Happy Birthday Yoda!

Today is Yoda's 2 year birthday. We thought we should celebrate... (no, we didn't feed him a chocolate cup cake) so "we" ate his cup cakes! Haha

I just want the paper, thanks!

Lucy Lu Lu

Poor Lucy is getting close and bigger. She's bleating for me and then being stand offish. Her big belly rolls with babies and then she looks at me like, "Help!"

Time...

2 weeks folks!

All work, no play makes back sore

(go straight to adorable goat pics, scroll down)

It was one of those non-stop days. 
7am start
1) Do morning chores, including cleaning the goat pen.
2) Sand and paint 2nd layer of varnish on the door.
3) Put the alley gate back up so the goaties can get some sun in the morning and not run around the front yard.
4) collect all 40 blocks from behind the storage container and place on footer poured last night.
5) place and pour concrete on the blocks... run out of concrete... more foundation delays.
6) Take fun pictures of goats.
7) Set up the laundry line between chicken house and wood shed, because the sun is shining. 
8) Get two loads of laundry done in antiquated machine hooked up to the hose in the barn... ya!
9) Hang laundry, do dishes and vacuum hay and sheet rock dust off the floor. 
10) Feed dog and cat
11) Settle down with some tea
7pm finish

Foundation almost done

The kids approve

Lucy only ventures this far anymore, doesn't want to get too far from the barn

Getting big

The following is a series of cute photos of Huckleberry and Banjo:

Huckleberry

Bros in the sun

Banjo says "Move over!" Huck say "Go away!"

Banjo laughs, "Hahaha, I win!"

A little bit of everything

Cleaned my alley up so I could get the little tractor through to get barn back fill. So happy to have a open alley. Now, to retrain the dog to poo in the woods. Can't wait till the grass starts growing and repair our construction damage.

Prepping for tomorrow, hoping to get the concrete in.

Stop to watch the critters. Lucy and Mamma are on their way to being BFF's.

Mamma likes to give Lucy baths.

Bandit is taking his turn giving Lucy a bath. Don't ask me why Lucy likes to get cow bath's but she does.

Goofy chicken visiting Yoda. 

Kiki says, "Snore"!

Mesa too... hmmm? NAP!!! Then back to drywall.

Off Farm Friday Today

Today we worked on trial learning new step technique for steep areas. Got some ideas for the "back 40"  that the goats will love.

Dog and Cat Arrangement

This ritual happens EVERY morning and evening at meal time. This morning I thought I'd share.

Waiting in line for Kiki's leftovers

Kiki satiated and giving Mesa the "all clear" signal (if Kiki is not okay with Mesa eating her food, she sits on the bench until she is okay with it and Mesa waits)

Yup, EVERY meal time!

Too bad we have to paint it!

Tomorrow we sheet rock.

Base layer for goat barn (see my helper)

Soon, girls on left, boys on right, and open alley to the back 40

Yoda healing

Lucy's round belly and cute little bag! hee hee

You call that a bag? Hahaha
Hey, just sneak me some alfalfa pellets, I won't tell the man with the beard.

Developments

Hang in there, Folks! We are working hard and going to bed tired these days. The house is done on the outside, the goat barn is back on the menu (cranky wife perseverance) , the alley between "boys" and "girl" goats is up and needs a gate, Yoda is getting feisty, so he must be feeling better, the steers are frisky, which I assume means spring is on its way, Lucy has a bag and I can see the little one/s kick from the outside now and.... the chickens are laying in mass again (anyone need eggs?)... oh , and Willie is adding to the collection again (she is our BCM).

I can tell I'm getting old, my poor body aches after 5 hours of manual labor. I felt like the poor old wheel barrow today, "just hold on a little bit longer, we're almost there." Good thing I have the goats to pet and snuggle once in a while for a break. They are too darn cute!

Also, my baby is talking job and apartment after graduation in June. Sigh! Nuf said!

Tomorrow, I promise to post only pictures.

Mooooo

Cow suntan

Moooo

Freaky Friday

Poor Yoda is healing from his horn removal and today was his one week check up. Took him in and doc gave him an A+ for clean bandage and one more week before total bandage removal. Pleased as punch, I drove home and  put Yoda in with the chickens so I could clean his pen. Almost done with his pen, I hear the boys and Lucy hollering about something (they are in a separate pen to prevent head butting) so I go look and find Yoda in the brooder house with his bandage tore off, his wound exposed and in a lot of pain (no Yoda pics, it was icky). Here is a picture of the brooder house and chicken pen so you can see the relation;

Chicken pen to the left and brooder pen to the right. It's covered to protect little chicks from birds of prey. When no chickens are broody we leave the gate open as you see in this photo. We closed and locked it about a week ago so the grass would repair before we received our meat birds and turkeys in April. 

