WARNING: THIS POST IS SUPER LONG!
In the beginning of September Mom canned her apples from her apple trees. We got a delicious apple pie filling canned, and we're going to try it Thanksgiving day.
(Jelly)
Speaking about puppies brings up the subject of dogs. Duke has lined out and is rapidly becoming one of my favorite dogs!
In the beginning of September Mom canned her apples from her apple trees. We got a delicious apple pie filling canned, and we're going to try it Thanksgiving day.
Then we took our bountiful grape harvest and canned grape jelly and grape juice.
(Juice)
The goats are almost dried up for the year...and forever.
When Puddins had her c-section and Sugar had an awful kidding experience this year, Mom just got burnt out on breeding goats. We've also had milk fever with Ginger the first year, and Ketosis with Sugar the following. Daisy also had a horrific still born and wouldn't release her placenta causing us to give her medicine to slough it out. I have always wanted to be a vet, so all this was fine with me, but it was tough for Mom. However she is quitting mainly because we are getting older and we are getting tired of the constant ball and chain milk goats are when no one is willing to help with chores when you want to go somewhere further than a 100 mile radius.
It's hard to find fellow milkers that live close by (a few offered to help but they lived so far away it would have been selfish to even ask them). Of course, the goats are weary of strangers so probably would of balked at a stranger coming over to milk them.
After 6 years of never going on a vacation from February through November, we have decided we deserve a break.
It's hard to find fellow milkers that live close by (a few offered to help but they lived so far away it would have been selfish to even ask them). Of course, the goats are weary of strangers so probably would of balked at a stranger coming over to milk them.
After 6 years of never going on a vacation from February through November, we have decided we deserve a break.
So, because what she does with the goats is ultimately her choice, she decided to retire them and only have them as pets. I'm going to miss the baby goats, and the kidding. That was my favorite part of the goats...the babies and the kidding.
But the sadness will dull with the coming of puppies!!
Speaking about puppies brings up the subject of dogs. Duke has lined out and is rapidly becoming one of my favorite dogs!
He is obsessive with chasing the cows and is constantly running up and down the fence line trying to get at the goats, so I have to keep an eye on him. He usually wears his muzzle anyways and can't hurt them. He also has a Border Collie eye and always stalks up on the goats to the fence.
He is good on the leash now, and is learning fetch. I was originally teaching him fetch with just a regular tennis ball, and he wasn't chasing the ball that well. Then, when we were at the Senior Center Thursday morning for Dock to play with the band, Mom was browsing the store and saw a cunning little dog training kit with a toy, a clicker, a book, and a DVD for only $3!
I was extremely pumped, and began training in September. Now he's getting to be pretty obsessive with fetch. He LOVES his new toy and is doing well with his training sessions!
I stated before that he and the other dogs weren't getting along very well, so we got him a wire muzzle. He didn't like it at first, but now he's used to it.
Duke with his muzzle
Duke with his muzzle
Anyways, we concluded that the only thing to do was get her a muzzle also, so she can't be wicked, and throw 'em together in the kennel to force close encounters without injuries. Poor Nova. Forced marriage.
That was in September, when she was being mean. We got her the same kind of muzzle that Duke has a couple weeks ago. Dock held her down while I put it on, and quick as a wink she had ripped it off. After several modifications, we have it to where she can't get it off. We haven't put it on yet with Duke around, however I'm planning to.
I think she's starting to come into heat, because now she's being nicer. She still barks at Duke when I take him out on runs, however when he's loose with his muzzle she follows and sniffs him, and chases him everywhere. She won't let him sniff her, however, without snarling and shoving her bottom to the ground, so she's being quite double minded about it.
About two weeks ago, Dad told me to let Duke lose without his muzzle, with the other dogs, and see what happens. Nothing did, and Dock and I were running with them for about 2 hours. Then suddenly Nova was sniffing a squirrel hole, Duke came up and shoved her out of the way, and the dog fight began. She bit him, then he simply grabbed her by the shoulder and started shaking her. She started yipping, and I waited for about 2 seconds to see if he would let go. He didn't, so I yelled and him and raised my arm. He immediately let go and started cowering at my feet. The damage was already done, however, and he had punctered Nova on her shoulder. We ended up taking her to the vet because we thought she would need stitches but she didn't. We are keeping it clean but it will take awhile to heal.
