.
After much deliberation and finagling with the schedules it has been settled. J and I will leave Iowa on Tuesday, May 3 to go Virginia to pick up the woolies. We should arrive on Wednesday, May 4 in the afternoon/evening and be on our way back to Iowa on Friday, May 6.
We have toyed with the idea of taking Baby O with us. At just over a year, he hasn't completely weaned, and I don't want to force him into it. However, the child seems to be more smitten with his sippy cup as it is more portable. If he continues on this track, he'll stay at Grandma's with the big kids.
I'm looking forward to the road trip, time with J and of course the uninterrupted knitting time.
The big thing to plan now, is what knitting to take along?
Monday, April 25, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
Farm Girl
E-minion asked me this morning if she could borrow my drench gun so she could give medicine to Sarah Jessica, her purple unicorn pillow pet. She names everything Sarah Jessica, including the frogs she catches and the Japanese Asian Lady Beetles she captures and puts in margarine tubs.
Apparently the equine version of Sarah Jessica has been pooping all over the minions' room and she needed to do something about it. E-minion said Sarah Jessica was also too tired to eat and not interested in getting ear scrtiches.
After a close inspection, I realized that Sarah Jessica had an upset tummy because she'd been gorging on the freshly greened grass in the yard. Her tummy wasn't used to the change in diet from hay. We set her up with a little electrolytes, and some hay for the day. Then after work/daycare Sarah Jessica can go out and have some hay, but not too much. I told E-minion she'll have to keep a close eye on her, just to make sure that it doesn't get any worse, or we might have to call Vet Sandy.
This isn't the first time Sarah Jessica has been sick. She was ill a few weeks ago when E-minion was home sick from school. They both snuggled on the couch and I had to played veterinarian with her. We were able to make Sarah Jessica better by lacing her water with some Pedialyte (a ice cream bucket with some Legos thrown in the bottom) and a special ration of grain -- served out of one of the rings from Baby O's stacking toys.
By the next morning E-minion and Sarah Jessica were feeling better.
Tonight I hope that our plan of action has helped Sarah Jessica and will further E-minion's creativity. Who knows when she grows up, maybe she'll want to be a vet. I know that's what I wanted to to when I was her age.
Apparently the equine version of Sarah Jessica has been pooping all over the minions' room and she needed to do something about it. E-minion said Sarah Jessica was also too tired to eat and not interested in getting ear scrtiches.
After a close inspection, I realized that Sarah Jessica had an upset tummy because she'd been gorging on the freshly greened grass in the yard. Her tummy wasn't used to the change in diet from hay. We set her up with a little electrolytes, and some hay for the day. Then after work/daycare Sarah Jessica can go out and have some hay, but not too much. I told E-minion she'll have to keep a close eye on her, just to make sure that it doesn't get any worse, or we might have to call Vet Sandy.
This isn't the first time Sarah Jessica has been sick. She was ill a few weeks ago when E-minion was home sick from school. They both snuggled on the couch and I had to played veterinarian with her. We were able to make Sarah Jessica better by lacing her water with some Pedialyte (a ice cream bucket with some Legos thrown in the bottom) and a special ration of grain -- served out of one of the rings from Baby O's stacking toys.
By the next morning E-minion and Sarah Jessica were feeling better.
Tonight I hope that our plan of action has helped Sarah Jessica and will further E-minion's creativity. Who knows when she grows up, maybe she'll want to be a vet. I know that's what I wanted to to when I was her age.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Update Time!
It's been a while since I updated the good 'ol blog. We've been busy building fence. We got the area south of the barn mostly fenced in. Wires are strung, posts are pounded and everything is clipped down. There are gates to hang.Unfortunately I can't turn anything loose into the area and keep them contained.
The problem is our barn. It's a 60 x 120 foot monster that is falling in. Really about 20 years ago someone needed to love it, and put a new roof on. When we bought our place in 2002, we couldn't afford to at the time. It's slowly been falling in. This winter the south side wall finally went down. The uprights that support the hay mow are actually still very straight and strong, so I don't know when it will eventually go down.
Our intentions are to pull it down in the next couple of years and put up a smaller, more usable sized building for the sheep and any other livestock that we'll be acquiring.
Speaking of acquiring we had a slight problem with the sheep. The individual we'd hired to pick up the sheep turned out to not be the type of person we wanted hauling our woolies cross-country. So we've gotten our deposit back and we're planning to go to Virginia to pick them up ourselves.
Last Friday J and the minions drove to Fort Dodge to pick up a horse trailer. It's a sturdy unit that may not be so pretty, but it will hold the sheep very nicely. I'm in the process of working out a date to pick up the sheep with Susan at Juniper Moon. Right now it looks like sometime after April 25.
I have photos of fence building AND the new trailer -- the minions think that it is the most awesome jungle gym -- but I left the camera at home and am typing this up on break while at work.
Last night I struck a deal with the neighbor and resident chicken farmer. He's heading to the big city about an hour away on Thursday to pick up his special order chickens and he offered to pick up eight Rhode Island Reds for us. He also volunteered to keep them in his brooder until they were big enough to run free and then they'll come and live at our place.
I haven't told Ian yet. He'll be so excited I won't be able to contain him. That means while this weekend won't be dedicated to working toward sheep needs, it will be dedicated to working toward chicken needs.
Next update will have photos, I promise.
The problem is our barn. It's a 60 x 120 foot monster that is falling in. Really about 20 years ago someone needed to love it, and put a new roof on. When we bought our place in 2002, we couldn't afford to at the time. It's slowly been falling in. This winter the south side wall finally went down. The uprights that support the hay mow are actually still very straight and strong, so I don't know when it will eventually go down.
Our intentions are to pull it down in the next couple of years and put up a smaller, more usable sized building for the sheep and any other livestock that we'll be acquiring.
Speaking of acquiring we had a slight problem with the sheep. The individual we'd hired to pick up the sheep turned out to not be the type of person we wanted hauling our woolies cross-country. So we've gotten our deposit back and we're planning to go to Virginia to pick them up ourselves.
Last Friday J and the minions drove to Fort Dodge to pick up a horse trailer. It's a sturdy unit that may not be so pretty, but it will hold the sheep very nicely. I'm in the process of working out a date to pick up the sheep with Susan at Juniper Moon. Right now it looks like sometime after April 25.
I have photos of fence building AND the new trailer -- the minions think that it is the most awesome jungle gym -- but I left the camera at home and am typing this up on break while at work.
Last night I struck a deal with the neighbor and resident chicken farmer. He's heading to the big city about an hour away on Thursday to pick up his special order chickens and he offered to pick up eight Rhode Island Reds for us. He also volunteered to keep them in his brooder until they were big enough to run free and then they'll come and live at our place.
I haven't told Ian yet. He'll be so excited I won't be able to contain him. That means while this weekend won't be dedicated to working toward sheep needs, it will be dedicated to working toward chicken needs.
Next update will have photos, I promise.
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