Yoda jumped the four foot fence and fell through the netting. I'm guessing this is what pulled his bandage off. 

Stop all work for the day, drive Yoda back to the vet and get him patched up. Drive home, leave him in the back of the pick-up, finish cleaning his pen, put him in his pen, give him NSAIDS and get back to work on the house.

Yoda is doing fine and resting. I couldn't figure out for the longest time how he got in the brooder pen because the gate was closed and secure. I was sure he used his Jedi powers but then I followed the eveidence.

Anyway, back to the house, roof and remodel. We managed to get enough of the roof done so we could hook up the wood stove. Its very nice!

The new door is covered because it doesn't seal yet or have a lock/door handle. 

All in all, a very exciting day and looking forward to tomorrow!

Kiki

Yes, there's a cat in this photo!

Laundry day! Not that I want to air my dirty laundry to the world (not that I am worried about anyone seeing my socks) just thought it was funny that my mean kitty is feeling so spry.

See her now?

Things are a little cramped in the house while we fix the wall. We are pretty much squeezed in the kitchen, hopefully, next week we can spread out again.

Exercising The Camera

Mamma and Kuma

 Notice the netting on the left, that's cause the little stinkers learned to jump off that rock into the cow pen.

 This chicken likes the cow hay box to lay in. She also lays really pretty brown eggs. (prettier than normal)

Getting there little by little

If it quits raining we can put on the roof and have the wood stove back.

The day Yoda came to live with us, 12-16-2012.

His horn scur grew from the previous year he came to visit for 3 weeks.

No Scur in January 2012

Yoda, January 30th, 2013

His scur grew that much in a month and a half (first photo and this one). I tried to saw it off but our wire saw wasn't the right kind. I was too concerned and worried about it being so close to his eye I took him to the vet. Doc said he would have to remove it completely. 

Yoda resting 4 days after his surgery (this morning).

Yoda is doing great and will be back with the crew next week. No more scur. Lucy is in the background checking us out. I put Lucy and the boys on the other side so they don't butt him. they can still lay next to Yoda and keep him company through the door.

Voices In My Head

Today there are no pictures, this is blaspheme for me.  I've been distracted by life and feeling like words need to create the photograph. If I were a real goat whisperer this is what I would have heard.

Yoda:
"Good morning mamma! My head hurts, thanks for the coffee! You don't have to worry so much about me, I'll be fine as long as you scratch and rub me and talk to me."

Lucy:
"Hey, What are you doing in there? Why are we on this side? Are we going for a walk or what? I love the sound of my own holler. I wonder how loud I can yell? AAAAAAA! Whoa, that's loud, cool!"

Banjo:
"I am so cute and you know it, scratch my cuteness! Ya, that's it! Hey, look at that, the mineral feeder comes off, haha! Do it again that was fun! Dang, this new stuff is soooo guhd! What is Stinky Boy doing on that side and what is that on his head? Hey, that chicken is loud, annoying and pooped and egg in my hay box again!"

Huckleberry:
"My brother is such a drama queen, I should head butt him for spite. Mamma, if it's no bother could you scratch behind my ear, don't put yourself out though. Hey, Lucy, whats cooking, you gotta bun in your oven? Wanna play or something. Whats up with us getting the small side? Did you see that freak chicken?"

Chicken:
I am not your peer, I am your superior! Hear me cluck and back up outta my grill! I will peck you!"

Mamma Cow:
Hey.... hey.... hey... hay... hay... hay.... hay...

Mesa:
"It's time to go feed, whoo hoo! I love jobs! I'm the boss of you, Goat! Get thee behind me! Is it time to eat? Oh, God, I hear gun fire.... I hate the weekends. Why do they have to go bang bang? Hey, Cat, wanna play? Fine, your worse than a librarian. Mamma! Mamma! Love me! Ya, that's good. Oh, gotta scratch it!"

Kiki:
Got any food? No, really, I want more food. Why do you hide the cookies?"

The Man With The Beard:
"I love you, Honey!"

"Man Friday"

Today was a "Man Friday", a male personal assistant or servant, especially one who is particularly competent or loyal.

Clean up is what I see.

 The men on the roof tearing down the old so there is room for the new.

Aaron and roof dust

Man with the beard

However, Yoda wins the "Man Friday" award today.

Yoda, the "Man Friday" of the day.

Yoda started the day today like this... and he finished the day like this minus his horns. Yoda was disbudded as a kid but, at two years old his scur has curled around and is putting pressure on the back of his eye. He's such a great, competent and loyal goat he deserves the "Man Friday" award. He pulled through today like a champ. I will keep a close eye on him over the next 48 hours.