NO WATER-SAGA OF THE WELL

   On Tues I noticed the water  pressure was a little low, but then I thought I was imagining it. Maybe the shower pressure had always been that way.   You know how that goes.   On Wed when I was filling the water tanks  and it was taking forever I realized that there really was something wrong.  I called the well company to come out on Thurs am . Before they got here, Ed showed up and said he could fix it.  He replaced the holding tank and the control valve and sodered everything back up and still the water pressure wasn't right and that took him until 7pm so I was without water until  Fri when the well guys showed up and fixed the pressure in the holding tank but also isolated a problem at the well head. The  pump was working fine but they could hear a spraying sound near a valve about 6ft down.  I called somebody to bring a backhoe and the well guys left me with a valve replacement.  The guy with the backhoe (Tim) showed up but had no backhoe.  He looked at it and said it needed to be hand dug so that the backhoe didn't create more problems. One guy started about 3:30  and quit at 5.  Not done.  No problem because when the well guys left I had water. When the digger left I watered all the stock and came in the house and had no water. Grrrr.
So I went to my sisters to take a shower and came home and went to bed.
This morning I manually turned on the pump and  it would not fill the tank. Two guys showed up at 8:30 to continue digging. It's 10:30 and they are down to the valve but it looks like the brass valve is attached to a plastic elbow and that is cracked so off they go to get another elbow.   Waiting now for them to get back.

Ok they came back and had to dig more and struggle with the plastic elbow which was frozen in place, which meant another trip to get a sawzall and then Tim put it all together and turned on the pump and nothing.  sh####t.  So Tim came in the cellar and started playing with the flow valve and manually pumping and it finally  kicked on and the tank began to fill so out to the hole we go.  I say it's leaking and he says "
"no it's not "and I say "YES it is , look at the thing dripping'"  So Tim goes down in the hole and starts to tighten the clamps--still leaking--more tightening--still leaking--removes an old clamp from the old line and add that.  TA DA--looks like it's not leaking  --Scary moment because he thought it might be leaking from the brass connector which he couldn't get off.  Yay for me.
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I had him leave the hole uncovered till Monday and they will come back and  make sure it's still not leaking and fill it in.  At first I said I would do it and then I thought better of it and asked them to do it.  I just dont' need anymore jobs.

The stock got clean fresh water and the ducks are happy in a clean pool and now I am going to do the dishes and comemplate a nice hot loooonnng shower.

limestone sample

Here is a limestone called Rain Forest that I can't take my eyes off of.  I think it is stunning. MIght use it for the vanity top.  Also considering a sandstone that is called Costas Esmereldes that is green with a tan vein and is much more subdued.

Bought and undermount sink today at HOme Cheapo.

Working a single

  I had to sort off one single wether today and I put him by himself in the duck arena.  I thought what the heck might as well work him.   I took Dare in to see if he could drive him away from the draw without me redirecting him.  It did okay.  Not great  . He seems to come up on the right side of the sheep too far consistently and turn the sucker and then the race is on. I tried to stop him before he got to that point bit anybody who knows Dare knows stop is not really in his vocabulary. If only if only if only...  so we got him up to the other end anyway , not that hard if I redirect him but I want him to  take a line and hold a line without me helping so  much.  I don't think that is too much to ask but obviously it needs more work.

  So while up at the other end I tried to flank him around with a go bye and he just couldn't/wouldn't take it.  I had to get up there and insist.  He holds and holds and holds. But 2 yrs ago, I would have said it was impossible and now I know he can do it , just chooses not to.  But I'm the boss here and I pay all the feed bills so he will do it, maybe not today or tomorrow, but someday.

Another SCORE

  A friend came over today to work  her dogs and then we went to the Charlton Flea Market.  I found 3 bureau's that would work for vanity's . I made and offer on one and she took it $100 . It was marked $150.  Sue and I got 2 nice men to load it into her van and we went to lunch.  I can't take a picture of it because it is now in my truck and it's too heavy for me to unload.  Sorry will get one later. Anyway it's an old oak burean with little claw feet and 5 drawers and the 2 top drawers are kinda rounded.  It also has a raised design on each side at the bottom .  I plan to paint it either white, green or black and remove the top and add a marble top with an undermount sink.  yay now I feel I can call the contractor and say lets get started.  

Lunch was great too.  We went to Applebees and I had the WW chicken parmesan dish and we split a little shot size hot fudge sundae and talked a lot.  Really enjoyed myself and Mikey didnt' pee on the floor while I was gone.

