Finn's Bday

Finn turned 7 on Sunday. We had a very nice party on Saturday with Grandma EE, Dad and the Daveys. We celebrated at Mom's the weekend before because she is on a Mediterranean cruise. We had linguine, salad and cake. Tali ate three bowls of salad and that's it. LOL Had a nice time with everyone on Saturday. It helped to take our minds off of things. Finn had a blast. They all played football with Chris. Hannah rode Amy and did great. Amy took good care of her even though Hannah kept steering her into the trees. We tried to go to the Carlisle haunted thingy, but I didn't realize that it was going to be such a huge shindig. It was advertised as what I thought was going to be this quaint little thing. Instead we waited in a half hour line in the car only to get out and find out that the line into the spooky trail was an hour long! We went home.

Sheep

We are thinking about selling the sheep. :( I put the whole flock up for sale on craigslist on Monday morning and by Monday evening I already had an offer for all of them. We are trying to work out a deal that is satisfactory to both of us. They may be coming to look at them on Sat. I am broken-hearted about it, but something has got to give if we are going to really go all out with the horses, and I don't spend as much time with them anymore like I used to. The woman, Tammy, who is thinking of buying them wants to show them at the Wooster fair. That would be great. I would love for the public to be more exposed to the breed. At least they would be serving a purpose. I will really, really miss the lambs though. I would love to go through one more lambing season, but if they are meant to go now they are meant to go. Maybe it will work out so that I can keep at least one ewe to lamb. We'll see. It makes sense to sell at this time, but it is going to be so hard to see them go.

Amy

Well, Tali's Christmas present arrived on Tuesday. I went to Mansfield on Monday to look at Amy and then Tonya drove her up Tuesday night. On Monday night we told Tali that her Christmas would be the next day and that she would be getting her big present. That way she had a bit of anticipation and excitement. When Tonya pulled into the driveway we acted like we didn't know who was here so we all went out to check it out. She was super excited and couldn't believe she had her own horse.

Amy was pretty sick from standing in the rain all night and then the cold drive in an open stock trailer, so I had Dr. Matt come over and we started her on antibiotics. She is on day 5 now and still coughing, but the snots are almost gone. I hope her cough doesn't stick around. Then it might be something other than a cold.

All in all Amy is the perfect pony. She is very sweet and loves to be around people. I don't have to chase her around. She comes right up to me in the pasture. The very first time we saddled her up she let me put four children on her and ride them around no questions asked. She was very calm and gentle. My only concern is the way Ruby treats her. Ruby acts like she is the enemy and she herds the donkeys around all day trying to stay between them and Amy. Yesterday she tried to do the same thing to me until I gave her a whack and told her to quit it. They DO graze together though, so maybe it will just take time.

I got a lot done today in the barn. I cleaned out all of the water buckets, opened up the sheep shed and put down sawdust and cleaned out the cupboards so that I can hang our bridles and headstalls in a closed closet. I want to tackle the other half of the barn tomorrow.

The last two days I've ridden Ruby and both days she has tried over and over again to break into a canter. I don't know what's up with her. Its fun, but we aren't there yet. I'm going to ride again tomorrow if I have time and really work her.

The kids and I had a good day today while Mark went to see his Mom. When he came home he finished up Amy's stall door. Tomorrow while the kids are in school we need to get to Tractor Supply and close up the pool. That should be the ordeal it is every year. :(

Neo

Tomorrow Neo goes to his new home. One more down. I'm glad he is going to a good place. It will just be Uno and Romeo left to do the job. Both of them have been super randy so I think they will do fine. Hopefully Mr. Tumnus will get out of the way and let them to it. Last year I had to pen him up away from the girls because he wouldn't let Charlie near them. I think I will put Uno, Amelia and Juliette in the pen in the barn and let Romeo run with Raisin, Dolley and Lucy. Then I will put Tank and Ellie in one pen and Ben and Clementine in the other.

The black and white gelding from Chesterland didn't work out, but I have a lead on two ponies. One is a POA and I don't really know what the other is. I am going to see the POA, Amy, on Thursday and the fat pony on Saturday. I really like Amy. She is a liver chestnut with a blanket and a flaxen mane and tail. She is very pretty. Her only problem is that her ears were frostbitten and they are partially gone. I guess I will see how bad it is when I meet her. I really like the fat chunky monkey because he has had a lot of kids on his back. He has trail ridden for the last 5 years and last month he was in Beaver Creek with a child on his back who didn't know how to ride. I think that either one would be nice, but I think that Tali would really like Amy.

