First - if you live in a rural area (both of you), don't you just despise the internet access? Ours was down for nearly a week. I was in the midst of a very fascinating description for you of our week when, poof, the whole thing went down. I won't bother to recreate the amazing information that was lost. I'll start from here.
Spring has come to our house! The snow is nearly all gone, it's been 70 degrees and today it is raining. Our first lambs were born yesterday. #20 had a boy and a girl. She had them out in the pasture without any assistance. When Mark found them they (the babies) were both on their feet and nursing. I checked the sheep early this morning and no one mentioned being in early labor. Hopefully they won't have them outside in the rain - although sheep are quite dumb that way.
Alyssa attended a lovely birthday party yesterday. She is feeling a bit superior to the honorees - a five year old boy and a four year old girl. Some things were a bit "babyish" (the ultimate put down at our house!). Overall she had a good time, but maturity seems to be affecting her.
The week ahead includes orthodontist and dental appointments for the kids. That is always my big opportunity to catch up on magazine reading. Fortunately both offices do a good job of keeping their subscriptions current - it's the little things that count for me! All trips that use gasoline are being rationed at our house. Trips to "town" are scheduled with military-like precision - mapped out make the best use of time and gasoline. If I didn't like my car so much I would consider heading back to horse and buggy days. Grass is free and the cracked corn is $5 for a 50 lb. bag.
Matthew is scheduled to present an essay on Francis Marion to "Wednesday school." Katelyn dressed up like, and presented information on, Martha Washington last week. Matthew and Katelyn also attended a church-sponsored choral music camp for 3 days last week. They had a great time. The remainder of the family went down to Hutchinson (MN) for the concert. The kids did an outstanding job presenting the music they had learned.
Let's see - exciting news. I saw a moose next to 94 last Sunday morning! I was shocked and tried to record the moment with the camera in my cell phone - she was standing in a brown field and I wasn't foolish enough to get out of the car to get closer so the picture was a brown blob on a field of brown. Everyone at home had to take my word for it.
I need to go and let the sheep out. I know they will want to stand outside in the rain. I hate the smell of wet sheep (think about your favorite wool garment when wet!) - well, I guess they need to eat.
4/11/2005
4/01/2005
HAPPY APRIL!
It's been a crazy week here (do all of my posts start that way?). First of all, the sheep didn't come over last Sunday (for Easter). Our fences needed more than a bit of attention so the girls are waiting. This Sunday is the target date - they are great with child/lamb so they need to be moved very soon. I need to get an electric fence charger as I want to run a single strand of electric fence around the top of the fence. Ginger, the guard pony, likes to bend the fence down while stretching for that grass that is, of course, greener on the other side. She was single-handedly (or four hoofedly) responsible for the rapid deterioration of the fence last summer.
Several chickens have joined us - thus far they are sharing 3 eggs a day - awesome! Dad didn't bring Mark's rooster - aka his nemesis. Last summer, one rooster was determined to wake Mark up by crowing under our window - at 3AM. Obviously the rooster had an identity crisis as it tried to be nocturnal.
The weather has been great. I have to keep myself from grumbling over it ONLY being 40 degrees some days. Repeat to myself - 40 was warm two weeks ago, 40 was warm two weeks ago....I have hung laundry on the clothesline so it definitely warming. Nothing smells as good as sheets straight off the line, warm with sunshine.
On Monday the kids and I went on a great field homeschool field trip at NDSU in Fargo. The subject of the study was the circulatory system. Here is a fairly good overview of what we did:
1)We had gross anatomy. The girls were cutting up pigs hearts and poking about on cows lungs. Matthew stood back and didn't really want to touch anything (even with gloves on, of course!).
2)We studied the microcirculatory system by looking at the capillary exchange on drugged frogs under the microscope. The skin is so thin at one point on the frog we could see the exchange taking place. We also looked at the heart beating in a fertilized egg (cracked open and under the microscope) that was only 3 days into incubation.
3)Then we made blood slides in hematology and looked at red and white blood cells of sheep and cows.
4)We studied immunology next and learned about blood typing - but I wasn't listening very closely during this part :)
5)The kids learned how to take blood pressure.
6)We then reviewed blood chemistry.
Doesn't that make you tired just listening? I was exhausted when we were done - it went from 10A-3P.
Mark and Matthew took a quick run (and I mean quick) to Michigan. They were picking up a car that my brother Richard and his wife, Cindy, are giving to Matthew - could his smile be any bigger?? The guys took the train on Tuesday, stayed for the morning on Wednesday in MI and went on to IL to see Mark's family. The visit was short and the men got home at 2AM this morning. It is apparent that Matthew was overtired as I found him sleepwalking around 3AM. He was crashing around in the girls room and woke them up. He then proceeded downstairs and was sick. I think he had some caffeine on the way home - and is totally unaccustomed to that.
