Ridgetop - our place and how we muddle along
- Thread starter Ridgetop
- Start date
RollingAcres
Herd Master
Sorry to hear about Dorset...
No surgery would be good. So
No surgery would be good. So
Senile_Texas_Aggie
Herd Master
Miss @Ridgetop,
Glad to have you back. I have missed your postings and glad to see you back on the forum. You and your DH have been quite busy during your time away. I hope you don't need surgery, but if you do, I hope it goes well for you.
Again, glad to see you back!
Senile Texas Aggie
Glad to have you back. I have missed your postings and glad to see you back on the forum. You and your DH have been quite busy during your time away. I hope you don't need surgery, but if you do, I hope it goes well for you.
Again, glad to see you back!
Senile Texas Aggie
Baymule
Herd Master
You have been busy! Like on a dead run at the racetrack! Glad that y'all got so much accomplished and got a good renter.
Sorry about your ewe. I know that there is mortality on a farm, but I don't have to like it. May all your lambs be ewes!
Sorry about your ewe. I know that there is mortality on a farm, but I don't have to like it. May all your lambs be ewes!
- Thread starter
- #145
Ridgetop
Herd Master
I know, it really is bad, but I think about the ranchers who depend on their animals to make a living. Cost of feed, bad weather, sale prices, etc. can all drive ranchers and farmers to extinction. I just lose the cost of replacement (and feeling bad about the animal). I really pray for our family ranchers and farmers.
Bruce: We have a 350 dually and we split the 5 cords between 3 trips. I really loaded our truck down. DH and I felt her groan in relief when we finished the final load! Did not want to waste half a day on a 4th trip!
So I am back now, the Dorpers are doing well. These white Dorpers seem more docile and friendly than our old Dorsets which were born and raised here. Both the rams will come up to be petted - not so sure about that - I prefer my rams to be more leery of us but they are not pushy. The ewes will come up to DS1 when he feeds.
On a happy note, the vet came out for a recheck of 30 years old TWH Cammie and gave her a clean bill of health! He had pulled 3 teeth and was concerned that there were 2 others slightly loose but wanted to clear up the infection and hoped they would solidify in the jaw once the infections were over. They did and she is eating both her senior feed and alfalfa with relish. She has put on a lot of weight and lost the bony sunken look that worried us. I think she was also mourning for Jubilee who we had to put down about 6 months ago. They had been together since we got them 13 years ago. She is much perkier and even chases Josie the Mule away from the feeders now! I was so worried that we might lose Cammie too because she had lost so much weight and her coat was harsh and dry looking. Amazing how necessary yearly floating and dental care is to a horse. In particular to older horses. If the weather stays hot, I think I will let the grandchildren help me give Cammie a bath. Josie also needs some "hair care" - for some reason her mule tail gets super snarled and I will have to pour a bottle of Mane and Tail into it to untangle it. If that doesn't work, the scissors may have to come into play! At any rate Cammie has another while to enjoy with us. I have decided to have the vet out to her every 6 month to check her teeth. That will prevent any weight loss in future. People will ask why I keep an old horse that I don't ride anymore - I guess ike dogs they have a way to wind around your heart even when they are in the pasture.
So I have been clearing off the pantry jail and storage facility that was my front patio for 3 years now. I finally unearthed the patio furniture, broke apart the rotting storage shelves, and removed most of the stuff to its proper place. I do have some stuff that has to go to hazardous waste, and I have to wash off the wrought iron furniture. If there are any rust spots I will just touch them up with black matte spray paint. Soon we will be able to sit on the patio and enjoy the sunsets again!
Of course, since we don't water anything, there is no longer any landscaping but I am going to install artificial turf - no gophers for the dogs to excavate and kill - the dogs urine will not affect it, and carefully arranged pots of flowers will look just as good as flowerbeds. in fact I lan to get some Redi Mix and concrete in my flower beds around the house and patio since I can't keep them growing, don't want to spend the water, and again large pots of plants will do the trick. I have one flower bed with a large Rosemary growng and I might plant water tolerant herbs around it - sage, etc. and maybe lavender.
DD and DSIL have stinot found a house although they are raising their budget to 1.2 million!