Horse for Tali?

Since Tali and I have been taking lessons Mark has become increasingly interested in the idea of the family going camping and taking our horses with us to go trail riding. There are a lot of great places to do that in Ohio and surrounding states. It would probably mean that we would have to get rid of some of our animals eventually, but that would be okay by me if we truly started to ride and enjoyed ourselves. With that in mind we have started looking for a horse for Tali for Christmas. Finn got a bunny last year, and now it is Tali's turn to indulge in her love of horses which hasn't dimmed by any means. At first I was thinking of a pony that she could brush, care for, and jump on at any time, but as I put more thought into it, and after talking to Jill I decided that a horse would be a better investment. Something big enough for her to grow into and that I could also get on and school if need be. And since we can't start buying horses left and right, getting a horse that Mark can also try out would be a good idea.

This week I found a black and white overo paint gelding in Chesterland. He is 17 years old, 15.1 hands and sounds perfect. He has been a trail and lesson horse, and he is beginner/kid and husband safe. Jill and I have been going back and forth with questions for his owner. I am hoping to go see him over the weekend. Oddly enough I have always wanted to add a black and white paint to my herd, so maybe its fate?

Ruby

Two nights in a row Ruby and I have made music. Great ride tonight. I'm sure Jill would be yelling at me to pull my legs back, put my heels down and change my diagonal, but when its just me and Rubes it is lovely. I just ride instead of worrying about all that other stuff. Why can't it be like that all of the time???

I forgot to mention that she stepped on my toe again yesterday. I screamed bloody murder and tried to push her off. 1200lbs of dead weight is mighty heavy.

Hit Neo with 4ccs of Durapen and Blue Kote. I'm not taking any chances with infection. I want him healthy for Lee. He looked like such a sorry little bugger this morning. Broke my heart. Still coming up for hugs and kisses despite a sore head though.

Weekend

Great weekend! Friday night we went to a tailgating party at FES. They had healthy snacks at the cars and physical games for the kids to play. A lot of fun and very relaxing. After dinner we headed to our first Firelands football game. It was very exciting, but there weren't any seats on the Firelands side so we sat on the enemies side. Next time we will get there early and grab a seat. I really want to hear and see the band in full force because they were awesome.

Saturday Tali and I had a lesson. I rode Quentin while Tali rode Cassie. This was my first time on Quentin and I really liked him. He is a thoroughbred so he was very lopey and long. I finally felt like I was making some progress. With Cassie I usually spend all of my time and energy fighting her and I am never able to just focus on what I am doing. With Quentin he did what I asked with no problems so I could get my bearings.

After our lesson we all went for a hike at Carlisle. There was a fun show so we watched that for awhile first. The kids found lots of buckeyes.

I spent the evening watching 911 footage and documentaries. Depressing, but I feel a necessary part of my year. Its the least I can do for those who lost their lives.

Today I got almost everything on my list done: Tali's letter snack, walked the dogs, rode Ruby, cleaned, laundry... Mark worked on the kid's projects with them and they turned out great. The only thing I didn't accomplish was making cheese. Soon.

Ruby and I had a great ride today. I was really starting to feel the groove. I'm hoping to get some more riding in this week while the weather holds.

Neo was dehorned on Friday. It was awful as usual. I made Mark stay with Dr. Matt while I fed the chickens and plugged my ears. His sinuses are still full of blood, but he is eating and drinking fine. Still coming up to me for petting. Uno is looking fantastic. He has gained all of his weight back and you can tell he is feeling good. Since Charlie is gone he is now head man on campus, which is funny since he was low man on the totem pole while Charlie was here. Now Neo is at the bottom. Goats are funny. Lee is picking Neo up on October 4th. I am hoping he will be well on his way back to normal. I still want to use him with Raisin, but only if he is well-healed.