The kids studied Valley Forge on Wednesday at K4K (Matthew missed it). The teacher was trying to get them to realize how much the soldiers went through the first winter there so she had them take off their shoes and walk outside, around the building, through the snow and then sit around a campfire trying to warm themselves (don't worry, no one is sick). Then they went inside, dipped their feet into red paint and walked across newspaper leaving "bloody" footprints. The mothers then washed the kids feet. The gang then made hardtack and went on to an art project. Lunch was delayed by 30 minutes so the kids were REALLY hungry and actually ate some of the hardtack while they waited for their food. The afternoon was time for more cerebral learning, but they still went outside and learned to march with "Baron Von Stueben" counting out the cadence in German. We finished up with gymnastics. Wow! Next week Katelyn makes an appearance as Martha Washington.
I picked up some work reviewing and revising policies and procedures for an organization in Fargo/Moorhead. Mostly it's typing, but it does require some thought. I appreciate the chance to put some $ in the bank account.
I took some time to put away most of the snowpants and extra mittens/hats/scarves. Mark says it will be my fault if we get an April blizzard!
Next week we send the two oldest children off for a music camp - Weds-Sat. Alyssa will be bored silly without someone to hang out with so I have booked her for a field trip to learn about spinning wool and a haircut. We can spend some good mother/daughter time together.
That's all for now! Happy weekend to you. Don't forget to change your clocks.
Several chickens have joined us - thus far they are sharing 3 eggs a day - awesome! Dad didn't bring Mark's rooster - aka his nemesis. Last summer, one rooster was determined to wake Mark up by crowing under our window - at 3AM. Obviously the rooster had an identity crisis as it tried to be nocturnal.
The weather has been great. I have to keep myself from grumbling over it ONLY being 40 degrees some days. Repeat to myself - 40 was warm two weeks ago, 40 was warm two weeks ago....I have hung laundry on the clothesline so it definitely warming. Nothing smells as good as sheets straight off the line, warm with sunshine.
On Monday the kids and I went on a great field homeschool field trip at NDSU in Fargo. The subject of the study was the circulatory system. Here is a fairly good overview of what we did:
1)We had gross anatomy. The girls were cutting up pigs hearts and poking about on cows lungs. Matthew stood back and didn't really want to touch anything (even with gloves on, of course!).
2)We studied the microcirculatory system by looking at the capillary exchange on drugged frogs under the microscope. The skin is so thin at one point on the frog we could see the exchange taking place. We also looked at the heart beating in a fertilized egg (cracked open and under the microscope) that was only 3 days into incubation.
3)Then we made blood slides in hematology and looked at red and white blood cells of sheep and cows.
4)We studied immunology next and learned about blood typing - but I wasn't listening very closely during this part :)
5)The kids learned how to take blood pressure.
6)We then reviewed blood chemistry.
Doesn't that make you tired just listening? I was exhausted when we were done - it went from 10A-3P.
Mark and Matthew took a quick run (and I mean quick) to Michigan. They were picking up a car that my brother Richard and his wife, Cindy, are giving to Matthew - could his smile be any bigger?? The guys took the train on Tuesday, stayed for the morning on Wednesday in MI and went on to IL to see Mark's family. The visit was short and the men got home at 2AM this morning. It is apparent that Matthew was overtired as I found him sleepwalking around 3AM. He was crashing around in the girls room and woke them up. He then proceeded downstairs and was sick. I think he had some caffeine on the way home - and is totally unaccustomed to that.
The kids studied Valley Forge on Wednesday at K4K (Matthew missed it). The teacher was trying to get them to realize how much the soldiers went through the first winter there so she had them take off their shoes and walk outside, around the building, through the snow and then sit around a campfire trying to warm themselves (don't worry, no one is sick). Then they went inside, dipped their feet into red paint and walked across newspaper leaving "bloody" footprints. The mothers then washed the kids feet. The gang then made hardtack and went on to an art project. Lunch was delayed by 30 minutes so the kids were REALLY hungry and actually ate some of the hardtack while they waited for their food. The afternoon was time for more cerebral learning, but they still went outside and learned to march with "Baron Von Stueben" counting out the cadence in German. We finished up with gymnastics. Wow! Next week Katelyn makes an appearance as Martha Washington.
I picked up some work reviewing and revising policies and procedures for an organization in Fargo/Moorhead. Mostly it's typing, but it does require some thought. I appreciate the chance to put some $ in the bank account.
I took some time to put away most of the snowpants and extra mittens/hats/scarves. Mark says it will be my fault if we get an April blizzard!
Next week we send the two oldest children off for a music camp - Weds-Sat. Alyssa will be bored silly without someone to hang out with so I have booked her for a field trip to learn about spinning wool and a haircut. We can spend some good mother/daughter time together.
That's all for now! Happy weekend to you. Don't forget to change your clocks.
