tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67477499457587481242024-03-13T10:30:57.524-07:00Cavalli Run...a greenhorn's forray into farming/homesteadingA journal of the highs and lows of following a dream.Brenda Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01047234403098883401noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747749945758748124.post-3966491033462265692012-09-09T05:37:00.000-07:002012-09-09T05:37:52.301-07:00All The Pretty HorsesWhen it rains, it pours, I guess! We were talking to the new hay guy and telling him we wanted to get some horses. It just happened that his father had some horses he wanted to sell...cheap! So we went and took a look at them and decided to buy three of them. But, we only wanted to bring two of them home to start with. The Sorrel gelding was used to work cattle years ago and the Chestnut mare had been ridden by kids in a round pen but never really trained. The Paint gelding has had just a little bit of work, but it was a long time ago. We decided we needed to wait and see how we did with the two first and see how we get along with them before attempting to tackle the Paint. The hay guy said he would bring them over, so we waited for him to let us know when he would bring them.<br />
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Also, my friend Teresa is moving and needed a place for her three horses to stay until she got the fences put up at her new place. She used to live on this farm, so her horses are "at home" here. She was making arrangements to have her three brought over, so we waited for her, also, to let us know when they'd be arriving.<br />
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In the meantime, we worked on fixing and strengthening the fences.<br />
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Teresa called on Saturday to tell me her horses would be brought over on SUnday. While I was on the phone to her, the hay guy called and said he would be bringing our two over on Sunday as well! Wow! Zero to five horses in one day! <br />
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Belle and Two Socks were fascinated by the sheep. It was so comical to watch them. They really startled when they first caught a glimpse of them, and then took off running in the other direction. But, after stopping to look back, and realizing the sheep were not chasing them, they ran back over to have another look. Back and forth they went until they were convinced those funny-looking, furry little cows were not predators! <br />
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Belle is more shy than Two Socks. She is a sweet little mare, very calm and easy to work with. She doesn't lead well, though, and that is the first thing I will be working on with her.</div>
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Two Socks is a big boy, standing at 16 and a half hands. That is quite large for a Quarterhorse, I am told. He is a beauty, though, and such a gentleman! He is extremely inquisitive and he and Erik have become buddies already. Erik was working on a stall door and Two Socks came over, put his head on Erik's shoulder, and was nudging him for some attention! </div>
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They really love the mineral, salt, and sulfur blocks we put in the barn for them. I couldn't believe how much they were licking and munching them! </div>
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We have done a little work with them in the round pen. Belle did really well leading in there, but still crowds and over-takes out on open ground. Two Socks does better. I think a couple of weeks of working them in the round pen and we will be ready to start riding. </div>
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Stay tuned for further adventures with our wonderful horses!</div>
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Brenda Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01047234403098883401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747749945758748124.post-21397901969737007912012-08-26T03:30:00.000-07:002012-08-26T03:30:38.703-07:00Wagging Their Tails Behind Them<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
My dear friend, Marie, was so kind to buy all my sheep when I had to leave the farm. It broke my heart to see them go. Marie was gracious enough to buy them with the idea that there could come a day when I would want to buy them back. I didn't know what was going to happen in my life at that time, but I had a very strong hope that I would end up with a new farm somewhere within a couple of years.</div>
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Well, as things turned out, I was able to keep my farm here in northern Missouri. And, I am starting over. A lot of things have changed, definately for the better. But one thing I didn't want to change was my sheep! Marie and I worked out which sheep I would bring back to the farm and how and when we would make that happen. The plan was for us to bring the sheep home in September, after the temps cooled down a bit and we had some time to prepare for their arrival. Well, you have heard about "the best laid plans." Things just don't always work out the way you've planned because, hey, life happens! Due to the terrible drought being experienced by much of this part of the country, Marie needed to "lighten the load" on her property. So, when a cool snap hit us, she and her husband brought the sheep we had agreed on back here to Cavalli Run.</div>
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Here is Erik, getting things ready in the barn for the return of the sheep.</div>
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They've arrived!<br />
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Coming off the trailer and deciding whether or not to go into the barn: you can see Solomon (my original ram) in the foreground. That is Cooper in the white fleece, just on the other side of Solomon. He is new to Cavalli Run. I decided to buy one new ram from Marie to add some new bloodlines and color/pattern into my flock. Cooper was born this spring at Marie's farm. Just behind Cooper is Cookie, one of my ewes from before. She came to me as a lamb, along with her momma, Ursula, who has also rejoined our little farm. <br />
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Along with Solomon, Cookie, Ursula and Cooper, we also brought Cocoa (one of my original ewes), Marshmellow (ewe lamb who was born here last spring), Porthos (ewe lamb also born here last spring), and Hershey ( a ram lamb born here last spring out of Solomon and Cocoa). Due to the horns growing too close to his head, Hershey will be going to freezer camp in a month or so.<br />
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I just love the variety of color in this breed of sheep. And I am so happy to have so many of them home again. </div>
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<br />Brenda Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01047234403098883401noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747749945758748124.post-7581880489634817722012-08-25T04:00:00.000-07:002012-08-25T04:00:19.581-07:00Out With The Old, In With The NewIt has been over a year since I last posted anything on this blog. A lot has happened in the past year. Many of you already know that I went trhough a divorce last year. For those who don't know, well, now you do! <br />
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I am not going to say a lot about what happened. But, in a nutshell, after 29 years of a very difficult marriage which had become increasingly toxic over the past ten years, and even more so since moving to this farm, we put the farm up for sale and I went to Texas to stay with an old friend from my days in the Air Force. I filed for divorce and was able to keep my farm in the divorce settlement. I wasn't sure what I would do, but I became re-aquainted with another old friend from my Air Force days and we hit it off wonderfully. We have spent the last 7 months getting to know each other. He asked me to marry him, and I said "Yes!" He is a wonderfu, kind, caring, gentle man. He has never been a farmer (he is a city boy, born and raised in CA), but he has a pioneer spirit and loves the outdoors. He is more familiar with the deserts of CA as he spent a lot of time on his great-grandfather's ranch, has a little, remote place in the Sequoias with a rustic cabin on it, and has enjoyed hiking and back-packing all of his adult life. He is very handy and I have yet to find something he can't fix or make. He said he was up for trying to live the farm life, so we kept the farm and moved here the first week of May. The wedding is planned for the 6th of October. <br />
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As you may notice, I have returned to my maiden name of "Courtney" and have decided to remain "Brenda Courtney" even after we are married. Not because I don't want to be "Brenda Petersen." There are two main reasons. First, after this past year of figuring out who I am...apart from being someone's daughter, someone's wife, someone's mother...I have come to the conclusion that I am really and truly "Brenda Courtney" and that is who I am most comfortable being. Secondly, and probably the most practical reason, it was a real pain in the rear jumping through all the hoops to get my name changed on everything! I really don't want to go through all that again...ever! Erik is happy for me to keep my name. I am happy to be thought of as "Mrs. Erik Petersen" but continue to be "Brenda Courtney" for legal purposes.<br />
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When we got back to the farm, things were quite a mess. The pipes had not been properly winterized, and even though it was a mild winter, we had busted pipes everywhere. Because of the mild winter and early , warm spring, the grass was up to our armpits! And there was trash everywhere. So we unloaded all our stuff and started the slow process of un-packing, getting the water running, and putting things in order so we could get started doing what we came here to do.<br />
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Erik poured a concrete floor in the tack room so that it would be a little easier to use. He will use it as a work shop for now and then, eventually it will become the tack room again (when we are able to build a proper workshop for him).<br />
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Next we worked on fixing fences in the various pasture areas to get them ready for the animals we were anticipating the arrival of (stay tuned for the next post to learn more about this). <br />
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Our next project is to build a round pen for working with the horses we have chosen to buy.Brenda Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01047234403098883401noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747749945758748124.post-84513270054296068692011-06-20T15:24:00.000-07:002011-06-22T05:05:28.614-07:00Ride 'em Cowgirl!On Monday my friend Kristin, horsewoman extraordinaire, came over to give me a hand with Skipper. I had decided it was time for me to get on with the business of riding her again. I have handled her quite a lot in the past months and had been gradually gaining my confidence with her, so it was time to stop making excuses and go for it! I had asked Kristin sometime last week if she would come and give me a hand with it and she agreed to make some time for us. I'll have to admit, though, when she called, I starting having second thoughts! I think she might have used her whip on me if I'd have tried to back out of it! Seriously, though, just her coming over gave me that push I needed to finally get me to get on and ride. <br /> <br />Here is a little video of Kristin lunging Skipper...just to get her ready to be ridden. <br /><OBJECT class=BLOG_video_class id=BLOG_video-577fa4cb8988112b height=266 width=320 contentId="577fa4cb8988112b"></OBJECT><br /><br />After Kristin worked with Skipper on the ground, she rode her some...and then it was MY turn! <br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mPz_g91aWvQ/TgHO4PfNBEI/AAAAAAAAAeg/GHaAQ_Epb8s/s1600/033.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mPz_g91aWvQ/TgHO4PfNBEI/AAAAAAAAAeg/GHaAQ_Epb8s/s400/033.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621001275560494146" /></a><br /><br />Kristin tried to get Skipper to pick up the pace a little.<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SCShE-4a3y8/TgHO32qJLTI/AAAAAAAAAeY/9Z9oB2D9GcQ/s1600/030.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SCShE-4a3y8/TgHO32qJLTI/AAAAAAAAAeY/9Z9oB2D9GcQ/s400/030.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621001268895493426" /></a><br /><br />It's going very well!