Hard Lesson Learned

or Water and a Crust of Bread.

Since that is was K got to eat Saturday night after lying to me.

I asked if she had watered the goats.  "Yes, their water is full!"

Fifteen minutes later, I had to go outside for something else, so went to talk to my goats.  Their water was completely empty.

I'm hoping that the dinner of a half cup of water and the heel of plain bread (more than I WAS going to give her) made an impression on her that our animals DEPEND on us.  If we don't take care of them, they don't live!  They don't have any way to turn on the hose to get a drink or a way to get the hay, unless we give it to them.

Weaver's Friend 45" Floor Loom

My husband is awesome!

After 2+ hours of tinkering with the pieces of the loom, we HE figured out how it went together and I can picture it working.

Not many people would have let me get this thing, let along let me set it up in the living room, of all places.

And, to top it off, we could only find 4 pictures of this loom on the internet, so a lot of putting it together was conjecture and guessing and seeing where the pieces were worn and try and put things together that way.

Now, I need a threading hook to run the warping thread through the reed - the part that you pull forward to make sure that your rows are tight and even.  The correct term for this is sleying the reed. 

Not only do I have to figure out how to do this stuff, I need to figure out what this whole new language means.

So, I have to sley the reed, thread the heddles, and warp the beam.  Yep, I don't know what any of that means, either!  Guess I have a lot to learn.

on the plus side, since having it in the living room meant clearing a space for it, the hated exercise bike that has been a jungle gym and clothes hanger for the past three years, is now moved to the deck. I plan on putting a Craigslist ad for someone to come and get it for free, possibly for scrap.

A Day of Firsts and Did I Really Do That?

It was a day of firsts around here.

Weather finally calmed down to below 90, so we had to give the goats their CDT booster.  It was due to be given about a week ago, but I refuse to stress animals when it is that hot outside. 

So, today, we gave them their CDT booster shots.  No biggie, except when I was pinching the skin on Bell's neck, I accidentally shoved the needle through both sides, so we lost some of the medicine.  oops.

Another first was that Bell's hooves NEEDED to be trimmed again.  They were trimmed last time, as far as they could be, but she had to be worked on again.  I wish I had someone who really knew what they were doing coaching me on that part.  The internet is great, but this is when I would prefer a live person with hands-on know-how.  I really worked on them and they look better, still wouldn't be ready for a show, but we're not showing her, so just need to get them decent.  Guess I can work on that once a month or so and keep them in shape.

Carmel also got her first hoof trimming today.

p.s. The end of the brand new hoof trimming shears are really sharp, but as the girls say, "I'm okay."

Then, on to the Did I Really Do That portion of the day.

It's a really good thing that I have an extremely tolerant husband.  I really love him and he MUST REALLY love me, because he puts up with an amazing amoung of garbage and weird ideas from me.

So, when I went to the local Amish store a few weeks ago, someone was trying to sell their floor loom.  K loves to weave and we had been looking at loom for her, but even the small table looms start around $800.  When I saw this, I wrote down the information and hemmed and hawed about it for at least 2 weeks.  I wasn't going to do it, of course it's gone already, etc...

Bob is actually the one who told me to call.  So, I called on it last night.  Yes, they still had it and the husband knew nothing about it.  The wife called me this morning and I got her to knock $50 off what she wanted for it.  Should have started lower!  I should have backed away from it when I asked if she could help me get is set up and started.  Her answer was, "My first husband bought this for me 30 years ago, and it's been in the basement ever since."  Gulp. 

I didn't back away.  I am now the proud owner of a Weaver's Friend 45 inch floor loom, that we can't get up the stairs to the spot that would be perfect for it, because it won't fit up the stairs.  It has definitely been loved.  It's from at least from 1930.

That led to another first today. I learned what the heddles are and how to put them back on the frame.  Now, instead of 501 pieces, the loom is only in 10. Gulp.  Gotta go help try and figure it out. 

Wish me luck!

Monday Musings - July 2, 2012

Right now... 7:09 p.m. and we're watching an interesting show on the history channel on Modern Marvels about rice.  Lots we didn't know about rice.  Bug is trying to read a book and Fixit is "bugging her", so we had to avert a fistfight.

This weekend... was hot and sticky.  We had temperatures in the middle 90s with high humidity.  Yuck!  Saturday, we had the memorial service for my Aunt Anita and my Uncle Dan that passed away in February and March.  It was at least 90 degrees at the cemetery.  After the ceremony (thank you Father John for the short ceremony), we all headed back to my house for the meal.  We got a nice pit ham sliced at the deli along with sliced cheese.  We also had some of my Mom's homemade sauerkraut and some locally made polish sausage.  Not the way you want family to get together, but it was still a good celebration of their lives.

