Since I have a speedy internet connection (for the moment) - I'll continue sharing. #1 son is heading to Ecuador on a mission trip in July. He is really excited. A HUGE thank you to all of you who have donated to make this possible.
#1 son is a little leery about the national delicacy of guinea pig (we watched the Globe Trekker on Ecuador) and disappointed that the tour won't include a stop at the Galapagos Islands. He has decided that strictly vegetarian is the best route to take when heading outside of the homeland.
Right now preparations are underway, including waiting for his passport to arrive. Does it really need to take 10 weeks?? Now we shop for very light items for him to take along as there is, of course, a weight limit on the luggage. Fun, fun. Can't wait to share photos and stories of his adventures.
5/21/2007
Book Recommendations
I find myself with a lot more time on my hands now that I'm not doing things like, oh, learning the parts of the nephron, memorizing the process of sperm production-taking the trip from genesis to implantation, memorizing 200 of the muscles in the body, reviewing karotyping and so much more fun stuff. SO, I find myself standing in the library, staring at the books wanting to play 'catch-up' from the many months I missed but don't know where to start. Do you have any recommendations?
Friday night
A huge storm swept past our house on Friday night. A funnel cloud was spotted within this storm about 45 minutes prior to the same system sweeping past our house. We watched the clouds swirl from the doorway of the outside entry to our basement. The camera only captured a fraction of the scope of the clouds across the sky.
Grades/Next Year
My grades came out at 4.0 for this semester. Overall GPA is 3.88 due to two 'B's' last spring. I'm OK with it. Next year brings chemistry and microbiology, among other fun stuff. I know, those of you who began this journey with me feel like I should be done by now. Patience for us all...I am still able to homeschool the kids (who also did quite well this year in their schoolwork) while managing a full time class load.
NO classes this summer so we will do fun things like Botany and maybe even a unit on Birds with the girls. It feels odd not to awaken at 5AM to study anatomy and physiology!
NO classes this summer so we will do fun things like Botany and maybe even a unit on Birds with the girls. It feels odd not to awaken at 5AM to study anatomy and physiology!
Bar Envy
One of the unique foods in the upper midwest includes 'bars.' When we first moved here I was asked to supply bars for a funeral luncheon. The only bars I knew of were rice krispie bars - not something I associated with a funeral, but rather a backyard event with children. I made what I thought would pass for bars. My Mom warned me I was sending cake. Sure enough, the thank you note thanked me for the delicious cake. Thus began my quest to understand 'bars.'
Actually quest overstates the situation. Frankly it only comes up once a year or so. I hadn't given it much thought until the girls' piano teacher asked me to bring a pan of bars to the piano recital lunch. Don't worry about bringing them plated, she had bar trays! The pressure...I couldn't take it. Many farm women have a specialty type (or two or three). I'm not there. I shopped for a box of brownies. I thought I had it licked. I followed the directions carefully, baking in a beautiful clear glass 9x13 pan. I even carefully sprinkled powdered sugar on top. I had it licked...until I proudly carried my offering into the church kitchen. I found that I need a bar pan. This is a 9x13 no stick pan with a lid (not foil, you cretin). The other women eyed my brownies with suspicion as they didn't come in a BAR PAN. I took over half of my brownies home! Shopping.
Actually quest overstates the situation. Frankly it only comes up once a year or so. I hadn't given it much thought until the girls' piano teacher asked me to bring a pan of bars to the piano recital lunch. Don't worry about bringing them plated, she had bar trays! The pressure...I couldn't take it. Many farm women have a specialty type (or two or three). I'm not there. I shopped for a box of brownies. I thought I had it licked. I followed the directions carefully, baking in a beautiful clear glass 9x13 pan. I even carefully sprinkled powdered sugar on top. I had it licked...until I proudly carried my offering into the church kitchen. I found that I need a bar pan. This is a 9x13 no stick pan with a lid (not foil, you cretin). The other women eyed my brownies with suspicion as they didn't come in a BAR PAN. I took over half of my brownies home! Shopping.
Spring
Rather than give a day by day update, I will summarize the 2007 lambing season.
Totals include: 19 ewes, 38 lambs. Unfortunately, that number does not stand as the number 'on the ground' as the professionals say. This spring we were reminded that farming does not mean white fluffy lambs jumping around without assistance from the humans.
#19 had one lamb dead and after examination we (#1 husband and I) determined she had another inside of her. This involved literal extraction and a glove on my hand that extended all the way to my shoulder. The lamb was dead and had been for at least a day. That was one of the hardest things I have ever done. Favorite husband did more than his share as well. We remained in agreement that we never want to do that again. #19 seems to have a pelvis too narrow to accommodate lambs. Bye, bye.
Another sheep had triplets. The youngest was not doing well. We brought her in the house and literally snatched her from the brink of death. Sunny bonded with Hank and we found her chasing cars with him as she did not consider herself a sheep. Well, sadly, after being with us for three weeks we found her dead - no apparent cause. The same week we lost two more lambs - again, without obvious reasons. We consulted the experts at NDSU, but without a necropsy (autopsy for a sheep) we had only speculation. Speculation that extended to the lambs possibly succumbing to overspray from nearby fields, having drank from the creek that may have contained field run-off - who knows!? We certainly don't, but losing three lambs, especially Sunny (the bottle lamb who thought she was a dog) was very difficult.
But the happy news is that one sheep had a set of triplets that contain the tiniest lamb we have ever seen. We actually took our kitchen scale out to weight the smallest little guy. He tipped the scales at a whopping three pounds. A 'normal' lamb weighs around eight. Our #1 daughter wants to keep him, but I think his cuteness will wear off as he grows larger.
It's not all warm and fuzzy on the farm.
Totals include: 19 ewes, 38 lambs. Unfortunately, that number does not stand as the number 'on the ground' as the professionals say. This spring we were reminded that farming does not mean white fluffy lambs jumping around without assistance from the humans.
#19 had one lamb dead and after examination we (#1 husband and I) determined she had another inside of her. This involved literal extraction and a glove on my hand that extended all the way to my shoulder. The lamb was dead and had been for at least a day. That was one of the hardest things I have ever done. Favorite husband did more than his share as well. We remained in agreement that we never want to do that again. #19 seems to have a pelvis too narrow to accommodate lambs. Bye, bye.
Another sheep had triplets. The youngest was not doing well. We brought her in the house and literally snatched her from the brink of death. Sunny bonded with Hank and we found her chasing cars with him as she did not consider herself a sheep. Well, sadly, after being with us for three weeks we found her dead - no apparent cause. The same week we lost two more lambs - again, without obvious reasons. We consulted the experts at NDSU, but without a necropsy (autopsy for a sheep) we had only speculation. Speculation that extended to the lambs possibly succumbing to overspray from nearby fields, having drank from the creek that may have contained field run-off - who knows!? We certainly don't, but losing three lambs, especially Sunny (the bottle lamb who thought she was a dog) was very difficult.
But the happy news is that one sheep had a set of triplets that contain the tiniest lamb we have ever seen. We actually took our kitchen scale out to weight the smallest little guy. He tipped the scales at a whopping three pounds. A 'normal' lamb weighs around eight. Our #1 daughter wants to keep him, but I think his cuteness will wear off as he grows larger.
It's not all warm and fuzzy on the farm.
5/20/2007
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)