3/22/2005
Dog, dog, going to the dogs
It's time to start looking for a puppy. We want it to be warm enough that the puppy can start out sleeping in the barn. We want it to be an outside dog first and get to come in the house when it is cold outside. My Dad has been calling me every Friday for a few weeks with the puppy give-aways in the paper. We want a lab/something mix. Hopefully it will be good with sheep. Hopefully it won't chew everything in it's path (as Charlie did). We haven't actually gone to view any puppies yet because I know the kids will want to take away the first one that they pick up. Oh, I miss Charlie.
Exercise?
I think it is week one (again) of the exercise program. I know, the books all say that exercise should come first on your schedule, but life keeps happening! I have a friend who is training for various marathons, triathalons - he trains several hours every day. Obviously he is no longer working full time, the kids are out of the house, etc.
One day at a time. Off to treadmill and then weight lift.
One day at a time. Off to treadmill and then weight lift.
Wool
I've been learning a lot about wool and the process of creating something from it after it's off the sheep. I've read about skirting a fleece, making a skirting table, washing and carding the wool and spinning it. Now to decide how much to invest in the various processes.
I talked to one of the ladies who owns a company called "The Woolly Girls." It was quite amazing that I found her. I couldn't find a listing in the telephone book so I called another shop in Langdon, ND. One of 'the girls' was shopping in that store at the time I called so we had a conversation about wool and processing.
I wish I had a lot more knowledge and a little more equipment (other than the raw wool). Mark isn't sure about this venture, but has offered to make a skirting table for me so that I can get some of the wool processed. I think I will send a fleece or two out for processing this year and then look at either buying coats for the sheep or making some coats to protect the wool. The wool obviously stays cleaner and needs less handling after shearing. I have read that it is possible to was the wool in the washing machine, but we just bought our machine last year and I'm not willing to give it up in case the experiment goes bad!
Stay tuned for updates!
I talked to one of the ladies who owns a company called "The Woolly Girls." It was quite amazing that I found her. I couldn't find a listing in the telephone book so I called another shop in Langdon, ND. One of 'the girls' was shopping in that store at the time I called so we had a conversation about wool and processing.
I wish I had a lot more knowledge and a little more equipment (other than the raw wool). Mark isn't sure about this venture, but has offered to make a skirting table for me so that I can get some of the wool processed. I think I will send a fleece or two out for processing this year and then look at either buying coats for the sheep or making some coats to protect the wool. The wool obviously stays cleaner and needs less handling after shearing. I have read that it is possible to was the wool in the washing machine, but we just bought our machine last year and I'm not willing to give it up in case the experiment goes bad!
Stay tuned for updates!
Preparation Time
We are preparing for the sheep's arrival on Easter Sunday. It is supposed to be warm so transition day will be more pleasant than a day when snow is predicted. We need to set up the lambing pens as there are 15 "girls" scheduled to deliver. We also need to check the fence - there are some sagging areas. Serious consideration is being given to adding an electrified wire around the top of the current fence. Ginger, the pony, is also coming along for protection from coyotes. Since we don't have a dog, we have to take the threat of coyotes quite seriously. I need to check our stash of colustrum, antibiotics, stomach tube, rubber nipples, etc. I guess we should also get the scissors out as we aren't having the girls shorn before delivery. We have to clip wool tags from around the udder so the lambs get the right thing when they go to nurse! Mark needs to put the pump back in the outside well. We need to buy feed. Lots and lots to do.
Off-call
Ok, I'm officially "off-call" for the baby event. My friend had a 9 lb. 4 oz. baby girl yesterday. I remain a hospital girl even after being a part of the home birth. I arrived at their house about 3AM and the baby was born by 7AM. Mom had lots of back labor and was in agony for most of the four hours. Well, Mom and baby are doing well. The three older siblings are excited about their little sister. Congratulations.
3/18/2005
Woody the Sheep
Here is the story of Woody, the sheep.
Every fall we cull the lambs, removing the male lambs. They "go away," probably to someone's freezer. Last fall Katelyn insisted that we had missed a male, but we could not find him so we believed we had all females. Winter came and went - the sheep were bred. Some were obviously great with child, but others had not "taken." One was a sheep that was very fleet of foot and an excellent jumper. She jumped like a deer, clearing every fence. To eliminate the problem, we put a dog collar on her, attached a piece of chain to the collar and attached a long piece of 2x4 wood to the chain. This provided enough of an obstacle that jumping was rather difficult. The sheep was then christened "Woody."
Lambing came and went. Woody did not have a lamb.
The sheep shearer came. The kids and I were on hand to assist with the process. Basically the procedure goes like this - all sheep are herded into the barn. The kids (Matthew and Katelyn) catch a ewe and drag her over the shearer. He then shears her like cutting a coat off, not like a boy's haircut. Following the shearing the fleece is gathered up and put into a bag (Alyssa's job). Katelyn also stood on hand to spray a disinfectant on the sheep where they get cut because the clippers are very sharp and there is usually a nick here and there.
