Weaning and Leaving

Dolly is not the only girl who is struggling with anemia. A lot of my older girls that had babies in June are struggling.

Dolly (Yes, she busted out again, and I don’t even know how this time.)

I had to wean some more kids.  They are doing well.

Jimmy P (He’s fine. I don’t know why he’s lying like that.)

Freya (on top of the Quonset hut)

Cookie got shut in because her eyes were pure white.  I really wanted to put her in the Love Shack with Dolly so they could share and have an outdoor space, but Dolly wasn’t playing nice.  They drive me crazy with their crankiness.

Cookie who got let back out because the greenhouse is too dark for long-term shut in.

Haley and Victoria were pale, but not white, so they got to stay with the herd.

Haley

That means Osiris and Pandora are the only two June kids left with their moms in the herd.

Pandora

I do have a couple of Harley’s kids that are looking a little pale, so I think I’m just going to sell all the June babies as soon as I can.  Then I’ll see if I can add Zinnia and Sidney (maybe) to my girls getting milked.

Zinnia

Of course, I’m keeping Pluto (and maybe Anubis) around to help  make the perfect kid.

Pluto

I’m also leaving Antigone up there for now.

Antigone

Then I think I’ll add Athena up north to keep Antigone company because she and I are having battles over who gets Cinnamon’s milk.

Athena

She usually wins that battle.  It will be a relief not to have the kids to worry about.  Then I can just focus on the moms.

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An Ode to the Wheelbarrow

Aging with aching back
dreading the looming task
I seek help for my work woes
and find a hero in the simple
wheelbarrow–

The task at hand never fun
but progress seen boosts
the spirits; especially now
with my job made easier by a
wheelbarrow–

Now that the garage and buck pen have been scooped out, I’m moving on to the greenhouse.  It’s been way too long.  I figured it up and between the construction mess, rain, dry, llama/cow battles, and not having a manure spreader, it’s been five years since my greenhouse and barn were scooped. [Edit:  I was wrong.  It’s been four years; it just looks like five because the stinking llamas keep making their poop piles in my buildings.] There is no way it can go another year (although, goats don’t make the mess cows do, and the composting actually helps keep them warm in winter).  I picked up the goat minerals from the outside pen and removed my hobbled barrier to keep the llamas out.

I still don’t have a manure spreader parked right outside the pen, so I have to haul it across the barnyard, past the lounging llamas.  Then I have to go in the front door of the barn and out the first side door.

Odie and Maybeline

Then it gets piled behind the Love Shack.  This fall, when the crops are out of the field, it will get spread on it.  If my nephew doesn’t get around to it, well, I’ll have plenty of compost for next year.

I worked hard all yesterday afternoon.  I made some good progress.  This one is going to be a several day job though, because I’m old.  Seriously.  I scoop for four hours and want to take the next day and a half to recover.  I am sadly running out of time, so I don’t get that luxury with this building.

I do have some expert help though.  Tony is trying to make sure I get some good experience steering a full wheelbarrow around large objects.  So helpful!

Tony Llama

The goats had to check things out when they came back up from pasture.

Haley with kids Orpheus and Calliope

Cutie doesn’t look too sure about this.

Cutie (and Aphrodite behind her)

I’ll be really happy to have this building done.  I’m hoping to have it done before the weekend, because our nice, cool working weather is coming to an end.  Then I’ll just have the biggest and messiest building left to scoop–the barn.

Some of My Animals

Haley with Orpheus and Callipoe

Sky

Haley with Pluto, Orpheus, Anubis, Pandora, Freya, Jimmy P, and Osiris

Tony

the young peacock

Casey