<br /> <A href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D6-dzfjPjtk/Tf_KjqZL9GI/AAAAAAAAAeA/-huyb3YOJxE/s1600/031.JPG"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620433574005830754 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D6-dzfjPjtk/Tf_KjqZL9GI/AAAAAAAAAeA/-huyb3YOJxE/s400/031.JPG" border=0></A><br /><br />And let's try going in the other direction. <br /> <A href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kEmlLkxxa3o/Tf_KjcChfXI/AAAAAAAAAd4/mkqti1yNo-0/s1600/029.JPG"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620433570152676722 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kEmlLkxxa3o/Tf_KjcChfXI/AAAAAAAAAd4/mkqti1yNo-0/s400/029.JPG" border=0></A><br /><br />Skipper and I in action! <br /><OBJECT class=BLOG_video_class id=BLOG_video-13c1e389e9ba070d height=266 width=320 contentId="13c1e389e9ba070d"></OBJECT>Brenda Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01047234403098883401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747749945758748124.post-87063721140014573532011-06-08T13:11:00.000-07:002011-06-08T13:59:56.548-07:00Happy TrailsOver this past weekend, I went on my first real trail ride. Well, it was mostly on the road, but it was still a long ride with a bunch of other people on horse back! I drove three and a half hours southeast of here to Versailles, MO. My Mom's cousin, Jay Yoder, lives there and I had been invited down for a visit. I arrived just before lunch on Friday. After having a glass of Susie's delicious mint tea, Jay and I went straight out to ride and rode for about an hour and a half on his property. He has a great trail system that meanders all over his beautiful 170 acre farm. <br />The next morning was the American Cancer Society's Ride For Life. All proceeds from the ride and other events relating to the ride went to benefit cancer research. Since my mom died three years ago from cancer, this cause is one I am very happy to contribute to. Especially if my contribution is from the back of a horse!<br />Here is the group preparing to take off on the ride. I am the one right about in the middle, in a ball cap, riding a brown gelding. Right next to me in a white shirt and sitting on a Palomino mare is my cousin, Jay. <br /><A href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--buwGKiviuo/Te_YvohnIHI/AAAAAAAAAdw/WjqZQ3Z2tc0/s1600/001.JPG"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615945573198143602 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--buwGKiviuo/Te_YvohnIHI/AAAAAAAAAdw/WjqZQ3Z2tc0/s400/001.JPG" border=0></A><br /> The first half of the ride lasted about three hours. Then we stopped to water our horses in the creek and have some lunch. Jay and I decided three hours on a very hot day was enough for us and our horses, so we went home after that. <br /><A href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HfICML4v4T4/Te_YvGPpj8I/AAAAAAAAAdo/0Y05YmqQAnU/s1600/009.JPG"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615945563996000194 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HfICML4v4T4/Te_YvGPpj8I/AAAAAAAAAdo/0Y05YmqQAnU/s400/009.JPG" border=0></A> <br />There was a BBQ that evening for all ride participants. After dinner there was a drawing for a saddle and also an auction. First, the names of all the riders went into a hat and they drew out one name. That person would win a brand new, hand made, leather head stall. I was the lucky winner of that prize! I wasn't even expecting that one! I had bought $20 dollars worth of raffle tickets for the saddle, so after the drawing for it (which I did NOT win), they continued to draw names for other prizes that had been donated. I ended up winning a pouch that clips on your belt when riding so you can carry all your important things, a brand new haltar and lead rope, a leather cell phone pouch, some gift certificates, and a tee shirt. I'd say, even though I didn't win the saddle, I still walked away with well over $20 worth of stuff! Here I am showing off my new head stall and haltar set. The haltar set is for a pony, but it fits my donkey and it is green (my favorite color). That is Jay behind me being a wise guy! <br /><A href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jjumgd_e7DM/Te_YMSLbqlI/AAAAAAAAAdg/mCGMqMSxjV4/s1600/001.JPG"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615944965904116306 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jjumgd_e7DM/Te_YMSLbqlI/AAAAAAAAAdg/mCGMqMSxjV4/s400/001.JPG" border=0></A> <br />After all the drawings, there was an auction where people had donated lots of nice stuff for the cause. I ended up getting a very nice, new saddle pad for $25. I also met the lady who owned a local saddle shop just outside of town. In chatting with her, I learned she had an Australian stock saddle (which I have been looking for) and it was at a price I could afford, so I also came home with a saddle for Skipper. Here she is showing it off. <br /><A href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NfpfYui57sA/Te_YL-aLaHI/AAAAAAAAAdY/hpYRU2Eytig/s1600/005.JPG"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615944960597256306 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NfpfYui57sA/Te_YL-aLaHI/AAAAAAAAAdY/hpYRU2Eytig/s400/005.JPG" border=0></A><br />My cousin Steve (Jay's son) was kind enough to act as my personal photographer. He also took this video of me riding around on my horse. Well, the horse (Deuce) is actually Steve's horse. Since Steve was not riding, he was free for me to ride. He is a very nice Missouri Foxtrotter and he did great for me. I can't wait to go again next year.<br /><OBJECT class=BLOG_video_class id=BLOG_video-13398a88df601f18 height=266 width=320 contentId="13398a88df601f18"></OBJECT>Brenda Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01047234403098883401noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747749945758748124.post-37684374558833331472011-05-31T11:40:00.000-07:002011-05-31T12:12:34.061-07:00Surprise In The Hen House<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ddfIhOwMjW8/TeU2-bUYMdI/AAAAAAAAAdM/uwR515QdunM/s1600/002.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ddfIhOwMjW8/TeU2-bUYMdI/AAAAAAAAAdM/uwR515QdunM/s400/002.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612952956700209618" /></a><br />Our hens have been really busy this spring, providing us with lots of yummy eggs. We have one little white banty hen, however, who is very broody. She is always laying on somebody else's eggs. One day Greg found her laying on a Guinea egg, so he decided to leave it there for her to lay on. He gathered a half a dozen more Guinea eggs over the next few days and put them all under the banty. He wanted to see if she would actually hatch them out. <br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I3XosyUyP1I/TeU2-Hibd_I/AAAAAAAAAdE/dj_IgsegkMQ/s1600/001.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I3XosyUyP1I/TeU2-Hibd_I/AAAAAAAAAdE/dj_IgsegkMQ/s400/001.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612952951390435314" /></a><br />This morning he went to gather eggs and found one of the other hens laying in the box insted of the little banty, and lo and behold she had a little Guinea chick under her! He could see a broken egg shell in the box. He came and got me so I could come and see and I grabbed my camera so I could take some pictures. While I was snapping shots, Greg saw a dead chick laying on the ground. And then we saw another one. He lifted up the hen and we didn't see any in the box, but we saw the broken shells of four of the eggs. I then saw a chick on the ground. I picked that one up, and then we saw another. We figured she must have had them under her wings and they dropped out when Greg picked her up. She jumped right back up in the box, and we brought the two live chicks in and set up a box for them in the kitchen. <br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XC56b6LtElo/TeU295f5oFI/AAAAAAAAAc8/XdAMuXTSQnw/s1600/007.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XC56b6LtElo/TeU295f5oFI/AAAAAAAAAc8/XdAMuXTSQnw/s400/007.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612952947621732434" /></a><br />One of the chicks seemed a little bit older than the other one (by a few minutes or so, maybe). We weren't sure the one would make it. It seemed quite a bit more unsteady than the other one. <br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LhTghLy9MZ4/TeU29Rs_oII/AAAAAAAAAc0/hMk8K5znXcI/s1600/004.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LhTghLy9MZ4/TeU29Rs_oII/AAAAAAAAAc0/hMk8K5znXcI/s400/004.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612952936939233410" /></a><br />But, after several hours, it seems to be doing fine. <br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d4SE8nOB-uM/TeU27QEXQeI/AAAAAAAAAcs/MWM2Do9Hvhc/s1600/005.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d4SE8nOB-uM/TeU27QEXQeI/AAAAAAAAAcs/MWM2Do9Hvhc/s400/005.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612952902140641762" /></a><br />We keep checking to see if the other eggs are going to hatch out. We want to be sure and catch them before any more chicks end up dead on the floor of the hen house. I know chickens will kill ducklings, but I never heard if they would kill Guinea chicks. I have heard of people hatching Guinea eggs under regular hens, though, and letting them raise the chicks in order to get them to be more tame. So, we don't know what caused the death of the other two chicks.Brenda Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01047234403098883401noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747749945758748124.post-40668801955545565542011-05-16T03:26:00.000-07:002011-05-16T05:13:58.053-07:00Around the FarmNow that spring has come to Cavalli Run, we have been doing some things around the farm. It still needs so much work, and we still have yet to collect all the equipment we will need to do a lot of that work. Progress is being made, however, and I know we will get to where we want to be eventually. <br />We were not able to put a garden in last year, but we are doing a small one this year. We don't have a tiller yet, but we're not gonna let that stop us! Last year, after we got our sheep and they had cleared out an over-grown paddock for us, we discovered several old and new tractor tires hiding under all that brush. We thought they would be great for raised beds, so our garden this year is a raised-bed, tractor tire garden! You can see the cattle-panel grape arbor in the background, and I already have lettuce and radishes coming up in my "salad-garden" tractor tire. <br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_7Y9-Fp6l98/TdD9bQUbppI/AAAAAAAAAcU/dY0i9NpOCAs/s1600/024.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_7Y9-Fp6l98/TdD9bQUbppI/AAAAAAAAAcU/dY0i9NpOCAs/s400/024.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607260180755228306" /></a><br />One tire holds pepper plants and the tomato plants each get their own small tire (we have found lots of those around the place, too).<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MxkzJ1TmifE/TdD9boj7ZmI/AAAAAAAAAcc/jM0aBIEoWDU/s1600/031.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MxkzJ1TmifE/TdD9boj7ZmI/AAAAAAAAAcc/jM0aBIEoWDU/s400/031.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607260187262674530" /></a><br />We are getting eggs galore these days. It's just about time to start having some roasted chicken! We can't keep up with all the production, but several people have reaped the benefit our excess! With a little modification, Greg has found that his old desert uniforms work as farm shirts! I almost didn't see those eggs! <br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UU7p7iu2CBs/TdD9bIpcW6I/AAAAAAAAAcM/3I4MmQPPYmY/s1600/022.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UU7p7iu2CBs/TdD9bIpcW6I/AAAAAAAAAcM/3I4MmQPPYmY/s400/022.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607260178695871394" /></a><br />We have found many innovative ways of utilizing the various treasures we have found around the place. These old real estate signs that were left behind by a previous owner made a good lamb "baby gate" to keep little lambs out of the ram's stall at night! <br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MzgW1ZyYO8M/TdD8xLLyIQI/AAAAAAAAAcE/iuakjmRb7Ic/s1600/017.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MzgW1ZyYO8M/TdD8xLLyIQI/AAAAAAAAAcE/iuakjmRb7Ic/s400/017.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607259457822269698" /></a><br />Greg had some extra field fencing that he used to finish the corral area behind the barn. No more orange snow-fencing to keep the sheep where they are supposed to be! Yay! While it has come in handy many times,I detest that orange stuf. <br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MZ1Jv9eAXY0/TdD8w4zSlvI/AAAAAAAAAb8/alhcXMMmxpM/s1600/016.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MZ1Jv9eAXY0/TdD8w4zSlvI/AAAAAAAAAb8/alhcXMMmxpM/s400/016.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607259452887701234" /></a><br />I had a run-in with a ram this year! He didn't actually butt me, he sort-of side-swiped me. Next time he wants to be on the other side of where I am, I will try harder to get out of his way! Ouch! <br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-acqVD-erXvs/TdD8wlunLBI/AAAAAAAAAb0/aQH7ddQUDEs/s1600/014.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-acqVD-erXvs/TdD8wlunLBI/AAAAAAAAAb0/aQH7ddQUDEs/s400/014.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607259447767804946" /></a><br />Greg found this big snapping turtle making his way across one of the sheep paddocks. He had already rescued one, and lifted the fence for her so she could make her way to the pond in the horse pasture. <br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F8MSzmNTApg/TdD8wGGk6hI/AAAAAAAAAbk/M7UVCIeKc1o/s1600/004.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F8MSzmNTApg/TdD8wGGk6hI/AAAAAAAAAbk/M7UVCIeKc1o/s400/004.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607259439278385682" /></a><br />This big guy was quite a bit larger, though, and not near the fence, so Greg had to get the snow shovel and pick him up in order to move him out of the sheep's area. <br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FUTsx3wZWGk/TdD8wYsJi4I/AAAAAAAAAbs/dn7H7R-1q3g/s1600/008.