Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Some Are Good And Some Are Bad

It's so funny, I have been trying real hard for the past couple of months not to write any negative posts or even think that way as far as that goes. I guess it was one of my new years unwritten resolutions.
I am still going to uphold that and after I am done saying what is wrong in this post, I will say something good to off set the bad.
Okay, here we go.

This has been one of those tough weeks where you almost want to throw your hands up and call uncle. Each thing that went wrong was not enough to push me over the edge, but added all together it makes a good run for it.


I had two good friends decide they were not going to blog anymore this week. I fully understand and thought about it myself on many occasions but I seem to keep coming back. I will will miss reading their blogs and hope they find what they are looking for and get the time to do some of the things they have been wanting to do.


The well broke again and I cannot find a well company willing to come out and fix it. I Jerry rigged the thing to at least work for a while but I know it will not last. Maybe with all this rain the well companies will get hungry enough to do the work I need.

Next, Wee's prize winning Red Satin Buck had to be put down. Something got in the Rabbit barn the other night and tried to pull it through the cage and broke it's little back. I had to put him out of his misery. It was sad to loose the money the buck cost and would have made us but it was even sadder to loose a loved animal that way.

I got the yard mowed Sunday and when finished decided to go grocery shopping. I forgot and left the gate to the gardens open and upon my return, all the chickens decided it was a buffet. All the lettuce, beans, carrots, kale, cabbage and a few other things were eaten to the nub. With the heat coming on I don't have the time to grow those veggies back. Total loss.

Friday one of our best nanny goats had triplets, two boys and a girl. We were afraid she would reject one so we pinned her up so the babies would stay close and at least get that special first milk. We fed and watered the momma and left her alone. The problem was we fed her too much and she either twisted a gut, floundered or bloated and died. It was a rookie mistake we should not have done. Our human intervention was the only cause I can think of. She was a perfect healthy goat and we screwed it up. So now I am bottle feeding three baby goats.    

That's the negative stuff, now on to the positive so I can balance this out and keep my word to myself.

I will always keep the friendship I gained with the ex-bloggers. I am very lucky I found them. They are family now.

I really don't have anything to say good about the well problem but I am sure it will work it's self out, maybe.

With the rabbit episode happening, now I have the motive to thin the stray cat population down.

The garden thing was really bad, but with the spring like temps I think I will go ahead and get my tomatoes and peppers in the ground being now I have room.

Nothing good about the nanny goat dying, it was all my fault. I posted a Craig's list add for the two boys and I am sitting here waiting on the people who are buying them. I was able to sell them quick before too much money was lost. There they are, BRB

The nice people just left and took the two boy goats with them. It turns out they are like minded and I give them a tour of the Mini Farm. It is always nice to meet other preppers/homesteaders because we have a lot in common and it makes for great conversation.
So see there, something good did come from it, new friends.    

15 comments:

  1. Here's hoping this week turns out better for you!

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  2. See, the positive thinking is really working out. lol. But seriously, I hate to hear about farm losses like that.

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    1. Oh yea, SFG it is really helping. Shoot, the only thing that is any better is my blood pressure and that ain't much.

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  3. So sorry about the loss of your goat. Animal losses really get to me especially when I feel it's my fault or I am at a loss as to what to do about it. Chances are it wasn't your fault though and she had toxemia or one of many other things that happen during kidding.

    Bummer about the garden but like you said get a jump on the hot weather stuff.

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    1. You are probably right sista but it is funner to beat myself up about it.
      Peppers will be going in this weekend and maybe even tomatoes. If we do have one more frost then I have a mountain of milk jugs I can cut the bottom out of and put over the plants.

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  4. Sorry to hear you had such a rough week. It's so hard to lose animals. Praying you can get the well situation resolved.

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    1. You have much more important things to be praying about than my stupid luck Stephanie. Your family is still on our list.

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  5. My balloon is like a led zeppelin mmasse. The good thing is I can use it as a weight.

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  6. Okay-we had problems with feral cats-so I implemented a cat roundup---don't laugh, it worked with a bit of patience, because I was fed up with missing chicks etc,

    http://doublenickelfarm.blogspot.com/2010/01/cat-roundup.html

    As with having a farm-things happen out of our control, I understand as we are bottle feeding a few kids-that momma rejected. Don't know why, but this is life. I am sorry about the loss of the prize buck-but maybe the roundup will help-either by making you laugh at the image of us doing this...or by an idea you can use!

    Take care

    Jennifer

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    1. I read it Jennifer, it was good. I am kinda doing the same thing but with one at a time.
      I caught one last night and have not figured out how to get him out of the cage safely yet. I have had my butt kicked a couple times from cats and do not want to relive it.

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    2. I caught 8 feral cats one year. Animal Control took my trap, and I retrieved it when the cat was gone. Then, I caught about 6 raccoons another year that killed a hen and tore into my house, landing right beside me...scary stuff. Why don't you dispatch the cat first and then dump it out? It i safer for you.

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    3. PP - I have a humane relocation spot for these cats and take them there. If I take and dump them then they become another persons problem just like mine and I don't want to do that. I take them to a remote barn location that is full of mice and they have water close by.
      Yes, I would say a raccoon landing beside me would have been something else.
      Thanks for stopping by.

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  7. So sorry to hear of such a tough week. So sad for rabbit and mama goat. It's a hard thing, but probably more normal when trying to 'live off the grid' than people who live in the city and expect everything to go 'just so'. That's too bad about your chicken's fault/crop loss. Hope you get some really good eggs (or meat) out of the ordeal. I almost put out lettuce this week to start - now we have snow on the ground. Lol At least I can still have mine - maybe later. Can you use a 'greenhouse' or cold frame to try the lettuce's again? Good luck with whatever you decide.

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    1. Those eggs should be real good mamamcmann. I am sure the lettuce will grow back and we can get some before it decides to start tasting bad but it is too late for the beans and cabbage. Even the carrots have already started to grow back so maybe there is hope yet.
      We have decided to go ahead and replace the beans and cabbage by planting two beds in peppers and one in tomatoes. By the time it gets hot then the lettuce, kale and a couple of more things will be done freeing up more beds for more tomatoes and okra.
      Thank you for stopping by.

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