A Long Day

Today has been the longest and busiest Monday we've had in awhile. Between farm stuff, theatre drama, Friends of the Night Sky business, and more, both of us are exhausted. This month is going to fly by, but it's going to be fun. 

The play is going well, all the animals are doing well, and I finally got some answers about the school next door for the night sky. It's not good news, there's nothing that can actually be done to be more night sky compliant while following state rules for security, but at least now we know. It gives the answer needed for the Friends of the Night Sky, and as for us personally, we'll just plant some trees that we were planning to do anyway. 

Tomorrow is another day, but hopefully a little less hectic. Who said country living was a quiet life?

What's A Month

Rob and I used this weekend to finally get back to what we've done before: month long cooking! We do a dozen freezable recipes, get them all prepped and pre-cooked and stick them in the freezer. It's a lot of work for a weekend, but then the rewards are so worth it!

First, there's the cost. We're spending $5.62 per meal and every meal has got meat and veggies. Second, there's the health aspect. Our closest town is considered a food swamp (a place completely overrun by fast food restaurants) that our health has deteriorated with larger waist lines and less energy. Third, there's the time we're saving. By doing it all at once, dinner is already planned and all we have to do is heat it up. Rob and I lead busy lives, time is a commodity for us. As a bonus, most of the recipes are for families of four, so Rob and I usually have lunch taken care of the next day. 

This is just the start for us. Our plans are to eventually have a freezer full of processed pig and cow (not our cows) to save even more money. Don't worry, I'll find a way to spend it on something!

By Appointment Only

So one of the ways I've socialized my cows and donkeys, is to have them enjoy being brushed. Considering I've got seven cows and three donkeys, brushing becomes a pretty constant job. During this time of year, they all need as well as want it. Their winter coat starts growing in and out makes them itchy. 

Anyway, today I was brushing Flora. She's my diva and always wants to look her best. Well apparently, she had booked an all day appointment with me, because she wouldn't let anyone else get brushed. This mild mannered cow kept pushing off anyone who tried to get between me and her. It was sweet, but those others did need some brushing, too!

I guess I'll capitalize on the cooler weather tomorrow and try to get more appointments with others. Yes Brogan, I agree you should be next. 

Free for All

Want to cause havoc? Get all the animals in the barn before a supposed storm. Also have chicken feed out. Yeah, that's fun. 

Nutty is in rut and he's worse than ever. Patches has claimed the chicken feed as hers and this displeases Ciarán. We've got all the goats in various stalls, so the donkeys and cows are squaring off. Keep in mind, the gates to the barn are open, the cows and donkeys can go in and out. The storm isn't close yet and might not even get here. But there's the chicken feed. I swear, it's just chicken feed guys, leave it for the birds!

I tried on a straight jacket that one of our actors will be wearing. It was cozy 

Scorpions

Here it is October, and we're still seeing scorpions. They don't like it when it gets below 75, so we make sure our house stays below that. The outside though? Well we can't help that. 

We are supposed to get a rainy cool front, so maybe that will drive them away. We desperately need the rain and I think we deserve cooler temps, too. 

We're awaiting Sugar to drop her kids any day now. Her belly has dropped, so I know she's close. That's about the only clue I've got though. 

This dude was outside the Mexican restaurant in San Angelo. I thought y'all would enjoy

Forrest Gump of Burrs

I never realized how many type of burr making plants there were until we got Teddy. He is a pro at finding all of them and getting all those burrs in his fur. I don't know their individual names, but I know their level of intensity. 

There's what I call the dandelion burr. This burr is one great clump that once it makes contact, it explodes into dozens of individual pokeys. Not at all painful usually, but such a nightmare to deal with. Then there are the beggars lice or whatever people call them. Incredibly tiny little things that stick to everything. They are the glitter of the burr world. They're everywhere and can cause a little discomfort against the skin. 

Lastly, the sticker burr. These are the Legos of Texas. These things look like the jacks kids used to play with a ball, but they're not made of metal. No, these are made with the tiniest slivers of the sharpest wood forged under the Texas molten sun. These are incredibly painful and yet only stay on Teddy just long enough to be dropped off on a couch seat, in an about to be worn shoe, or anywhere that would ensure the most pain. 

Caramel, our tiniest goat, loves climbing to new heights

Anytime is Mealtime

One of the biggest differences between domestic animals and livestock is the feeding. The cats and dogs are like clockwork. They have an internal clock and they know when it's feeding time, regardless of if we're in daylight savings or not. 

The livestock though, they get fed sometime in the evenings. It could be late because of the play rehearsal or early because we have to go to a concert. Either way, they get fed. Either way, Ciarán is starving and will bull rush her way to all the food troughs and all the others know to stay out of her way. 

When we first got Ciarán, she was pregnant and nursing Coorie. We expected her to be on the hungry side. Now that she's not pregnant and no longer nursing Callie, we've just decided she must be part pig. We separated the troughs far apart tonight, and she ran so fast to check them both out. I wish I had gotten it on camera!