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FUTsx3wZWGk/TdD8wYsJi4I/AAAAAAAAAbs/dn7H7R-1q3g/s400/008.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607259444267813762" /></a><br />He was huge, but he looked nothing like a sheep!Brenda Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01047234403098883401noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747749945758748124.post-59020304197287454132011-05-06T12:00:00.000-07:002011-05-07T15:19:20.048-07:00What A WeekWe have really run the gammut of experience for our first lambing season. A set of triplets, an extra large single, a set of twins whose momma sat on the second twin while giving birth (I have been told by several long-time shepherds that they have never seen this before), and a dead lamb from another set of twins (no apparent reason). And it just keeps coming! <br />Our week started with a visit from the shearer. This was a different shearer from the one we used in the fall. We got an Amishman form Jamesport, which is only an hour away. He only charges two dollars per sheep, but we had to provide part of his transportation. I did not have him shear my three still-pregnant ewes. He was very gentle with my sheep, but I have decided I want to try and pluck, clip or shear them myself from now on. <br />That evening we had guests arrive by motorcycle from near Memphis.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n-3X346EddY/TcW3C8GRVXI/AAAAAAAAAa0/put4QMahWA0/s1600/035.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n-3X346EddY/TcW3C8GRVXI/AAAAAAAAAa0/put4QMahWA0/s400/035.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604086572452500850" /></a><br /> On Wednesday afternoon our yearling ewe, Cookie, was laying on the ground by the fence under the cedar trees. I saw that she had two feet hanging out of her. She was contracting strongly but nothing was happening. I sent Lynn (my friend who was visiting) to get Greg. We got Cookie out from under the trees and into the barn and then started pulling the lamb. It took quite some time. The lamb was very large (9.8 lb), and Cookie is so small. It was wedged in very tightly. Unfortunately, by the time we got the lamb out, his little heart was barely beating. He never moved and he died within minutes. It was very sad. He was a very pretty little mouflan, just like his momma. After I got myself collected, I got out my lambing book and read up on the situation once again. I wanted to see if we had done all we could, and what we should do differently next time. The only thing we could have done differently was pull harder and get him out faster. I really don't know if that would have been possible as he was in so tight. But, I guess we will never know. Poor little Cookie, she walks around like she is looking for something, but she doesn't know what that something is (she was not interested in the lamb when we put him by her).<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ko3nRztzS_A/TcW5BvpHAgI/AAAAAAAAAbU/pbr6HFpFcBY/s1600/039.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ko3nRztzS_A/TcW5BvpHAgI/AAAAAAAAAbU/pbr6HFpFcBY/s400/039.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604088750952350210" /></a><br /> Then, the very next day, Sage delivered a set of twins. When I got out there, she had a lamb on the ground, and soon after, presented a set of legs. A few seconds later there was the very tip of a nose out. But then nothing happened for over 30 minutes. I got out my lambing book once again, and then went into action. I broke the membranes around the nose, stuck my finger in the lambs mouth. Nothing! So, I pinched the nose between the nostrils, stuck my finger in his mouth again, and, suddenly he sprang to life and popped right on out! <br />We watched for awhile, until he was up on his feet. While watching, we noticed that Momma would not let them nurse. They tried and tried but she would not let them near her back end. We got them to the barn and into a stall so they could be alone to bond. But, after a couple of hours, there had still been no nursing. I got out a dog collar and leash and prepared to tie Sage up. I couldn't catch her, of course, so I made a lasso of the leash and got it around her horns. She fought that like crazy, so I got it off of her, then got it around her neck. I was then able to hold her still enough to get the collar on her, then tie her to a post with the leash. After that she calmed down quite a bit. I petted her a bit, and when I had her calm and not trying to get away from me, I tried milking a bit of colostrum out. No, I have never milked a sheep before. But, when I tried it, the milk squirted all over my leg! So I went and got a quart jar and milked her into that. Lynn and I bottle fed the colostrum to the babies and then left them alone so they could bond and so I could try and get a few hours of sleep.<br />I got to bed at 11:15, and was wide awake at 2:45! Out to the barn I went to check on everybody. Wonderfully, the ram's belly was nice and round. But not so for the ewe. So, back to the house I went to mix up some lamb formula (milk replacer). She guzzled it right down. I went out two hours later and gave her some more. <br />I decided to try to get her to nurse from Sage (I really did not want a bottle baby), so I tied Momma up again. But, try as I might, I could not get that baby to latch. I left them alone again to see if they could bond some more. I came back later, and her tummy wasn't empty, so I was sure she must have nursed at least a little bit from Sage. (Oh, I had had to file her teeth a bit, because thay were very sharp). I kept checking throughout the afternoon, and, every time I checked, she seemed to have something in her tummy. She was never as full as her brother, but not empty, either. In my experience with multiples so far, this is often the case...one will always be a little on the low side of the other. She was active, not lethargic, so I decided to take the "wait and see" and "let nature take it's course" for a little bit. <br />In the evening, when we got the sheep up to the barn for the night, she seemed a bit on the empty side again. I told Greg I couldn't go to sleep thinking she was hungry, so I fixed her a bottle and headed to the barn. For some reason, I grabbed my file on the way out. Something told me I should check her teeth again. Maybe Momma was letting her latch on, but if she still had a sharp tooth in there, she wasn't letting her nurse long enough to get full. She guzzled her bottle, and then I checked her teeth. Sure enough, I felt another sharp little ridge. I filed it down, and then we left the barn to head for bed. <br />When we arrived in the barn early in the morning, we found she had got into the ram's stall and was crying for her momma. Poor little thing, she was bleeting weakly as if she was just tuckered out. She was up and walking around, though, and was happy to see us! It had been suggested to me that we weigh her to see if she had lost weight since birth, and sure enough, she'd lost about a lb. So, resigning myself to the idea that I had a bottle baby on my hands, I was off to fix a bottle. But Greg said, "Why don't we try one more time to get her to latch on to Sage before you get a bottle?" I thought it was worth a shot, so I got the collar and leash, lassoed Sage again and got her tied to the gate. Greg held her leg up and I held the lamb up to the teet. At first nothing happened. But then I reached up and expressed a little milk. I held the lamb up again, she sniffed at it, she grabbed ahold of it and went to town! She let loose a couple of times, and then couldn't find it again, so I helped her out, and she'd suckle again. After she had a nice full belly, we let Sage's leg down. The lamb let loose, but then she found the teet on her own and kept going. Sage was being very calm and letting her nurse. No kicking, no trampling, no moving away! I was so overjoyed I cried!<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KDj7LToo498/TcW5Bz5NNzI/AAAAAAAAAbc/n6NPRBW8VxU/s1600/044.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KDj7LToo498/TcW5Bz5NNzI/AAAAAAAAAbc/n6NPRBW8VxU/s400/044.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604088752093607730" /></a><br /> I freed Sage from the gate, and she continued to let the lamb nurse. Then, when she was finished, Sage slowly started heading out to the pasture, watching and waiting for her little lambs, who followed right behind their momma. <br />We have decided to name the milk-chocolaty ram "Skor", like the candy bar. He has just a touch of frosting on him. I'm not sure, but I think this makes him a solid moorit (brown) with flashing. Or else he is a spotted moorit. <br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EXX2XrdrL84/TcW4EBQADRI/AAAAAAAAAa8/ZnQzn0KOAIY/s1600/040.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EXX2XrdrL84/TcW4EBQADRI/AAAAAAAAAa8/ZnQzn0KOAIY/s400/040.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604087690526985490" /></a><br />We are calling the ewe lamb "Marshmellow" because she looks like a toasted marshmellow! And she is so sweet! I believe she is a moflan like her beautiful momma.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UpeUa9AzaBM/TcW5BTopcCI/AAAAAAAAAbM/id33i2yYGIw/s1600/048.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UpeUa9AzaBM/TcW5BTopcCI/AAAAAAAAAbM/id33i2yYGIw/s400/048.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604088743434219554" /></a><br />Here's the little siblings lying in the grass.<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fkGQ-dkAP7Q/TcW5BN95TOI/AAAAAAAAAbE/c0fQ654RM3g/s1600/038.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fkGQ-dkAP7Q/TcW5BN95TOI/AAAAAAAAAbE/c0fQ654RM3g/s400/038.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604088741912726754" /></a><br />Little Mr. Skor is to be the ram for our third breeding group. So, that gives us three un-related rams, all three a different color. I couldn't be more pleased. <br />One more ewe (Ursula, who is Cookie's momma) left to lamb. She is getting to be quite a blimp, so it has to be soon.Brenda Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01047234403098883401noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747749945758748124.post-84700289952765924562011-04-21T14:43:00.000-07:002011-04-21T17:44:07.146-07:00Lambs, Lambs, and More Lambs<OBJECT class=BLOG_video_class id=BLOG_video-262b9c7f7c025635 height=266 width=320 contentId="262b9c7f7c025635"></OBJECT>Yesterday, Cocoa had a set of twin, black, ram lambs. At about 3 in the afternoon, Greg came in and said she was in the side paddock and it looked like she was in labor. So, I went running out. She was standing and then layed down by the tree. Solomon, the ram, was bothering her a little bit, so I headed out to chase him away from her. As I was going through the barn, Greg called out that she was on her feet and the lamb had fallen out. I got out to the paddock in time to see Solomon chasing her around, so I hustled him out of the paddock and shut the gate. Meanwhile, Cocoa headed back to her lamb. It looked like she had another one coming out, but then she sat down against the fence, so we thought it must have just been the afterbirth we had seen. She proceeded to lick and clean her baby, but she wouldn't stand up to let him nurse, and he was sure looking for the milk bar! So, I went and got her some molasses water with electrolytes, and when I got up close to her with it, I saw a little lamb nose sticking out from under her rump. Just as I got over to her, she got up to get the water, and I saw the lamb just laying there, still in his sack. I thought it was dead, but it moved its head ever so slightly, so I gave it a little nudge and rubbed him a bit. Then he really started to move and Cocoa came running over and started licking him. He really struggled for a long time to get up. It was so hard not to get in there and help him out, but I resisted. I try to take a very hands-off approach and have read before that if creatures aren't left to struggle to do what they are intended to do, they will be weak and may not thrive, so I stayed away and left him to figure it out. He finally did make it to his feet, and today he is just as alert and active as his big brother. Cocoa is a two-year-old, first time mother. She is not quite as attentive as the older, more experienced ewes, but all bellies have been full at every belly check! Here I am keeping an eye on the situation! <A href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7IVKPzRQ81U/TbConWPhyXI/AAAAAAAAAac/kN12_Yexz9w/s1600/021.JPG"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598159730760599922 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7IVKPzRQ81U/TbConWPhyXI/AAAAAAAAAac/kN12_Yexz9w/s400/021.JPG" border=0></A> This is Cocoa and her boys today. We've named them Hershey and Nestle because their momma is Cocoa! <A href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HZ0aSC8NfiM/TbConOEMUnI/AAAAAAAAAaU/dNUQz2_gSYU/s1600/006.JPG"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598159728565572210 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HZ0aSC8NfiM/TbConOEMUnI/AAAAAAAAAaU/dNUQz2_gSYU/s400/006.JPG" border=0></A> Here is a picture of Daisy and her single ewe lamb, Whoppers. Whoppers was a big girl at birth, weighing over ten lbs. She was born two weeks ago, just