We have had a busy couple of days since I posted last.
First,we got no more rain and are awaiting another cold front. Actually the weather is pretty normal for this time of year. I noticed The Ash trees are just beginning to turn yellow.
I mentioned Willow calved. Well we got that all lined out. We keep the calf in the holding pen and barn and just turn Willow in and out for it to nurse. We lock the calf in the barn when I need to milk which I did for the first time yesterday.
Before I could even get her up the ramp and into the barn, we had to cut about half the apricot tree down. The several rains and the last strong winds had broken off a huge limb on the east side and the top was blocking the ramp. At first I thought I would have to take out the entire tree but we decided to just remove the east half. Willow now has better access to the barn than she has ever had. I think the tree will go on to produce and maybe even better with the severe 'pruning'.
The milking went well. Her baby is another heifer.
Her last year's 'baby' decided she wanted to nurse again......so we are turning her out with the beef herd.
She is just 14 months old but certainly large enough to be bred. So be it.
Remember the Jersey baby I bought well she is now quite grown up and just a doll. She is almost too friendly. She comes up and pushes on you; loves having her head and chin scratched. I was able to fly-treat her just standing by her side. We named her Jewel. This is about the only way you can get a picture....if she is with you she comes too close. She didn't pay any attention to Willow or nursing.
Since we don't have a dog anymore, we have been letting the chickens have the run of the garden. I thought they would stay back there with all the available dirt and weeds. Oh no, they have to graze everywhere and have been getting closer and closer to the house. Yesterday I saw them right out the back door. I think I will put an end to this. I don't want them on my back steps or the porch proper.
We do enjoy seeing them in the yard though.
We had DH 's mother out for Sunday dinner. She let's him come and get her and take her home now. We think the drive is too long.
First,we got no more rain and are awaiting another cold front. Actually the weather is pretty normal for this time of year. I noticed The Ash trees are just beginning to turn yellow.
I mentioned Willow calved. Well we got that all lined out. We keep the calf in the holding pen and barn and just turn Willow in and out for it to nurse. We lock the calf in the barn when I need to milk which I did for the first time yesterday.
Before I could even get her up the ramp and into the barn, we had to cut about half the apricot tree down. The several rains and the last strong winds had broken off a huge limb on the east side and the top was blocking the ramp. At first I thought I would have to take out the entire tree but we decided to just remove the east half. Willow now has better access to the barn than she has ever had. I think the tree will go on to produce and maybe even better with the severe 'pruning'.
The milking went well. Her baby is another heifer.
Her last year's 'baby' decided she wanted to nurse again......so we are turning her out with the beef herd.
She is just 14 months old but certainly large enough to be bred. So be it.
Remember the Jersey baby I bought well she is now quite grown up and just a doll. She is almost too friendly. She comes up and pushes on you; loves having her head and chin scratched. I was able to fly-treat her just standing by her side. We named her Jewel. This is about the only way you can get a picture....if she is with you she comes too close. She didn't pay any attention to Willow or nursing.
Since we don't have a dog anymore, we have been letting the chickens have the run of the garden. I thought they would stay back there with all the available dirt and weeds. Oh no, they have to graze everywhere and have been getting closer and closer to the house. Yesterday I saw them right out the back door. I think I will put an end to this. I don't want them on my back steps or the porch proper.
We do enjoy seeing them in the yard though.
We had DH 's mother out for Sunday dinner. She let's him come and get her and take her home now. We think the drive is too long.
What happened to your dog, Glenda?
ReplyDeleteIt is very chilly here this morning. Only supposed to get in the high 50's today, and what a relief too. No rain yet.
Everything looks green and pretty good, Glenda.
Have a wonderful week.
Hugs
We think he was hit by a car. I posted more fully down below in answer to Kris.
DeleteYay! Another girl :)
ReplyDeleteWe're getting the rain now also, and it's wonderful! I think it's only supposed to be in the middle 70's all week, we might even have to start up the wood stove one night this week. Well, you never know.
Oh no. What happened to Biscuit?
ReplyDeleteLots of radar coming up from the south this evening - and more to the west. I hope we actually get some rain from it. I think they turn the radar up too high and what looks like rain/storm just turns into a cloudy day. All that hype and no rain. I stop listening to warnings anymore.
I hope you still get apricots. They are my fave stone fruit (after nectarines).
I'm sorry; I thought I posted about loosing Biscuit. We found him dead one morning under a bush near the chicken yard. We assume he was hit by a car even though there were no broken skin or other injuries we could see. He was prone to lay in the road in the sunshine when waiting for us. A neighbor had seen him laying in the road out front that morning and she and Max thought they could see skid marks on the pavement.
ReplyDeleteMy deep sympathies about Biscuit. He was a good dog and I'm sure he is very much missed. How cruel if it was a hit/skip. I hope he didn't suffer. *hugs*
DeleteOh, I'm sorry to hear about Biscuit.
ReplyDeleteThe cows look good. So nice to have one with a sweet personality. Will you breed Jewel and eventually phase her and her calves into milking? Isn't Willow about old enough to retire?
We let our chickens free-range but there IS the down side in that they want to go EVERYWHERE. I don't like them on the patio or at the back door, so I chase them off with the broom held up high in the air. They think it's something flying and will run quite a ways ahead of it so all I have to do is get them started. Heh. And I have to barricade places where I don't want them digging. I had originally planned to just walk them into the garden in the morning and then close the gate between garden and our back yard. But they have to come back to the chicken house to lay their eggs and they lay at different times of the day. If I could just get them all to lay early in the morning, I could just keep them in their chicken yard till I've got eggs and then close them up in the garden. Our dog and cat both live peacefully with the chickens.
I sure hope you get rain. I thought we were going to get some last night but it was just a lot of hard winds. It's still too dark yet to go out and see if there's any damage. We have a chance of rain today and on Friday, but not very big chances so probably won't get any. We are down 7" for the year so far. Last year by December we were down 10". If this continues another year, I think we'll lose a lot of our mature trees. Lots of them are standing there without leaves right now but hopefully they've just gone dormant. Won't know till spring, probably. At least the cooler temps will help what moisture we do get to stay in the ground longer.
Hugs XOXOXOXO
I am so sorry Glenda. I felt that I asked more than I should. I don't recall a post. I am so sorry.
ReplyDelete