Ridgetop - our place and how we muddle along

[Ridgetop]

I think DD2 was the one that wanted to have the "rosy little picture perfect family". She certainly paid the thousands of dollars in attorneys' fees to obtain visitation and partial custody of his 3 year old. We all (parents and siblings) told not to chase custody since that would never happen. Encourage him to be a good daddy presence in his daughter's life but settle for visitation. She refused to listen. She loves that 3 year old and wanted for her own. Lie a ewe who ties to steal another ewe's lamb after losing her own. She has been trying to get him full custody for years - even when they had no place to live! She worked several jobs to support them and save the money for their apartment. After he got a full time job last spring, she immediately started looking for an apartment with 2 BRs so Maysie could have her own room full of toys. DD2 continued working until she got so sick with this pregnancy she had to quit. Now she is 8 months pregnant, and can't work, so he has to be the sole support. It wouldn't surprise us if to learn that he was fired. DD2 says that the company is keeping the job for him but he hasn't worked in over a month so I don[t believe it.

At any rate, no money is going to be coming from us to either of them. We have enough bills of our own and need our money to pay for them. Also, I was supposed to get new kitchen counters a year or two ago and that never happened. The new stovetop is still out in the Connex waiting for the new countertops so we can install it. I plan to install fake grass in the area where we tried to have our garden last summer. I want to get this place ready to sell once we sell Yelm and buy our ranch. Lots of stuff to do here to get it looking good enough to go on the market. All that needs $$. So no $$ for DD2 or Doofus. Oh yes, and we need to empty out the one spare BR we have for either DS2's new baby or for DD2 to move back home. That will entail us moving all her furniture out of her apartment and into a storage facility. We will have to pay for that. And they will probably be evicted soon anyway since he is not working. We won't store any of his stuff, but then he had almost nothing anyway.

Anyway, since the Yelm house is EMPTY, we need to bring air mattresses with us as well as towels and some cookware. I will bring the coffee maker from the trailer, a few pots and pans, a few knives, and we will have to buy all the food we will need at the Walmart in Yelm. We will be using all paper plates and plastic silverware. We will also bring some folding camping chairs. The old kitchen table and chairs are out in the shed so we will move them back in to use. DS1 is bringing a TV and his machine (?) so we can play movies at night if we want after working all day. My computer of course, and my travel printer. Also a whole list of tools for repairs and yard clean up.

Actually if my sister decides to give us the furniture she said she would, we will go up there first and get it so DH can sleep on his air mattress on a bedframe. He is worried about getting up off the floor otherwise. LOL Don't know what will happen there since my sister is so peculiar, so not too worried about that. DH can roll around on the floor until he can crawl up on a chair like I will have to do.

On Tuesday the grandsons are coming over to work in the barn, weigh the lambs, and load the butcher lambs into the front compartment of the trailer. Then we will chase the field lambs over into the barn and weigh them before loading the ones going to the sale yard. I considered moving the older ewe lambs off the field into the creep with the tiny lambs and mamas in order to put ewes with all 3 rams. However I have reconsidered that since I don't want all the ewes to lamb at one time. I only have 5 barn jugs. Instead we will just switch the ewes that are breeding now with MoyBoy onto the big field, move MoyBoy into the ram pen with Lewis and put Axtell in a harness in the breeding pen with 4 new ewes. In another month, we can switch Lewis in with the remaining ewes. Then put all ewes on the main field with a clean up ram. We will put all the junior ewe lambs in a separate pen. We have a lot of ewe lambs this year and I will need to go over them with DS1 and possibly DS2 when he is home. Both DS1 and DS2 are very judges of lambs and sheep. Then I will cull out any that we decide we don't want to keep and they can go to the sale yard. If we don't se Yelm and find a ranch there is no reason to keep al the ewe lambs this year. We need to cut back on hay with little forage available.

So the trailer will be loaded on Tuesday night. On Wednesday DH and I will go first to the sale yard and unload. The auction starts at 12 and we want to be there early. Then once we have unloaded that group, we will drive up to the butcher and unload the 4 meat wethers. That should be 10 less mouths to feed while we are in Yelm. No ewes are due to lamb. DD2 only has to check for a crayon mark on the ewes with Axtell and write down their # on the calendar.

DH had DD1 come over yesterday to ask her to drop by while we are gone and check that DD2 was not allowing Doofus to hang out at our house. We told DD2 that she shouldn't even see Maysie during their time apart since he will use her as a ploy to lure DD2 back. Whether or not she obeys is up in the air. However DD1 said she would come over with the children and teach from our house while they do other chores in the barn, etc. She will also hang out with DD2.

I can't wait to move to TX and leave all this drama behind!!! I am beginning to question whether even our darling grandchildren are worth this. I might not even leave a forwarding address!