two days after the triplets were born. <A href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-coOYN_1yOkk/TbCon7IZdDI/AAAAAAAAAak/_OHfNQ_NcDA/s1600/002.JPG"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598159740662805554 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-coOYN_1yOkk/TbCon7IZdDI/AAAAAAAAAak/_OHfNQ_NcDA/s400/002.JPG" border=0></A> This is Daisy and Whoppers today. You can see how much she's grown already. <A href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KAp65wqt-Uo/TbCnOLUhbdI/AAAAAAAAAaM/o6it8Ek47Ak/s1600/003.JPG"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598158198820400594 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KAp65wqt-Uo/TbCnOLUhbdI/AAAAAAAAAaM/o6it8Ek47Ak/s400/003.JPG" border=0></A> Zuma's triplets have really grown, too. Compared to the new babies, they are quite roly-poly! We named them, collectively, The Three Musketeers! The ewe is Porthos and the two rams are Athos and Aramis. <A href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GY881JMXU5A/TbCnNvhTdxI/AAAAAAAAAaE/_K-fVdU1Z1E/s1600/004.JPG"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598158191357818642 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GY881JMXU5A/TbCnNvhTdxI/AAAAAAAAAaE/_K-fVdU1Z1E/s400/004.JPG" border=0></A> This morning when Greg went out to let the sheep out of the barn, he discovered that Shula had a white lamb with her. She was huge and I couldn't believe she only had a single, which wasn't all that big. I looked around and saw a black lamb, laying dead on the ground by the wall. Both were ram lambs. It was very sad, but, thankfully, the white one was healthy and doing well. <A href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FuJsZpZNoP4/TbCnNV19IWI/AAAAAAAAAZ8/I7K7wpAiubk/s1600/013.JPG"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598158184465113442 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FuJsZpZNoP4/TbCnNV19IWI/AAAAAAAAAZ8/I7K7wpAiubk/s400/013.JPG" border=0></A> This little guy has a lot riding on his shoulders. Since he was not sired by our Solomon, he is to be the ram for our next breeding group. His name is Zero, after the white candy bar. I call him "Zero my Hero"! <A href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q1HFuzcm-do/TbCnM-kpMgI/AAAAAAAAAZ0/b6upDvCPlP8/s1600/011.JPG"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598158178218488322 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q1HFuzcm-do/TbCnM-kpMgI/AAAAAAAAAZ0/b6upDvCPlP8/s400/011.JPG" border=0></A> And here's a little video of little Mr. Zero doing his little lamb job!<br /><OBJECT class=BLOG_video_class id=BLOG_video-839f55ee06ccb043 height=266 width=320 contentId="839f55ee06ccb043"></OBJECT>Brenda Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01047234403098883401noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747749945758748124.post-72640555291406368892011-04-03T15:39:00.000-07:002011-04-04T17:45:52.656-07:00Starting Out With A Bang!<A href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W6uzCODWuM8/TZj5MoqasdI/AAAAAAAAAZE/0LgdYZphyas/s1600/023.JPG"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591492932849545682 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W6uzCODWuM8/TZj5MoqasdI/AAAAAAAAAZE/0LgdYZphyas/s400/023.JPG" border=0></A><br />Yesterday we came home from attending church and picking up a few supplies and found that Zuma (named by our granddaughter, Sophia) had given us our first lambs on Cavalli Run. At first Greg saw one lamb, so he came to get me in the house where I was putting stuff away. We headed out to the pasture and, as we got closer, we saw a lamb standing next to her by the hay bale. The closer we got, the more lambs we saw. When we finally reached a spot where we could see on the other side of her, we saw that she had triplets! Three little black lambs! <br /> <A href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hDwhX7oqQOo/TZj5OUq6gmI/AAAAAAAAAZk/KVxwEPs3FZA/s1600/026.JPG"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591492961842659938 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hDwhX7oqQOo/TZj5OUq6gmI/AAAAAAAAAZk/KVxwEPs3FZA/s400/026.JPG" border=0></A><br /><br />She still had her afterbirth attatched so we decided to go away and leave her to bond with her babies. We saw that they were all nursing, so we just wanted to give them some time. I brought out a bucket of water with molasses and some eloctrolytes for momma, and she just guzzled it! While she was drinking, I bent down and got a look under the lambs and saw that she had two little ram lambs and one ewe lamb. <br /><A href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K7SprPXT8Zs/TZpeiJSwb6I/AAAAAAAAAZs/hHtBh-4zJn8/s1600/031.JPG"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591885828037046178 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K7SprPXT8Zs/TZpeiJSwb6I/AAAAAAAAAZs/hHtBh-4zJn8/s400/031.JPG" border=0></A><br />As it got closer to evening, we wanted to bring them all up to the barn. We tried luring her with some sweet feed, but she wanted to stick pretty close to that bale. So, we ended up picking up the lambs and carrying them back to the barn. Zuma followed right on my heels. We weighed them and checked them over. They weighed in at 6.6 lbs, 6 lbs even, and the little girl weighed 5.8 lbs. Good weights for triplets! <br />This morning we went out and tagged their ears first thing. The first one went well, the second one was harder for some reason. I couldn't get the tagger to squeeze together completely, so I switched it to the other ear and got it in there. By then my hands were shaking because I felt so bad! The last one was a little tough, too, but I got it in. Here's a little video where you can see their new jewelry! <br /><OBJECT class=BLOG_video_class id=BLOG_video-7d08c2362213c30e height=266 width=320 contentId="7d08c2362213c30e"></OBJECT><br /><br />I checked bellies tonight and everyone had a full tummy. I have been told that sometimes with triplets one of them may not get enough milk. So far, they seem to be doing just fine, but we will keep our eyes on them. <br />It has been a very exciting couple of days. I wonder who will be next?Brenda Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01047234403098883401noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747749945758748124.post-27401760324101048612011-03-29T18:32:00.000-07:002011-03-30T12:18:19.117-07:00First Anniversary<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jsv2oVgbG1E/TZKbJlk-IoI/AAAAAAAAAYU/iImSp98FxKc/s1600/028.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jsv2oVgbG1E/TZKbJlk-IoI/AAAAAAAAAYU/iImSp98FxKc/s400/028.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589700676528513666" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WWG6cxjO8sc/TZKbJAu0SrI/AAAAAAAAAYM/3_tzyUrwXWc/s1600/004.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WWG6cxjO8sc/TZKbJAu0SrI/AAAAAAAAAYM/3_tzyUrwXWc/s400/004.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589700666637699762" /></a><br />Today is the first anniversary of moving to our farm. This was much like the day we moved in a year ago...overcast and chilly. It was wetter last year, but not quite as cold, I don't think. We woke up this morning to find a dusting of snow on the ground. I am really hoping that was the end of it for this year. It has been a very cold winter for us in this old farm house with little insulation and only one heat source (a propane heater on the living room wall). Next year we plan to put wood heat in, even if we aren't able to do any other remodeling or building.<br />Aside from being a cold winter, it has been a year of many ups and downs. We have had to do a lot of clean up, a lot of un-packing of several years' worth of things that have been in storage, things that came from my mom's house after she died three years ago, plus things we brought back from Germany, and a lot of getting to know our farm and the various animals we have aquired since moving in: 3 dogs, 1 horse, 1 donkey, 30 fowl (laying hens, banties, and a half dozen Guineas), 7 ewes (would have been 8 but we lost one), a ram, and several barn cats.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5uoNaSYEV8A/TZKYxiZTiiI/AAAAAAAAAX0/pNOcmhiXRQk/s1600/033.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5uoNaSYEV8A/TZKYxiZTiiI/AAAAAAAAAX0/pNOcmhiXRQk/s400/033.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589698064334162466" /></a><br /><br />We have known some loss this first year. One of our original ewes (Zinnia) strangled herself in the fence, one of our banty hens went missing, and several cats have died or disappeared (mostly kittens whose mommas dragged them off to hide them). <br />We had over-grown pastures we couldn't see, let alone hike, because the man who was supposed to cut the hay didn't get it done in a timely manner. We had a miserably hot summer and no central air. We had wool we couldn't spin, a horse I couldn't ride (because I lost my confidence after she threw me shortly after I got her), a sheep-guarding donkey who didn't like the sheep, and dogs who shed like crazy and make a huge mess in my house!<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IhDyuXlFPbM/TZKZa_jxu3I/AAAAAAAAAX8/FuzWuYsj-rk/s1600/017.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IhDyuXlFPbM/TZKZa_jxu3I/AAAAAAAAAX8/FuzWuYsj-rk/s400/017.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589698776537348978" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UXD-IoM1yzw/TZKZbTd82cI/AAAAAAAAAYE/-f772igbMVo/s1600/007.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UXD-IoM1yzw/TZKZbTd82cI/AAAAAAAAAYE/-f772igbMVo/s400/007.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589698781881620930" /></a><br /><br /><br />We've had more house issues than we've ever had in any house we've lived in: rolling floors, rotting floors, roaches, flies, Asian beetles, frogs, and mice. We didn't even have this many critters in our house in Africa! Okay, we did have roaches, AND we had lizards...but not the rest. Oh, and ants...we have had some ants here, and we did have ants way worse in Africa. <br />But, there have also been an awful lot of highs. I love hiking these hills. Nothing makes me happier than being out on my land (except maybe working with my horse and having her respond to me the way I want her to). I have discovered that I am capable of much more than I would have given myself credit for. I have learned so many new things. I know how to drench sheep now! I know how to work with wool now. I am learning how to work with my horse and getting my confidence back. I am learning how to take care of sheep, horses, donkeys and laying hens. I learned how to use the willow from the ponds to make baskets. I am working on training my dogs. I made a saddle pad with my own two hands. I have my own, farm-fresh eggs coming out my ears. Our farm has a plethora of wild berries and fruit, which we were able to put up to enjoy all winter long. Three of our four children were able to spend some time on the farm with us, along with their families. We have had visits from several friends we hadn't seen in years. And, how could I forget? I got some really great boots!!!<br />Even with all the lows, and a few days where I seriously wondered if we made the right decision when we decided to follow my dreams, I feel overwhelmingly blessed to be living this life. I am planning to live here for the rest of my life. I told my husband I wasn't moving again until Jesus came to get me, and I'm pretty sure he's not gonna make me pack! But, even if I didn't have to pack, I have no desire to ever move from this place. The future promises to be very bright, and many exciting events are on the horizon. <br />We should be having our first baby lambs any time now. I am hoping to be riding Skipper again by the end of April. I was working with her some yesterday and she remembered all of her lessons from last fall...even responded to them better than she did then. We are getting our fences set up in order to be able to do proper pasture rotation with the sheep this year. I hope to have my hand-craft business up and running by this fall. We are getting ready to put our first garden in (here). Spring is showing itself. We have so much to look forward to. Year number two has all the potential to be very exciting and full of even more new adventures.<br />I'm looking forward to sharing this next year with all of you. Thank you for reading my blog over the past year, and especially for commenting on my posts. I have enjoyed getting to know many of you and having you along for the ride. <br /> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hnx8dxBOixU/TZKbkTQk6HI/AAAAAAAAAYc/ddafYfvhj7U/s1600/201.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hnx8dxBOixU/TZKbkTQk6HI/AAAAAAAAAYc/ddafYfvhj7U/s400/201.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589701135467604082" /></a><br />And Gabby thanks you, too!!!Brenda Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01047234403098883401noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747749945758748124.post-25740907554749749612011-02-26T06:56:00.000-08:002011-03-24T10:37:24.820-07:00From Sheep to Yarn, On a ShoestringOur sheep were shorn in late October. I had visions of skirting fleeces all winter long. But, it got too cold to sit more than 3 feet from the only heat source in the whole house. Even at three feet, I am usually sporting two layers (or more) from neck to toe and sitting underneath a blanket or two, often wearing gloves or fingerless mittens (sometimes both) if I'm knitting or crocheting. Otherwise my hands are tucked under my thighs, under the blanket to keep warm! <br />Besides that issue (which I hope will be resolved by next winter), I lost motivation to get all the fleeces skirted as I have not been able to get a spinning wheel yet. I figured I had two options: #1-have 7 un-skirted fleeces sitting in pillowcases in the cedar chest upstairs, waiting for warmer days to be dealt with; or #2-suffer the cold, skirt and wash all the fleeces, and have them sitting in pillowcases in the cedar chest waiting to be carded and spun! I went with option #1!