april 6, 2008

ACTUALLY THIS IS SATURDAY, BUT I WON'T FINISH THIS TILL TOMORROW SO WE'LL CALL IT THE 6TH. DIDN'T GET FAR, THIS IS MONDAY MORNING. I GUESS I'M REALLY GETTING BAD. HARD TO REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED THE LAST FEW DAYS. WE GOT JOHNNY ALL FIXED, EXCEPT THE ALTERNATOR DOESN'T CHARGE. IT WORKS, BUT DOESN'T CHARGE. PUT THE NEW TURBO ON THE 1130 MASSEY AND GOT IT RUNNING, IT NEEDS A GOOD BATH AND PUT ITS CLOTHES (SHEET METAL) ON. GOT STARTER AND MUFFLER ON THE SPARE LAWNMOWER (I HATE WORKING ON LAWN MOWERS). SATURDAY PETE AND KEN FOUND A YOUNG DEER THAT HAD BEEN HIT, BACK LEGS BROKE, CALLED THE SHERIFF TO SHOOT IT, (CITIZENS GO TO JAIL FOR SHOOTING WILDLIFE, PEOPLE ARE OK) AND GREG CAME OVER TO BUTCHER IT ON THE CHEVY TAILGATE. PETE TOOK THE QUARTERS, BACKSTRAPS AND TENDERLOINS. I GOT THE HEART, BOOTS GOT A BAG FULL OF MISC TRIMMINGS AND GREG TOOK THE INNARDS, CARCASS, HIDE, ETC HOME FOR HIS WILD BOAR HOGS. THAT TOOK AN HOUR OR SO, WE FED CALVES AND WENT TO THE NORTHERN WISCONSIN VACATION HOME AND STARTED THE WOOD PILE ON FIRE. CUT UP A LOT OF THE WHITE OAK TO GO IN PETE'S FURNACE, BUT SOME OF IT WAS TOO BIG FOR HIM. NEED TO BUILD THE WOOD SPLITTER.
SUNDAY I WENT TO MENOMONIE, WISCONSIN SHOPPING, IT WAS PRETTY CHEAP AND QUICK, BECAUSE PAT IS DOWN SOUTH. GOT A FEW PICTURES ON SUNDAY. WHO SAYS SQUIRRLS CAN'T FLY. THESE RED ONES CAN SURE JUMP WELL. THE WOOD-PECKER WAS POSING, BUT I WAS NEVER FAST ENOUGH TO GET PICTURES.

MONDAY, TODAY, WE SORTED HEIFFERS TO KEEP, COWS TO SHIP, AND TRY TO COUNT CALVES TO SHIP ON WED AM. THINGS WILL BE QUIETER ON THURSDAY.

APRIL 2, 2008

MISSED A COUPLE OF DAYS. MONDAY IT SNOWED ALL DAY. WE ONLY THOUGHT THE PRETTY WHITE STUFF WAS OVER. IT BLIZZERED ALL DAY AND NIGHT TO ABOUT 4 OR 5 INCHES. NICE! ST.PAUL GOT ABOUT 12. MUST OF BEEN A MESS FOR THEM. THE GROUND WAS BEGINNING TO GET SO YOUR SHOE DIDN'T SINK IN, BUT WE'RE IN THE MUD SEASON AGAIN. FREEZES AT NIGHT THAWS DURING THE DAY. GREAT FOR GETTING THE SNOW INTO THE GROUND AS WATER, BUT EVERYONE GETS TO ENJOY THE MUD. SOME PLACES IT'S 10 TO 12 INCHES DEEP. GOOD NEWS IS THAT PETE CLEANED THE 6 TO 8 INCHES OF COW **** OUT OF THE FEED LOT AFTER IT THAWED OUT. YOU HATE IT WHEN IT COMES OVER THE TOP OF YOUR BOOTS. IT WASHES OUT BUT IS COLD AND WET UNTIL THEN.