We started with the first sheep. All went well. The second sheep caught was Woody. I removed her collar (with chain and wood) and turned her over to the shearer. The shearer starts on the underside (the belly) and works up to the neck. Well, the first cut was made and "OH NO, WOODY IS A BOY!" To quote Katelyn, "he shaved Woody's pee-er off!!!" Then, to add insult to injury, Katelyn began spraying disinfectant on the wounded area. Poor Woody. Grandpa was informed that Katelyn had, indeed, been correct about there being one male lamb left and how we had made this discovery.
Woody (the name not at all reflecting his male status, but rather the board around his neck) limped for about a week recovering from the trauma. He then proceeded to jump the fences with the board and chain. Perhaps showing us that no matter we would do, we couldn't keep him down! After about three weeks of this, Woody was sold to a neighbor of my Mom and Dad's. I guess he tastes quite good, but I just can't bring myself to accept the dinner invitation.
Every fall we cull the lambs, removing the male lambs. They "go away," probably to someone's freezer. Last fall Katelyn insisted that we had missed a male, but we could not find him so we believed we had all females. Winter came and went - the sheep were bred. Some were obviously great with child, but others had not "taken." One was a sheep that was very fleet of foot and an excellent jumper. She jumped like a deer, clearing every fence. To eliminate the problem, we put a dog collar on her, attached a piece of chain to the collar and attached a long piece of 2x4 wood to the chain. This provided enough of an obstacle that jumping was rather difficult. The sheep was then christened "Woody."
Lambing came and went. Woody did not have a lamb.
The sheep shearer came. The kids and I were on hand to assist with the process. Basically the procedure goes like this - all sheep are herded into the barn. The kids (Matthew and Katelyn) catch a ewe and drag her over the shearer. He then shears her like cutting a coat off, not like a boy's haircut. Following the shearing the fleece is gathered up and put into a bag (Alyssa's job). Katelyn also stood on hand to spray a disinfectant on the sheep where they get cut because the clippers are very sharp and there is usually a nick here and there.
We started with the first sheep. All went well. The second sheep caught was Woody. I removed her collar (with chain and wood) and turned her over to the shearer. The shearer starts on the underside (the belly) and works up to the neck. Well, the first cut was made and "OH NO, WOODY IS A BOY!" To quote Katelyn, "he shaved Woody's pee-er off!!!" Then, to add insult to injury, Katelyn began spraying disinfectant on the wounded area. Poor Woody. Grandpa was informed that Katelyn had, indeed, been correct about there being one male lamb left and how we had made this discovery.
Woody (the name not at all reflecting his male status, but rather the board around his neck) limped for about a week recovering from the trauma. He then proceeded to jump the fences with the board and chain. Perhaps showing us that no matter we would do, we couldn't keep him down! After about three weeks of this, Woody was sold to a neighbor of my Mom and Dad's. I guess he tastes quite good, but I just can't bring myself to accept the dinner invitation.
Taking care of business
Oh, am I a terrible blogger?! It's been two weeks since I've posted. Life has been super busy and the internet connection has been super slow - for some unexplained reason I've been logging in at 28.8. Don't even smile you broadband people. I've tried to get it here, but until then....
A happy belated birthday to my sister-in-law, Robin. Happy 11th birthday to Katelyn.
The snowstorm that was predicted seems to have dropped south and is hitting Minneapolis quite hard - sorry, but we are laughing here.
I am homebound today - Mark's little red Honda has a coolant line leaking somewhere. Hopefully it is an easy fix as he is determined that his little $100 car will make it to 200,000 miles. Only about 9,000 to go. Mark took my car to work so we are stuck at home - which is fine since the work here never seems to end.
The sheep are due to come to their spring/summer quarters on Easter. The temps should be high enough that the well that supplies their water will be thawed. I hate hauling 5 gallon buckets of water from the bathtub out to super thirsty sheep - especially when there are in excess of 20 sheep needing a drink.
In my next post I share with you the story of Woody the sheep. Many of you have heard the story before, but it always makes me smile.
Have a super weekend!
A happy belated birthday to my sister-in-law, Robin. Happy 11th birthday to Katelyn.
The snowstorm that was predicted seems to have dropped south and is hitting Minneapolis quite hard - sorry, but we are laughing here.
I am homebound today - Mark's little red Honda has a coolant line leaking somewhere. Hopefully it is an easy fix as he is determined that his little $100 car will make it to 200,000 miles. Only about 9,000 to go. Mark took my car to work so we are stuck at home - which is fine since the work here never seems to end.
The sheep are due to come to their spring/summer quarters on Easter. The temps should be high enough that the well that supplies their water will be thawed. I hate hauling 5 gallon buckets of water from the bathtub out to super thirsty sheep - especially when there are in excess of 20 sheep needing a drink.