<br />I did manage to get three of the seven fleeces skirted before it got miserably cold. However, I got frustrated with having even 3 skirted fleeces just sitting there and nothing I could do with them. I kept trying to come up with some way I could get some of my wool spun. I even considered sending it off to a mill to have it all done for me...but I really wanted to process my first fleeces from the sheep to the yarn myself by hand. Besides, sending it to the mill would be very expensive. <br />I have been searching the internet most of the winter for ideas. I've been asking friends for ideas. I've been racking my brain for ideas. Then, one day, I got an idea! I had seen some fleece combs on the internet and thought they looked an awful lot like my dog combs! And I remembered I had a spindle I had bought years ago, but never really learned to use properly, and I was sure I still had it. It had to be packed away in a box from our last move. So, I decided I would first hunt down that spindle. I mean, what would be the point of washing and preparing a fleece if I no longer actually had the spindle? Then I would just have a skirted, washed and dried fleece sitting in a bag in the...you get the picture! Of course, it wasn't where I first thought it would be...but it WAS in the last place I looked! <br />Well, once I found the spindle, I had to do a little adjustment to it (it needed a hook), and then I washed up some fleece from Zinnia (the ewe I lost right after shearing to an attempted escape-gone-bad). <br /><A href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cRs4gsNo0Ns/TWv0utz4RQI/AAAAAAAAAXU/i6_vigFiVuE/s1600/001.JPG"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578821646836843778 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cRs4gsNo0Ns/TWv0utz4RQI/AAAAAAAAAXU/i6_vigFiVuE/s400/001.JPG" border=0></A> <br />The fleece took forever to dry in this cold, but I took the time to watch some videos on You Tube about using a drop spindle. And, finally, I had some nice locks to comb. Here is a video of me combing some fleece.<br /> <OBJECT class=BLOG_video_class id=BLOG_video-704bcf2a00447d27 height=266 width=320 contentId="704bcf2a00447d27"></OBJECT> <br /><br />Here's a bundle of combed fleece.<br /><br /><A href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BpKH3KvQgp0/TWv0u4dM2MI/AAAAAAAAAXc/ooCTkoKSwAo/s1600/008.JPG"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578821649694513346 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BpKH3KvQgp0/TWv0u4dM2MI/AAAAAAAAAXc/ooCTkoKSwAo/s400/008.JPG" border=0></A><br /><br />Here I am, using my newly-modified drop spindle. Okay, yes, Greg took three videos of me using it, but I was biting my tongue in every single one, so they didn't make it into my blog! <br /> <A href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8wRYKyCFjFA/TWv0vJJOV_I/AAAAAAAAAXk/FVomI5cw7_c/s1600/015.JPG"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578821654174128114 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8wRYKyCFjFA/TWv0vJJOV_I/AAAAAAAAAXk/FVomI5cw7_c/s400/015.JPG" border=0></A><br /><br />And here is my first product...a very nubbly "novelty" yarn.<br /><A href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Io_V8s30e8g/TWv0vbCzmvI/AAAAAAAAAXs/HHTs4GFAZ7A/s1600/014.JPG"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578821658979048178 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Io_V8s30e8g/TWv0vbCzmvI/AAAAAAAAAXs/HHTs4GFAZ7A/s400/014.JPG" border=0></A><br />It may not work well for socks, but I have big plans for this yarn!Brenda Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01047234403098883401noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747749945758748124.post-39504707804413119002011-02-15T06:56:00.000-08:002011-02-15T16:39:54.002-08:00Two New EwesToday Greg drove down to NW Arkansas to pick up two new, hopefully pregnant, ewes. It is always so exciting to get new additions to the farm.<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0mNu33BYS0M/TVsagkJJlTI/AAAAAAAAAXM/zdN2mmODKDU/s1600/023.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0mNu33BYS0M/TVsagkJJlTI/AAAAAAAAAXM/zdN2mmODKDU/s400/023.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574078110561310002" /></a><br /> Welcome to your new home, girls.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8B-ShbANGEE/TVsagE15QeI/AAAAAAAAAXE/PAYZnAuKl-U/s1600/025.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8B-ShbANGEE/TVsagE15QeI/AAAAAAAAAXE/PAYZnAuKl-U/s400/025.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574078102159049186" /></a><br /> Checking out the new digs.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-24rQ29YIyXo/TVsafvdug7I/AAAAAAAAAW8/bOhg9ZPeh_E/s1600/028.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-24rQ29YIyXo/TVsafvdug7I/AAAAAAAAAW8/bOhg9ZPeh_E/s400/028.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574078096420537266" /></a><br /> It didn't take long to find the sweet feed! <br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P0EyHb39ve8/TVsafO6beYI/AAAAAAAAAW0/zlMhMMP_KmY/s1600/027.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P0EyHb39ve8/TVsafO6beYI/AAAAAAAAAW0/zlMhMMP_KmY/s400/027.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574078087682554242" /></a><br /> <br />We have so many hopes and dreams for our homestead. Spring is just around the corner, now. Baby lambs will be coming. We're going to order some more laying hens and a couple of roosters, plus get an incubator so we can start hatching out chicks to sell. We'll be doing another shearing. Several friends are planning first-time visits. We've just talked to one of our neigbors and made arrangements for him to cut our hay for us this year. Plus he's agreed for Greg to help him with it, so Greg can learn how to do it, so we can someday do it for ourselves. And, I have my new training halter and my great new boots that are waiting to be broken in as soon as the ground dries up enough to let me get back out into the round pen with Skipper. I hope to be riding her again in no time! I'm also ready to start the next phase of training with the dogs. <br />There are a couple of other things in the wind, that, if they come to fruition, will just add to our many blessings and the hopes of a bright future here on Cavalli Run. I'm going to keep those close to the vest for now, though! If they come about, I will certainly be filling you all in on them as they happen!Brenda Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01047234403098883401noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747749945758748124.post-91078367348863448712011-02-12T08:03:00.001-08:002011-02-12T18:44:04.010-08:00The Lowly Farm CatI am not a big cat lover. I don't hate cats, and there have been a few special cats in my life. But, for the most part, I can take them or leave them. My husband, however, adores cats. I have never known a man who loved cats as much as he does. I can look outside at any given minute and will see him walking around with one of our barn cats on his shoulder and, so it seems to me, having some profound conversation with it! <br />The cats don't get much more than an occassional mention on my blog, so I thought I'd dedicate one whole entry to them...for my husband's sake! They do, after all, perform one very important task on my farm...KILL MICE! <br />Mrs. Grey is a great mouser. We have had very little trouble with mice in the house since we got her. She hangs out on the deck, under the back porch, in the sheep barn, wherever she knows the nasty little creatures will be lurking. <br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ddW711mXcuU/TVawbLYgeSI/AAAAAAAAAWc/fWeF2pj6qfc/s1600/003.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ddW711mXcuU/TVawbLYgeSI/AAAAAAAAAWc/fWeF2pj6qfc/s400/003.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572835569876105506" /></a><br />It looks like she is hunting something up now! <br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yMeAbHcp9p4/TVawa__e9vI/AAAAAAAAAWU/nnCeA09hmYE/s1600/001.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yMeAbHcp9p4/TVawa__e9vI/AAAAAAAAAWU/nnCeA09hmYE/s400/001.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572835566818359026" /></a><br />This next cat is Tommy. Tommy is Mrs. Grey's only surviving kitten. Greg was sure he was a boy, and he reminded me of a cat we had when I was a kid. This cat had started life as a girl who we named Darling. But, as she grew older we discovered Darling was a he cat. So we changed his name to Tommy. Funny thing is, our new Tommy, turns out, is really a girl, not a boy! We checked again the other day because hubby was sure he had grown his little boy bits. Sorry, dear...but Tommy is a girl! She looks a lot like her momma.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x2oMdEkXBaM/TVawGRicDBI/AAAAAAAAAWM/J1q8Fg5i5RA/s1600/013.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x2oMdEkXBaM/TVawGRicDBI/AAAAAAAAAWM/J1q8Fg5i5RA/s400/013.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572835210751118354" /></a><br />Next is Padre. At first we called Padre, "Little Blackie". At the time we had Mr. Brown, Mrs. Grey, and Mrs. Black (his momma). So, we stuck with our pattern for awhile, but then we heard a story about a cat called "Father" because of it's all black coat except for a white spot on its "collar". Greg thought we should change his name to "Father", but I wanted to be a bit more original, so we call him "Padre"! <br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WRb_iRHEbTI/TVawF3PcXXI/AAAAAAAAAWE/UTIqQhxi8ZQ/s1600/011.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WRb_iRHEbTI/TVawF3PcXXI/AAAAAAAAAWE/UTIqQhxi8ZQ/s400/011.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572835203692125554" /></a><br />Next up is "Flitch". She is from Mrs. Black's second litter. Again, the only survivor of the first four kittens born here on the farm (the others came already born). She was pretty sick when we found her, so we brought her in, doctored her up, and now she is fine. "Flitch" is a combination of "Fluffy" (picked by our grandaughter, Lydia) and "Twitch" (picked by our daughter, Jessica). Her momma, Mrs. Black, is pretty wild and doesn't come too close to us humans, although we do still see her from time-to-time. Flitch, however, is pretty friendly.<br /> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FP0G8Qp8S90/TVawFfoBACI/AAAAAAAAAV8/tS4U6neHXxk/s1600/014.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FP0G8Qp8S90/TVawFfoBACI/AAAAAAAAAV8/tS4U6neHXxk/s400/014.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572835197352738850" /></a><br /><br />This winter it got pretty cold out there in the barn, so Greg started working on putting together a variety of warmers to keep the different animals' water from freezing. He built a couple of differnt boxes and put light bulbs in them for some of the smaller waterers. He had an extra one, so he put it in his shop (where the cats hang out) and put a water bowl on top of it for them. Well, they kept knocking the bowl off and sleeping on the box...so he built another one. One for them to sleep on, and one to keep their water thawed! I told you he loves his cats! He feeds them too much, too! I keep telling him they won't hunt mice if they aren't at least a little bit hungry! Here is their water on its warming box.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0jneEH5bSFE/TVaw4KlpXhI/AAAAAAAAAWs/fQXAa9lPzew/s1600/010.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0jneEH5bSFE/TVaw4KlpXhI/AAAAAAAAAWs/fQXAa9lPzew/s400/010.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572836067878985234" /></a><br />I've already mentioned in an earlier post about the cat that came in with the big blizzard. It seems to be de-clawed, and, if so, I'm gonna assume it's been fixed. I think it's a female. Or else it's a male with no bits. It's very fluffy so it's hard to tell for sure. It really likes the warming box. It's a very pretty cat, as cat's go. I've always wanted a fluffy orange cat. But, then, I'm really not much of a cat person.<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AZ7HNKqVeWA/TVaw3vet6XI/AAAAAAAAAWk/ZkArkoMTiKA/s1600/009.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AZ7HNKqVeWA/TVaw3vet6XI/AAAAAAAAAWk/ZkArkoMTiKA/s400/009.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572836060602165618" /></a><br />Here are Tommy and the new cat enjoying the warming box together. They do look very sweet sitting there...but don't be taking me for a cat lover, because I'm not! <br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kTQ8L53s8sA/TVawFNvzNSI/AAAAAAAAAV0/aoFzUa5-hO4/s1600/025.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kTQ8L53s8sA/TVawFNvzNSI/AAAAAAAAAV0/aoFzUa5-hO4/s400/025.