I pulled a recipe off of food network by Anne Burrell. It was easy and good. It called for fresh rosemary which I fogot to buy so I trekked out into the yard and dug down 2 ft in my herb garden and Voila a fresh albeit frozen piece of rosemary. I also made mashed potatoes and broccoli and I had a strawberry sundae with chocolate chip ice cream or dessert. I had dessert twice.
So I was worried about the sheep last night. I was sure that somebody was going to lamb in the biting wind and they wouldn't be able to get in the barn because the door slammed shut. I was up at 4am to check. No lambs and the barn door was still open. I can't seem to get the tank heater for the ducks plugged in the morning although it was pretty dark out there. It's light now maybe I will go check.
I am awaiting a Mass Save rep today to go over my house for leaks and upgrades .. Cant' wait to hear what he has to say. They do help you financially to get your house more "green".
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
WAITING FOR LAMBS
Why is it that they never come when you want them to come? I had planned that all my lambs would be born in January so I could wean them and the ewes would be dry and ready to work by the Apr/May clinics. I know that Sparks was breeding them, I saw him but he must have been shooting blanks. So they are pregant but I'm guessing now that my next years ram bred them this year. He is young but enthusiastic.
Brownie is just starting to look big, Olive too and she is bagging up a bit. You never know with these sheep how long it might be before they lamb after you start to see bagging. Sometimes it's a month. I still can't tell if Pony is bred. I'm pretty sure Sophie is and Pinky and Crazy legs too. So minimum of 5 lambs. Sophie and Olive are first timers so they will probably only have singles. It would be nice if I could tell when they were ready so I could put them in the barn . There is a lot of snow out there and no place for them to get away and lamb in a clean area.
Today , although it is snowing big huge heavy flanks, is dump day. I am not a big fan of the dump, but you gotta to . It's beginning to look like a redneck lives here with trash all over the front porch. I need to build a trash area. I'll put that on the list. (Gr)
Brownie is just starting to look big, Olive too and she is bagging up a bit. You never know with these sheep how long it might be before they lamb after you start to see bagging. Sometimes it's a month. I still can't tell if Pony is bred. I'm pretty sure Sophie is and Pinky and Crazy legs too. So minimum of 5 lambs. Sophie and Olive are first timers so they will probably only have singles. It would be nice if I could tell when they were ready so I could put them in the barn . There is a lot of snow out there and no place for them to get away and lamb in a clean area.
Today , although it is snowing big huge heavy flanks, is dump day. I am not a big fan of the dump, but you gotta to . It's beginning to look like a redneck lives here with trash all over the front porch. I need to build a trash area. I'll put that on the list. (Gr)
Monday, February 7, 2011
Close working ducks
I lazed around all day yesterday until dark and decided to catch up some ducks and work in the barn. First off a light was out(of course). I took a bulb out of the tackroom but it wouldn't work in the outlet so I started out one light short. I didn't laze around all day either, I was up on that stupid roof again trying to get some more ice off of it. I took a sledgehammer to it . And again today same thing.
Anyway back to ducks, I worked Dare first. He was fast and I tried to get him to concentrate and slow down. I worked on me more than him, being quiet and praising instead of getting him hpyed up. I was better and he was happier.
Dually is quieter and slower but he continues to dive in. I didn't say anything I just bopped him when he did it. Not sure that is the right approach either because it seemed to make him watch me more. I was trying to teach him to take them out of the corners when they were socked in there, but they kept coming out too easily. They stuck in the corners for Dare but not for Dually so I guess Dually was going around and Dare was going in straight.
I sent out 40 flyers for the upcoming clinic today and I'm very gratified at the immediate response I'm getting. I decided to go with 7 days of clinic instead of just4 and I'm glad I did.
Anyway back to ducks, I worked Dare first. He was fast and I tried to get him to concentrate and slow down. I worked on me more than him, being quiet and praising instead of getting him hpyed up. I was better and he was happier.
Dually is quieter and slower but he continues to dive in. I didn't say anything I just bopped him when he did it. Not sure that is the right approach either because it seemed to make him watch me more. I was trying to teach him to take them out of the corners when they were socked in there, but they kept coming out too easily. They stuck in the corners for Dare but not for Dually so I guess Dually was going around and Dare was going in straight.
