It was much warmer this morning, 30°, a sign of our approaching warmup (yet again!).
The exciting news here is the Kindle arrived!!! I managed to get it up and running and registered. The technology is fantastic. All the things I already had on my Kindle PC were automatically on the Kindle.
Of course, I ordered two more .99 cent books after reading samples. My sister loaned me another very long book so I am set for several days. I will have to practice restraint.....the Kindle advertises freely e-books and other things for sale.......and you can buy them directly from the Kindle..a very dangerous thing.
I was worried it would feel awkward holding that little thing and reading but it just melted away and I was lost in the story with no thought about the method I was using. A great tool.
My library has a limited selection of e-books so that is disappointing. I am sure they will increase as more people use the new technology.
The other news is DH is having our 'wood men' clear out the old chicken house and I must get out there this morning to see if there is anything that I just have to save! possibly canning jars, garden hoses, tools, etc. When they finish this one, they are headed next out to the blown-down-in-a-tornado pole barn to cut up and remove all tin roofing and split timbers. I know there are at least 4 good long 6x6 treated timbers I want to reserve for my "future" greenhouse base.
I am such a pack rat it makes me nervous getting rid of all this stuff, but I haven't used any of it since we moved in 1991 so I doubt I really need it. DH is very insistent about wanting all these many sheds cleaned out.
It is now 3:30 PM and it has been an exciting day. I went out early and we sorted some lumber and canning jars and a few gardening things to one side to keep.
Then DH went out back to feed. Remember I mentioned we were feeding a "barren" heifer to butcher next month. We have been fattening her for almost 90 days now. He came in sat down at the table and said "I think the heifer is trying to calve!".
One thing you never do to pregnant cows is feed them heavily the last few weeks because the extra calories makes for a large calf and almost always calving difficulties. I bundled up and went out to check.
Of course, she was at the far end of the bull pen. It wasn't that cold, but the wind was ferocious! I walked down and sure enough I saw two feet sticking out about hoof length. I got the cow up; drove her back into the barn lot....this causes them to retract the feet and have to start all over again. By now it is 9:45 and I know my vet with be gone by noon. I decided to watch her for about an hour and if no progress had been made to call him. He is the champion of difficult births! I went back out an hour later and the heifer is laying there head up, calf feet out the same and no straining at all. I knew she wasn't going to deliver on her own. Called the vet and he promised to be out in 30 minutes. We got the cow out into the working area where we could run her down the alley. The good thing was I had no trouble driving her to the lot or into the working area. All went smooth as silk. Vet came on time, pulled a live calf, heifer jumped up and began paying attention to it so we left her penned with it for the time being. I am not even sure what the calf was, vet said he thought a bull. It wasn't an overly large calf but the heifer was through trying. What a relief. I was afraid we would loose both.
She doesn't look like much now but in a couple of days she should.
Just another day on the farm......thankfully we don't have too many of these kinds of days.
The bad news is no beef to butcher. I think we will get up another animal and just go grass fat. Lesson learned here is have a heifer preg checked before deciding she is barren!!!
4:10 PM. I went out to check the new mama and baby and decided to move the baby into the center barn lot where the heifer had gone to drink and eat. If you have ever moved a new born calf, you know what a chore that is. I stand behind pushing its backside with my legs and use my arms to keep it going in the right direction. Mission accomplished but I had to drive the new (stupid) momma over to it. The baby is a heifer and is weak from being so long in delivery, but it got up and I hope will nurse. I left them at it because if I get too close the mama will take off.
This is just one load from pole barn. They are practically finished cleaning up and are now finishing the chicken house. They are quick and excellent workers. One is still in high school.
It has been a good day, but a tiring one.....Kindle here I come!
The exciting news here is the Kindle arrived!!! I managed to get it up and running and registered. The technology is fantastic. All the things I already had on my Kindle PC were automatically on the Kindle.
Of course, I ordered two more .99 cent books after reading samples. My sister loaned me another very long book so I am set for several days. I will have to practice restraint.....the Kindle advertises freely e-books and other things for sale.......and you can buy them directly from the Kindle..a very dangerous thing.
I was worried it would feel awkward holding that little thing and reading but it just melted away and I was lost in the story with no thought about the method I was using. A great tool.
My library has a limited selection of e-books so that is disappointing. I am sure they will increase as more people use the new technology.
The other news is DH is having our 'wood men' clear out the old chicken house and I must get out there this morning to see if there is anything that I just have to save! possibly canning jars, garden hoses, tools, etc. When they finish this one, they are headed next out to the blown-down-in-a-tornado pole barn to cut up and remove all tin roofing and split timbers. I know there are at least 4 good long 6x6 treated timbers I want to reserve for my "future" greenhouse base.
I am such a pack rat it makes me nervous getting rid of all this stuff, but I haven't used any of it since we moved in 1991 so I doubt I really need it. DH is very insistent about wanting all these many sheds cleaned out.
It is now 3:30 PM and it has been an exciting day. I went out early and we sorted some lumber and canning jars and a few gardening things to one side to keep.
Then DH went out back to feed. Remember I mentioned we were feeding a "barren" heifer to butcher next month. We have been fattening her for almost 90 days now. He came in sat down at the table and said "I think the heifer is trying to calve!".
One thing you never do to pregnant cows is feed them heavily the last few weeks because the extra calories makes for a large calf and almost always calving difficulties. I bundled up and went out to check.
Of course, she was at the far end of the bull pen. It wasn't that cold, but the wind was ferocious! I walked down and sure enough I saw two feet sticking out about hoof length. I got the cow up; drove her back into the barn lot....this causes them to retract the feet and have to start all over again. By now it is 9:45 and I know my vet with be gone by noon. I decided to watch her for about an hour and if no progress had been made to call him. He is the champion of difficult births! I went back out an hour later and the heifer is laying there head up, calf feet out the same and no straining at all. I knew she wasn't going to deliver on her own. Called the vet and he promised to be out in 30 minutes. We got the cow out into the working area where we could run her down the alley. The good thing was I had no trouble driving her to the lot or into the working area. All went smooth as silk. Vet came on time, pulled a live calf, heifer jumped up and began paying attention to it so we left her penned with it for the time being. I am not even sure what the calf was, vet said he thought a bull. It wasn't an overly large calf but the heifer was through trying. What a relief. I was afraid we would loose both.
She doesn't look like much now but in a couple of days she should.
Just another day on the farm......thankfully we don't have too many of these kinds of days.
The bad news is no beef to butcher. I think we will get up another animal and just go grass fat. Lesson learned here is have a heifer preg checked before deciding she is barren!!!
4:10 PM. I went out to check the new mama and baby and decided to move the baby into the center barn lot where the heifer had gone to drink and eat. If you have ever moved a new born calf, you know what a chore that is. I stand behind pushing its backside with my legs and use my arms to keep it going in the right direction. Mission accomplished but I had to drive the new (stupid) momma over to it. The baby is a heifer and is weak from being so long in delivery, but it got up and I hope will nurse. I left them at it because if I get too close the mama will take off.
This is just one load from pole barn. They are practically finished cleaning up and are now finishing the chicken house. They are quick and excellent workers. One is still in high school.
It has been a good day, but a tiring one.....Kindle here I come!