In my next post I share with you the story of Woody the sheep. Many of you have heard the story before, but it always makes me smile.
Have a super weekend!
3/05/2005
Water, water everywhere
With the warm weather and melting snow comes lots of cold, cold water. The kids have had to be warned to stay away from the culverts that funnel the water elsewhere. There is usually one tragic news story every year about a child who gets caught up in the water as it goes through the culvert and drowns. Horrible stories so I drill the dangers of the fast-flowing water for the children.
On-Call
I'm on-call for a birth this month. No, not for our sheep - that's April. I have a friend who chooses to have her babies at home with her family surrounding her. Well, this is baby #4 so there are three children who need someone to supervise them. This will be my second home birth - no, none of the first were mine. I'm a tried and true hospital girl. I was at the birth of friend's baby #3. I'm an epidural-loving girl, but respect the rights of others to make other choices. They are expecting a little girl. I'll let you know how it goes.
ND Expressions #2
The second expression to explore seems like a foreign language. OHFER. Pronounce it as written - ohfer. The useage is unique. An ohfer is generally used as an exclamation.
Examples: You did something unusually foolish. Your comment "ohfer stupid." A little girl has on a very attractive outfit - "ohfer cute." Someone has done a favor for you - "ohfer nice." There really are no end to the uses for this local expression.
Ohfer fun!
Examples: You did something unusually foolish. Your comment "ohfer stupid." A little girl has on a very attractive outfit - "ohfer cute." Someone has done a favor for you - "ohfer nice." There really are no end to the uses for this local expression.
Ohfer fun!
SPRING! Or a small taste
It was over 40 degrees today!!! Our snow disappears, yes! Don't worry though. I haven't put away the sleds, snowpants, mittens, winter coats, boots and all of the other fun stuff that comes with winter in ND. Quite frequently it appears that a centipede has shed it's shoes near our doorway. You see, there are shoes that are for "town", winter boots, mud/barn boots, play shoes and so much more. You would assume that living on the farm we would need less clothing, but sometimes more is necessary.
Coats are another good example. There are the church coats, town coats, barn coats, winter outside play coats fall coats and summer coats (you can always use a coat in ND - the evenings are quite cool).
OK, I've wandered once again. We had a sample of spring and are loving it. Tomorrow we hope to head to the Winter Show in Valley City.
Coats are another good example. There are the church coats, town coats, barn coats, winter outside play coats fall coats and summer coats (you can always use a coat in ND - the evenings are quite cool).
OK, I've wandered once again. We had a sample of spring and are loving it. Tomorrow we hope to head to the Winter Show in Valley City.
3/01/2005
What did you do this weekend?
We had a busy Sunday afternoon. The kids attended a birthday party at a bowling alley. The girls had never been bowling and it's been about 11 years since Matthew hit the lanes. Bowling alleys sure have changed since I was a regular bowler (WAY back when I was dating). There was no smoking, it was clean, there was a computer scoring - greatly appreciated since I never learned that skill, there was good lighting - gone were the dark, mysterious corners, there was no drinking - the bar was in a separate room. It was great.
After the bowling alley I shifted gears and went a baby shower for two ladies at church. Mark and the kids went over to some friends house to wait - for some reason they didn't want to come :). I thought it would be a low-key event. Wrong. We have some amazing hostesses in our church and the church basement was literally transformed. There were quite a few ladies present and the food was great. One of the women is having a home birth and I'm supposed to help with her kids at the birth. It will be the 2nd one I have attended. I'm a hospital girl, but am respectful of others wanting to be able to make other choices.
I finished the taxes. I had to do them on my Mom's computer as ours is 8 years old and won't support the tax preparation software. I think some of the return should go toward a new system. It's time.
Today I'm off to the dentist for a cleaning and to get a filling replaced. The kids love my dentist's office. The receptionist hands out handheld games (which we don't own) and the kids literally don't move for the entire time I'm in the chair.
That's all for now - time to hit the treadmill. So far so good!
After the bowling alley I shifted gears and went a baby shower for two ladies at church. Mark and the kids went over to some friends house to wait - for some reason they didn't want to come :). I thought it would be a low-key event. Wrong. We have some amazing hostesses in our church and the church basement was literally transformed. There were quite a few ladies present and the food was great. One of the women is having a home birth and I'm supposed to help with her kids at the birth. It will be the 2nd one I have attended. I'm a hospital girl, but am respectful of others wanting to be able to make other choices.
I finished the taxes. I had to do them on my Mom's computer as ours is 8 years old and won't support the tax preparation software. I think some of the return should go toward a new system. It's time.
Today I'm off to the dentist for a cleaning and to get a filling replaced. The kids love my dentist's office. The receptionist hands out handheld games (which we don't own) and the kids literally don't move for the entire time I'm in the chair.
That's all for now - time to hit the treadmill. So far so good!