Benchmark testing tomorrow. :(

Donkey Donks

It looks like JoJo and Pickles are here to stay. First there was the last episode about two weeks ago when they stood snorting and blowing at the two deer who tried to come onto the property. Then last night Mark heard the donkeys braying at 11:30p.m. We were both asleep, but they woke Mark up. I slept through the whole thing. He got up, grabbed the shotgun and went to see what was going on. The donkeys were in the back corral standing at attention towards the corn. As Mark approached he saw two shapes run north along the cornfield and disappear. Good girls!!! Once we have the back portion of the pasture fenced in they will be able to patrol almost the whole perimeter. And these are only two incidents that we have actually witnessed. I'm sure there have been other times when we have not been home or have been asleep.

Lorain Co. Fair 2010

We went to the fair on Monday night, which we have never done. I will always go on Mondays from now on. There was a fever of excitement. The 4-H kids were so pumped up and psyched to be there. We went and watched the first fair show - Showmanship with Sheep. I learned a lot, but the judge was so thorough it took forever. I can appreciate how much care and time he took to share with the 4-H kids what to do and not do, but we wanted to know who the winner was already! We saw Kim and Kerrie, Justin and his cousin, Nathan, and Janet and Emma. Emma was showing her goat and then her steer on Wednesday. She took third with her Boer goat as a beginner. Not bad. There was one little Nubian who must have jumped the fence from her pen to the next one because we came upon her getting bashed upside the head from the 6 or so goats in that pen. It was painful to watch and we didn't know what to do, so Mark opened the gate, went in and got the goat and dragged it into what we assume was its own pen. It stood there looking stunned for awhile, but I don't think it was seriously hurt. We saw all of the 4-H animals and Tali sooooo wants her own horse. It was every little girl's mantra, "I wannnnnt a horse!" "I waannnnt a horse!" I can't say that I blame her. :)

First day of school today. The boys are very immature. Another year of bringing them into manhood. HA! Tali and Finn have had to come with us because their school does not start until next Tuesday, probably because of the fair. Ruth can't watch them, but luckily they have a latchkey program that is only $1.80 an hour. Phew! Crisis averted.

The new Wyandottes are hilarious. It has been about a week now since we let them out of their crate and they are only just now venturing forth. They will walk a few steps out the door and then dart around the back of the run to the bushes at the back of the coop. They will hang around there all day. Today I did see them come up into the yard, but then scurry back to the henhouse. They seem very happy though.

Today when Tali and I came home there were about 10 vultures sitting on the back fence and floating overhead. I thought, "Oh no, UNO!" I thought for sure I would find him flat out, but he was fine. So were all the other animals. They flew away when Tali and I went back to check, so maybe they were just taking a break. One of them was sunning its wings.

Uno is doing much better. His rumen is up and going and he is slowly gaining weight. He is such a sweetie.

Ruby has thrush, but I am administering a topical daily and Rob is coming over on Monday to look at her.

We received our very first deposit and purchase agreement for two kids for next spring. Very exciting. I can't wait to start the ball rolling. Pun intended.

Cedar Point

We took the kids to the Starlight hours at Cedar Point on Thursday. It was very hot with no breeze, but we had a great time. They have really expanded on the kid's rides. There is a Snoopy Camp and another Snoopy area with rides that are more advanced than the old go-in-a-circle rides. Surprisingly, Finn really liked the rollercoaster. I thought it was pretty fast and bumpety for a little kid. I had to ride it three times in a row. Once with Ian (child I happened to become responsible for), Finn and Tali. By the third ride I thought I was going to upchuck the corn dog and fries we had just eaten. It took the rest of the night for my stomach to calm down. We were only there for 5 hours, but it felt like we had been there all day. It was plenty of time for Finn and Tali. They had Frontier Town all decorated for Snoopy's 60th birthday. Every tree had twinkling lights up and down its trunk and the lights danced to the music. It was truly magical. Definitely the best part. We stayed and watched the most bizarre "laser" light show on the big screen. Really weird. Fire and fireworks were involved.

Last night we went to Michele and Joe's for the biggest bonfire I have ever seen. I thought I was at Burning Man. Even though it was raining they managed to start a conflagration of such magnitude that I'm sure it could be seen from outer space. It was a lot of fun and we had a great time. Got home at midnight.

Uno is starting to fill out some. More feed and some Panacur seem to be helping. We will be dehorning Neo in a couple of weeks. We have sold him to Lee who lost her little buckling when his collar got stuck on the horns of her boer goat. I am going to use him with Raisin before he leaves though. I'm going to miss that sweet, little ice cream face. He is such a nice guy. I hate this selling and saying goodbye part.

