Work on Break

I’ve decided the good weather this Thanksgiving weekend is the perfect time for me to get caught up on hooves.

Dolly

So far, I’ve managed to do twenty-nine sets of hooves.

Ostara followed her mom in, so she got hers done too!

That’s a good thing.

Moose was a pain, but they are done.

I still have more to get done.

Wanda is going to be a challenge to catch.

Hopefully, I can get most of them done before our next cold front comes through because I don’t like exposing that new hoof to the frozen ground. In the evenings, I did some knitting.

I look like an old woman with my cat and blanket and knitting.

Of course, I had my helpers.

Herbie trying to help; Rocky supervising from the bean bag.

I did finish the shawl I started quite a while ago.

I like how it turned out.

Another task I tackled over the long Thanksgiving was doing some yard work and cleaning the garden up.

The weather was nice enough to take the Ranger out.

Well, I finally pulled the tomato cages.  That’s about it.

You can hardly see them for all the weeds.

But it’s ready for winter, and whatever that might bring, now that harvest is done.  I really like seeing this–my field harvested and you can see the curves of contour planting (another way to help protect the soil from erosion).

harvested corn field

I think I managed to get a lot done this break.

Updates

Well, everyone is hanging in there. Margarita and Myson are getting along well.  I think Myson is gaining a little weight.  Margarita is about the same, and with the cold weather I’ll call that good.

Myson and Margarita

Benji spent most of his time in the greenhouse when it was cold.  I’m also going to call it a win that he didn’t really lose any more weight while we were that cold.  Hopefully, since he has a good appetite, the copper will kick in and he’ll start picking some weight up.

Benji peeking out the door when it was still cold over the weekend.

The boys can come out of the greenhouse easily even though I had the door mostly shut to keep the wind out.  Frodo really likes his roommates.  They are much nicer than the other big bucks.

Frodo

Xerxes seems to have done something to his eye.  I’m guessing it was poked with hay, but there is no way for me to even check it out.  It was all better by the time I checked him on Monday.  Thank goodness.

Xerxes with a watery eye

Mr. Peacock is still a bit sneezy, but it isn’t as bad.  Hopefully, this more moderate weather streak will continue for a while and he will finish recovering.

Mr. Peacock

Zinnia came back into heat.  I’m actually pretty happy she didn’t get bred on one of the days Benji was out.  She really needs a longer time between babies (her girls were born right at the end of July).

Zinnia with her girls behind her

I’m not sure we’re going to get the hydrant changed yet this fall with the crazy weather.  But the cattle tank is still working, so it’s not too bad.

Antigone behind the hydrant

For some reason, Antigone and Hera were limping the other day.  I am hoping that this week (while I’m on break), I can get a lot of hooves trimmed.  That should help.

Hera resting her foot and eating at the same time.

I hope.

Notes From Around the Farm

With putting the kids up north, I got to milk Zinnia for those few days.  I think she’s a little sad that she has her girls back.  Hopefully, it isn’t for too long.

Barbie, Jeanie, and Zinnia

Dolly and Heidi were glad to be released from the north paddock.  They both enjoy coming in for sweet feed. And I appreciate that I can have them both in there at the same time and leave them unattended.  It’s much easier.

Heidi and Dolly in the milk room

I think I have a ground hog problem.  Seriously. Why not?  The sad thing is that I might have one digging under my garage, but I’m afraid to go in there and check it out with Freddie still here.  I’m not sure what to do anyhow because I haven’t seen one, and I don’t shoot.  I wish they would just go find a pile of brush out in pasture to chuck wood and leave my buildings alone.

Poor Mr. Peacock seems to have caught a cold with the sudden change in temperatures.  He is getting a bit older, so that is a concern. I hope he can shake it off and recover.

Mr. Peacock–molting some of his topknot and growing his tail back in.

The little girls seem quite happy with room service in the Love Shack.

Terry and Crystal

I wonder if Ava and Heidi will develop a relationship now that Heidi is her only kid on the farm she gets to be with (and will be the only when Freddie is gone).

Was supposed to be a picture of Heidi and then I noticed Ava photobombing.

Poor Benji did not go to his appointment to get fixed. I’ve decided he must have spit out his last copper capsule (because it took three tries to get it to stay down his throat when I gave copper over the weekend).  He is in rough shape.  I gave him a larger dose and will keep feeding him hard and hope he can recover. Then I’ll reschedule his appointment.

Benji, with Simon and Frodo behind.

And it’s almost half way to the weekend.  Hopefully, this one will bring some better weather.