Night Out!

 

So my good friends/neighbors had an opportunity for a planned night of celebration out and an overnight in another city. Situations changed and the Grandma that was scheduled wasn't able to come and stay with the kids.

Lauren ran an idea past me and I jumped at the chance of hanging out with the kids. Their 12 yr old has been vaccinated and the other two have been following the standard Covid precautions. Lauren teaches children in Wuhan China English as a Second Language. To say that she has insight on Covid 19, is an understatement. 

Okay. I will leave the Covid issue out of it from here on in.

The result was that I agreed to come up and spend the evening and sleep over while they were gone. Having a responsible adult around? A must in our minds. And besides, Rich goes to bed early and sleeps until about 8 or 9 anyway. 

Lauren will be the one watching after Rich in a couple of weeks when I go see my son Eddie. 

First thing Allie asked was 'Can we go buggin'? I jumped at the chance and we went up the road peering at different plants looking for crab spiders, moths, and various insects.

We didn't get far before the rains came. But we did find a few insects. 

Not the best shots, but fun anyway. Always more fun with a sharp eyed youngster along.

The brown marmorated Stink Bug is below. I have no idea why it liked the bird poop. 

This was a Little Sulfur according to the common name. The scientific name is Eurema Lisa. I think that is a really cute name. It wouldn't stay still and moved a lot as the raindrops hit it. I tried to get its face which appears to be green with tiny black eyes?
It sure was a challenge.

I can imagine it having something to say in the above photo.

I brought an adult coloring book that I'd found in my MIL's belongings and the two youngest kids sat down at the counter and we proceeded to chat and to color.

The Tween wasn't into that and politely excused himself to do other things in his room. 

Eventually it stopped raining and the kids asked to go out to their playground and play. They showed me how to use Alexa to play music and I colored while they did their thing. It felt strange asking Alexa to play songs for me, eventually I just opened Pandora and let the music flow while I colored.

I viewed Allie's Bug/Insect collection and admired it. She really does love insects and hopes to become an entomologist. 

The youngest treated me to some of his practice songs on his piano. 

The pups needed more attention from me than the kids. I gave out many belly rubs and Stella was even kind enough to snooze with me on the couch.

About 4 am the storms rolled in and dumped inches of rain in a very short time. Thunder rolled and rumbled. Stella moved closer to me. My smart phone said that 4 to 6 inches was expected out of this downpour and to watch for water over the road. 

I got up and finished coloring my picture and then as the storm subsided I went back to sleep with Stella.

By 8, all the kids were up and had something to eat. The oldest handed me some Kringle and said I should take some to Rich. I texted mom and dad to let them know things were all good and was it okay for me to go down the driveway?

I'd called and talked with Rich, he was fine. But I was dying for a cup of coffee. 

The folks said I was good to go and they were on their way home.

Huh.

My big night out.

I really did have a good time!

Stella:

...and Basil...

Total rainfall in our was 2 3/4. It rained lightly on and off the rest of the day which was exactly what we needed.

Dog Life

 

It can safely be said that Charlie rules all he can see from the porch.

He alerts me to the C-130 fly overs...

Yes, that is a huge plane and depending on the weather, these planes can fly just over the tree tops, sometimes once a day. Usually there are two of them, one follows the other. When they are really low, the mules pick up there heads and watch, then go back to their usual business.

To celebrate our Vac-a-versary [two week wait period after the vaccine], my neighbor and I got together for a glass of Champagne and some strawberries in her 'dog' yard.

Charlie has been a long time friend to her little dog Basil but had never met Stella, the mini labradoodle.

Lauren was concerned that Stella and Charlie may not get along and I told her that we just needed to let them be. There was a lot of sniffing and peeing to start with. Charlie seemed overwhelmed with both dogs at first.

When the girls crowded him into a corner he gave them a warning snap and immediately everything fell into place. The dogs quietly did their own thing while we had our Champagne and strawberries and caught up on face to face gossip.

When Allie came into the yard she grabbed toys and tossed them. The fun chases ensued and the dogs had a blast.

Action shots? These sucked but were fun anyway.

Charlie jumped higher than I thought possible!

Charlie: Keep your Eyes on the Prize!

Leader of the Pack!

Zoomie Time!

Things are slowly returning to normal which makes me so pleased. I have missed sitting with a friend and having coffee with conversation. 

Meanwhile at the Farm

Here is hubby with his new spring haircut and beard trim visiting with his mom who is in rehab for a fall she had at the beginning of the month. The staff a Vernon Manor have been stellar. She's had intense Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy along with decent meals and her meds have been monitored.

