.

According to my brother's blog, my mother, whom I haven't spoken to in over 10 years, is going in for surgery today. This is nothing more than a bit of news for me, for in all this time I have never missed her, which says much about our "relationship".
My brother gets along with her fine, so for him and his family's sake, I hope all goes well.

Ridiculous

This has been beyond what I should have to deal with. The barn has had water in it for most of the past week. This is no way to run a farm. My barn with the good roof has water in it. My barn without the roof ( well O K 1/2 a roof) is high and out of the water, and has no electricity. It's like a big joke. Water from below or above, I can't get a break.

I can't even imagine how this project would go if, say, I had a real barn with a roof and no flooding. How my animals would be comfortable and my equipment wouldn't always be in danger. It's just so ridiculous.

I think by this afternoon the water will have left the barn. Until we get another rainstorm. I am not optomistic at all. The only comfort I get is my new babies. They look great, they are healthy and growing well, and, well, they're just so damn cute. They always brighten my spirit.

I had my first Alpines born last night. 6 days early and one already dead when I found them. At least the survivor is a doe ( what was the chance of that?!) The survivor is doing great, in the house with the last set of twins.

And now I feel poorly; I woke up with a headache that no amount of ibuprofen seems to touch.

Well I must have some optimism as I moved the flood refugees back into their pens, seeing as how the water has mostly left. Since the fence is underwater my electric fence is totally off and they are just all over, and I couldn't take too much of that. I need to pile some shavings in their pens so they have a nice mound to hang out on.
Also, optimistically, I am going to try to rebuild the high barn so it is the heart of the farm. It needs complete renovation, but it is the best barn on the place, and it hasn't had water in it since I've been on this ranch. I'll just start picking away at the roof rebuilding as I go. The inside needs to be completely gutted and 5 refrigerators need to be hauled out of it.

Someone needs to buy/ offer/ give me my own flood safe ranch. This one is not acceptable. The situation on the Salt River is just getting worse with no relief in sight.

Like duh.

I am an extreme skeptic, and I completely missed this one. It is so obvious.
What happened to the plane that crashed into the Pentagon?
http://www.freedomunderground.org/memoryhole/pentagon.php

What is the difference between a garden and a farm?

Another storm is coming in and bringing some nasty wind. I am hoping that anything that will blow down already has.

I talked to J Z for a long time last night about his forge and blacksmithing. He will be mentoring a kid from the high school next month and he said I could come out sometime and watch and see his forge. I had recently seen an episode of Forge and Anvil about making knives out of cable; if I hadn't seen it I would have no clue what J was talking about when he said he used cable to make knives. That's a crazy thing to do.

Maybe I'll work some more on my feeder; I need to get these projects done faster. This should have been done, or at least done as far as I can get to. I need to decide how I am going to do the legs. I fell asleep thinking of how to make portable hay feeders for shows last night.

S Z called last night and left a message about her baby goats; she has too many to deal with and did I want some? Right now I have too much milk so my first thought was yes. But, the barn/ flood situation and my chore load are limited and actually I think I need less goats, so I will say no and I will send some milkers to J's on Monday. With about 15 does due to kid by April 1st, shipping some out right now is a good idea.

If it's not raining, it's draining

I woke up with this mantra going.
Since Tuesday the water has been lapping at my door. Hovering at the point where I am in real trouble, but it hasn't come in yet.
Yesterday morning I was sure I was going to find babies standing in water in their pens and I was planning how I'd move them all up into the dry side of my high barn. Yet I found the water barely in the barn, and everyone high and dry!
Of course this morning, when I feel no panic, is when I will have water in the barn. I was smart on Wednesday night and I restacked all of my hay ( it wasn't really a lot) on top of 3 pallets.

The sheep are faring less well as they are now on a very small piece of ground that isn't submerged. I have been putting hay out for them, something I have almost never done as there has never been any need.
Have I mentioned how timely the extraction of the tractor was?

I could have done without the dead battery yesterday morning in the middle of a downpour. I waited until it was done, and used the opportunity to unload the hay out of the big truck before using it to jump the little truck. I had left my lights on.

Those intrepid housebuilders near the fairgrounds have been working in rain gear in the pouring rain the past 2 days. They are still on the framing. I had envied them working and building like that, but I wouldn't have wanted to have been doing it these past few days.

Ruellia kidded last night with twins; a buck and a doe. She's a few days early, but I had a feeling she was getting ready. I did manage to clip her in time, and the kids, although small, are fine and hungry! Another set of kids out of J's nice buck Tommy.



My next doe due is Rosebud on the 13th; these will be my first Alpine kids of the year. Ears!

Some good movies lately:

Captains Courageous

42 Up

Jupiters Wife

And I'm watching Ghostworld for like the 20th time, and I just realized thet her friend is Scarlett Johansson.

Ew, does this make me a birdwatcher?

I saw swallows this morning!
I saw about 5 swallows on Rasmussen lane; they were cliff swallows ( soft white underbelly), and they're not my personal swallows, but I watched them and saw them so I am sure I saw them.
That's a promising sign, although not unforseen.

Today I am thankful that my boots don't have any holes.

Mmm..Cooper Black...

Behind The Typeface

Goats, history, rock, and fonts. This really made me happy.

This is useful

36105. A trailer or semitrailer owned and used exclusively by a farmer to haul his own implements of husbandry or a portable sanitary facility or tools used exclusively for the production or harvesting of agricultural products is exempt from registration.

See, i comment on how long it takes to do my chores and the universe says so how long will it take you if, say, you have to do it in 2 " of water? Take that!

Yes, my place is once again under water. At this point, I know the drill.. Sheep in the top pasture. Everything goes up. Pile stuff in the trailer. Business as usual.
Next time, put 2 pallets under the hay. It didn't get wet, I'm just sayin'.
That tractor was moved in in the absolute nick of time.

Today is sunny and clear and the low tides are low so I imagine the word recede will be in todays vocabulary. It was a minor incident, a bit of undigested meat perhaps, but an annoying one at that. If it didn't seem to happen when my ranch was making me the most content; when things are tidy, when I have organized stations and welding projects are progressing. Now everything goes back a few steps and I have to again clean clean clean.

Enough, it's all fine. Nothing broke, no one died.

However the real enemy, the wind, is coming in today.
Maybe it will help to blow/ dry the water.