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572835192553551138" /></a><br />We haven't named the orange cat yet. I'm thinking "Fluffy", unless someone wants to offer me something better! <br />You may have noticed that I mentioned Mr. Brown, but didn't show a picture of him. Well, sadly, we haven't seen Mr. Brown for quite some time. He was a wanderer, but he always came back every day. We figure he must've met his demise in some way, or else he'd have come back by now. Poor Mr. Brown. <br />Really, I am NOT a cat lover!Brenda Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01047234403098883401noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747749945758748124.post-85634729107241317612011-02-02T07:19:00.000-08:002011-02-02T07:46:06.705-08:00The Blizzard of 2011Well,we've weathered our first blizzard on Cavalli Run. <br />The sheep were oblivious to it. They could have come into the barn if they'd wanted to, but they chose to stay out on the pasture instead. The sheep are those little fur balls eating off of the big things which, even though in a certain light appear to be giant sheep, are actually big, round hay bales.<br /> <A href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TUl26YXc_2I/AAAAAAAAAVs/Q0MMTu9XmZA/s1600/017.JPG"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569113159565639522 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TUl26YXc_2I/AAAAAAAAAVs/Q0MMTu9XmZA/s400/017.JPG" border=0></A> <br />The dogs are oblivious the weather, as well. All day long they wanted to run in and out, in and out, so they could go out and play in the snow. <br /> <OBJECT class=BLOG_video_class id=BLOG_video-9451fd1a9bfe6d41 height=266 width=320 contentId="9451fd1a9bfe6d41"></OBJECT> <br />The horse, donkey and chickens had the good sense to stay inside for the day! <br /><br />The blizzard didn't hit us quite as hard as it did down south of us. However, we probably got a foot or so of snow. We didn't lose power, thankfully. <br /><br />This morning it was very cold (4 degrees, not counting wind chill), but the snow had stopped and we had a beautiful sunrise.<br /><A href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TUl254mVYoI/AAAAAAAAAVk/lKA07utovP0/s1600/004.JPG"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569113151038120578 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TUl254mVYoI/AAAAAAAAAVk/lKA07utovP0/s400/004.JPG" border=0></A> <br /><br />We have some good-sized drifts from all that wind. <br /><A href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TUl25jBCP0I/AAAAAAAAAVc/9TRmiqU7Vds/s1600/006.JPG"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569113145244532546 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TUl25jBCP0I/AAAAAAAAAVc/9TRmiqU7Vds/s400/006.JPG" border=0></A> <br /><br />Not only did the storm bring in all that snow, it seems to have brought with it a new addition to the farm. We haven't seen this orange cat before! I guess the other cats don't mind sharing their food with this stranger. <br /><A href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TUl25QyMF8I/AAAAAAAAAVU/OcjO0lPg5xw/s1600/012.JPG"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569113140350425026 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TUl25QyMF8I/AAAAAAAAAVU/OcjO0lPg5xw/s400/012.JPG" border=0></A><br /><br />Yes, I'd say we weathered our first blizzard quite well.Brenda Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01047234403098883401noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747749945758748124.post-76758315732226263572011-01-20T12:23:00.000-08:002011-01-20T12:57:05.334-08:00Proto-type Saddle PadWell, this blog is about the highs AND lows of our life here on the farm. Today was neither...it was a "so-so"! <br />For some time now I have been working on making a saddle blanket/pad for my horse. I saw some felted wool ones in a catalog, and as I have been doing machine felting for some time, I thought, "Why couldn't I make one? I mean, why pay someone else for something you can do for yourself? Right? So, I scrounged up some wool I had left over from another project, and got started. I did end up buying some more yarn (different type and colors, but same weight and ply) in order to finish. I just barely had enough of the left over to make the front (I knew it would have to be doubled as a single layer of the weight of yarn I had would not be thick enough) so what I bought made up the back. I crocheted it as all one piece, and then folded it over and tacked it together.<br /><br />Here is the peice as crocheted, but not yet trimmed and tacked.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TTiaydfr3II/AAAAAAAAAVI/u5w_PDw_ctE/s1600/005.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TTiaydfr3II/AAAAAAAAAVI/u5w_PDw_ctE/s400/005.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564367531317910658" /></a><br /><br />Here is the top after being tacked and trimmed and before felting.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TTiaxuOCnLI/AAAAAAAAAVA/4I3YdeSoae8/s1600/012.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TTiaxuOCnLI/AAAAAAAAAVA/4I3YdeSoae8/s400/012.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564367518627437746" /></a><br /><br />Here is the back before felting.<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TTiaxKZe8nI/AAAAAAAAAU4/xxrHEHePsLM/s1600/015.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TTiaxKZe8nI/AAAAAAAAAU4/xxrHEHePsLM/s400/015.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564367509011755634" /></a><br /><br />Okay, it came out just a little bit "wonky", but that is all right. I thought that might happen as the front and back (top and bottom?) were different yarns, and because it was a double layer, I wondered if the two layers would separate a bit. I think it is still going to be usable for me, but I wouldn't try to sell any like this. That's why it's a "proto-type"! I learned a lot from making it, I thought a lot about how I would do things differently next time, and I have some ideas of how I might overcome these issues the next time. <br /><br />Here's the top after felting. I think some weight and time will help "press" out some of the rumples.<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TTiaw3BywUI/AAAAAAAAAUw/cQcMnPeaglM/s1600/021.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TTiaw3BywUI/AAAAAAAAAUw/cQcMnPeaglM/s400/021.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564367503812116802" /></a><br /><br />And, here is the bottom side. It's a bit wonkier than the top, but softer. <br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TTiawTntz-I/AAAAAAAAAUo/hOltjuBAZeU/s1600/020.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TTiawTntz-I/AAAAAAAAAUo/hOltjuBAZeU/s400/020.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564367494307500002" /></a><br /><br />Of course, I would have loved for it to have come out perfectly, but I am not unhappy with the outcome as it is. I definately think it is worth trying to make one with my Icelandic wool yarn (when I get some spun)...but with my ideas for improving the finished product.Brenda Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01047234403098883401noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747749945758748124.post-32815159975858703062011-01-14T10:20:00.000-08:002011-01-17T18:46:31.905-08:00Big Boots to FillI got new boots this week. <br />That may not be exciting news to many of you...but let me tell you why these boots mean so much to me. <br />Here's one of the boots on my foot. <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TTCU6AL0AqI/AAAAAAAAAUg/1arjWvyEqq4/s1600/001.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TTCU6AL0AqI/AAAAAAAAAUg/1arjWvyEqq4/s400/001.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562109264005431970" /></a><br />When we were living in Africa (2001 through 2005), I came across a TV series out of Australia called MCLEOD'S DAUGHTERS. It was about two sisters who inherited their dad's sheep and cattle ranch in the Outback. Okay, it WAS a bit soap-opera-ish...and I usually don't like that sort of thing. BUT, there wasn't much else to watch in Africa, AND, this was different...it was like real life. It was the life that, in my wildest dreams, would be my life! At the time, I never would have believed that the realization of this dream would actually be mine within the next several (less than 10) years. Okay, it's Missouri, not Australia, and it's 80 acres, not thousands, and I have 6 sheep, not hundreds, and I have one horse, not dozens, and I don't have any cows (yet). But, hey, it's MINE and I love it! And I do have "chooks"! <br />This is what I see when I look down. <br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TTCU5YsjCRI/AAAAAAAAAUY/tcPpC35jAIY/s1600/002.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TTCU5YsjCRI/AAAAAAAAAUY/tcPpC35jAIY/s400/002.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562109253405313298" /></a><br />In one episode of the first season of the show, the country sister (Claire) buys her city sister (Tess) a pair of boots. I knew at that moment that, one day, I would have a pair of those boots! Those were not just boots, those were a symbol of Tess's being accepted as a valid part of the ranch (the ranch is run by all women, by the way). She had "arrived".<br />Here's what the boots look like if I pull my pants leg up.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TTCU4xaonMI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/vt3mDkdt7pY/s1600/004.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TTCU4xaonMI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/vt3mDkdt7pY/s400/004.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562109242861198530" /></a><br />My daughter, Jessica, who lives in Germany with her husband, James (who is in the U.S. Air Force), and four (soon to be five) kiddos, went to a bazaar at the air base. At the bazaar was an Australian vendor. The vendor was selling all kinds of Aussie stuff: hats, boots, coats (you know, those cool drovers' coats). Well, they convinced her that the boots were the ones the women wore in the series (I won't mention the brand...I'm sure they are good boots, but they were NOT the right boots...they lied). So she got me a pair. She sent me a picture and I said "Take them back! Those are not THE boots." She didn't believe me, but she was a good daughter and took them back anyway! Hey, I wasn't spending that much money on the wrong boots! I wasn't sure I wanted to spend that much money on the RIGHT boots!<br />Since those were not the boots I wanted, I decided I would have to start searching for a pair of riding boots. I was willing to settle for boots that looked something like THE boots, since I had no idea what kind of boots THE boots were. I looked high and low (okay, I searched the internet). I asked a couple of boot enthusiasts I knew (Dee and Dee...okay, I asked one person two times) for advice. After being pointed in the right direction, and armed with some Christmas money from my MIL, I set out to find the boots I would buy. In my search, I happened upon a picture of a pair of boots that, the moment I saw them, I knew they were THE boots. I went back to that episode of the show (yes, I have the first five of the eight seasons on DVD...working on aquiring the rest) and checked to be sure...and in one scene (I had to pause, rewind, play in slow motion, over and over again, to get a really good look) there was a great shot of the side of the boot. And, on the heel you could just make out the logo "Blundstone". BINGO! JACKPOT! I WAS RIGHT!<br />Just one problem: they were SOOOO expensive! They were about 40 bucks more than what I had in Christmas money (well, what I had left after buying a really cool horse-training halter and a couple of books). I'd never spent that much money in my life on a pair of boots...or on any piece of apparel for that matter...IN MY LIFE! So, NOW what was I going to do? Now that I had found THE boots, how could I possibly settle for anything less? I did the only thing a girl can do...I consulted all my facebook friends! LOL! The response was overwhelming: "Buy the boots you really want". <br />I even asked my friend, Nicci, who is Australian and lives in Australia, if they really were great boots. She said she used to wear that brand all the time and they were absolutely as great as all that. In fact, she couldn't remember a pair EVER wearing out. <br />So, I got on the internet, credit card in hand, and proceeded to buy the boots. Just before I hit the "buy these boots now" button, I noticed a "get these boots cheaper" button! "Hmmm...let's have a look." The same store had these boots for WAY (60 bucks) cheaper! The catch? Same hand-made construction, same integrity and performance, just a small blemish somewhere on the boot. Maybe a slight color variation, a scuff on the heel...something that rendered the boots not quite perfect according to the company's very high standards. This distributor only gets these "seconds" on occassion, and they don't usually have much selection available...but they must have got a good shipment of them just recently because they had quite a few available, and they had the exact style(Blundstone 62's), color (Stout Brown), and size (you don't really want to know this) that I wanted. So, with shaking hands, I did it! I went for it! I ordered my boots, THE boots!<br />And here they are: THE boots. <br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TTCU4TRHYsI/AAAAAAAAAUI/R2lJyRc1Fdg/s1600/009.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TTCU4TRHYsI/AAAAAAAAAUI/R2lJyRc1Fdg/s400/009.