MONDAY THIS POOR HOMELESS WOODPECKER HAD TO SLEEP UNDER THE BRIDGE ALL DAY. WE SHOULD BRING THIS DEPLORABLE SITUATION UP TO THE DEMOCRATS AND MAYBE THEY COULD PROPOSE SOME NEW PROGRAMS TO USE IN PENNSYLVANIA DURING THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.

SUNDAY THE SILO UNLOADER QUIT. CALVES HAD TO EAT HAY FOR TWO DAYS, POOR THINGS. WE HAD POWER TO THE MOTOR BUT NO NOISE SO TUESDAY PETE LET THE 5HP MOTOR (89 LBS) DOWN THE CHUTE (40 FEET) SO WE COULD CHANGE IT. SOMEHOW WE MUST ALWAYS WORK ON THE UNLOADER WHEN THE SILO IS FULL. PUT THE MOTOR IN THE SHOP, OPENED IT UP, DIDN'T STINK, THATS A GOOD SIGN, FOUND CORRODED CONNECTIONS. CHECKED PRICE OF NEW MOTOR FROM DISTRIBUTOR $485. GLAD TO HAVE FIXED THE OLD ONE. ONLY PROBLEM IS TO GET THE BEAST BACK TO THE TOP OF THE SILO. THAT IS A TWO PEOPLE JOB. WITH PETE IN THE TOP OF THE SILO, A ROPE ON THE MOTOR, AND ME UNDERNEATH IT, WE'LL PULL AND PUSH IT BACK UP THE CHUTE. A NASTY JOB. SOMEHOW WE ALWAYS HAVE TO DO IT WHEN THE SILO IS FULL!!

OUR RESIDENT RED SQUIRRL HAS ADOPTED THE FEEDER FOR HIS DINNER TABLE. PAT OPENS THE WINDOW, (2 FEET AWAY) DOESN'T BOTHER HIM AT ALL. HE JUST IGNORES HER. NEXT SHE GETS THE PELLET GUN AND WITH ACTIONS REMINISCENT OF JOHN WAYNE PROCEEDS TO BLAZE AWAY AT POOR RED. THIS ACTION SENDS POOR RED SCURRYING UP THE TREE.

PAT IS LEAVING ME THIS MORNING, HEADING SOUTH FOR I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG. I WILL BE LOSING MY EDITOR, SO THE SPELLING MAY GET ATROCIOUS IN THE FUTURE. MAYBE I CAN SHOW HER HOW TO REMOTELY ACCESS THEM TO KEEP IT READABLE.

MARCH 30, 2008

IT'S BEEN A FEW DAYS. NO TIME. THURSDAY WE PULLED THE LOGS UP THE HILL THAT WE SHOULD HAVE DONE A YEAR AGO, AND RAN SILAGE, AND PAINTED PARTS, AND I FORGOT THE REST. THE LOG PILE OUTSIDE THE COMPUTER WINDOW HAS BECOME A WONDERLAND FOR OUR RESIDENT SQUIRRELS PLAYING HIDE AND SEEK, AND MAYBE OTHER THINGS.