Flea Market

  I had 2 lesson this am and then we dehorned Larry. Dave stepped on his lead and his leg and I leaned on his side and Nat did the dirty deed. Hopefully she got the nubs good enough so we dont' have to do it again. It only gets way harder the bigger they get.

And then I went to the Dudley Do-Right flea market.  I have never been there before and I was surprised at how much stuff they had.  I didn't find anything but I am only looking for a buffet to convert to a vanity and nothing else. And then I stopped at Grossmans and Building 19 where I bought a teflon frying pan.  I should have one I suppose.  I picked up some salmon for dinner and boogied home to let Mikey out.  He needs to go out every couple of hours during the day but will last 10 hrs at night.  If only I could.

14yr old playing with 4 yr old(aussies)

Cow nursery

2 calves have huts and the third has a tarp. Thank goodness the weather has been so dry or they would be up their hocks in mud and muck over here. Ringworm has spread to the calf in the middle and the new one on the far left will get it I"m sure. oh well. They are doing well , growing and starting to eat quite a bit of grain. They only have 2 more weeks on milk and then they better be eating lots of hay.  The new calf has 6 weeks of milk to go.  Tractor supply had a sale on  milk replacer so I should have enough and not have to buy anymore.

Midweek

Mikey was panting and hot so I put him out on the back porch last night to sleep.  I think he liked it, but I made sure he couldn't get off it in the middle of the night and go sleep on the cold ground under the porch.  He was up and active this am at 7  and now after a good breakfast he is conked out in the living room.

Today will be an antiquing day I think. I have a few stores I would like to check out. Not having a lot of luck finding my sideboard to convert to a vanity.  Craigslist not helping much because I want to look at something local not 100  miles away.

Gotta get some groceries this am because I am trying very hard to stay on the weight watchers food plan. So far so good. Knock on wood.  It's hard to get away from sweets.

Just put a temp fence across the front yard so I can stop chasing Mikey down the street.  Well that was a waste of time. I put him in it and went to do somethiing and came back and he is across the damn street. I brought him back up and put him in and sat on the front steps and watched him look at me and figure out how he was going to get out this time and he did.  So nylon fencing is not going to work. Too flimsy for the cripple old dog.  

Mikey the devil dog

   I got up at 7am which is Mikey's gotta get up NOW and pee time.  I took him outside the front door and went back in to use the bathroom and when I came back out he was already by the mailbox at the street. It was foggy this morning and he would blend in with his black and white color and the commuters go like hell on this street so I ran down in my bathrobe because I could see a car coming. I got to him and spooked him and he ran (yes ran)into the street. I followed him and 5 sec later  a car went by and then another.  We labored back up the hill to the house and I helped him up the stairs and I fed him. He then wanted to go back out again.  Not this time Mikey my boy and I put him outside the back door in the kennel.  He is probably lying under the back porch in the dirt right now. He likes it under there but I worry he will get too cold in the dirt.

Forgot to go look at the set of bleachers last night. I was too tired after lessons and a Habitat for Humanity store trip -got a great buy on my new window seat window in my new kitchen.  Just what I wanted and would have cost me about $500 or more and I got it for $100.   I also saw a sideboard that could be converted into a vanity but it wasn't exactly what I had envisioned although for $20 the price was right.  I didn't get it. I want to look around a bit more.

The new cow that we got yesterday refused to drink the milk that I feed the other cows. They didnt' like it at first either, but they would suck my fingers and it was easy to get them then to drink it. This new cow is a bit finicky and a lot more shy.  He doesn't want to have anything to do with me.  He better change his little attitude or he will be traveling yet to another location. So this morning, he is out there bellowing away. Hopefully he will drink this am. Not sure what to do if he doesn't drink.

Up Early

4:30 is too early, What they Hey.   I was dreaming about Mikey  not being able to get up and lying in a pool of urine.  So I got up to make sure I was awake when  he woke up. Turns out I woke him up but it took him a good hour to get up and want to go out and I was right there. No pee on the floor this am. Yay. He has been out probably 5 times already today and it is only 8:30. He likes to go out and just stand in the yard. I am pretty sure he isn't lost .  Today he ventured under the front porch.  No idea why, just exploring I guess. I happy he still wants too. He came in and we had a game of fetch and tug with the dumbell. It doesn't last too long be he enjoys it still.

