Itchin'

I have been itchin' to get some things done at the house and also, to take a bit of a vacation.  I don't think I can do both.  I do think I would be so much happier if my house were at the point where I could be proud of it- inside.  It's not horrible, but the bathroom is close to it - to me.  The iron stains are bad enough on the tub, but the tub surround and tub need to be replaced, and I just don't see me waiting a lot more time to get them done... I also want to get new carpeting in the bedrooms and laminate in the living room.  The entire bathroom should be done, but honestly, I really just want the tub replaced, and the surround area, tiled.  I feel like I put this off every year and I get more and more down about it.  The issue is money, of course.  I may have to see about paying off in time, or take a loan on retirement.. something...  I also need the system to get rid of the iron in the water, which is $1600.  Basically, I need a ton of money.. But who is going to get this done, if I don't?  No one, and it just gets more and more depressing.  Time to find a good not overly expensive plumber and tiler...

This week is supposed to be horribly hot.  I dread it.  The bugs are out of control even with bug spray.  Gave the sheep fresh water yesterday and new minerals, and I sprayed their loafing areas with the bug spray.  Other than those measures, there is not much else I can do.  They have a lot of shade and I think will probably just eat evenings and mornings (dawn and dusk).  No real dog work this week, I am afraid; I won't do it to my sheep.  It would be really mean.

Meow, my Kitty seems to be looking for Ginger.  Ginger came to me in a dream the other night.  I had to feed and water her and sit and cuddle her.  I honestly think she is with me..... I am so ripped up about her, that I cry just writing this little part about her.  Should never have happened... Well, let's not talk about that.  I may get another kitten... I may.  Will see, it would have to be a female. I do think Meow misses having a kitty to hang with.....

That's about it...  Keep you all posted on the Hades weather....

Thirty One?

Well, July keeps moving on.  Been a warm summer.  I have been able to work the dogs a bit, but lots of cool downs in the water tub.  Dan's foot is better.  Joe is just about all the way there on his whistles.  He really likes them, I noticed the same with Dan.  Much clearer and no tones or mood in the whistles.  Joe's been a real joy to train.

Sheep are well.  Surviving the heat and bugs the best they can.  One ewe is worse than others wrt the bugs, but she has not lost weight.  I do apply fly spray ($86/a gallon of it!).   I also put Swat on them, but will not do that again on the face, as it bothers their eyes..

Little lamb is growing nicely, she's sure independent.  She is often found not with her mother, but another group of sheep.. Odd, but different strokes... I guess!

This morning the forecast is for a heat wave, up to 100 heat index all of next week.  Hearing this propelled me out to Barnes and Noble to get some new books to read while we hibernate.  I am so ready for fall..

Well, that's it for now!

Oh, ps: did you all think dead chickens when you read the title 31?  I did!

Confused

I cannot keep it straight.  Is it a homestead/farm to live off of, does he have a desk job, does she need donations, or not, is she behind on the mortgage or not?   She's very clear on the number of dead Chickens though.. All because she refuses to take care of them. 

Strong Stock

I slept in today... I really needed to.  Slept all the way to almost 6:00.  Dogs let me do so, cat started in and I had to respond!  Today, I am not sure what I will do.  I am loathe to even try and walk the dogs at the farm, because even with bug spray (and I carry it with me) I am still getting attacked by gnats, flies, you name it; flies are very very bad.  Dan got real hot yesterday after our walk.  And, well, this humidity is bad for everyone.   So, this may be a book store day- been meaning to meander around...  Right now Joey is playing footsie with Kylie- can you say bored?  I think the heat breaks by Weds...  I should be cleaning this house...yuck.

Not much goes on in my life on hot days like this.

On a side note, yesterday, my mother and I were chatting, and she told me about my great great grandmother in Norway, who lived to be 103.  We have a picture of her scything hay just before she died.  As she aged, she had been concerned she were about to pass, so she called for the priest... several times. She outlived three priests- and it was not easy for them to go to visit her, as she lived up on a mountain.. What a tough old bird!  I come from strong stock!

Get it done early!

Dan's still lame on that foot.  Well, no trial for us.  He basically ripped off the entire nail leaving just the quick.  I think he's getting better, but I think it will be a few more days until we are in the clear.  I walked Dan on a leash yesterday, just to keep him quiet(er)...

Have decided to stop graining the new mom- she's not eating much and with all that grass to eat, she's in good stead. The lamb is growing well, I think she will be built lightly, like her mom, but we will see. She's my first totally home bred lamb (her mother was from my first lambing).

Weather forecast is for high heat for the next several days.  Basically, this means take it easy during the day.  This morning at about 5:45 I went out and string trimmed the yard.  It was in desperate need of it, and if I did not get out there really early, I knew that it would be just too hot.  Got it done in about an hour.  Was absolutely covered in grass and came in, took a shower and am now having my morning coffee and watching "Going Yard" on HGTV.  Soon, I will head up to Rhinebeck to the farm and walk the dogs and check the sheep.

After that, I am not sure.... can't mow my lawn as 1/2 of it it totally sopping wet from all the rain we got last week...  Cleaning, can always do that!

Well, that's it for now!

Dan's foot

Yesterday, when working Dan, I noticed he seemed to float a little.. weird, almost like slow motion... He seemed a bit off, so we did not take a walk.  When we got home sure enough he had some sort of issue with his front left leg... I took a look and he had torn his toe nail, I think..  Hard to see with hair there, and a short nail to start with.   Of course we are supposed to run at a trial on Friday.

Advice is to get some crazy glue and see if that gets the nail solid again.  I think he will have to regrow his who nail.

This morning he was way worse, totally head bobbing.  On way home I will get some of the crazy glue and try that.  I am not going to run him if he is lame though.  Not worth it.   Well, time will tell...

Deer and Horse flies

Time has been flying.. So have the bugs.. and humidity rolls right on too...  I wormed the lambs the other day as one ewe lamb just had this different look- her fleece not as shiny, and when I checked her eyelids and gums, although her eyelids seemed not bad, her gums were pale.. this wet weather is just perfect for parasites to go nuts.. and kill your sheep.  I am going to be uber careful  from now on...

Baby lamb, who was two weeks old last Friday is doing well, and is independent.. it is so funny how each lamb is different.  My black ewe lamb is so tied to her mother, that it is amazing.. and when I separate her from her mother, she gloms on to any other ewe she can.  This baby lamb, when mom comes into jug to be fed, she many times is not even with her mother...  This is probably how it was for me as a kid- independent even from that age!

I had a lesson with Michael Gallagher - took Joe.  I thought maybe we would work on driving, but ended up working on corner work, just to get him thinking as he came up on sheep.  Within a short time we had that happening.  Michael really liked him and asked for his pedigree several times.  He liked his looks too- Joe does happen to be very handsome, if I do say so myself.  I left the lesson quite happy with my boy.  He agreed to wait on trialing Joe.   Says that he will be good open dog if I take my time, so that we will do.

Some of the sheep are getting just eaten by the Deer and Horse flies.  I brought them in yesterday and applied Swat to the areas in front of and behind their bags, where they get attacked.  They almost melted- I think it felt very good to have a bit of cream on those areas.. I feel for them.. I hate to see my sheep uncomfortable.  I also put some on their ears and around their face..

It poured yesterday.. hard enough for me to worry that if it kept up we could be in real trouble.

Sheepdog trial this weekend, and in between now and then just the usual....

Hope everyone is well