A New Gate

When we put up the fencing so we could keep dogs and sheep in I begged Darling Husband to put in gates.  He promised he would but …. “Later, lets get the fence up then worry about gates”.  Later!  We cut the fence for the Cub Scout Crossover and tried to do a temporary gate using hay string.  So, the happy sheep discovered our neighbor’s horse hay. 

When we moved here I found a cool door that I wanted to use on something.  For the past 9 years it has been getting even more weathered.  So I suggested we use the door as the gate and Darling Husband agreed.  

Shearing Attempt

We started sheering the sheep for the long hair sheep to just not be so yucky and the show sheep to get ready for fair.  

Dot's baby isn't happy, "My mom is being messed with, aren't you the dog that protects her?"

We had been busy and my back was killing me so we started with the smallest gentelist sheep.  All went well with Dot then we started on Blackwell.

Resting my back while Teen Son tries to fix the shearer.

Wouldn’t you know ½ way through trimming Blackwell the Shearer’s blades quit working.  We borrowed the school’s sheers and bought a used pair to finish the sheep for the fair.  We have not finished Blackwell or the rest of the sheep but it is on the short list, hopefully tomorrow (I said that 2 days ago and the day before that).  Poor Blackwell looks really funny, a man came on the property  to check our power lines joked he was going to report me to Animal Control for allowing her self esteem to be hurt.  

Fodder Improvements

We (Darling Husband) insulated the fodder room and installed an a/c dehumidifier unit.  He also set up an air bubbler and new seed soaking tub.  It is a work in progress and he plans on redoing some things this weekend.  The fodder is growing so much better and we have only had 2 spots of mold (yesterday) in the months that we have been doing this. A few weeks ago we had record heat that the little A/C unit couldn't keep up with so the fodder room got to over 85 three days a few weeks ago - but this was not when we had the mold.  

Last year we had mostly success with growing the fodder but since the fodder room would get up to 110 we were in a constant battle with mold.  

We start with soaking the seeds for 12 to 24 hours.  The seeds soak in water with an air stone.

We drain and rinse the seeds.

About 6 cups of soaked seeds go into each 2010 tray.  If it is less than 16 hours I use only 5 cups of seed.

 The first day of being in the trays we get roots and tiny bits of sprouts starting 

Day 2 some sprouts are about 1/2 inch long.

 

The third day we have lots of nice sprouts.

 

On the fourth day we have a lot the fodder to a point where we were sometimes feeding this winter.   Somehow I skipped the 5th day

 

The top shelf gets the most light so every day I move the next days fodder to the top shelf. We have 12 trays across and 6 going down.  So 72 trays are always growing.

Here it is getting ready for me to rip it up and put it into 5 gallon paint buckets to carry to the cattle.  The sheep get 1/2 tray as a reward for going into their pen at night.  The chicken get any unsprouted seeds.  The biggest problem at this point is I hate having a pool under all the shelving.  If I had it to do over again we would have the water going into a drain.  I think we are using about 55 to 60 gallons of water each day.  The water goes out into the pasture and hopefully grass will start growing where the water flows.  Right now the cattle are eating it as fast as it grows.

Crossover

 A wonderful friend came to help us get ready for the arrivals at 8:  The first father son group came right at 8 and threw in their fishing line and caught a 2 pound bass almost before the hook sank into the water.  Scout familys came and went through out the morning.  One Bear Scout claimed to have caught 18 blue gill and 3 bass – I did see him with at least 10 fish and weighed several for him. 

After fishing it was supposed to be lunch but the older boys wanted to swim, and most of the parents had left to go get lunch so we decided the scouts could all swim during lunch break.  At 1 as planned we got the kids out of the pond to play kick ball but it was hot.  20 minutes into the game the boys started asking for a water break, during that water break a few boys accidentally fell into the pond.  From then on there was no going back and we as adults decided to allow fishing on one side of the pond and swimming from the other.  We found Personal Flotation Devices for all the kids and made sure they fit the youngest swimmers.  Dinner happened at 7: and the evening didn’t end until after 9:

Look at all those dutch ovens!