The difference from before her fall to now is pretty amazing. Yet the woman of course is set in her ways. She is set to be released on Good Friday. I am of the opinion that she needs 24 hr supervision. Mostly because we've discovered that her mobility is still and issue [but good enough for Medicare standards] and her memory is a huge issue [but not 'bad' enough to warrant skilled care].
Medicare will only pay for up to 30 days in a Skilled Nursing Facility, thus the other reason for her release.


That is all on that front.

Hank is now a confirmed steer. He and his mom Stella will be moving to a larger pasture on Good Friday. They will share a fence line with Stella's old pasture mates. Hank will be 3 months old tomorrow. He and Charlie share a birthdate.

After a few weeks of being reacquainted with a fence in between them, they will go into the larger dry lot to await pasture rotation once the woods pastures begin to green up.

I've spent the past few days removing worn out soft braid wire and replacing it. All five of of pastures now that are in rotation have been 'Dexterized'. The Dexters clean the woods of berry briers and brambles along with eating ragweed and burdock.
The mules eat what the Dexters don't and we end up with a great way of keeping the woods and noxious weeds under control.

The 'other' usual suspects. The red headed sisters, the bay horse we call 15 and Fred hovering in back. Missing is the grey mule, Mica who was over eating hay in the feeder. I'd just finished up a session with the shedding blade and I am again their best-est ever friend.
Sundance is on the right, she is the younger mule who will get her education this year.

I worked with Charlie in the cold wind to string new wire and test the fence. I needed one lower line for the Dexter cattle.
Charlie is a very distracted helper. He was more interested in the mud he could get into and chewing on clumps of grass.

I had his new super-light weight cord on him so he couldn't just take off.
He made multiple trips with me to the large shed and back to the pasture. The cold wind didn't seem to bother him as he was 'busy' discovering the world.

The pastures had been set up for equine. I'd come up with a rotation plan and my husband actually agreed to it.
Since his stroke last May, I've been left to more and more of the decisions.

The remainder of the Dexter herd will be trucked out and sold at local auction. The two large bulls we have will be sent off for meat and sold.

I found a new cord for Charlie. It is super lightweight. However he doesn't seem to mind dragging it or allowing me to guide him with it as a leash. The new cord is a piece of my clothesline. It works very well.

However, Charlie is a master at getting into small places and thinking it is a game.
He is still very young so I don't get too upset with him. He is still a pup. The outdoor world is a huge adventure and his acute sense of smell leads him astray...well, astray in only human terms. If I had his sense of smell I'd probably have to investigate every mouse, deer, rabbit, and squirrel smell I came across too.

This weekend ought to be a wild one. My Kenosha Gang is coming up Thursday night to spend the weekend. We'll be coloring eggs and doing some farm work. I don't know what I'd do without these helping hands!

Charlie always seems to come up with a good solution for busy days. Cuddle up and take a nap!

Meanwhile on the farm

Well, it seems the gals and Fred are doing quite well this winter. I often see Mica or one of the bays sleeping on the huge old hay pile in the sunlight, soaking up the warmth into their heavy winter coats.
We have had wild swings of temperatures. Two weeks in a row we had warm temps that got up to 50 degrees and made everything into mush.
Then someone turns the thermostat down and we get onto a freeze.
Pools of water turn into skating rinks and the mules and cattle tip toe around the icy spots.

Morris and Dixie have had a few days where they could get out and play together.

Morris won't go too far before he decides it is time to go home on our walks.
Dixie is good and doesn't complain, she defers to the elder dog and is always submissive to him.

Winter afternoons are for sitting on the porch and watching the stock tank fill with water.

Dixie has no idea that she is not a lap dog/puppy anymore. I am so glad I trained her not to jump on me, or not to try to sit on my lap while I am in a chair. She knows it is okay to 'cuddle' if I am sitting on the ground. That is a lot of dog to have in one's lap.

I put a large dog crate in the back of the Subaru and wanted to see if Dixie would go in it. When she was a pup, she did have a crate for a time in the tiny house. She was very good about 'crating' up. I showed her the crate, she put her paws on the bumper of the car and I encouraged her with a slight lift.
She was in. I gave her a treat and she practiced getting in and out. She learns new things so fast.

We are set to go on a Trail Challenge Hike together. It will be nice to have company. Dixie is very easy to talk to. ... And she never reveals what I tell her in confidence.

Morris's appetite is waning again, the vet says we can keep infusing him with fluids once in a while but his blood work is heading south...slowly. He spends 90% of his time doing this:

Once he starts showing pain we will make a decision.

Stella and Hank are doing well. I've decided to keep cleaning their 'stall' and keep them in until the weather breaks. I don't want them dealing with the wild swings of temperatures at this time.

10 large square bales were delivered by Hay Man Daryl to the ridge top. We have 10 more coming before mudseason. Those were stored in the round pen.
I've made plans for selling the culls of the Dexter herd at auction this spring.

