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Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Do as I say - not as I do.

In amongst all the trials and tribulations I experienced over this weekend, I managed to clean the house, wash all the waterers, and bake dog treats.  None of which were on my to-do list.  Sigh.  I have decided to write a book, and its working title is, "Do as I Say! (Not as I Do)".  It will have chapters such as, "Don't Overdo the Ducks", "Don't Raise Livestock Unless You Want to Give Up Your Life", "Be Sure to Make Room for You Time".

This was one of those weekends where all I wanted to do was to hit the rewind button - or step into the Wayback Machine (Professor Peabody, anyone?).  Since none of those options were available to me, it was Pull Up the BGPs and Full Steam Ahead. 

The roof is finished.  Except for one vent cap that went missing, it is screwed on tight and looks marvelous.  The roofer returned last night with the errant cap and to get his money.  The dogs and I survived, although the cats are still jumpy.  The Pepperoni managed to slip out numerous times so that he could waylay the roofers at every turn and pop up like a meerkat.  They were very nice about Mr. Nuisance.  I'd be looking out and I'd see one of the guys stop, put down his tools and bend down to the ground.  After the third escape, I put him in his crate under house arrest.

On Friday, as I cooked and cleaned like a fiend for the Girlz (more about this in a separate post), popping outside occasionally to do a chore or two, I discovered that Juno was getting edema again. She and I have been battling parasites since early spring - she's older and does not have a lot of resistance under the best circumstances.  Saturday morning she was down - but bright-eyed and with an appetite.  As things stand now, she is still bright-eyed, eating everything but not able to stand.  I had been moving her legs and trying to get her up every few hours, but now, stuck in my damn office, I cannot do anything but worry and think about it.  I am afraid that she will not be able to stand again if she goes on like this much longer, and then yet another tough decision must be made.

Over this weekend Hopalong, the lame duck, lost the good fight.  She was a tough little thing, but she was too lame to sustain herself and got weaker and weaker.  I had to help her along to her next big life.  It's a tough way to downsize.

Saturday and Sunday nights the temperatures plummeted to the freezing/frost point and I had a mad scramble to get the avocado and lemon trees inside, and then did a sweep through the basil.  Other than a cover on the geraniums, everything else was on its own.  Next weekend is plant-the-garlic-and-shallots time, and yoink the tomato plants.  The kale is amazing this year - thank goodness for that.

Aromatic Bouquet in a Bucket
 
There goes my dining room.
I am trying not to bake for the sake of baking - I am a baking fool.  I LOVE to bake.  However, I am a family of one human and nothing I bake is a single serving.  I think I have found the solution.  I may also have three dirigibles on legs in the house.

Dog Bicuits
Note here - Am I the last person on Earth to realize that you can make little treat blobs and not spend hours rolling out and cutting individual little neat, square treats?  Save me from myself!




 

6 comments:

Tammy said...

Hi--I recently discovered your blog and have been reading and enjoying it since. Not sure this will help your sick sheep--but it's been a literal lifesaver for mine. Here is the recipe: Rumen/Bloat Remedy.....from Linda Doane

1 qt. warm water
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup Karo syrup
1/2 cup corn oil
1 raw egg
1/2 cup yogurt (or more)
It's been around for years in the Shetland Sheep world. You don't have to add quite as much corn oil, since she doesn't have bloat, but give orally 2-3 ounces several times a day. It helps restore gut movement and for some reason really helps get them up and about if that is possible--it's brought several of mine back into commission when I thought all was lost--and they seem to like it too. Also you can give them CMPK (labeled for cattle oral paste) that can help correct mineral imbalances. Anyway, I just felt like I should pass this along as someone did for me years ago. I hope your little girl makes it, but I know sometimes it just isn't to be so, no matter how hard we try. Tammy

Mama Pea said...

Someone needs to write a realistic homesteading book and I think you'd be a good one for the task. With your great sense of humor thrown in, it would definitely be a success!

Debra She Who Seeks said...

Someone's going to have a household of happy puppies!

Susan said...

Mama Pea - I will write it during my winter downtime...snort.

Susan said...

Debra - They are fat and happy! Much like their human.

Gail said...

Sounds like a very successful week to me. You should pat yourself on the back, give yourself an atta girl and take at least five minutes just for you.