Monthly Archives: May 2016

Happy Memorial Day Weekend

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I pray that everyone has a safe and enjoyable weekend but please take a moment to remember why we celebrate Memorial Day. Thousands of men and women have laid down their lives so that we can have the freedoms and comforts that living in The United States of America provides.

After years of talking about it we finally put in a new walkway and a flag pole just in time for Memorial Day. Have to have Old Glory flying.

I’m no fan of concrete but after weighing the cost of other materials, concrete was the only way to go. It looks nice and once we get the front yard re-sodded it will be even better.

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I’m glad we waited for the flag pole because where we originally planned to put it was too close to a young maple tree. The limbs would be nearly into the pole by now. The only thing close now is a crapemyrtle tree that will be kept short and bushy. It is taller than I would like because I didn’t trim it this winter.

flag pole base flag pole

Here is a perfect example of why we are downsizing out goats. Calvin is climbing on the fence to get to the willow tree. In the process he has the fence pulled down. If I wouldn’t have ran him off and ran a strand of electric fence along the top he would have been going over in short order.

climbing goat

One last note just for a good laugh. When I went into our little barn where several hens had been setting on nests I found this guy keeping a couple of eggs warm. lol

nesting rooster

Sold a little boar and made new friends

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We had a very nice visit with Deb and Steve from NY last night. We were able to show them the farm before I got too dark to see. They decided that one of our little boars (009) was just what their growing homestead needed. All three left this morning on their long journey home.

It started to rain as they were pulling out of the driveway. I hope they have a safe and uneventful trip back to NY.

One of the best things about raising and selling mini-livestock and the puppies is that we come in contact with many fine people that we would otherwise never have the opportunity to meet.

Deb and Steve from NY

Safe travels Deb and Steve. I’ll get the registration submitted this evening.

Friday the 13th was awful!

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Friday morning Lisa noticed that Winnie was not acting normal. She was drooling and wasn’t breathing right. She asked me to check on her and tell her what I thought. When I got to her she was acting more normal but her breathing still wasn’t right. She was taking breaths by moving her stomach rather than her chest. I said she needed to go to the vet.

Lisa said it was obvious Winnie was in pain when she was helped into the van but on the way she she got better. She worked her way to the front and laid her head on Lisa’s lap. When they got there Winnie jumped on the front seat and hopped out as if nothing was wrong. She walked into the vets office looking completely normal. Less than an hour later she was gone! The vet said one minute she was sitting up in the cage and the next she was gone. Died before he even had a chance to evaluate her.

When I spoke to him he really had no idea what could have taken her so quickly and we didn’t want to pay for an autopsy. I took her home and buried her in the pet cemetery next to her dad Shep.

We are so thankful that her puppies were all weaned and in their new homes.

RIP old girl you will be missed. I will miss seeing you carrying your bowl around as if you hadn’t been fed.

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On a brighter note we were informed that Kim, Tony, and Jasmine were going to give Lisa a little Nigerian doeling for her birthday. They had 4 to choose from and we picked out a little black one with white markings. For some reason I failed to get a picture so it will come later on. She is only a few weeks old so she will be staying there for a while longer.

After all this time Dozier the rescued squirrel still remembered Lisa. There were several squirrels eating chicken feed and Lisa started calling to them and they all ran for the trees except one. He hung around and she gave him an ear of corn. He never got close enough to touch but he was just out of reach. I thought I had a picture of them but it didn’t take. I guess it was just a bad weekend for me and the camera.

And then there were 3.

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We only have three puppies left here at the house. Teddy, the gray male we are keeping and the two females that are going to Tennessee in a couple of weeks. We do still have one gray male that is not spoken for. He is staying at the feed store. They have a lot of traffic and will probably be able to sell him faster than if I keep him here and advertise.

A week ago we added a young billy to out goats. Ih is a small goat and we are hoping to get some small kids when he breeds our does. After we get 3 or 4 kids Timmy will get wethered. We only want to get some younger goats since ours are getting old, not be over run with them again.

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The first 3 days he cried and cried. So much so that he got horse and squeeky. The first night he was crying and then suddenly got quiet. I slipped over to see what he was doing. I found one of the girls (pyreneese) laying next to him.

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The next day Patty our youngest mini horse took up with him when the other goats just ignored him.

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It took several days for the older goats to warm up to him. A couple of the does would come over and check on him when he was crying but they just walk away. Some would but him if he tried to join them. So, for the first couple of days the dogs and Patty were his companions. Lisa also started giving him two bottles of fresh cows milk. He wasn’t eating much because he was so stressed out but he took the bottles. She has started weaning him back off the milk again since he is eating well and has taken up with the rest of the goats.