Saturday, April 12, 2008

APRIL 12 2008




BEEN A BUSY WEEK. BEHIND ON BLOGGING, AND MANY OTHER THINGS. IT'S HARD TO KEEP UP WITH EVERYTHING GOING ON. ONE OF THE SQUIRRELS BROKE THE FEEDER.

BOOTS BARKED THIS MORNING FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A WEEK. LAST MONDAY WE STARTED OUT IN PETE'S TRUCK TO JUMP START A TRACTOR, AND AS USUAL BOOTS WAS TRYING TO GNAW THE TIRES OFF THE TRUCK. WELL IT FINALLY CAUGHT HIM AND I RAN OVER HIS HEAD. NOT A PRETTY SIGHT. TOOK HIM TO THE VET, LOST HIS RIGHT EYE, AND STITCHES IN HIS HEAD, BUT JAW SEEMS OK, LOST A MOLAR AND A HALF AND A LOT OF FACE FUR. ANTIBIOTICS AND PAIN PILLS. BY WEDNESDAY A LOT OF BLOOD IN HIS DRINKING WATER, WHEN OUTSIDE HIS INCISION BEGAN TO DRAIN. HE WAS PAWING HIS FACE SO ON WENT THE LAMPSHADE ON HIS HEAD. HE DIDN'T APPRECIATE THAT. POOR GUY HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIND COMFORATABLE SPOTS. SAT NIGHT I PUT HOT COMPRESSES ON THE WOUND, AND IT'S ONLY ABOUT HALF THE DRAINAGE THIS MORNING.

THE SUN IS SHINING THIS MORNING, WHAT A DELIGHTFUL CHANGE. IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE WEATHER TODAY WAIT UNTIL TOMMORROW. WEDNESDAY WE HAD TWO CALVES SHOW UP, ONE WAS BEING MOTHERED, THE OTHER WAS LAYING BY HIMSELF. MOST OF THE COWS WERE AT THE FEED BAGS BECAUSE WE JUST OPENED THEM SOME MORE, AND WE ASSUMED MOM WAS OVER EATING. SHE MOVED AROUND THE WOODS TNE NEXT DAY BUT NEVER SAW A MOM. YESTERDAY MORNING PETE BROUGHT HER IN AND SHE SUCKED DOWN MOST OF A BOTTLE. BECAUSE IT WAS RAINING, SNOWING AND WIND BLOWING LIKE CRAZY,WE PUT HER IN THE OLD PICKUP CAB. LAST NIGHT I GAVE HER A SHOT OF ANITBIOTICS BUT SHE ONLY TOOK ABOUT 1/4 OF A BOTTLE. HAVE TO SEE IF SHE SURVIVED THE NIGHT. SHE PROBABALLY WON'T MAKE IT. I NEED TO LEARN IF THERE IS NO MOM I NEED TO TAKE THE CALF. IF MOM WON'T TAKE CARE OF HER CALF, SHE NEEDS TO GO TO MARKET.

WEDNESDAY MORNING ALL OF THE CALVES (75) EXCEPT 15 HEFFERS WENT TO ZUMBROTA TO FIND THEIR NEXT HOME. ON MONDAY 4 COWS WENT TO EQUITY TO FIND A NEW HOME. AT LEAST TWO MORE SHOULD HAVE GONE, BUT THEY HAD AN ATTITUDE PROBLEM. THERE WILL BE A NEXT TIME!
BOOTS SAYS ITS EMBARRASSING AND DIFFICULT TO EAT WEARING THIS LAMP SHADE. BUT HE'S BARKING AND STRETCHING AND GROANING AND GETTING MORE LIKE HIS NORMAL GOOFY SELF.

WORKED ON THE NORTH HOUSE, PRETTY MUCH GOT THE FURNACE AND WIRING DONE, BURNED ON THE WOOD PILE, BROKE A HOSE ON THE LOADER, MADE BIG RUTS IN THE MUD, TRIMMED SOME BRANCHES ETC.

MOM AND POP DOWNEY WOODPECKERS.

GOT THE TURBO ON THE 1130 AND ITS HAULING THE MANURE SPREADER. AFTER IT BURNED THE OLD OIL FROM EVERYTHING, IT SEEMS TO HAVE NICE CLEAN EXHAUST. PUFF THE MAGIC DRAGON IS NO MORE! NEED TO TAKE THE NEW TURBO FROM THE OLD 1105 AND PUT IT ON THE 1105 WITH THE CAB. THAT ONE IS SMOKING AND GETTING WORSE. PETE CLEANED THE FEED YARD AND PUT THE MANURE BY THE HAY SHED. IF IT WARMS UP THIS WEEK WE CAN GET IT SPREAD AND MAYBE GIVE THE 1130 A BATH WHEN WE CLEAN THE SPREADER. THEN WE CAN GET IT DRESSED AND READY FOR SUMMER.

THURSDAY WENT TO A GOOD MEETING ABOUT UTILIZING THE LOWER CHIPPEWA RIVER VALLEY WITHOUT DESTROYING IT. IT WAS AT THE UW EAU CLAIRE CAMPUS WITH FOLKS FROM THE UNIVERSITY, THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, ROUND HILL, TROUT UNLIMITED, CHIPPEWA VALLEY VISITORS BUREAU, AND OTHERS. NICE PRODUCTIVE BRAIN STORM MEETING. SEE THE WALL MURAL OF THE LOWER CHIPPEWA RIVER AND LAKE PEPIN.