The dogs running in the pasture that we rent for cows, which is right behind us.
A cute photo of Wayne running down this wood pile
That was in September, when she was being mean. We got her the same kind of muzzle that Duke has a couple weeks ago. Dock held her down while I put it on, and quick as a wink she had ripped it off. After several modifications, we have it to where she can't get it off. We haven't put it on yet with Duke around, however I'm planning to.
I think she's starting to come into heat, because now she's being nicer. She still barks at Duke when I take him out on runs, however when he's loose with his muzzle she follows and sniffs him, and chases him everywhere. She won't let him sniff her, however, without snarling and shoving her bottom to the ground, so she's being quite double minded about it.
About two weeks ago, Dad told me to let Duke lose without his muzzle, with the other dogs, and see what happens. Nothing did, and Dock and I were running with them for about 2 hours. Then suddenly Nova was sniffing a squirrel hole, Duke came up and shoved her out of the way, and the dog fight began. She bit him, then he simply grabbed her by the shoulder and started shaking her. She started yipping, and I waited for about 2 seconds to see if he would let go. He didn't, so I yelled and him and raised my arm. He immediately let go and started cowering at my feet. The damage was already done, however, and he had punctered Nova on her shoulder. We ended up taking her to the vet because we thought she would need stitches but she didn't. We are keeping it clean but it will take awhile to heal.
The dogs running in the pasture that we rent for cows, which is right behind us.
A cute photo of Wayne running down this wood pile
Duke stalking goats...
And we sometimes let him in on the couch
We also poured concrete in the shop last Wednesday!!!! Hooray!! Pictures of the curing concrete later.
Also, my birthday was last week on Tuesday the 5th. I turned 13! My grandma and great-grandma came up with presents Saturday the 9th
Among many other things, I only got pics of this adorable Josef Original glass birth stone doll. Do you see the "topaz" stone in her flowers?
And this delicious, BEAUTIFUL birthday cake! Thank you Grandma!!!
Yesterday we were burning a bunch of leaves at the edge of the goat pasture fence, and Sugar and Minty went crazy! They both raced up into the smoke witch was blowing in, and started inhaling it. They stood in their the whole time, sneezing and snorting, but just standing there with their eyes glazed over. I can just imagine...
"Hey Minty, this stuff s-s-smells (ACHOO!) good.
"It so does (HACK). I c-c-could s-stand here all day! (ACHOO!)
(Sniffle, snuffle, SNORT!)
Anyways, leaving the dialogue amongst Minty and Sugar...
I am glad to say that Ginger, Puddins, and Grace never went near the smoke, only Minty and Sugar.
In this one you can see that Sugar has her mouth open and is inhaling the smoke!
Sugar looks especially crazy in this one
Mittens
Turkeys
Our two cows, Doddie (a heifer) and Bumbler ( a steer)
The horses are currently in a pasture that wer're renting, so no pictures of them.
And we went to Spokane Saturday the 2nd to Nick's Custom Boots. Dad bought a pair of boots from them 6 years ago. Nick's Boots will completely make a custom boot for you, with extremely heavy duty leather, soles, and countless styles and variations. Dad, Mom and Dock all got a pair of new boots! I couldn't get any because the guy that fitted said that the leather is so heavy-duty that for a girl unless you are 15-16, for boys 16-17, your bones are still growing, and it will injure the bones on your feet.
Dad's boots aren't here yet.
Mom's boots came yesterday!! They were in the neighborhood of $500.
And Dock's boots came today!
Dad bought me a pair of Los Altos cowgirl boots. I absoloutely LOVE these boots! I hate square toes, but these were SOO comfortable, and I liked the color so much that I wanted them anyways! They are leather with leather soles and are handcrafted.
The end of this post (finally).
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