ELeVan ~ Honaker Farm Journal

elevan

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:lol:

90% of the stuff that I do is put on me by myself...so I guess I'll just have to start arguing with myself and telling me No! then :p
 

elevan

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I forgot to tell y'all about yesterday afternoon's Saga of That Darn Steer...

I wasn't home yet from the kid's appointment when my phone starts going off with messages that the steer is in the neighbor's yard again...meaning that he jumped 2 fences to get there.

I called my brother and asked him to help as there was no way that I could do it alone with just the kids for help. He showed up with a friend. The steer was being obstinate and didn't want to budge. We tried to entice with food, we tried to push and pull, we tried smacking on the rump, we tried everything that we could think of but he just wouldn't move.

Finally my brother grabbed an ear and a horn and his friend grabbed the other (yes, he still has horns - don't get me started on that issue) while I grabbed his tail and pulled it around beside his body. The kids got behind and started clapped. Finally we started moving...all of 5 feet :rolleyes:

By this point I'm cursing and sweating and just plain ready to get my gun, a chain and a truck and take care of him permanently.

My brother is standing there with the rope when the calf decides that he finally wants to move and drags my brother as far as he can hold on and he lets go (with rope burns on his hands). Great now the steer is heading for the road. I almost hoped that he'd become road burgers by one of the semis that is normally heading home at that time of day (no such luck).

So we all ran after him round up style and were able to herd him to the backyard. Where he now remains...eating my Sunchokes, scaring my dog and upsetting mom's rabbits. Last night it rained - hard and he tried to get into the pig's pen with her. Spam was not a bit pleased with the attention. He finally gave up and took shelter under the eves of the barn.

I fully expect him to to make the 3 jumps necessary to get back to the neighbors yard today as I have to bake this morning and then pick up B for counseling this afternoon. So keep you fingers :fl that he stays put for now or Em just might get her gun out.
 

elevan

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Since he's our first I would sincerely hope that it's just him. He was raised with goats and so he thinks that he's a goat - right down to preferring trees and weeds over grass. Regardless, I'm not doing beef again.

In other news, the phone has been ringing like crazy this morning. B's counseling got rescheduled to tomorrow. Then I get a call from B's teacher. Uh oh. He vandalized a seat on the bus this morning. A brand new bus that was just put into service yesterday! He had a bread tie in his pocket and used it to scratch up the seat. A bread tie! I'm so disappointed. I'm so ashamed. I'm so frustrated. As if it weren't bad enough that he already has to give his backpack to the bus driver when he gets on, now I'm gonna have to strip search him before sending him out. Worse still, his bus driver was my bus driver when I was in school. I'm sure she thinks that I'm a horrible parent.
 

elevan

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Thanks AP. I'm so afraid that B is gonna get suspended from the bus. Even though we only live a 5 minute car ride from the school, it still becomes a major issue to have to take him back and forth if that happens.

At least the steer is staying in the backyard.

I've got to do some baking this afternoon and I'm not really in the mood to do so. :/ So, I find myself finding all kinds of excuses not to do it.
 

autumnprairie

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elevan said:
Thanks AP. I'm so afraid that B is gonna get suspended from the bus. Even though we only live a 5 minute car ride from the school, it still becomes a major issue to have to take him back and forth if that happens.

At least the steer is staying in the backyard.

I've got to do some baking this afternoon and I'm not really in the mood to do so. :/ So, I find myself finding all kinds of excuses not to do it.
:fl that he does not get suspended. I know the feeling about making excuses for not doing something I have an essay to write still that is due tomorrow.
 

elevan

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I wish I could have taken a picture at chicken lock up time but it was too dark. We have one chick who heads for the young goat pasture every morning. She squeezes through the fence but by the time she is done eating for the day she cannot squeeze back through. So she tries to bed down with the goats for the night. Her name is Honey because she is about the color of it and she's a little sweetheart. And so every night K goes into that pen to get Honey and then hands her to me and I hold Honey while I finish everything up for the night. Well tonight I had on a jacket cause it was chilly and Honey scrambles up my chest and onto my shoulder - under my jacket. So I'm walking around with her half under my jacket with her little butt sticking out while she happily chirps at me finishing up my chores. Then of course when I was finished I had to put her into her chosen spot to bed down (she's a floor sleeper) and she didn't want to leave the comfort and warmth of my jacket. She's so special :love
 

elevan

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November 5th - that will be his last day on this planet. I will so enjoy the first bite of steak from the ornery pain in the rear steer. :clap

This morning he decided he didn't like the backyard anymore and tore down the fence to get into the front yard. I was (of course) getting ready to leave for an appointment...does he have fantastic timing or what? Anyway, I ran him into a shed and shut the door thinking that we'll put up an 8 foot high fence around the shed tonight and order a round bale of hay to put in with him for the month.

Came home about an hour ago to find him in the main field munching grass. :he

I figured that I'd find the shed wall torn down or the door ripped off it's hinges... No... Everything is intact. The only thing that I can figure is he managed to climb over the door which is almost 5 foot high with a 2 foot by 3 foot gap above it. I don't know how he managed it but it's the only explanation besides him walking through walls. :rolleyes:

So know I can only hope that he stays put until DH and my brother get here to put up the fence and run him back into the shed and that he doesn't find a way to get out in the next month :rant
 

elevan

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The steer now resides within a pen that has 8 foot high fencing. The only way he's getting out is through the fence...I hope that he doesn't decide to do that :fl
 
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