Some plans for the week...  It's supposed to be in the mid to upper 90s all week.  Ick.  Today, I had 2 farm visits for work.  One ended up a little more forceful than I like, when I have to leave a message and tell them that I was showing up at a certain time, but it worked out well.

Tuesday, I have 2 more farm visits, trying for a third, but no one is answering me. 

Wednesday, is 4th of July, but the only thing special is that Bob doesn't have to work.  We have been so dry for the last couple of months, that we have a total burning ban in effect, so no fireworks or fire in the backyard.

I can't schedule anything for Thursday and Friday, because neither of the girls that I get to babysit are available.

If I can find some time for myself, I will . . . Try to get to the library and exchange some books.  I've recently finished two good series Ranger's Apprentice by John Flanagan and Children of the Djinn by P.B. Kerr.  So, I need to find something else to read.  I've been reading The Hobbit at Bug and K are really enjoying it.

I am grateful for . . .  my Dad providing me with a job that I enjoy, but is also funding 3 major things this year:  propane contract that is already paid for, school for the girls at the local Catholic school which the money is in the bank for, and property taxes - which are also in the bank.  Everything beyond that is to sit in savings and hopefully give us a little for next year.

Plumber's Crack

In an effort to be self-effacing, I will tell you a story (not of a man named Jed) from the mouth of babe.  To make it even better, it has the chance to be incredibly embarrassing for me, but I'm choosing to not let it be.

So, here it is:

As a bit of background:  I'm a plus-sized gal with a plus-sized chest.  As a stay-at-home-mom, I can wear whatever I'm comfortable in, which during the summer, is pretty much all tank tops all the time.

Now that you have the background.

We were sitting at the table after enjoying supper about a week ago.  Bug looks at me, turns away, and switches back to look at me again.

"Mom, I see plumber's crack!"

"No, you don't!"

"Yes, I do!  It's in the front!"

So, my darling daughter saw my cleavage and referred to it as frontal plumber's crack.

I guess it's better than being called "Boulder Boobs" like I was in 6th grade.

Goat Pictures

Here are some pictures of the new goats.

Snowbell  is the mother and Carmel is the baby.  They are both sable Saanens - according to Eileen Lamm, one of Shawano County's 4-H goat superintendents.  She was so great.  I emailed the extension to find someone to help trim Snowbell's hooves and disbud Carmel.  The 4-H agent sent back a couple of names and I lucked out when I called her and she told me that she could come over.  So, Snowbell's hooves are now much better - and I learned how to trim them, so I can keep working on them.  Carmel's horns are gone and her scabs will be gone in a couple of weeks.  Plus, she brought along the CDT (tetanus) vaccine and gave both of them shots and left the bottle with us, so I can give them their boosters in a couple of weeks.

These are what happens when you are the only one in the goat pen and trying to take pictures.

Snowbell - see the dusting of gold on her back?

It's really hard to take a picture of a bouncing goat kid

Carmel, the goat kid, and Fixit, my kid

We've got GOATS!!!!

Pictures to come later - since that would require I remember to take the camera out when I go to stare at my critters.

Saturday, the neighbor (wonderful man who managed to find a small cattle trailer for me to use for the price of a 12-pack of beer and his truck!) and I headed north in search of the elusive Capra aegagrus hircus. 

Ok, nothing really elusive about a good ole domesticated dairy goat, except finding one in our price range and just doing it, rather than hearing, "But I've got to build fence."

We still have to build fence, we still need to clean out the old milkhouse, but we managed to borrow dog kennel panels from my brother and managed to set up a nice (for now) area for them outside with a tarp across the back and part of the top for some shelter.

Now, we HAVE to be motivated to build fence!

So, wehave  maybe a Saanen cross yearling doe and her doeling kid.  Snowbell (formerly Snowball is about 14 months old - she is now Snowbell because Bug said she could be Snowball if she was all white, but since she looks like she was dusted with gold she has to be Snowbell) is a friendly girl.  Unfortunately, her hooves are in pretty rough shape, so that will have to be a first order of business is getting them taken care of.

Her daughter, who came to us without a name, through Mommy-arbitration and with Mommy-veto power, is now Carmel, which is much better than the suggested Goat-Goat and Sheepie.  She's about 3 weeks old, a really cute light carmel color, and full of bounce - quite literally, since she has been running and bouncing off the walls.  She's too old to use the disbudding caustic paste (disbudding in goats - not dehorning, because you are trying to get rid of the horn buds), so now I have to find someone to help burn them off.  Craigslist, here I come.

And now, here I go, because I have a momma goat to go milk, that is if Carmel left me anything this morning.