Baa, baa black sheep, have you any wool?
I finally did it. I talked to a woman who lives north of us who spins, weaves, knits and does any number of things with fiber - not limited to wool. We had a great conversation and I learned a lot. I was frantically scribbling notes.
I learned that I have to skirt the fleeces after shearing. I might need to send the fleeces out to be cleaned, or do it myself. I also found that our sheep have a good kind of wool for spinners - it's tight and springy I guess.
I had no idea how much was involved in wool, but I am learning (thanks for the book John!). I am trying to find a magazine or really good book that would eliminate some of my foolish questions.
I am sure there is more to follow.
I learned that I have to skirt the fleeces after shearing. I might need to send the fleeces out to be cleaned, or do it myself. I also found that our sheep have a good kind of wool for spinners - it's tight and springy I guess.
I had no idea how much was involved in wool, but I am learning (thanks for the book John!). I am trying to find a magazine or really good book that would eliminate some of my foolish questions.
I am sure there is more to follow.
2/25/2005
Best Laid Plans
OK, here's what really happened today.
Homeschool done - check. Spent quality time with Matthew on his algebra. I'm astonished at what I retain from those classes years and years ago.
Cleaning done - mostly. I need a bigger house or less 'stuff'. I know, the books could go, but what we do? Every book is special to someone here.
Exercise - well....does 30 minutes on the treadmill count? Next week I begin a 12 week program that can be done at home - but will keep me busy in my spare time.
Mark has been chopping wood. Matthew splitting and the girls stacking. Mark tried to empty the burn barrel (where the non-recyclables, non-compostables are burned), but it is frozen to the ground. Plan B - haven't got a clue as to what that is.
Our weekend is, of course, quite busy. Church events, a birthday party at the bowling alley and a baby shower. Who says that people that live on the farm don't do anything besides watch the corn grow?
Happy weekend to you.
Oh yes - almost forgot. There are lots of folks who I want to wish a happy birthday, first names only, please - Jana, Dana, Elizabeth, Clarice, Dan, Bob, Kaylee, Elliot, John II, Laura, Natalija and Steve. That covers February.
Homeschool done - check. Spent quality time with Matthew on his algebra. I'm astonished at what I retain from those classes years and years ago.
Cleaning done - mostly. I need a bigger house or less 'stuff'. I know, the books could go, but what we do? Every book is special to someone here.
Exercise - well....does 30 minutes on the treadmill count? Next week I begin a 12 week program that can be done at home - but will keep me busy in my spare time.
Mark has been chopping wood. Matthew splitting and the girls stacking. Mark tried to empty the burn barrel (where the non-recyclables, non-compostables are burned), but it is frozen to the ground. Plan B - haven't got a clue as to what that is.
Our weekend is, of course, quite busy. Church events, a birthday party at the bowling alley and a baby shower. Who says that people that live on the farm don't do anything besides watch the corn grow?
Happy weekend to you.
Oh yes - almost forgot. There are lots of folks who I want to wish a happy birthday, first names only, please - Jana, Dana, Elizabeth, Clarice, Dan, Bob, Kaylee, Elliot, John II, Laura, Natalija and Steve. That covers February.
Today
Today should be relatively uneventful. Homeschooling, cleaning and exercising - probably in that order. We went to two libraries yesterday (following dental appointments for the kids) so there are books everywhere. The books need to be corralled into a laundry basket - or two. At any given moment, we have approximately 100 books checked out of area libraries - we go to three. If each child checks out ten at each library - we are up to 90 right there. Yes, they do read most of them.
We have tried to instill a love of reading in the kids and it seems to have worked! I smile as I used to clear library shelves when I was a child (I still do when there is time). My mother worked on the bookmobile at the city library, so after school we would wait for her to return from the day's run, and we would all head home. While we waited, the four of us (I have 3 younger brothers), would do our homework and then would inhale our favorite author's work. Our limit (to check-out) was 10 books each. The pick-up truck cab got pretty crowded with four kids, lunch boxes, homework, snowsuits and 40 library books. We also did not have a television and that contributed greatly to our reading. All stories for another day. Can you tell I am stalling? The day must go on.
We have tried to instill a love of reading in the kids and it seems to have worked! I smile as I used to clear library shelves when I was a child (I still do when there is time). My mother worked on the bookmobile at the city library, so after school we would wait for her to return from the day's run, and we would all head home. While we waited, the four of us (I have 3 younger brothers), would do our homework and then would inhale our favorite author's work. Our limit (to check-out) was 10 books each. The pick-up truck cab got pretty crowded with four kids, lunch boxes, homework, snowsuits and 40 library books. We also did not have a television and that contributed greatly to our reading. All stories for another day. Can you tell I am stalling? The day must go on.
