Jay

Jay was struggling to keep up in pasture.

When I picked him up to put him in the Love Shack, he felt warm.  His knees looked swollen, and I’m not sure if I felt an abscess on one leg or what, but it made me rethink that this was just copper.

resting in the barn

I’m afraid he developed a navel infection, it comes in through the navel and then impacts other things–like joints.

I had to move him for some shade.

He’s on some meds, but I’m afraid it isn’t helping much.  He is better, but not much.

Then I got smart and moved the shade to him.

I’m not very optimistic for him.  At some point, I have to decide if it’s worth making him live like this just to go to slaughter.  This one of those few times the answer is no, so today we did the most kind thing we could do and put him down.

Happy Birthday!

Saturday was a milestone birthday around here.  Dolly turned 15!

twins Rickie and Dolly

Let’s face it, every day is a momentous day because she is the oldest goat I’ve ever had.  And I adore her.

Go Away Drought

Well, after no rain since my beans were planted, I was guessing that we probably slipped back into “abnormally dry” on this week’s drought monitor, and I was correct.

Tuesday saw spotty heavy rains around the state.  But as they moved towards me, the fizzled out.  I could smell the rain and see lightning it was so close, but not a drop.  The next afternoon, was shaping up the same.  But then I saw a rainbow when I was walking back from pasture.

Not a drop of rain, but there was a rainbow.  It wasn’t a huge one, but it lasted for a crazy long time.

Yes, Pretzel, you are my pot of gold.

You know because of all the rain just to the east of us.

The goats were busy eating and playing and didn’t even notice it.

Eventually, just about dark, one of those pop-up cells clipped me, and I got a decent little shower.

Sky had to go check it out.

a wet deck!

There must have been more overnight because the deck was wet again in the morning.  And as I was leaving for my last day of work for the school year, it rained.

And it rained most of the day. We ended up with around an inch of rain.  The plans in my garden looks so much better, and I’m hoping this will make the seeds pop through (nothing has sprouted).  Hopefully, it will make the rest of the soybeans come up too.  I was getting a bit worried.