Thursday, August 25, 2011
And MORE rain!
As of this morning! My goodness, I am adoring this "trough" we are having! We are now at a full inch and a half! W00T! That means the whole acreage got a good wetting, and it will be easier for the grass to bounce back with irrigation. That also means that this is the LAST load of hay I am buying! ~does the happy dance~
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
In other news....
Since I seem to be suffering from insomnia...or maybe it is simply tough to sleep with a broken elbow when you can't take the pain medication because it makes you sick....
We have managed to clean out the old well bore on the property. Actually, we have two old well bores, neither of which have been used since 1989, or later. This one turns out to be 90 feet and looks like it will give us 10 gpm of good, clean water.
What that means down here in drought-stricken Texas is that the goats and rescue horses get to eat. Is it that bad? Oh yes it is. Grass round bales are going for over $100 each for a 4x6. 10 acres of what used to be lush pasture can't keep 3 horses fed. You don' even want to know what dairy quality hay is going for. Let's just say that for now, the goats are on pellet alfalfa...which is expensive, but not as expensive as poor quality hay.
So the horses get to eat. They will not suffer the fate of those poor things about a 1/2 mile down the road from me that starved to death while A/C wrung their hands because there is NO room for horses.
Two properties down from me there is a dead cow in the field. It starved to death on the overgrazed, depleted pasture. It is so hot and dry here right now (yes, even with today's rain) that the cow has been there for a week *and it isn't rotting*. There is no smell, no stench. The thing is dehydrating and mummifying there in the field. The buzzards haven't even touched it.
So, that is why the working well is a BIG deal. Our groundwater supplies here in the Brazos River Basin are healthy and fine, it is just getting that water to the surface. A well for irrigation will save us.
Okay, comparison.:)
Last summer, my pasture with cute goats in it:
This summer, the SAME pasture, with horses in it (the goats are getting dry-lotted in the barn due to the heat:
Both pictures were taken during high summer. You do not EVEN want to see my pond.
For other homesteaders, this is a thought: See to your water. Mama Nature is NOT kind and sweet, she is grumpy and given to moodiness. Yes, irrigation averages out to $71 an acre in operating costs and $112 an acre in initial investment....but when you REALLY need it, nothing else will do the trick.
I hope to see my pasture looking like it did last year. At this time, though, I don't think anything is going to save most of the trees.
We have managed to clean out the old well bore on the property. Actually, we have two old well bores, neither of which have been used since 1989, or later. This one turns out to be 90 feet and looks like it will give us 10 gpm of good, clean water.
What that means down here in drought-stricken Texas is that the goats and rescue horses get to eat. Is it that bad? Oh yes it is. Grass round bales are going for over $100 each for a 4x6. 10 acres of what used to be lush pasture can't keep 3 horses fed. You don' even want to know what dairy quality hay is going for. Let's just say that for now, the goats are on pellet alfalfa...which is expensive, but not as expensive as poor quality hay.
So the horses get to eat. They will not suffer the fate of those poor things about a 1/2 mile down the road from me that starved to death while A/C wrung their hands because there is NO room for horses.
Two properties down from me there is a dead cow in the field. It starved to death on the overgrazed, depleted pasture. It is so hot and dry here right now (yes, even with today's rain) that the cow has been there for a week *and it isn't rotting*. There is no smell, no stench. The thing is dehydrating and mummifying there in the field. The buzzards haven't even touched it.
So, that is why the working well is a BIG deal. Our groundwater supplies here in the Brazos River Basin are healthy and fine, it is just getting that water to the surface. A well for irrigation will save us.
Okay, comparison.:)
Last summer, my pasture with cute goats in it:
This summer, the SAME pasture, with horses in it (the goats are getting dry-lotted in the barn due to the heat:
Both pictures were taken during high summer. You do not EVEN want to see my pond.
For other homesteaders, this is a thought: See to your water. Mama Nature is NOT kind and sweet, she is grumpy and given to moodiness. Yes, irrigation averages out to $71 an acre in operating costs and $112 an acre in initial investment....but when you REALLY need it, nothing else will do the trick.
I hope to see my pasture looking like it did last year. At this time, though, I don't think anything is going to save most of the trees.
It's RAINING!
Oh my God, it's RAINING! I don't believe it! Over an inch already and we might even get a total of 2 inches by tonight! W00T! ~happy dance~ It's raining, it's pouring! The old man is snoring!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
And you can expect one post per 6 weeks...