Livestock Report
We visited my parent's house last weekend. The animals are all wintered at their house (aside from barn cats). We load everything up in the late fall and send it to my parent's house. My Dad loves to purchase and accumulate hay, we have grass for pasture. He doesn't seem to mind doing chores in the winter, I abhore winter chores.
The sheep are looking good. They are heavy with lamb. Polka Dot (yes, that is her name) is still limping from her many leaps over the fence last fall. For some reason she decided that the grass was greener on the other side of the fence and checked often to see if the theory was true. She developed a limp - nothing was broken. The weight of the developing lamb has accentuated her limp, but she can still manage to climb into the hay feeder so she isn't doing too badly.
We (Dad and I) need to talk about shearing. Sometimes we shear before lambing, but that sometimes causes early labor. The downside of not shearing in advance is that the mothers are not cold because of their thick woolly coats, but the babies are. Mom forgets that her little one is cold and goes tromping about in all sorts of weather. There is also the problem of cutting away wool tags from around the udder so that the baby nurses on the right thing. The wool tags are really hard on a good pair of scissors and the sheep isn't too wild about having someone cutting around her udder and just doesn't hold still for the haircut.
The horses look great as well. The kids sat on their favorites - and got all hairy from the horses winter coats. Ginger (the pony) has a stubborn nature and is Matthew's favorite to ride. I think he likes the challenge. Ginger's contrariness seems to keep Matthew jumping back on her whenever she pitches him into the grass. I don't think that will be too often this year as Matthew's legs nearly touch the ground. Don't worry, he isn't hurting her. My Dad said that ponies like Ginger used to be used for pulling carts of coal out of mines and she can handle a lot more than the 100+ lbs. that Matthew puts on her back. Katelyn sat on Sassy - her favorite. We continue to discuss breeding Sassy. Motherhood might help to settle her down. She has a bit of a flighty nature, but loves Katelyn. Alyssa was pitched off Ginger a few too many times last summer. One time I was informed that "she knocked the air out of me" so Alyssa prefers to bring the horses carrots until she grows a bit more. I think a really old mare would be good for her - a horse that would go around in circles no matter what Alyssa did.
The calves are really friendly. They are only summer visitors to be fattened up and sold in the fall. I think we should call them Heckle and Jeckle because they are mostly black. The kids have no idea who I am talking about as they don't watch cartoons - and the talking black birds may no longer make the cut for today's "discerning" children.
Chickens - chickens. Yes, we have roosters and chickens. Last fall several of our hens thought it was spring and hid themselves while hatching large batches of chicks. One mother came up to the barn with 14 little ones following her. The fall baby boom resulted in many, many little roosters who fill the barn (at my Dad's house) with their attempts at perfecting their crow. I will have to tell you how we got the chickens there - look for an entry entitled "chicken transport" in the future. Anyway, egg production is up - nearly one dozen a day. The eggs are wonderful. The yolks are startlingly yellow - due to the kitchen scraps they eat - and in the summer because they are free range chickens. Mark wants me to make sure that the rooster that is his nemesis does not return. One rooster seemed to think it was his job to get Mark out of bed all summer long. The rooster would crow, underneath our window, at anywhere from 3:30 A.M. to 5:00 A.M. Mark tried in vain to catch the thing, but was quite embarrassed to be outsmarted by poultry!
That's all the livestock that will be coming to our house in a few weeks. The alpaca stays at my parent's house, along with any goats Dad decides to purchase. We just don't learn - baby goats are SO cute and we are often sucked into buying one or two. Goats really test the fence. Sometime I will have to tell you about Parsley, Sage and Rosemary (we didn't have Thyme! - ha, ha).
The sheep are looking good. They are heavy with lamb. Polka Dot (yes, that is her name) is still limping from her many leaps over the fence last fall. For some reason she decided that the grass was greener on the other side of the fence and checked often to see if the theory was true. She developed a limp - nothing was broken. The weight of the developing lamb has accentuated her limp, but she can still manage to climb into the hay feeder so she isn't doing too badly.
We (Dad and I) need to talk about shearing. Sometimes we shear before lambing, but that sometimes causes early labor. The downside of not shearing in advance is that the mothers are not cold because of their thick woolly coats, but the babies are. Mom forgets that her little one is cold and goes tromping about in all sorts of weather. There is also the problem of cutting away wool tags from around the udder so that the baby nurses on the right thing. The wool tags are really hard on a good pair of scissors and the sheep isn't too wild about having someone cutting around her udder and just doesn't hold still for the haircut.