DH has been suggesting Texas and I am holding my breath. I told DD that she and DSIL should start sending out resumes now to see what is available. He has a Phd in computers and she has a MA nd is a teacher. She said that they could not just pack up and move to Texas to find jobs - I TOLD HER THA WAS WHY YOU SEND THE RESUMES OUT FIRST! Sometimes I think that advanced degrees take away common sense in ratio to how much education you acquire! At lest DSIL is not beginning to consider a house that has most of what they want and then put in a pool, do some painting etc. if they can get it for a better rice. They saw one that they could reno, put in a pool, and make work and the sellers would have come down in price, but it was on the wrong side of the boulevard. The Boulevard cuts through Shadow Hills and you can only cross it in about 2 or places in the 5 mile stretch. It is a very busy road with no sidewalks and the only horse trail is on our side not on the side where that house was. DD and DSIL want to be on our side so the grandkids can bike, walk or ride horses to our house. Also lots of rattlesnakes on that side of the boudevard. We have Kingsnakes here and no rattlers in 35 years. Story goes that original owner of area near our house about 80 years ago had large poultry farm and hated rattlers. He brought in about 100 or 1000 (depends on storyteller) of baby Kingsnakes. Kingsnakes love to eat rattlers- result no rattlers in our area - mucho rattlers across boulevard! If we get some, we will some more Kings too. Love Kings hate rattlers. The Kings may have also cross bred with Gopher snakes here too - we get some oddly colored Gopher snakes or maybe they are just a variety.
Anyway, DD crying a lot because cant find house and she hates teaching now. LA public schools have decided no punishments for kids - it is deleterious to their self esteem to be disciplined! DSIL under tremendous pressure to work 6-7 days/week to complete projects for government for which the government keeps changing protocols and requirements.
DH keeps pushing Texas. DD is weakening. I am hopeful.
Bruce: We have a 350 dually and we split the 5 cords between 3 trips. I really loaded our truck down. DH and I felt her groan in relief when we finished the final load! Did not want to waste half a day on a 4th trip!
So I am back now, the Dorpers are doing well. These white Dorpers seem more docile and friendly than our old Dorsets which were born and raised here. Both the rams will come up to be petted - not so sure about that - I prefer my rams to be more leery of us but they are not pushy. The ewes will come up to DS1 when he feeds.
On a happy note, the vet came out for a recheck of 30 years old TWH Cammie and gave her a clean bill of health! He had pulled 3 teeth and was concerned that there were 2 others slightly loose but wanted to clear up the infection and hoped they would solidify in the jaw once the infections were over. They did and she is eating both her senior feed and alfalfa with relish. She has put on a lot of weight and lost the bony sunken look that worried us. I think she was also mourning for Jubilee who we had to put down about 6 months ago. They had been together since we got them 13 years ago. She is much perkier and even chases Josie the Mule away from the feeders now! I was so worried that we might lose Cammie too because she had lost so much weight and her coat was harsh and dry looking. Amazing how necessary yearly floating and dental care is to a horse. In particular to older horses. If the weather stays hot, I think I will let the grandchildren help me give Cammie a bath. Josie also needs some "hair care" - for some reason her mule tail gets super snarled and I will have to pour a bottle of Mane and Tail into it to untangle it. If that doesn't work, the scissors may have to come into play! At any rate Cammie has another while to enjoy with us. I have decided to have the vet out to her every 6 month to check her teeth. That will prevent any weight loss in future. People will ask why I keep an old horse that I don't ride anymore - I guess ike dogs they have a way to wind around your heart even when they are in the pasture.
So I have been clearing off the pantry jail and storage facility that was my front patio for 3 years now. I finally unearthed the patio furniture, broke apart the rotting storage shelves, and removed most of the stuff to its proper place. I do have some stuff that has to go to hazardous waste, and I have to wash off the wrought iron furniture. If there are any rust spots I will just touch them up with black matte spray paint. Soon we will be able to sit on the patio and enjoy the sunsets again!
Of course, since we don't water anything, there is no longer any landscaping but I am going to install artificial turf - no gophers for the dogs to excavate and kill - the dogs urine will not affect it, and carefully arranged pots of flowers will look just as good as flowerbeds. in fact I lan to get some Redi Mix and concrete in my flower beds around the house and patio since I can't keep them growing, don't want to spend the water, and again large pots of plants will do the trick. I have one flower bed with a large Rosemary growng and I might plant water tolerant herbs around it - sage, etc. and maybe lavender.DD and DSIL have stinot found a house although they are raising their budget to 1.2 million!