Whether the blog needs it or NOT.
Actually, I am just as bad as a correspondent unless it is in e-mail.
The news today is that we got through kidding season, so far, without a SINGLE kid death! W00T! Now, I'll admit that I am used to having more does kidding than this, but this makes a 5 season run. The last five seasons that I have done kidding, I have had NO kid deaths. Yay me! Go Big Dude upstairs! Go Big Dude upstairs! [Insert image of Caliann doing the "cabbage patch" here]
Of the two does that stayed after the complete herd liquidation...Brie, my chamoisee FF, had twins, one boy, one girl, no pulling! A quick, easy birth, even if she did chose 2 a.m. to do it!
Mardi Gras, also an FF, waited four days longer to kid QUADS! She is a kinder, sweeter doe, and kidded just after high noon. Also a quick and easy delivery with NO PULLING.
And now, my kidding season is OVER. No more sleepless nights. :)
The garden is growing, new fencing is going up. Next month, a new greenhouse is going up and I can FINALLY start moving on my new aqua-ponics system. We have been so busy that I really haven't had time to do blogs. ~sings~ Spring is in the air...~
Those are Brie's twins. The chamoisee is the buckling, and the cream is the doeling.
That's Mardi Gras and her four babies, the one before the stall was cleaned up (and had ALL of them in the same picture, a feat that has been difficult to duplicate since), and the one after it was clean and Mardi could relax.
Hope everyone enjoys!
Actually, I am just as bad as a correspondent unless it is in e-mail.
The news today is that we got through kidding season, so far, without a SINGLE kid death! W00T! Now, I'll admit that I am used to having more does kidding than this, but this makes a 5 season run. The last five seasons that I have done kidding, I have had NO kid deaths. Yay me! Go Big Dude upstairs! Go Big Dude upstairs! [Insert image of Caliann doing the "cabbage patch" here]
Of the two does that stayed after the complete herd liquidation...Brie, my chamoisee FF, had twins, one boy, one girl, no pulling! A quick, easy birth, even if she did chose 2 a.m. to do it!
Mardi Gras, also an FF, waited four days longer to kid QUADS! She is a kinder, sweeter doe, and kidded just after high noon. Also a quick and easy delivery with NO PULLING.
And now, my kidding season is OVER. No more sleepless nights. :)
The garden is growing, new fencing is going up. Next month, a new greenhouse is going up and I can FINALLY start moving on my new aqua-ponics system. We have been so busy that I really haven't had time to do blogs. ~sings~ Spring is in the air...~
Those are Brie's twins. The chamoisee is the buckling, and the cream is the doeling.
That's Mardi Gras and her four babies, the one before the stall was cleaned up (and had ALL of them in the same picture, a feat that has been difficult to duplicate since), and the one after it was clean and Mardi could relax.
Hope everyone enjoys!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Ugh....
Tired, achy....
Spent the day building fence. Need I say more? In case I haven't mentioned it, I HATE building fence. I want to have money so I can hire someone ELSE to build fence...not build fence myself.
So, I am going to take my tired, achy, fence-building body and put it into a hot bath.
Spent the day building fence. Need I say more? In case I haven't mentioned it, I HATE building fence. I want to have money so I can hire someone ELSE to build fence...not build fence myself.
So, I am going to take my tired, achy, fence-building body and put it into a hot bath.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Day Deux
I am only taking a moment for this today. I have so much to do, I am not sure where to start!
As soon as I am done with this, I am crock-potting dinner. (Dinner idea from my friend Andi, whose blog I follow.)
Then, I am putting all 8 of the puppies outside (Oh, I will be SO glad when they are old enough to be homed! Their Mom too! This is what I get for agreeing to do favors for irresponsible family members!), feeding them their mush and letting them frolic in the great outdoors...inside their little puppy jail, of course, and then cleaning the room they are in.
After that, time to muck out the chicken coop. Then, then, I will finally have some time to finish rearranging the bedroom...I have to get the cedar chest out of storage and up the stairs. That is going to be fun. NOT! LOL
And there is a bunch of little things to do. Hang a hook outside the door for the new wind-chime. Finish DH's laundry. Cut a new branch for the parrot's perches. Pot a few plants. This, that, and the other.
And if, when he gets home, my darling DH has ANYTHING smart-alec to say.....well, I may not be getting anything done tomorrow because I will be in jail for murder.
Anyone who wants to stop by and give me a hand is welcome! I will ply you with hot, honey chai and feed you.
