I'm Baaack

" I'm still kicking, just not as high! " something my father loves to tell people when they ask him how he is doing. That saying would apply quite well to me right now. I didn't know just how depressed I was until I actually felt excited and happy about something recently. (putting in the first hay of the season) It has been a long wet spring! I am my own worst enemy, and I'm winning! Or am I losing?

I'll try to get you caught up on all that has happened since I last posted.

Tiger lily and her new calf, born in April, only a couple days old in the photo.

Bed fellow

What's worse than finding a bedbug in your bed?

Sr. Spot " someones been sleeping in my bed! "

Petunia " someones been sleeping in my bed! "

Sullivan " someones been... dead in my bed and here they are! "

Finding a dead opossum in your bed!

I found this unwanted addition to Spot, Luney, and Sully's bedding today. Most of crawled in and dead before I put the goats out there. I did some, much needed, cleaning of house tonight.

Crap

THIS WEATHER IS CRAP!!!

Farm truck

Our truck has returned after being in purgatory with an incompetent sorry excuse for a mechanic.

Dairy Queen

I like to call my wife my Dairy Queen, because she milks goats and cows feeds caves and kids with ease makes yogurt, butter, cheese, keifer, etc... My wife feeding four kids at once.

Dope

We brought Lucy, Autumn's horse, home yesterday. My dope of a horse tried to kill her. It's times like this that I consider getting rid of him. When I think about that, it really makes me consider what I want in a horse. I want a pair of bomb proof horses, trained to drive, to work on the farm, that can be safely ridden by my children, my wife and me. Am I asking too much? I know is not the time for is. I would have to be at home full time for it to make sense. Pictures of Lucy and ducks on the pond.

Low

Don't look now, it's mediocre man.

Mud

The way I see it, we have 3 seasons: Summer, Winter and MUD. We are definitely in Mud season!

Need a fix

I feel like an addict that needs a fix. A fix of what you might ask? SPRING!

Picture of red winged black bird.

High

Used the new generator yesterday to pump water, it worked awesomely. Got the vacuum pump working correctly today and used the goat's milking machine. It worked out so well, I can't help but feel high. Picture of 7 out of 8 kids piled on each other sleeping.

Empty

The barn is empty of all animals as of today. I am so happy to have all the animals out of that wet nasty mess. Here is a photo of the heifer out in her new digs.

Mavrick chickens

The chickens have a perfectly good nesting box in the chicken coop, but they insist on laying eggs in the haymow.

Mud

My mud puppy of a horses tried to give Autumn a kiss.

Cut

The barn has been disconnected.

Technical difficulties

We received a new milking machine for the goats yesterday, but it didn't work out quite right. The vacuum was too strong for the goats delicate teats and the motor on the vacuum pump over heated and stared smoking. We will be sticking with hand milking for a while longer I guess. Very frustrating!

Displaced

In a short while this pigeon will be displaced from the haymow. I feel like my energies and my emotions are displaced.

Kill deer

An other sign of spring, the sound of kill deer.

Changing of the guard

We have different goats in the house now. Our total is up to 7 kids so fare this year. It's a tough job being cute.

Invaders

We have been taken over by four-legged cuteness. I don't see any improvement in the temperatures any time soon, so they can go back to the goat shed!

Spring?

Motto

Use it up, wear it out, make due, or do without. The motto of a prosperous farmer. My gloves, most of the wear is from this winter.

Eggs

The chickens are laying five eggs a day right now. 7 days x 5 eggs = 35 eggs That's a lot of eggs.

Milk goats

Mamie has given us a crazy weekend. I wouldn't give it up for the world, I just wish I didn't have to go back to work tomorrow. My wife milking Mamie.

"Ims"

Maybe you can blame it on the constant winter weather, but I'm feeling the "ims": impossible, impractical, impatient...

It's a girl, boy, girl

Mamie had her kids tonight, right when we would have had dinner. Tired.

It's a girl

Christina deviled one kid by herself this morning, some time between 3:30 and 6:30 this morning. My wife kept checking on her but still mist it.

The shed

The shed has arrived, my wife is very happy!

Landing spot

The goat's new shed is scheduled to arrive tomorrow. Thanks to my father, here is a landing spot for the shed.

Spinning

Brain storming till my head is spinning, grinning all the while till my cheeks hurt. Oh my gosh I'm going to explode. All I have to do is keep the KISS method in mind. Keep It Simple Stupid

Off

I've taken the weekend off for my wife's birthday, and consequently I haven't taken any pictures. My mind is so active with ideas and possibilities for the farm that I feel wired and scatter brained. Rat tracks.

The return of winter

Our sudo spring is over. Now I can't wait for the real thing.

Decisions

I thought I knew how I wanted to rebuild the barn. But after our visit to see Bob Weaver's setup I'm not sure...

Farmer ingenuity

Farmer ingenuity: do what you can, with what you have, where you are.

My emergency shutoff for the hose.

Spring

I can smell it, I can feel it in my bones and it's intoxicating!

Chickens

The chickens ventured out today, more than two feet away from the coop! Going to have a good thaw the next few days. I put up more plastic sheeting to hopefully keep the goats dry.

Wet goats

The goats got soaked today from all the melting snow running down through the floor boards over head. The temperature is below freezing for tonight, so no more dripping for a little while.

Forked out the wet bedding and put down dry stuff. Please just stay dry! Ordered an Amish made shed for the goats today, might be done as soon as this week end.

Star

Very warm today, except for the wind. Snow is melting and running down through the floor boards and into the down stairs of the barn. Had to put up plastic sheeting to keep the heifer calf dry. Build a kid pen today out of plywood for the baby goats that are on their way. An extreme closeup of my horse Star.

Loony tunes

The babies are on their way HA HA! the babies are on their way HA HA!

cool-fun-guys

Ice stalagmite under the water spigot in the barn.

Sign

The winter wind finally did it.

Too long

It has been about a year since I last took my horse out for a drive. I think when you're too busy to ride (or drive) your horse, you're just too busy! My fore cart.

It's official

We signed papers today, the farm is in our name and under our control. I'm excited and scared, and the fun hasn't even begone yet. An other awesome sun set.

Hands

Working on demolishing the barn has been conditioning me. I started out slow and aching from working unused muscles. Now I'm faster and feel great! My weathered work hands.

Getting somewhere

Did more demo today, really feel like I'm getting somewhere. Moved goats and calf to small end of barn, right under where I've been working. Picture of southern wall of big hay mow, where little hay mow use to be.

Day job

Some times I feel like my day job is killing me. So many things that need my attention at home on the farm, but my day job gets in the way. Did more demo on the barn today. I feel that it is moving quickly but this is just a BIG job. Picture of pulley in hay mow used for putting loose hay in the mow.

Rip and tear

Did more demo on the barn today. Have to make my deadline and get the barn ready for the goats to have their kids. Earth shine on the moon tonight, shortly after sun set. Beautiful...

Antisipation

Spring, and all the good things to come! It's killing me! Photo of air bubbles in the ice from the water tank.

Groundhog

You know what I think of Groundhog day? I ate ground hog for dinner! ( pork sausage )

Our home, our fortress against the frozen tundra.

Crystals

Is it a geode? Nope! It's frost, formed in a niche of the rock wall in the barn.

Sick and tired

The door is open.

Last one standing

Did some demo work on the barn today. It felt great! I just can't do enough fast enough. Darn day job. Here is a picture from the 2nd and today to show off what I did.