FRIDAY WE FED EVERYONE AND WERE PAINTING PARTS WHEN PETE WENT TO LUNCH. HE CAME BACK AND SAID HE PUT SHEP IN THE HOUSE BECAUSE BOOTS HAD HIM PINNED DOWN BY THE NECK AT THE BACK DOOR. WENT TO CHECK IT OUT, LOT OF BLOOD ON BOTH DOGS. CHECKED SHEP (15 YEAR OLD BUDDY) FIRST, HAD A HARD TIME WASHING THE BLOOD FROM THE HAIR AROUND HIS NECK, BUT COULDN'T FIND ANY LEAKS. NEXT WE TOOK ON BOOTS. HE WAS THE BLOODIEST ONE. A BIG GASH UNDER HIS RIGHT EYE, ABOUT AN INCH LONG AND DEEP. APPARENTLY THE OLD GUY CAN HOLD HIS OWN IF HE NEEDS TO. IT WAS A DISPUTE OVER A CALF CARCASS THAT WAS ABORTED ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO. THE YARD IS ALWAYS DECORATED BY BOOTS WITH UNUSUAL ITEMS. WELL BOOTS GOT THE SHORT END OF THIS FRACUS, BUT HE REALLY NEEDED A COUPLE OF STITCHES TO PREVENT AN UGLY SCAR. CALLED THE VET, ALL THE DOCS WERE OUT, BUT THEY WOULD CALL WHEN BJ WOULD BE BACK. WE GOT TO THE CLINIC , BOOTS IS BLOODY BUT STILL ON HIGH ALERT, BJ GAVE HIM A SHOT TO SLOW HIM DOWN A BIT WHICH TOOK A WHILE TO WORK. IF WE SEDATED HIM WE WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE HIM OVER NIGHT. BOOTS HAS NEVER BEEN IN A CAGE, I WORRIED ABOUT HIS REACTION WAKING UP IN ONE AND TRYING TO BE ON HIGH ALERT, WHICH IS HIS NORMAL MODE. SO WE DECIDED TO MUZZLE HIM AND USE A LOCAL PAIN KILLER. AS I HELD BOOTS, BJ STITCHED FIRST THE MUSCLE AND THEN THE SKIN. PUT THE HOUND BACK ON THE FLOOR AND HE WALKED LIKE A DRUNKEN SOLDIER. HE HEADED RIGHT FOR THE DOOR - HE WAS READY TO BE OUT OF THAT PLACE. AT THE VAN, HE SUCCESSFULLY NAVAGATED THE FRONT HALF THROUGH THE DOOR, BUT NEEDED A SLIGHT LIFT FOR THE REAR. TOOK HIM HOME, SETTLED THE TWO DOGS (NEITHER WAS VERY SPRY) AND WENT TO EAU CLARE SHOPPING. PICKED UP THE REBUILT TURBO FOR THE 1130 MASSEY, FOOD, SHELVING TO FURTHER ORGANIZE THE REAR UPSTAIRS ROOM, AND EXPANSION FOLDERS SO PAT CAN SORT MY DATA PILES AND RECLAIM THE TABLE. THIS IS A CONSTANT BATTLE THAT SHE SEEMS TO BE WINNING. HAD SUPPER (BROILED SEA SCALLOPS) , PUT BOOTS IN THE ENTRY WAY FOR THE NIGHT (HE NORMALLY STAYS OUT AND PROWLS ALL NIGHT) AND WENT TO BED.

SATURDAY MORNING BOOTERS COULD NOT STAND UP. WITH PAIN HE COULD SIT, HE TRIED TO GET UP, BUT IT WAS TOO PAINFUL. BACK TO THE VET FOR A PAIN PILL, QUARTERED IT, AND AFTER FOUR NICE CHUNKS OF HAM (HE COULD SWALLOW THOSE) WE HAD THE PILL ON THE INSIDE. LATER HE FINALLY STOOD UP AND WENT OUTSIDE. 18 HOURS OF LAYING DOWN, FIRST OBJECT HE FOUND, OH WHAT A RELIEF IT IS. HE STRUGGLED AROUND THE YARD A WHILE, LAID IN THE SUN A WHILE UNTIL I WENT TO COAX HIM UP. AS WE WERE GOING PAST THE FRONT OF PATS VAN, THERE WAS A BIRD IN THE WHEEL WELL SITTING ON THE TIRE. ZING, OFF HE WENT CHASING THE BIRD, WE MUST BE ON THE MEND.

PAT AND I TOOK A WALK TO THE MAIN POND IN THE AFTERNOON AND WATCHED THE DUCKS TAKE OFF AND LAND. THERE WERE ABOUT FIFTY OF THEM. UP THE VALLEY THERE WAS A SMALL HERD OF DEER GRAZING. COULDN'T GET A PICTURE.

WE FINISHED THE PARTS AND LEFT BOOTS OUT ALL NIGHT. HE'S BACK TO HIS NIGHT TIME PATROLS.