As soon as I am done with this, I am crock-potting dinner. (Dinner idea from my friend Andi, whose blog I follow.)
Then, I am putting all 8 of the puppies outside (Oh, I will be SO glad when they are old enough to be homed! Their Mom too! This is what I get for agreeing to do favors for irresponsible family members!), feeding them their mush and letting them frolic in the great outdoors...inside their little puppy jail, of course, and then cleaning the room they are in.
After that, time to muck out the chicken coop. Then, then, I will finally have some time to finish rearranging the bedroom...I have to get the cedar chest out of storage and up the stairs. That is going to be fun. NOT! LOL
And there is a bunch of little things to do. Hang a hook outside the door for the new wind-chime. Finish DH's laundry. Cut a new branch for the parrot's perches. Pot a few plants. This, that, and the other.
And if, when he gets home, my darling DH has ANYTHING smart-alec to say.....well, I may not be getting anything done tomorrow because I will be in jail for murder.
Anyone who wants to stop by and give me a hand is welcome! I will ply you with hot, honey chai and feed you.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
The First Post
It has been years since I have attempted to blog...and I fear I am just not very good at it. However, being the eternal optimist, what the heck, I'll try it again.
Down on the farm, we suffered a bit of some problems....we seem to have a disease running through our chickens that causes them to be happy-go-lucky one moment, beak down in the dirt 10 minutes later and dead an hour after that. I have attempted antibiotics, hand feeding electrolytes with an eye-dropper, and various other things and they don't seem to work. It seems that once a chicken goes down with this, that is it.
Not everyone is succumbing....a few of my Silkies, some of my Americanas...and the first of the latter bunch it struck down was my prime rooster of a new color I am working on. ~sighs~
At any rate, this, coupled with the season, has kept me away from my normal forums, away from my e-mail, and away from my computer for the last many days.
What other things, you might ask? Well, it is January in Texas, and unlike you poor, unfortunate Northerners, it means that it is time to get that garden started.
Which, for me, means it is time to set up that extra hoop greenhouse, time to start 1000+ seeds, etc., etc., because next month, people are going to want started plants for their cool weather gardens. (The only time we can grow things like cabbage and lettuce down here, without it bolting the very second after it has sprouted, it to grow them in winter.) But also, in two months, folks are going to want big, healthy tomato plants to start their spring gardens, and I need to be ready to oblige them.
So, that means that my goat forums, my chicken forums, and all of my other forums are neglected, because right now, I just don't have the time to give them the attention.
Please cross your fingers for me over the chickens. I'd hate to have the entire flock die off and I have no idea what is getting to them. It couldn't have happened at a worse time, either, when I *should* be planting fervently and not nursing sick livestock.
Well, now I am off to town. I need paint stripper, PVC clamps and, just for my own enjoyment, some Hosta plants that I want to put in my bedroom window.
Down on the farm, we suffered a bit of some problems....we seem to have a disease running through our chickens that causes them to be happy-go-lucky one moment, beak down in the dirt 10 minutes later and dead an hour after that. I have attempted antibiotics, hand feeding electrolytes with an eye-dropper, and various other things and they don't seem to work. It seems that once a chicken goes down with this, that is it.
Not everyone is succumbing....a few of my Silkies, some of my Americanas...and the first of the latter bunch it struck down was my prime rooster of a new color I am working on. ~sighs~
At any rate, this, coupled with the season, has kept me away from my normal forums, away from my e-mail, and away from my computer for the last many days.
What other things, you might ask? Well, it is January in Texas, and unlike you poor, unfortunate Northerners, it means that it is time to get that garden started.
Which, for me, means it is time to set up that extra hoop greenhouse, time to start 1000+ seeds, etc., etc., because next month, people are going to want started plants for their cool weather gardens. (The only time we can grow things like cabbage and lettuce down here, without it bolting the very second after it has sprouted, it to grow them in winter.) But also, in two months, folks are going to want big, healthy tomato plants to start their spring gardens, and I need to be ready to oblige them.
So, that means that my goat forums, my chicken forums, and all of my other forums are neglected, because right now, I just don't have the time to give them the attention.
Please cross your fingers for me over the chickens. I'd hate to have the entire flock die off and I have no idea what is getting to them. It couldn't have happened at a worse time, either, when I *should* be planting fervently and not nursing sick livestock.
Well, now I am off to town. I need paint stripper, PVC clamps and, just for my own enjoyment, some Hosta plants that I want to put in my bedroom window.
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