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562109234768208578" /></a><br />I love them! They are perfect. I love how the pull tabs make it easier to pull them on. I love how they feel (so comfy) and how they look (plain and simple, but classic). And I even love that they are pre-blemished (the only thing I could find was a tiny, barely visible, superficial spot on the side of one of the boots). I have no fear of wearing them out to the barn to work in, or going riding in, because they might get a scuff or a mark (I mean, they were pretty expensive, even with the huge discount...but it was Christmas money, right?), which would have just KILLED me...IF they were perfect and I had paid full price. <br />Here's me in my boots. <br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TTCU35c-pvI/AAAAAAAAAUA/pzyCpkkKlpg/s1600/007.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TTCU35c-pvI/AAAAAAAAAUA/pzyCpkkKlpg/s400/007.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562109227838646002" /></a><br />One of the things I liked about the show was that the women looked real. They were all lovely women, but they weren't perfect. They had crooked teeth, messy hair, dirty faces, sloppy shirts. How women who work on farms and ranches really do look most of the time! How I look most of the time these days! <br />So, that's the story of my boots. I am already so blessed. These boots are the icing on the cake for me. I may not conquer the world in these boots...but they do make me feel like I've arrived!Brenda Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01047234403098883401noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747749945758748124.post-69886170833436780732011-01-05T12:49:00.000-08:002011-01-05T13:07:32.291-08:00Dogs On Ice<OBJECT class=BLOG_video_class id=BLOG_video-b6176011c0e6c6dd height=266 width=320 contentId="b6176011c0e6c6dd"></OBJECT> Milly and Sheba love playing on the ice. The little guy, "Jock" isn't too keen, though! He got out on it once and laid down. After that, he wouldn't get back on it for anything! <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TSTbhQuQnuI/AAAAAAAAAT4/pp0JP8rHVM0/s1600/017.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TSTbhQuQnuI/AAAAAAAAAT4/pp0JP8rHVM0/s400/017.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558809204553195234" /></a><br />Greg loves sliding around on the pond almost as much as the puppies do! <br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TSTbgC9mAOI/AAAAAAAAATg/q8NdAksguvk/s1600/018.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TSTbgC9mAOI/AAAAAAAAATg/q8NdAksguvk/s400/018.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558809183679545570" /></a>But I prefer to keep my feet on the ground!<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TSTbg-wY_QI/AAAAAAAAATw/HpxbRUHcZuM/s1600/024.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TSTbg-wY_QI/AAAAAAAAATw/HpxbRUHcZuM/s400/024.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558809199730294018" /></a> Jock's gonna stick with with me! Isn't he adorable? <br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TSTbggvG0FI/AAAAAAAAATo/Iky8jsBeIic/s1600/022.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TSTbggvG0FI/AAAAAAAAATo/Iky8jsBeIic/s400/022.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558809191671844946" /></a>Time to head back to the house. Such good doggies.Brenda Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01047234403098883401noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747749945758748124.post-15856190636360939542011-01-05T12:11:00.000-08:002011-01-05T12:40:47.994-08:00I Love This Land<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TSTRok4QkXI/AAAAAAAAATY/JH7lrXoz4A8/s1600/015.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TSTRok4QkXI/AAAAAAAAATY/JH7lrXoz4A8/s400/015.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558798335106650482" /></a>The large pond is completely iced over now. It looks like glass. Yesterday the sun was shining, and even though it was cold, it was a perfect day for hiking down around the pond and for taking pictures. Nothing makes me happier than being out on my land. <br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TSTRoIih89I/AAAAAAAAATQ/5vJpFjwnZl8/s1600/014.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TSTRoIih89I/AAAAAAAAATQ/5vJpFjwnZl8/s400/014.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558798327499322322" /></a>As you can see, there are still hay bales sitting all over the place. We have heard through the grapevine they are to be picked up this week, but we will see. Even though we'd like to be paid for the hay and get them out of here, I think they look kinda cool sitting around. But, we do need them gone, and there will be more next year!<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TSTRn4GLH6I/AAAAAAAAATI/TygtTur2YI4/s1600/013.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TSTRn4GLH6I/AAAAAAAAATI/TygtTur2YI4/s400/013.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558798323085418402" /></a>The bridge that spans the north end of the big pond is definately one of the neatest "extra" features on the place. It was so cool this past fall when some of the grandkids were standing on it with their little fishing poles dangling down in the water. Even Grandma (that's me) did a little jigging and caught a little bass! <br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TSTRnkUzGyI/AAAAAAAAATA/zu-T7kf8s8U/s1600/012.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TSTRnkUzGyI/AAAAAAAAATA/zu-T7kf8s8U/s400/012.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558798317778049826" /></a>I love hills! I knew when I saw this place it was exactly what I was looking for! I didn't really even care what the house was like...as long as it was liveable...it was all about the land for me! And guess what! Even the house has hills! Yes, the floors do roll a bit. In one of the bedrooms upstairs it's so bad you feel almost like you are walking in a fun house when you walk across the floor! LOL! But I don't care...that can all be fixed. The important thing is, I have my hills! <br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TSTRnPlPFEI/AAAAAAAAAS4/UQ2H9vJqcbI/s1600/001.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TSTRnPlPFEI/AAAAAAAAAS4/UQ2H9vJqcbI/s400/001.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558798312209847362" /></a> <br />And check out this gorgeous sunset! What a way to end a perfectly wonderful day.Brenda Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01047234403098883401noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747749945758748124.post-69091100208858516072010-12-23T19:32:00.001-08:002010-12-25T07:15:42.082-08:00Christmas Comes to Cavalli Run<A href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TRUYl4wnl1I/AAAAAAAAASw/CBxjSYf_hbg/s1600/017.JPG"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554372754601908050 style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TRUYl4wnl1I/AAAAAAAAASw/CBxjSYf_hbg/s400/017.JPG" border=0></A> <A href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TRUYW42G4WI/AAAAAAAAASg/kXIhQfBoIyQ/s1600/012.JPG"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554372496926892386 style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TRUYW42G4WI/AAAAAAAAASg/kXIhQfBoIyQ/s400/012.JPG" border=0></A> This is our first Christmas at our new farm. We saw this place just a few days shy of a year ago. It was completely covered with snow and it was BEAUTIFUL. I knew at that moment that this was the land I had been dreaming of for years. I have been hoping for a white Christmas this year. I wanted to see my beloved farm under snow on Christmas, just as I had first seen it. I was losing hope, but Christmas Eve morning we woke up and we already had a couple of inches. By noon we had about 5 inches or so. It is just breathtaking! And I feel so blessed. <A href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TRQU2MtUmdI/AAAAAAAAASQ/8Q9MahTUxz4/s1600/001.JPG"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554087161811474898 style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TRQU2MtUmdI/AAAAAAAAASQ/8Q9MahTUxz4/s400/001.JPG" border=0></A> Here's our Christmas tree. It's a bit of a Charlie Brown tree because we had to trim it down so much to fit it into the space! It may not be traditional, but we just dragged a cedar down from the back forty! We are happy with it because it came off our place and we have hung all our special ornaments on it that we'd collected from all over the world. It's the first time in years we've had those ornaments out of their box in storage, or even put up a tree for that matter. <A href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TRQU1itinII/AAAAAAAAASI/-vWauZRqA68/s1600/007.JPG"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554087150538103938 style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TRQU1itinII/AAAAAAAAASI/-vWauZRqA68/s400/007.JPG" border=0></A> Sheba has decided that under the Christmas tree is her new bed. The puppies have been really good about not bothering the ornaments, although Sheba did knock a couple off when she would stand up under there! No worries, I just moved those few up higher. I did do a lot of baking and candy making this year. That's also something I hadn't done much of for several years. I decided to write a song about it and have been posting daily phrases on facebook! I wrote the song as if Greg were writing it to me! It should be sung to the tune of "The 12 Days of Christmas". This is the posting from the last day, Christmas day. Greg's Christmas Song: On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love made for me, Lots of festive food, Joy's pecan pie, rustic apple pie, pastry for those pies, yummy apple butter, Peanut Butter Blossoms, pretzels with a kiss, CIN-NA-MON CAN-DY, A pound of chocolate fudge, Grandma's sugar cookies, some puppy chow, and a batch of party mix, you see! It sounds like a lot of treats, but, believe it or not, it isn't near as much as I used to make when the kids were at home. This will be our first year of having Christmas without a single one of our kids here. Since our first Christmas, that is. But even then I was already expecting our first baby! Since we won't have any kids to celebrate with this year, we went out and got a new puppy! He is a male Old English Sheepdog, and he is to be the mate to our two females. His name is "Signor Giacomo di Cavalli." We call him "Jock". He's adorable and the girls love him. Especially Milly. She is very motherly to him. Here is a video of Milly and Jock playing together. I want to wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas. May your homes and hearts be filled with all the love and joy they can hold. God bless you all and those you love in the new year.<br /><OBJECT class=BLOG_video_class id=BLOG_video-a7b377aff10171cc height=266 width=320 contentId="a7b377aff10171cc"></OBJECT>Brenda Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01047234403098883401noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747749945758748124.post-81791095763442324202010-12-11T04:23:00.000-08:002010-12-11T13:44:13.018-08:00Wool Works<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TQPsppJmdpI/AAAAAAAAAR8/ac2oTI_3MMo/s1600/018.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TQPsppJmdpI/AAAAAAAAAR8/ac2oTI_3MMo/s400/018.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549539366015497874" /></a><br /><br />I have been skirting fleeces lately. I was happily surprised at how clean the first one was. I really was expecting a lot more VM (vegetable matter)and BM (poo). But there was very little BM...almost none (I guess cleaning the sheep's sleeping areas nearly on a daily basis really pays off in the end), and except for a few clumps of throw-away where the burrs had got matted in, there wasn't a lot of VM either. Even some of the matted spots came out fairly easily. I found it better to pull the wool apart and out of the burrs than to try to pull the burrs out of the wool. If that makes sense. I love the feel and smell of the wool. It amazes me how much less lanolin there is in the Icelandic wool than there is in the wool of other breeds. <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TQPsosihHAI/AAAAAAAAARs/Y1rYWboQLWw/s1600/006.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TQPsosihHAI/AAAAAAAAARs/Y1rYWboQLWw/s400/006.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549539349745441794" /></a> <br /> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TQPsnqSuJ8I/AAAAAAAAARc/bjDQI_TUm28/s1600/002.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TQPsnqSuJ8I/AAAAAAAAARc/bjDQI_TUm28/s400/002.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549539331962447810" /></a>You can see that Zinnia's locks are about 8 inches long. Her whole fleece, after skirting but before washing, fills a king-sized pillow case!<br /><br />I am working on little Cookie's virgin fleece now. It is so soft, but has much more VM and BM than the five I had here had. Not huge amounts of BM but a lot of VM. I can only guess that she was being kept on hay for awhile before she was sent up to me. Her raw fleece looks like dredlocks! I love that crimp she has at the ends of her locks. <br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TQPsoAqztbI/AAAAAAAAARk/IuDus6NCqGY/s1600/009.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TQPsoAqztbI/AAAAAAAAARk/IuDus6NCqGY/s400/009.