DH has been suggesting Texas and I am holding my breath. I told DD that she and DSIL should start sending out resumes now to see what is available. He has a Phd in computers and she has a MA nd is a teacher. She said that they could not just pack up and move to Texas to find jobs - I TOLD HER THA WAS WHY YOU SEND THE RESUMES OUT FIRST! Sometimes I think that advanced degrees take away common sense in ratio to how much education you acquire! At lest DSIL is not beginning to consider a house that has most of what they want and then put in a pool, do some painting etc. if they can get it for a better rice. They saw one that they could reno, put in a pool, and make work and the sellers would have come down in price, but it was on the wrong side of the boulevard. The Boulevard cuts through Shadow Hills and you can only cross it in about 2 or places in the 5 mile stretch. It is a very busy road with no sidewalks and the only horse trail is on our side not on the side where that house was. DD and DSIL want to be on our side so the grandkids can bike, walk or ride horses to our house. Also lots of rattlesnakes on that side of the boudevard. We have Kingsnakes here and no rattlers in 35 years. Story goes that original owner of area near our house about 80 years ago had large poultry farm and hated rattlers. He brought in about 100 or 1000 (depends on storyteller) of baby Kingsnakes. Kingsnakes love to eat rattlers- result no rattlers in our area - mucho rattlers across boulevard! If we get some, we will some more Kings too. Love Kings hate rattlers. The Kings may have also cross bred with Gopher snakes here too - we get some oddly colored Gopher snakes or maybe they are just a variety. Anyway, DD crying a lot because cant find house and she hates teaching now. LA public schools have decided no punishments for kids - it is deleterious to their self esteem to be disciplined! DSIL under tremendous pressure to work 6-7 days/week to complete projects for government for which the government keeps changing protocols and requirements.
DH keeps pushing Texas. DD is weakening. I am hopeful.
Baymule
Herd Master
East Texas is a really nice place, it rains and we have green vegetation......
- Thread starter
- #147
Ridgetop
Herd Master
I heard that Tyler is gorgeous. I keep mentioning that it sounds like a really nice place and it is not humid like Austin. DSIL worked in Austin for a time and hated the climate while he enjoyed the city. Hopefully they will realize that sending out resumes is appropriate since they are not entirely happy in their current careers, dislike the political climate in California, and can't find a house for less than 1.3 million here! They could buy a lovely home on on acreage with barns and a pool for half that in Texas even with the prices going up! DD wants horsekeeping area even though she does not have a horse yet. I really don't want her to keep her horses on our property since we will end up caring for them for here. The 8 and 5 year old are here Monday through Friday and could feed their own horses at night, but we still have to do the morning feed and weekends. I have gotten old, crotchety, and selfish. We already have the kids 5 days a week and feed them 2 out of the 5 evenings. I must be an unnatural grandparent to think enough is enough!
Oh well, DH keeps telling DD that they will never find a house and they need to check out Texas, but I hate to see her crying and so depressed. I think it may be Novena time!
Tyler sounds like heaven. Water and grass. Sometimes I think we have left it too late and we are too old now to make the move. I know on flat land we could use a tractor to ease the work load. I would love to have fruit trees again like we had when the kids were young. Of course, I would not make as much jam and jelly or do as much canning as I did when they were small, but the windfalls could be fed to pigs and sheep by turning them into the fenced orchard. We could do a lot with cross fencing and gates to make the work load easier too. I need to stop being such a pessimist - 70 is the new 40 after all!
Oh well, DH keeps telling DD that they will never find a house and they need to check out Texas, but I hate to see her crying and so depressed. I think it may be Novena time!
Tyler sounds like heaven. Water and grass. Sometimes I think we have left it too late and we are too old now to make the move. I know on flat land we could use a tractor to ease the work load. I would love to have fruit trees again like we had when the kids were young. Of course, I would not make as much jam and jelly or do as much canning as I did when they were small, but the windfalls could be fed to pigs and sheep by turning them into the fenced orchard. We could do a lot with cross fencing and gates to make the work load easier too. I need to stop being such a pessimist - 70 is the new 40 after all!
Would love to welcome you to our area! It DOES get humid, but nowhere near as bad as down in south/SE TX. And you'd have some "ready made friends" to boot! Hope things work out for your DD and spouse. Sounds like you're making some real progress on your place as well. I suppose the changes you are making are also keeping in mind what will increase sales value? 
Mike CHS
Herd Master
We faced that also and when we bought our place I was 63 and knowing we had several years of work to make it usable. We talked about it and since both of us had wanted this life for as long as we could remember we decided that if we didn't do it then, we would forever be saying "what if".