By the end of spring, we will have the mules, 15, and 6 Dexters which will include Stella and Hank.

I've been doing a work out each day. One hour of hiking equals about a mile in our hills. Dixie accompanies me most of the time.

Rich is not doing well with the colder temperatures, it is very hard on him.

Our motto is one day at a time.

This ends the Farm Report.

Hank update

From...this wet shaking cold little thing....

to

But the clean up every day!

At least it is all frozen stuff.
I have a wheelbarrow, but the 'carcass' sled is much easier on the snow.
The little apple picker doesn't work on cow piles so I've resorted to the shovel.

Hank makes a bed out of any new hay in his pen and Stella has to eat around him.
This weekend it is going to warm up so the heat lamp will go off and I will take the sides off the makeshift pen.

I've got to figure out what to do with the pair after a month or so. Stella was always 'picked' on by the other girls and I don't want her and Hank pushed around. I may rewire a pen near Little Richard and put them in there. I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to do yet.

However. Hank is doing fine. He is running laps around Stella and kicking up his heels.

Stella is being a good mother and very patient.

Stella is also really good about me being in the pen with her and Hank, of course I have to watch her, but she allows me to capture Hank and hold on to him.

And that is your Hank Update.

Farm Life

The past few mornings and nights I have run outside in pj's and slippers to 'grab' shots of the sunrise or sunset.
The colors have been absolutely brilliant.

I also went on an short excursion to find some dried weeds in the valley. Of course I got sidetracked by the "Ice Fingers" clinging to the grass on the banks of the creek.

I'm trying to scout out the best trails to take some friends on.  We will be doing a New Year's Eve Night Hike.
Hoping to make it an annual event!

The Kenosha Gang left me some 'tack' markers. I'm going to work on one of the more difficult trails to follow ... in the day... or in the night and clean it up a bit. I will use the tack markers that reflect light.

That should help.

I collected the items I needed and spent a few minutes sitting by the creek admiring Mother Nature's ice sculptures.

Same Ice Fingers, different angle.

Sometimes I have to place the camera in the creek itself.

For whatever reason...I think I could spend the whole day just hunting for these little fingers of ice on the grass.
So many beautiful possibilities.

Again. This is the same little formation of ice. Just another angle.

I didn't have much time, I had to get back to start chores and supper.
And wouldn't you know it!
I put the bouquet I'd picked down for a moment while I picked some burrs out of my scarf...and left them there!
[A good reason, I believe to go back today???]

So I went up the steep trail to the Merry Meadow.

Out came the pink fugly camera.
My photo group was doing Silhouettes for our weekly theme.

The sun was so low in the sky. I couldn't resist.

Not a pure shot by any means. But I like it. It depicts a winter version of a scrub apple tree.

I made it home in time to do chores.

I make it a point to visit with each of the mules and 15 [our horse] every day.
The Redheaded sisters took advantage of the last rain and covered themselves in mud. I let them be covered like this as it adds a layer to their already very thick winter coats. I will groom them for riding later. Any grooming is always a love fest on our place.

Last but not least.

Stella. Our youngest Dexter heifer. She is such a doll. However she is on the bottom of the 'totem' pole in the girl's herd.
But she is also the most tame and friendly heifer we have.

For whatever reason, she loves to pull on my gloves.

Dixie reminded me that Gun Deer Season is over and she would love to help me mark trails.
Hmm.
Morris reminded me that he likes very short walks in the cold and prefers more than one blanket to burrow into on the couch.

And...
so begins another day!

Welcome Stormy & Stella

Our weekend was a busy one.  Friday was a long day heading to Madison for a follow up appointment.
The follow up went well and things are moving along as expected and a PET scan is scheduled for September.

During our last storm we of course had a calf.  Annie finally had her calf and the next morning as we were checking fences and picking up branches we were delighted to see 'Stormy' up and about.

Speedy who was born in around June 1st was checking him out.

Speedy likes to think of himself as the tough kid on the block.  Well he is as he is fully almost 8 weeks older than the others!

Then Speedy had another adjustment to make.

Stella was born during the hottest spell we've had this summer.  The heat and humidity were incredible and nasty.  Yet Stella was born.

She is our only heifer this year, but she is Dun colored and seems to be polled.

I have to admit, she is a knock out. 

Speedy and Stormy will become future meat projects and Stella will become one of the 'girls' eventually.  She and Bunny are both polled heifers.  Bunny is about 15 months old and is pure black like her father Black Bart.

It is a delight to see healthy calves in the pasture.

I imagine when the youngest calves get a bit of age on them, there will be plenty of running and chasing in the pasture.