Working dogs

    I worked both the dog today on the very light sheep. Dually worked first and he was gung ho and pushed them on top of them which I told him in no uncertain terms, I didn't like that.  He got more thoughtful.  I actually worked the ADV A course with him and he was very good. I had a little trouble sometiimes getting him to take a flank. He gets sticky and I have to break his concentration to get him to respond. But he did the cone and the Y chute . We had trouble with the Y chute. He maybe was't walking up in the right spot because the sheep kept coming back to me. Not all the way, but not going thru the Y either. And Dare got out there and had them in there in a heartbeat so it was something Dually was or was not doing.  Dare demands and Dually asks sometimes and that could be the difference.

   Dare worked the same stuff and did a great job. He was taking inside flanks like a pro and Downs like a pro . I was really happy with him.   Really happy with both of them.  

Here's a question for everybody, Why is it even when you wash your hands after doing anything with the cows , you still smell like a cow?  geeeezz

Mikey Mikes

  So  we went to have an ultrasound this am because my vet Annie said he has a heart murmur and a thready pulse and some other sound.  The ultrasound vet said  he was too uncomfortable on his side and so  he could not do the ultrasound unless he anesthetized him and he wouldn't do that because of the heart sounds . He said it would be too risky.  He did  say that he was uncomfortable on his side because he has fluid around his heart in the pericardium.    Annie thinks he has a possible heart tumor . She offered to drain his fluid but then it would probably come back and it would be risky anyway because he would have to be put out to do that.

Bottom line is he is going to die of an unknown heart problem and she said it won't be pretty.  Hopefully he will be able to tell me ahead of time that he is ready to go.  Right now he is still bright  and semi lively and eating. When he stops eating  I will know. (sigh)

Poor Mikey

 I had everybody out today at one time in the house and I thought Mikey was asleep by the door , but he must  have gotten up just as Dare went by and Dare attacked him.  Poor Mikey has a swollen nose and a nice scrape on it.  Dare scared him.  I picked Dare up by the hind leg and the front leg and threw him in his crate. Bad dog.  He needs more exercise too.That is only part of the reason he has been so bad lately.   So I worked him today and  he is nice and quiet in his crate tonight. Also  filthy dirty.

Dually only got to sort sheep, so I took some cheese out and worked on fronts and then on get ins and then a little with the dumbell and the glove. Once he understoon that I wanted him to hold the dumbell , he just said ok and did it. Before that he thought I was trying to poison him and would run away and hide. silly dog. Now he loves it.

MIKEY

 So yesterday I was getting ready to put all the dogs in the car after the kitchen designer and the contractor left so I could get to my obedience class on time. I wanted to make sure I was ready to go when they left so I opened up the back of the truck and put the ramp up for Mikey. I put Mikey outside while I was talking to the kitchen designer and when I went to check on him he had hauled his old sorry ass up into the truck via the ramp which I had no idea he had enough strength to do.  He was lying in the back of the truck and waiting for the "roadtrip".  He loves the car and will go anywhere.  He had a vet appt  after the obedience class and she thinks he might have heart disease so we are going to do an ultrasound on Tues to find out. Maybe we can put him on some meds and perk him up a  bit. It's worth a try.

We dehorned the cattle last night.  Nat came over and Erin and Ed and Kathy. Kathy held the baby and Erin sat on the cow and Nat used the burner.  I supervised.   Not as bad as I thought and hopefully won't have to be done again.   However, Nat believes the cows have ringworm which absolutely scheeves me out.

Mikey

   I'm not getting good vibes about Mikey. This am I put his food down and he looked at me as if to say, " this again"?  That's not Mikey. He usually puts his head and doesn't lift it till he's done. He did eat the whole thing, but then went outside again which he normally doesn't do either. He is lying on the back porch and looking at me as I go by the back door today. And it's 20 deg out there. I won't let him stay out there too long but he's not cold yet.

So when I got up this am the pellet stove was out. For no reason that I could discern. It was full of pellets and it started right up when I restarted it.  I hope it didn't overheat and then automatically shut off. Could be scary.  It's working fine now .

The next 2 days are supposed to be cold cold and colder. Great.   I'll never get rid of the snow.  Well maybe at the end of the week when it might by 60.

I went to a barn sale yesterday and got a deal on trailer levelers.  $40 item and I got them for $15.   Always nice to get a deal and I was looking for these.  I went to look at building supplies but there was nothing I thought I could use in the new renovation.