Monday, May 23, 2011

welcome to the auction! shearing


Well first off, the price of gas today in Eaton Colorado. Dennis and I thought that it was a typo and should have read $2.64 per gallon, not $3.64. Seems we don't get out much.

Well, any who, Dennis and I had a laid back Saturday 2 weeks ago,and decided to go to the auction. I had to stand in line to get my ticket, in case I saw something that I just needed to have. I was there looking for a gate that would complete one of our catch pens. As we had excited the building, the auctioneers were already half way down the first row. There was a lot of testosterone there, and I guess that I just got caught up in the moment. And you guessed it, they were auctioning off gates. I won the bid. As they moved on, I asked the guy next to me, who also bought a gate, "How much did you pay for yours?". He said that he did not know, I did not know how much I paid for mine either, Dennis thought that it was $3. When I went to pay for the 3 gates that I had purchased, I found out that I had paid $20 each for them. A little high, but we will certainly use them. Needless to say, Dennis ushered me out of there. So my day at the auction, lasted about 1 hour. 45 minutes to check in and 15 to pay and get loaded. Here are my three gates in the back of the pick up.
What is that they say? One mans junk is another mans treasure?

40 days and 40 nights
May has been rather wet for us this year. Well, for Colorado standards that is. In the first 22 days of May we have received over 3 inches of rain. Of course the majority last week, just as we were getting ready to shear our alpacas. Saturday night the sky looked like this.
I know we need the rain, but I was hoping that it would not rain and be nice and dry for Sunday, our shearing day. There is nothing worse than wet alpaca fiber, drying all laid out in the basement, if it is not dried properly, you can get mold. I got my wish. Here are some pictures of our shearing day. I think that only one person there was not of grey hair. My neighbor Sue, trying her hand at clipping toenails.

No, we are not being invaded by aliens, just alpacas minus their years worth of fleece. They were so happy to be freed from all that fiber.


To heck with a dogs life, I want to be a goat in the goat yard on a beautiful 70 degree sunny day. Here are some of my this years crop of kids.
More later......................................................

Friday, May 13, 2011

Kidding is over! Mothers Day, Fencing project


Kidding is finally over for us. Our herd matriarch, Coco had her 2 kids, May 5Th. I had the barn monitor on and heard a newborn kid crying. It was 12:30am and both kids had already been born. Coco was cleaning off the doeling who is brown and white spotted just like her momma. The black buckling was born first, and was still wet. I was up that night until 2:30 am, blow drying the kids, making sure they got allot of colostrum, and dipping navels, and waiting for the placenta to pass.
So, after all was said and done, we ended up with 9 kids, 4 doelings and 5 bucklings, who were all castrated. 8 were black and whites, and 1 a brown and white spotted. Here are the new kids, pictured above.



MOTHERS DAY
We had a very nice Mothers Day. I started it out by giving my mother a phone call of course. Dennis and I started our fencing project around our front yard. We were going to hire this out, but the fellow who was going to do it, who is moving into the area and will be a neighbor, is setting up his horse ranch, putting up his own fences etc. We wanted to get it done when the fence post hole digging is at its easiest here on the prairie. Which is in the spring as the frost comes out of the ground, and loosens the soil somewhat. If you wait too long into the summer or fall, you almost need a jack hammer to dig the holes. Dummy me, still have not found those fence posts with the holes included. Also, it saved us allot of money doing it ourselves. Here is a picture of Dennis setting the posts.


Ryan and Lily watching the fencing procedure.



The two hat girls, Lily and Grandma.


The almost finished front of the house. This should ad the curb appeal that this house needs.


Now all we have to do is add an arbor, and have someone dig the holes for our two koi ponds. They will be circular, 8 feet, and a little over 2 feet deep. Then plants will be added around these. The 5 koi that we wintered in the garage in a stock tank, are ready to get out in the sunshine!