I sent out 40 flyers for the upcoming clinic today and I'm very gratified at the immediate response I'm getting. I decided to go with 7 days of clinic instead of just4 and I'm glad I did.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Facing Dare's Fears
I had a couple of lessons to give today which worked in my favor. I was able to work Dare with some other people in the arena with us. He really hates that apparently. I had Donna set out the ducks in the ring and lift it on his outrun. He was brilliant. Hmmm so I sent him again and again he was perfect. I screwed up and forgot to tell Donna to lift but when I did he had overflanked so he came back and picked up the ducks and brought them to me. I quit then and decided to do it again later.
We worked Donna and Bob's dogs and then I worked Dually. Ducks are our nemesis. He just loves to dive in on them and often bites ---Hard--- He was pretty good. Not great. We worked on the fenceline on the drive and holding the ducks on the fence but using our flanks to make the corners and then immediately flanking back out to hold the line again. He was better going one direction than the other. He took his short away flank much better than his short bye. He didn't seem to take his short bye at all, but I had a line on him and made him take it. Then I did a little balance work with him. He fetches ducks beautifully. Keeps them on a line and straight to me. It was nice.
I had Donna and Bob hold the ducks between them with their body pressure and Dare couldn't to the outrun. He left my side , but stopped halfway and came back. Too much pressure apparently. I sent him again and urged him on and he went but he ended up circling in between me and the ducks and not using his brain, much like I saw him do at the trials in Fla. I let him get the ducks without my interferring. He had pushed them back to the fence and so he had to work hard to get them off but he did it. I sent him a 3rd time and he was better, but I had to help him lift the ducks by stopping him and walking him up. If I had left him alone he would have split them and made another mess. After that I decided to just do balance work around Donna and Bob and he had a hard time with it. We worked thru it and it's something I definitely want to do much more of.
We worked Donna and Bob's dogs and then I worked Dually. Ducks are our nemesis. He just loves to dive in on them and often bites ---Hard--- He was pretty good. Not great. We worked on the fenceline on the drive and holding the ducks on the fence but using our flanks to make the corners and then immediately flanking back out to hold the line again. He was better going one direction than the other. He took his short away flank much better than his short bye. He didn't seem to take his short bye at all, but I had a line on him and made him take it. Then I did a little balance work with him. He fetches ducks beautifully. Keeps them on a line and straight to me. It was nice.
I had Donna and Bob hold the ducks between them with their body pressure and Dare couldn't to the outrun. He left my side , but stopped halfway and came back. Too much pressure apparently. I sent him again and urged him on and he went but he ended up circling in between me and the ducks and not using his brain, much like I saw him do at the trials in Fla. I let him get the ducks without my interferring. He had pushed them back to the fence and so he had to work hard to get them off but he did it. I sent him a 3rd time and he was better, but I had to help him lift the ducks by stopping him and walking him up. If I had left him alone he would have split them and made another mess. After that I decided to just do balance work around Donna and Bob and he had a hard time with it. We worked thru it and it's something I definitely want to do much more of.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Snow Duty
Today was clean up day. I went to Walmart to get some Calcium Chloride to put on the roof. But first I stepped thru thigh high snow to get to the ladder that I conveniently never put away after I cleaned the gutters this fall. If I had put it away I would not have been able to get it out and in place, so kudos for me for procrastinating. So the ladder was all ice covered and I knew how steep the roof was from prior experience,so I put my yaktraks on and went up. Now normally I hate going on the roof. I don't think I have been on my porch roof ever in 30+yrs, but Iwent up quite easily because the ground is a lot closer now than normal. LOL.
There is a darn lot of snow up there. I used a shovel and a hoe to break the ice on top. It was kinda slippery even with the yak traks . I shoveled off about 6ft up and then I was actually relieved to get on the ladder. I'm ot keen about ladders either. I threw about 10 paper bags of calcium chloride up there and Hopefully , they will clear the ice dams. Then I went out the bedroom window onto the back porch roof and shoveled that off. I was worried that would collapse while I was on it, but I got lucky and hoorah I didn't fall in. I threw some more bags on top of the bedroom roof and called it a day untill....
I went outside to play with the dogs and check on the sheeps hay. On the way back in , I looked at my lovely porta potti and the roof has started to cave in. Great-- I shoveled that off and it's still collapsed so who knows what that will look like this spring.