Cross Over Preperation

Our Cub Scout Pack asked if we would have the annual end of year party at our house.  They had had a Fishing Derby day at one of our local lakes and not one Cub Scout caught a fish. We agreed to the have the event at our house.  It was a well planned event with fishing from 8:am to 12: then an hour break for lunch and on to kick ball and other rotations.  Dinner was to be at 6: cooked by our New Boy Scout, Scout Master then on to the Cross Over event at 7: and everything would be over at 8.

                  We spent the weekend/week before the event working on cleaning up the property.

 

Fearless son offered to climb up the tree with the saw and cut the branches.

 

His friend thought it was fun so he climbed the tree next to the one Fearless Son was on.

Even the cows helped clean up.

Changing Priorities

Fire has a way of changing priorities.  We had been putting most of our energy, time, and money into getting the house finished before we start on any new projects. 

 Fire fighters have saved my home twice, when we lived across town, we had the best driveway on our side of the street so they set up camp there. 1997 I was pregnant going for our first ultrasound of our baby and waited until the last moment to leave because I wanted Darling Husband to be with me.  We passed on the road and the whole time I was at the doctor I kept expecting him to show up.  When I got home I was furious as he happily showed me that he had cut the branches near our house.  I was stayed angry until 4 days later a fire swept through our valley.  We evacuated but Darling Husband was across the street watching and thought there was no way our house had been saved – several hours later he walked up our driveway to see if anything was left and our home was still there. The other time 2003 a team waiting to be called to duty decided to go they also set up camp at my house. They broke into the house used the kitchen and bathroom and left us a note we will always be thankful for those fire fighters. We had been camping at the dessert so had no idea we went to the fire command center and were told our whole area had burned. It was days before we found out our home had been saved.

We were given a water tank with holes in it if we could get it off of the property it was on, so we have had this lovely project sitting on the property waiting for it to hit the top of the priority list.  The fires we had a few weeks ago rearranged our list.  We leveled an area for both water tanks.  We wanted the tanks on the top of the property but we didn't want to upset a neighbor with eyesore water tanks so many discussions have gone into the placement of the tanks.  Dug and installed new water lines and repaired the holes in the “new” tank.  Disconnected the tank that we have been using, then moved both tanks to the top of our property and finished the plumbing.  

Our fire prevention team approving the new location. 

Neglect

Neglect is one of the worse things you can do to the human brain.  When a mother holds her crying infant talking to it and soothing it brain synapses are formed to help the baby learn to calm down.  When the baby smiles and is smiled back at more synapses are formed and the infant learns that calming down and smiling are good and happy.  If no one is there for the baby it does not form the synapses in the brain to allow it to learn to calm down. 

Almost exactly 9 years ago a beautiful 4 year old came into my life.  She was full of fear and anger but she was also immensely imaginative and when she was happy she would light up a room.  We worked as a family to heal the neglect she has suffered by her birth family.  My husband and I worked to get her the help she needed, we researched different parenting styles and through classes and counseling we adapted our parenting to meet her needs. 

We have had amazing successes.  Two years ago a prescription drug was subscribed and we were not thrilled with how she was acting but decided to ask her how she felt before we made any changes, She looked at us and said, “You really do love me.  It isn’t just something that you say”.  I cannot imagine what it is like to live in a brain that didn’t allow all the love our family and friends had given her in. 

Our daughter decided she didn’t want to live with us anymore, as time went on she started threatening me and her brothers whenever she didn’t get her way.  We have had counseling 5 days a week for the past few months, sent her to a short term facility that specializes in helping runaways transition to being back home.  Unfortunately my daughter’s anger and violence have made it so she is no longer safe at home.  We have been working with adoption specialists to figure out the best treatment for her.  We are sending her to a school that specializes in Reactive Attachment Disorder.  This is not a decision we have made lightly.  This is in no way giving up on her; this is getting her the help she needs.