We are calling the processor tomorrow about Charlie. I don't think I will be sad to see him go, but there will still be a pang of regret and guilt. He is physically abusing Neo on a regular basis and won't let Uno get any food, so its time for him to go.

We are drying Amelia up this week. She is just not producing. I don't know why, and milking her is becoming troublesome. If she does not produce a good udder and teats next year I will probably sell her. Dolly and Raisin on the other hand are supplying us with all the milk we need, even with Ivy still on Raisin. Those two are milking machines!

Turns out the only bale of hay that was moldy was the one sitting in Glenn's truck that he gave to us. Must have gotten wet somewhere. The rest of the hay is awesome. The sheep and horses love it. The goats, not so much, so we will feed them the stemmy, leafy stuff we have in the loft.

I'm probably going to work tomorrow. The book Michele gave me is inspiring me to get my butt in there. Then I want to go to the fair to see the Jr. sheep show at 4:30. Can't wait for the fair!

Tuesday

The hay we got from Glen is moldy. That sucks. Now we have to show him and renegotiate the deal. Good thing we cancelled the delivery for today.

Mark took the kids camping at Beaver Creek again since their trip last time was cut short. I hope they are having fun, but Mark already left a message saying that he had to get a new battery for the car. It is nice camping weather though.

Thursday we are taking the kids to Cedar Point for the evening. I can't wait. I have been wanting to take them all summer.

Uno seems to be putting a bit more weight on. I am trying to make sure that he gets his fair share. It will help when Charlie is gone. He really picks on Uno, and Uno is such a timid little guy anyway.

Yesterday we signed the kids up for 1st grade at Firelands Elementary. I am so relieved and happy that they are going to this school. It was very bright and cheerful, and all of the people we met were very friendly. There are 5 first grade rooms with 16-18 children in each. For the first time they will be in different rooms. It is time. They will get the bus at 8:05 in front of our house and be dropped off at 4. Everything has fallen into place.

JoJo and Pickles

Yesterday Juliette found herself on the other side of the fence in the horse corral. We have no idea how she got there. The good news is that the donkeys totally ignored her and did not try to stomp her. Then, this morning I got up early and two deer had come throught the corn and were standing there wanting to jump the creek and our fence. Both of the donkeys were standing at attention, switching their tails and snorting and blowing. The deer and the donkeys stood there for about 10 minutes looking at each other. Every time one of the deer took a tentative step JoJo would snort and blow very loudly and menacingly. Finally the deer decided to turn north and head up along the corn away from our property. Good guard donkeys!

Silver-laced Wyandottes

Yesterday I picked up 6 new chickens from Ravenna. They are about 3 - 3 1/2 months old. Wyandottes are supposed to be friendly, great layers and cold hearty. Plus, I think they are gorgeous. With the temps in the 90's a good part of this summer the Buckeyes decided to molt and just weren't laying. I actually had to go out and buy store-bought eggs to cook with. I will only use them in recipes, not on my plate. So, once I had to do that I realized that we needed more chickens. I went round and round trying to decide what kind. Then I saw an ad on craigslist and I was sold on the Wyandottes. I am hoping that we have zero roosters on board this time. Maybe one would be okay, but that's it. They are in quarantine right now in the barn, but they are bright-eyed and healthy looking, so I might move them into the coop in a couple of days. They are much smaller than the Buckeyes at this time since they are only juveniles so I will have to introduce them to each other slowly. First the cage will sit on the lawn during the day and we will put it into the coop at night for about a week. Then we will let them out to free range during the day and hopefully they will go in their cage at night. After a week of that we will let them duke it out in the coop. If you don't introduce an already existing flock to newcomers slowly there will be a bloodbath.

Getting Finn and Tali ready for 1st grade. We finally decided on Firelands and I feel so good about that decision. I think it will be a much better fit. I want them to grow up with kids who speak the same language. ie. farm language

Ruby and I are doing very well. She is steering nicely and yielding to leg pressure. I rode her all around the big pasture with no problems at all yesterday. The only thing that could cause a bolt I think are those darn horse flies. They drive her nuts and she comes to a complete stop and will not move when one is on her. She just waits for me to kill it, but if it is on her chest or underneath there is nothing I can do. So, I sit there banging my legs against her waiting for her to move on. Now if I could only figure out how to get the saddle to stay on better we would be in business.