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549539337969055154" /></a><br /> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TQPspELmlKI/AAAAAAAAAR0/99I9PujwSjI/s1600/012.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TQPspELmlKI/AAAAAAAAAR0/99I9PujwSjI/s400/012.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549539356091782306" /></a><br />Even though she was just born in the spring, her locks are already 6 inches long. <br />Her fleece will fit in a much smaller pillow case, though!Brenda Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01047234403098883401noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747749945758748124.post-6572214622131099712010-11-20T15:00:00.001-08:002010-11-27T15:59:24.124-08:00Love Is In The Air!<A href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TPGYxs9UfeI/AAAAAAAAAQg/5j6pww2FXgI/s1600/001.JPG"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544380595919158754 style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TPGYxs9UfeI/AAAAAAAAAQg/5j6pww2FXgI/s400/001.JPG" border=0></A> It is breeding season for the sheep.Solomon has had quite a time of it! He has 5 ewes to take care of. The "love dance" is quite interesting to see! The most hysterical thing is when Solomon curls up his lip as if he has a big smile on his face! <A href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TPGYyBW0RQI/AAAAAAAAAQo/bBUQybYmPRc/s1600/005.JPG"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544380601394808066 style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TPGYyBW0RQI/AAAAAAAAAQo/bBUQybYmPRc/s400/005.JPG" border=0></A> We have seen Solomon with Ursula already...she was the first, soon after she arrived on the farm. We have seen him following little Cookie around, too, but not sure if she is ready yet. She is so small, I just have a hard time imagining that she can already be bred...but I'm told she can. <br />Today Solomon seemed to be VERY interested in Cocoa. This will be her first time to be bred. But, she was having nothing to do with it yet! I tried to get a video of the big guy doing his lip curl...but he wouldn't do it. Of course, I saw him doing it later, out in the far pasture where I couldn't get a shot of him. <br /><br /><OBJECT class=BLOG_video_class id=BLOG_video-7d13a11ce0cea8a2 height=266 width=320 contentId="7d13a11ce0cea8a2"></OBJECT>Brenda Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01047234403098883401noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747749945758748124.post-18742553980847887932010-11-18T11:40:00.000-08:002010-11-20T14:59:20.270-08:00Baby Layers, Hair Nests, and Hay Feeders.<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TOhSeXU2stI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/piIt94L-Nyc/s1600/002.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TOhSeXU2stI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/piIt94L-Nyc/s400/002.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541770023090434770" /></a><br />The mail-order layer chicks we got while the kids were here from Germany are growing like weeds. They are now out in the hen house, in a big dog kennel that Greg modified for them. He has it mounted on top of the layer boxes. One of the wheaten-colored Marans keeps laying her eggs on top of it!<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TOhSe25SbsI/AAAAAAAAAQY/7ObYH9o28NI/s1600/039.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TOhSe25SbsI/AAAAAAAAAQY/7ObYH9o28NI/s400/039.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541770031564746434" /></a><br /><br /> <br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TOhPR1V9xpI/AAAAAAAAAQI/cur5UTglXhc/s1600/004.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TOhPR1V9xpI/AAAAAAAAAQI/cur5UTglXhc/s400/004.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541766509274973842" /></a><br />I have found the coolest little bird's nests around the horse corral. They are made out of horse hair! I can see Skipper's hair and Gabby's hair all mixed up in them. They were both just laying out there on the ground, in two different spots. I stuck them in a baggie and put them in the freezer for a couple weeks to kill any bugs. I'm going to add them to the dried-flower arrangements I made from the field flowers I have collected around the property.<br /> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TOhORmaHTUI/AAAAAAAAAPg/bs42voV3D-s/s1600/049.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TOhORmaHTUI/AAAAAAAAAPg/bs42voV3D-s/s400/049.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541765405754215746" /></a><br />Greg has been getting things ready for the horses' and sheep's winter maintenance. He added field fencing to the twisted wire horse fencing that was already there, out around the pasture behind the red barn so that the sheep will have some free-range grazing over winter (these sheep will forage under the snow for any bit of grass they can find). He has also pulled out the old wooden feeding troughs and fitted cattle panels to the stall walls, at an angle, to function as hay feeders. I think it is ingenious of him to come up with this system.<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TOhOS88XcoI/AAAAAAAAAPw/jFckwISuYGI/s1600/043.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TOhOS88XcoI/AAAAAAAAAPw/jFckwISuYGI/s400/043.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541765428983329410" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TOhOSPoMAZI/AAAAAAAAAPo/ZCNlTxaO-lY/s1600/045.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TOhOSPoMAZI/AAAAAAAAAPo/ZCNlTxaO-lY/s400/045.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541765416819098002" /></a><br />The old ones he took down were made of really nice, sturdy oak which he plans to build some furniure out of in the future.<br /><br />Here is some he piled up in the horse barn for feeding to the equines. <br /> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TOhOTQjQ16I/AAAAAAAAAP4/s7sCMom5MOw/s1600/046.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TOhOTQjQ16I/AAAAAAAAAP4/s7sCMom5MOw/s400/046.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541765434246748066" /></a><br /><br />Our little farm is really coming together.Brenda Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01047234403098883401noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747749945758748124.post-58281722846828103942010-11-03T08:54:00.000-07:002010-11-03T09:02:28.393-07:00Third Time's a Charm!Well, we did it! Today Skipper and I accomplished "Join-Up"! It was not as beautiful and smooth as when Monty Roberts does it, but it was wonderful! Greg got some video of me "sending her away", but, unfortunately, he did not get any shots of the actual join-up and follow through. Maybe tomorrow.<br /><OBJECT class=BLOG_video_class id=BLOG_video-e9a073be471734a4 height=266 width=320 contentId="e9a073be471734a4"></OBJECT>Brenda Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01047234403098883401noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747749945758748124.post-73303832984089385172010-11-02T10:03:00.001-07:002010-11-02T13:00:16.120-07:00A Sad Day and a Happy Day<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TNBMpeVNSsI/AAAAAAAAAPI/Upb4ixQAKHs/s1600/018.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TNBMpeVNSsI/AAAAAAAAAPI/Upb4ixQAKHs/s400/018.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535008217438702274" /></a><br />Yesterday morning we lost our sweet little badger-faced yearling ewe, Zinnia. She is the one on the right. She had always been a little Houdidni, and had even led the others astray a few times. She loved to get on the other side of the fence, but once there, she never would go off anywhere. She was just happy to be on the other side.<br />Greg had let the sheep out into the small paddock just before daylight, as he always does. Then he went out a little bit later to take a walk around with the puppies to see if he could see any trace of our three missing birds (more about this later). He came in a few minutes later and said, "I think Zinnia is dead." I ran out (in my pj's) to check her out, and sure enough, she was dead. It seems she had got her head between the fence rails, then got her horns caught, and in the struggle to get out, she got herself wedged into a tight spot and strangled herself. She was wedged in so tightly that Greg had to get a crow bar and break the boards to get her out. She was still warm, so he tried to revive her, but it was too late. <br />We were both so sad. She was such a pretty little thing. I had wondered several times, though, if we would have to do something with her if she kept getting out. I worried a coyote would get her, or she'd get out into the road and get hit by the one car that goes by here each day. The worst thing was her getting the others to follow. But Greg had fixed all the places she was getting out, and it had been a long time since she'd escaped. It never occured to me she'd strangle herself. <br />This is definately a "low" point in farm life. <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TNBKQPvQ1vI/AAAAAAAAAOg/2R00I5I3I2k/s1600/163.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TNBKQPvQ1vI/AAAAAAAAAOg/2R00I5I3I2k/s400/163.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535005585001469682" /></a><br />But on the brighter side, today was a very good day. I finally was able to get back out into the round pen and work with Skipper again. She did so much better this time. She did her full five loops one way, turned and did 5 more in the other direction, turned again and did a few in the original direction. I slowed her down and got all the signals: licking and chewing, ear turned toward me, dropping of the head then attempt to come in closer to me.<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TNBKQ04Lo0I/AAAAAAAAAOo/Ok_HYKni_fc/s1600/164.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TNBKQ04Lo0I/AAAAAAAAAOo/Ok_HYKni_fc/s400/164.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535005594970989378" /></a><br /><br />The only thing we didn't accomplish was the actual "Join Up" and follow through. But that's okay...it will come. One thing that is a problem is the fact that I do not yet have sand in the round pen, and Skipper is a hog...all she wants to do is eat grass...so she loses her concentration on me. I guess she thinks she deserves a reward after being made to do all that running around in circles! <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TNBKRGbOFxI/AAAAAAAAAOw/rlDgH2vEKdk/s1600/165.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TNBKRGbOFxI/AAAAAAAAAOw/rlDgH2vEKdk/s400/165.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535005599681353490" /></a><br /><br />I do have to confess that today I used my new whip in order to get Skipper to be more compliant. I never once hit her with it, just showed it to her and used it as an extension of my arm. I am not as good at using the rope to keep her going as some I've seen. But I was a master with the whip! I will have Greg take some video of our work tomorrow. <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TNBLcXclwbI/AAAAAAAAAPA/DHqoosxS3sI/s1600/166.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TNBLcXclwbI/AAAAAAAAAPA/DHqoosxS3sI/s400/166.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535006892740690354" /></a><br />After I finished with Skipper and she got a good brushing, I took the puppies, one at a time, into the round pen for a little training, too. Milly was first and she did okay, but she needs a lot of work yet. She is not very attentive. I hadn't worked with them for a few weeks as I was so busy with the kids here, and it was like she had forgotten everything she'd ever learned. She finally started following commands, once she realized there were yummy bits of steak involved! Today we started work on "fetch". She was happy to chase after the ball, but never would bring it back. <br />Sheba was next, and she was a champ! She sat watching While I was working with Milly and she seemed to have figured out just what she was supposed to do. I have never tossed a ball and had her fetch it before, but she did it the first try! She brought it back every time. A couple of times she dropped the ball before she got to me, but most times she broght it all the way back. She definately got the idea! I think she is going to be a great little herding dog. <br />A few days ago, one of our wheaten Marans went missing. Then, the day after, a guinea and a banty went missing. Well, yesterday, the guinea and the banty showed up, but still no Maran. So, today, Greg went up into the barn loft to look around, and guess who had made a nest! He called me up there, so I climbed the ladder to see. We shooed her off her nest, and that little stinker had a dozen lovely brown eggs under her! We will see if she goes back to the nest. If she does, we'll let her sit on them...but we only have a Banty Rooster, so we're not sure what's gonna come out...if anything does actually hatch out. <br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TNBKPoiEaII/AAAAAAAAAOY/aIfqgTKrIBo/s1600/117.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3gFSRKnxSHM/TNBKPoiEaII/AAAAAAAAAOY/aIfqgTKrIBo/s400/117.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535005574477146242" /></a><br />We are just so relieved that nothing has been eating our birds. We were sure some critter had found itself a Smorgasbord!Brenda Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01047234403098883401noreply@blogger.com7