Guinness getting his first bath.
I've been working hard this week on projects. Most of my immediate projects are focused on the cold weather coming. Because it's going to be here before I know it! Last night was an annual bath for the goats and a thorough pen cleaning. Being gone and having friends do chores for us, two things happen. First, the goats are inside (not in the pasture) and that makes more waste on the floor for me to clean up, in comparison to when we're home. Secondly, our fantastic friends (I mean it. All who help us are amazing!!) that take care of our animals while we are away, do not clean barns. Not that I would ever expect them to, but it means when we are gone weekend after weekend... it just piles higher. Ugh.
Cleaning the barn.
Pepsi and I at bath time.
The big project this weekend, if we can avoid the rain, is the chicken coop. I would be ecstatic if Mike and I could get the remaining construction done so that I can get it painted, all the goodies installed and the chicken run up in the next week or so. I am going to need several weeks to get the small red barn cleaned out from the chickens and ready for the goats to live in again. I cannot wait to get some of these things done. It will make life for us, the goats and the chickens so much better!
09/12/09 Bonfire picture from Nick's surprise birthday party in North Ridgeville, OH.
But, we have as always been doing lots of exciting things and maybe that is why I can't muster some exciting heading. I've already used up so much excitement in doing. Last weekend was a treat for both Mike and I. He was gone golfing and I did a great many things with friends. Then we got to spend time together on Sunday. I had a super fun slumber party with Denise after my all night kitchen bonanza on Wednesday. We stayed up until 2 something and talked and talked and talked. What about? I have no idea. We just hadn't seen each other in such a long time and we had lots of stories for each other. Friday, I got some drinks and did birthday shopping with Stephenie after work and then I drove to Chris & Nicolette's for a bonfire. It was a nice night. Saturday morning I slept in, went to the farmers market, went to a Pampered Chef party, visited Mom at the winery, went shopping with Suzzy and then out for dinner and drinks with Suzzy and Lexie. Quite the day! Maybe that's why most of Sunday Mike and I just vegged out together. We did go to Suzzy & Scott's Sunday afternoon for birthday celebrations of Samone and Lisa. But, otherwise we hung out watching movies and random TV on our very comfortable sofa. On a the birthday topic, Lisa's favorite American food, just like Felipe, is cookies. So, Mike made cookies for part of her birthday present. Seriously, they were the most delicious chocolate chip cookies he has ever made.
***Little known fact. Around our house, I am not the pastry chef. I may be the head chef and even the bread baker, but I do not have the propensity for the baking of sweet things. I very much like to eat them, but they take a real concentration, commitment and some exact measurements to make... and these things are not virtues I posses, currently. (I kinda like to fly by the seat of my pants, whilst in the kitchen.) So, Mike is the official pastry chef around our house and he can make a killer cookie!*****
Last night I got a good deal done around the house and I am planning on more of the same this evening. I made an area in the barn for the storage of car cleaning items and I removed the two months worth of bug guts from my now shiny new car. I need to get some wax and a few other things to help me maintain the Forester, but I'm happy with the progress I made last night! I also have plans to get some yard work done before the frosts come and that means I need to get my rear in gear. There are a couple of trees I'd like to plant and a couple of planters I'd like to build. We shall see what I can achieve in the coming weeks.
Cleansing seems to come in so many different ways. One of my favorite forms and it seems to be one of my most rewarding tasks is redecorating and cleaning. I got on a terror-streak last night. Mike went golfing with Charlie and came home to find the house literally tore apart. Heh. You should have seen the look of confusion on his face.
I had pictures down, paint out, curtains and blinds, picture frames, knickknacks and power tools strung about the lower level of the house. It was a sight of utter disarray and craziness. Here I am in leggings and a t-shirt, corona in hand scrubbing the baseboards and filling nail holes and Mike just smiles and shakes his head. I flew through the living room, dining room and bathroom changing out, cleaning and re-arranging everything I got my hands on.
Mike adjusted rather quickly and began to pitch in. He hung some pictures and a window covering, fetched cleaning supplies for me and gave opinions when asked, like a champ I must add. He began to fade at midnight or so and I was just picking up steam. I pushed on into the bedroom and by 2:30am decided it was time to call a truce. I did have to get to work eventually. In my frenzy, I even moved the bed, while Mike was sleeping in it, to put in a new side table. He barely even noticed, even though I moved the bed a foot and a half! heh.
This morning I hadn't even lost steam. I got up and hammered away at the laundry and my closet. I began a clothing/jewelry purge project awhile back and I finished bagging stuff up for that this morning before going to the Secretary of State to get a real license plate for my car. I even did some cleaning in the kitchen before I left as well. What's gotten into me? I have no idea, but I'm loving my design sense right now. When I was turning on the Today show this morning I looked over and saw the side table, then I patted myself on the back, and thought about what a genius I am... Heh.
Going to use all the creative/project juices I have while they last. Wish me luck!!
Eventually I knew I had to get back to blogging. Apparently the time has come. I have been striving to get more things in my life as organized as I would like them. It certainly has been helping with some things. I have been pushing myself into the mantra, "Things must be hard before they are easy." So I have been doing many things that I have been putting off for ages. Like cleaning my office. I attacked it this weekend. I have thrown out so much paper that has been clogging up my life. It felt AMAZING. Now when I go upstairs, everything is filed and I can sit down at the desk and actually do work. What a miracle.
Life has been flying by fast and furious of late. We have done so many things. I'm planning on posting some pictures from the holiday and whatever else has happened of late. This weekend made me realize how much I have yet to learn as far as being an animal caretaker. It also made me realize how good my instincts are and that I should trust them always. I will always listen to those who are more educated than I (veterinarians), but I will not feel so unsure of my instincts the next time something goes wrong. Because if there's one thing I've learned from my farm animals... Something certainly will. I also learned how wonderfully blessed I am to have people surrounding me that know so much about animals and are willing to help me grow, learn and survive having animals.
Bell stopped eating and excreting waste (nice way to say not pooping or peeing..hehe) on Friday. This mirrored Vernors symptoms exactly. For any who do not know, Vernors was one of our original goats and she got sick and died a day and a half later. The vets could not tell me what had happened to her. I was freaking out! Luckily, I eventually calmed down and Mike and I called the vet and Denny (my savior). The suggested a few things and I had suspicions of other things. We went and got some medicine from Denny and had a good talk with Pam and Denny about the possible problems. They agreed that both my ideas and the vets were plausible. We started treating for both things Friday night. By Saturday morning, Bell was up and about and eating happily. Whew! I am very excited that Bell and her babies to be are ok. It was an intense weekend, monitoring Bell and deciding what needed to change at our farm to fix the problem.
We decided to move the goats away from the chickens until we can build a new home for the chickens. Mike and I worked very hard Sunday morning cleaning a space in a different barn for Bell and Pepsi. And then Mike spent the day making a beautiful new pen in the big barn. I will take some pictures tonight and post them when I post the others. I'm going to make it a goal to build the best, yet cheapest chicken coop possible. Wish me luck!
Guinness getting his first bath.
Cleaning the barn.
Pepsi and I at bath time.