Tomorrow I am going to truck ducks over to the arena and work both dogs. And then it's going to snow again ...Yay F'ng Yay
There is a darn lot of snow up there. I used a shovel and a hoe to break the ice on top. It was kinda slippery even with the yak traks . I shoveled off about 6ft up and then I was actually relieved to get on the ladder. I'm ot keen about ladders either. I threw about 10 paper bags of calcium chloride up there and Hopefully , they will clear the ice dams. Then I went out the bedroom window onto the back porch roof and shoveled that off. I was worried that would collapse while I was on it, but I got lucky and hoorah I didn't fall in. I threw some more bags on top of the bedroom roof and called it a day untill....
I went outside to play with the dogs and check on the sheeps hay. On the way back in , I looked at my lovely porta potti and the roof has started to cave in. Great-- I shoveled that off and it's still collapsed so who knows what that will look like this spring.
Tomorrow I am going to truck ducks over to the arena and work both dogs. And then it's going to snow again ...Yay F'ng Yay
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Day of Ice
I shoveled 5in first thing this morning. But it continued to come down ,another 4-5 inches and then it sleeted and it hardened. Late this afternoon I could barely shovel it. I just shoveled in front of doors and gates. I'm getting tired of shoveling paths.
I decided to bring the sheep in the barn and work them. I used a goat panel to sort the preggers out and then used the goat panel kitty corner to stand behind so the sheep couldn't knock me over. It worked great as long as I didn't have to go out and help/correct the dogs. I worked both Dare and Dually. All I could do was flanks and 2 step walk ups. Worked a little on Outs with Dare. Dually was ok on that but Dare completely forgot how to out straight. It so small in there that I really couldn't help him much on that either. I feel I have lost his trust due to my losing my temper and I need to work very hard on regaining it. I think next time I will work the ducks and not the sheep. I think I can get more done with the ducks.
I decided to bring the sheep in the barn and work them. I used a goat panel to sort the preggers out and then used the goat panel kitty corner to stand behind so the sheep couldn't knock me over. It worked great as long as I didn't have to go out and help/correct the dogs. I worked both Dare and Dually. All I could do was flanks and 2 step walk ups. Worked a little on Outs with Dare. Dually was ok on that but Dare completely forgot how to out straight. It so small in there that I really couldn't help him much on that either. I feel I have lost his trust due to my losing my temper and I need to work very hard on regaining it. I think next time I will work the ducks and not the sheep. I think I can get more done with the ducks.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Yay it's snowing again (just kidding about the yay)
It's coming down in very tiny small fine flakes right now. Not much accumulation but that will change. I need to go out and feed and make sure they have hay for 2 days just in case I have trouble getting to them tomorrow. I also need to shovel snow into the water tanks. One good thing about snow is I haven't had to pull the hose out of the cellar since I got home from Fla. It's a royal PIA. Unfortunately the tank heaters have been going pretty non-stop and they can get to be expensive. I haven't seen my electric bill since I got home and when I left I had to leave my electric heat on in the house which I never use. The pellet stove keeps me warm all winter.
If I was ambitious, I would load the trash from the front porch and put it in the truck and take a trip to the dump today too. Sigh I would rather just stay in and bake something yummy. I started to reorganize my tiny kitchen last night. I think I freed up some more space by putting the microwave on top of the bread box. Unfortunately, I can now see directly into the microwave and it really (no I mean really)needs cleaning.
And the dogs are desperate for exercise. They get kinda grouchy when I can't do anything with them. I should have bought those snowshoes when I had the chance. AT least I could walk out to the back field while they bounced around looking for mice under the snow. But now it's over my knees to walk back there and not easy.
If I was ambitious, I would load the trash from the front porch and put it in the truck and take a trip to the dump today too. Sigh I would rather just stay in and bake something yummy. I started to reorganize my tiny kitchen last night. I think I freed up some more space by putting the microwave on top of the bread box. Unfortunately, I can now see directly into the microwave and it really (no I mean really)needs cleaning.
And the dogs are desperate for exercise. They get kinda grouchy when I can't do anything with them. I should have bought those snowshoes when I had the chance. AT least I could walk out to the back field while they bounced around looking for mice under the snow. But now it's over my knees to walk back there and not easy.
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