The horses look great as well. The kids sat on their favorites - and got all hairy from the horses winter coats. Ginger (the pony) has a stubborn nature and is Matthew's favorite to ride. I think he likes the challenge. Ginger's contrariness seems to keep Matthew jumping back on her whenever she pitches him into the grass. I don't think that will be too often this year as Matthew's legs nearly touch the ground. Don't worry, he isn't hurting her. My Dad said that ponies like Ginger used to be used for pulling carts of coal out of mines and she can handle a lot more than the 100+ lbs. that Matthew puts on her back. Katelyn sat on Sassy - her favorite. We continue to discuss breeding Sassy. Motherhood might help to settle her down. She has a bit of a flighty nature, but loves Katelyn. Alyssa was pitched off Ginger a few too many times last summer. One time I was informed that "she knocked the air out of me" so Alyssa prefers to bring the horses carrots until she grows a bit more. I think a really old mare would be good for her - a horse that would go around in circles no matter what Alyssa did.
The calves are really friendly. They are only summer visitors to be fattened up and sold in the fall. I think we should call them Heckle and Jeckle because they are mostly black. The kids have no idea who I am talking about as they don't watch cartoons - and the talking black birds may no longer make the cut for today's "discerning" children.
Chickens - chickens. Yes, we have roosters and chickens. Last fall several of our hens thought it was spring and hid themselves while hatching large batches of chicks. One mother came up to the barn with 14 little ones following her. The fall baby boom resulted in many, many little roosters who fill the barn (at my Dad's house) with their attempts at perfecting their crow. I will have to tell you how we got the chickens there - look for an entry entitled "chicken transport" in the future. Anyway, egg production is up - nearly one dozen a day. The eggs are wonderful. The yolks are startlingly yellow - due to the kitchen scraps they eat - and in the summer because they are free range chickens. Mark wants me to make sure that the rooster that is his nemesis does not return. One rooster seemed to think it was his job to get Mark out of bed all summer long. The rooster would crow, underneath our window, at anywhere from 3:30 A.M. to 5:00 A.M. Mark tried in vain to catch the thing, but was quite embarrassed to be outsmarted by poultry!
That's all the livestock that will be coming to our house in a few weeks. The alpaca stays at my parent's house, along with any goats Dad decides to purchase. We just don't learn - baby goats are SO cute and we are often sucked into buying one or two. Goats really test the fence. Sometime I will have to tell you about Parsley, Sage and Rosemary (we didn't have Thyme! - ha, ha).
2/24/2005
Cats
The word is out - we have Fleet Farm cat food in our barn. Cats have been coming from miles around - or so it seems as the feeder seems to allow 25# bags of food to evaporate in a week.
We do have our share of cats. Every spring there are a few more born. The kids really delight in naming the kittens. The theme this spring was Lewis and Clark.
Two orange - named Lewis and Clark. The friendlier one is named for the one of the explorers who didn't have depression problems (can't recall which).
One black - York of course!
One tiger striped - Charbonneau - although it turns out that Charbonneau is a girl so try to make a feminine version of the name
One beautiful tortoise-shell female - Sacagawea
A very small kitten - Sacagawea's baby, Pomp
We do have more on the way - there are always plenty of mice to eat - in addition to the tasty, generic, Fleet Farm food. Want a cat? Choose your color.
We do have our share of cats. Every spring there are a few more born. The kids really delight in naming the kittens. The theme this spring was Lewis and Clark.
Two orange - named Lewis and Clark. The friendlier one is named for the one of the explorers who didn't have depression problems (can't recall which).
One black - York of course!
One tiger striped - Charbonneau - although it turns out that Charbonneau is a girl so try to make a feminine version of the name
One beautiful tortoise-shell female - Sacagawea
A very small kitten - Sacagawea's baby, Pomp
We do have more on the way - there are always plenty of mice to eat - in addition to the tasty, generic, Fleet Farm food. Want a cat? Choose your color.
Where Have You Been?
Wow! It's been a huge week. I'm not the bearer of fun, interesting news. More introspection. We had two funerals to attend this week.
The first funeral was my mother's cousin's 26 year old son. He was very ill and had spent 5 months in the hospital. Although I didn't know him, it seemed, from what was said at the funeral, that he allowed his illness to be a ministry to his family.
The second funeral was for a 61 year old friend of our family. He had a brain tumor that he thought was licked, but wasn't. His life was one that was longer, and affected many people. He remained positive and was an incredible influence on his children and those around him. His son gave an incredible eulogy. I can only hope that our children will have some of the same to say about us.
That's where we have been - among doing income tax, shopping for jeans for Matthew (nothing seems to fit as he grows during the night) and more.
4" of snow yesterday.
The first funeral was my mother's cousin's 26 year old son. He was very ill and had spent 5 months in the hospital. Although I didn't know him, it seemed, from what was said at the funeral, that he allowed his illness to be a ministry to his family.
The second funeral was for a 61 year old friend of our family. He had a brain tumor that he thought was licked, but wasn't. His life was one that was longer, and affected many people. He remained positive and was an incredible influence on his children and those around him. His son gave an incredible eulogy. I can only hope that our children will have some of the same to say about us.
That's where we have been - among doing income tax, shopping for jeans for Matthew (nothing seems to fit as he grows during the night) and more.
4" of snow yesterday.
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