just another saturday

Well, it's a scorcher out there, supposed to get up to 100 today. Fortunately, we are ready! Our a/c is working overtime, and so far no issues with the electricity (except the bill, which will, no doubt, be shocking!). That is a relief in more ways than one!

This morning we woke up at 6:00 to work outside. I fashioned a hay feeder from the side of the goat pen. They wanted $60 for one in the Valley Vet catalog, and I made one for about 50 cents! And it doesn't even look homemade! I cleaned everyone's stalls/pens out, and then put some fence over the big gates to the paddock. The goats can get through the gates, but not anymore! They had a fun time playing out there.

B and I worked hard, and were done by 11. Good thing, because it was already hot. We're taking it easy for today, even grilling out tonight so we don't add anymore heat to the house!

Oh, I forgot to mention a kitty update. BB had 4 kittens a few days ago, but strangely enough, Mark has "adopted" one and is caring for it. She still has her 2, which are about 4 weeks old now, and have come out of hiding. They are adorable, and I have held them. They both have 7 toes, and one is missing an eye. It had an infection in its eye the day I cut it out of the hay netting, so I wonder if in the massive growth that occurs the first few weeks of life, if it just absorbed the eye. There isn't any infection, and the eye is closed. It doesn't seem sick or encumbered at all. The eye socket looks a little sunken, like there is no eyeball. But it's a really cute little long hair. BBs kittens are all black or black and white.

I was thinking about how when I first moved here, how things easily skeeved me out. I didn't like going in the basement, I freaked out when mice were in my cabinets, etc. Well, today was certainly a day to test my growth, and my farming skills.

First, I have some fly traps. They are disgusting, basically various types of vessels that have water in them and attract flies and then the flies drown because they can't get out. Well, the "attractant" is absolutely the foulest thing you can imagine smelling. It smells like rotting flesh, that's been left out in the sun for days. Just foul. Add about 500 flies to the trap, and then it defeats the purpose. You have to wash it out. And touching and moving it is gross, but then washing it out to leave this giant pile of dead flies. Not all of the flies are dead, though, since some were still alive in the trap when I started to wash it out. They are humming and buzzing around this stinky pile of dead flies, all soaked with the fly attractant. And an hour later, even more flies are attracted to the ground where I dumped it. Ewwww!!!

Then, Ernie was bleeding. I figured out that he was bleeding from his testicles, where he was castrated. He was banded, which means that a rubber band was put around them, and then they will lose circulation and just fall off. Well, they are nearly falling off, but the band has made a sore, and it's bleeding. And the flies are getting it, etc. So I had to doctor on that this morning. If it still giving him fits tomorrow, I will have to just cut them off.

I can't believe I am saying this with a straight face, and not making B do it or my skin is not crawling... I can do this!

Mark got stung by something. She is always chasing bugs around, including mud daubers that fly around. Well, her chin is all pink and swollen. She looks like a furry Jay Leno.

Stay cool! I am chilling this afternoon!