Ryan and Lily showed up on Mothers Day at around 11am with a huge bouquet of lavender colored tulips.
They also brought home made bean enchiladas, lettuce, black olives, sour cream, a bottle of tequila and margarita mix. We enjoyed two meals of this. Of course we stretched out the margaritas. What a fantastic meal it was. A great Mothers Day for me!!!!!

Monday was a bluebird day, that I just had to get out and take some pictures of animals.
Here is Pulitzer Prize, in the pasture, looking regal as all get up.




Chester, the, you guessed it, father of all my goat kids this year.


The neighbors Red Angus bulls were mooing as I was out walking around, so I figured that they wanted their picture taken also.

Dennis in door garden that he can't wait to get planted outside.



More later........................................................................

Monday, May 2, 2011

Who's Your Momma!


We are in the heat of goat birthing with one doe yet to kid. I have only reached near hysteria a couple of times around here. Nubian goats are very vocal(as in screaming) whilst kidding, and it is hard to listen to at times, as I can relate to the pain of childbirth. Here is a picture of all my kids thus far, all 7 of them. I know who the daddy is, as I only used the one buck, but sorting out who the Momma is, can be challenging. Here is a picture of all the kids warming up in the sun. My count thus far is 3 does and 4 buck kids.
Coco, my herd matriarch, is due to kid on Friday. She looks to have triplets, hopefully not quads. Poor girl, waddling all over the goat yard.
We are having to bottle feed 2 kids so far, Dosado who had triplets, will only feed one of her kids, as she gets too overwhelmed when all three go for her. We, or should I say, I am getting 3/4 gallon of milk from her in the AM and 1/2 gallon in the PM.
GOAT EXTRAVAGANZA
This past weekend we went to a goat extravaganza in Greeley Colorado, 25 miles from our home. I just had to take a picture of this immense Boer Buck. Friendly as all get out. All 350# of him.

Was very difficult to get a picture of him, as he wanted to sniff the camera.
Also, I saw goats with socks on their feet. They trim up the feet, and oil them, then cover them up to stay pretty for their time in the show ring.Here a gal is working on the feet of her Lamancha doe.

You can really tell the people who love their goats, as they had little warm up outfits on. When showing goats, a lot like to shear them, and it was very cold and windy that day. Isn't the food on the other side of the fence, always better????
Goat grooming area.

EASTER

Had the whole family over for Easter, and a good time was had by all. Dennis and I have finally finished off all the Easter treats. Good thing that I had my yearly blood draw prior to Easter. This was the favored toy at Easter, by babies,and adults alike..
A little bunny, that when you squeezed its tummy, would sing a Easter tune. Kind of reminded me of Mr. Bill from the 80's I do believe.Lily with her new toy, she had a hard time keeping it away from the adults..


Shearing Day


Alli and Oop were sheared last week as I don't think that they will shed out on their own.
They need to be 87% hair sheep to do that, and they are a little over 1/2. The shearer was very fast, and held them as we did their feet. We are thinking of breeding them to a Dorper Ram. Pictured here.


Well, we are trying to get all those little projects done before the heat of summer sets in. Seems like an endless thing. Now with bottle feeding baby goats, and milking, the days sure fly by fast.

Whilst out shopping, I spotted this wine, I just had to have it as it describes some of my days here on the prairie. Mad Housewife wine.
On the back of the bottle is written "SOMEWHERE NEAR THE COOL SHADOWS OF THE LAUNDRY ROOM. PAST THE LITTER BOX AND BETWEEN THE PLASTIC YARD TOYS. THIS IS YOUR TIME. TIME TO ENJOY A MOMENT TO YOURSELF. A MOMENT WITHOUT THE MADNESS. THE DISHES CAN WAIT. DINNER BE DAMNED." What was written on the cork, was also priceless, and words to live by.

The wine was OK the first day, but vinegary the next. It will have an honored place above my kitchen sink, however.

More later................