3 of the newest lambs are definitely hair lambs. One in particular looks extremely good and will be a definite keeper. She has the length I like. One of the 3 month old lambs also looks extremely good and is a keeper too. Again, a hair lamb and very long through the loin. I am very happy with the quality of all my lambs this past year. 2 of my 4 home bred ewes lambed and one produced the really nice hair lamb I will keep. The other 2 are bred and will lamb in May or June. The other home bred ewe produced a single ram lamb that is overly thick through the shoulders and tapers in the rear. His awkward looking shape may be because he is a super fluffy hair lamb, but I am glad he is going to the sale yard. We'll see what she gives me next time.

 

[Ridgetop]

OK! A lot done by today!

Yesterday I received my Covid vaccine authorization from UCLA medical so I called to try to get taken at the same time as DH. His appointment was originally for tonight at 7pm in Santa Monica. no appointments available but I was able to cancel his and set both of us up for 8:40pm last night. So much better traffic wise and both of us in at the same time, no waiting. Then I set the appointment for the second shot fr March 2 at 7:00pm. So Covid vaccinations taken care of.

Next I arranged to have the electricity turned on in Yelm so we could have water (pump). I realized later that the only lights in the house are in the kitchen, bathroom, and office. No overhead lights in the bedroom and living room so we will have to go to the thrift store and buy a couple of lamps. And remember t bring light bulbs.

Made out the list of stuff we need to take, and also a Walmart list for food, cleaning supplies, etc.

Next I arranged for a security system company to come out on Wednesday after we arrive to install the security system on the house. This will entail keeping the electricity on when we return to California but better than having the place broken into. The security people will monitor the system and alarms. A monthly charge, but worth it, considering the management company (also our real estate agent for now) charged me $100.00 to nail a small piece of plywood up over the broken window pane in the door. They will also supply a temporary code for agents who show the house to prospective buyers.

Next we sorted all the lambs and ewes out. Some of the ewes we just weaned from their lambs are still a bit under condition so we will up their hay. I decided to wait another 2 weeks to change out the ewes and rams in the breeding pen. We will switch the crayon on MoyBoy tomorrow for the last time. Hopefully those ewes are bred.

We weighed all the lambs. With no forage the lambs going to slaughter are not heavy enough so we will keep them for another month - I have a slaughter date in March. With no green forage they are not gaining as fast as I would like (weight ranging 80.8 to 86.8 lbs.) I don't want to grain them a lot. OOPS! just checked their ages and they are barely 4 months old. I must have miscounted when setting the appointment. March 12 is next appointment. Called Kent and cancelled for tomorrow. Will take them to butcher in March.

Next we weighed and sorted out the older ewe lambs, and just weaned ram lambs. There are 2 late April born ewe lambs (9 months old) that we are not as growthy as the other 4. We decided to take them to the auction. We have a lot of ewe lambs this year so no need to keep slow growers with wool. The ram lambs weighed in averaging around 70 lbs. at barely 3 months so they can go to the sale yard. Since they are rams they will bring a bit more. That clears out 6 lambs.

Next DS1 and I looked at the younger ewe lambs, weighed them, and decided which ones we liked the best. I trust DS1's opinion - he has experience with lambs. Although he did say that he was a little old to be participating in another "4-H Judging Day". DGS2 was delighted to be allowed to mark them with the livestock spray. Next month we will take the 3 wethers to the butcher, and sort again to see which ewe lambs to sell or keep. The 4 older ewe lambs wevare keeping will be bred this summer for fall lambs. Several of the spring lambs look really nice. I am very pleased with our lamb crop this year.

So a good day's work.

Now to reheat the ribs I made last night for another meal. Freeze the leftovers, and figure out what we will be eating for the rest of the week. I might pack up the fruit and veggies to take to Yelm for us. Also maybe the frozen ribs, and other frozen meals can go in the cooler. DH is planning to go to Costco and get roll up sandwiches for the trip, as well as a BBQ chicken to take with us in the cooler.

Tomorrow we will take the lambs to the auction then pick up 40 bales f hay on the way home. After unloading the hay, we will clean out the trailer and start loading it with our tools and equipment for our trip to Yelm.

I will throw a load of laundry in tonight so I can finish it off tomorrow. Then we need to pack our woolies and long undies for Washington. It will be cold there because it will rain the entire time. As soon as we arrive we will have to pull some firewood up onto the porch to dry off, Hopefully there is some in the barn out of the rain. The heater is nice in the house, but a fire is always a welcome feeling when it is raining.

DS is bringing a small TV to watch movies. DH is in the middle of Major Crimes, having finished the entire 7 seasons of The Closer. We will be bringing the rest of those episodes to watch and some movies too.

I have been thinking about putting up inexpensive window shades in order to be able to keep people from seeing into the empty house, That way maybe a light and radio on a timer would help keep out intruders. I just hope the property sells soon.

The listing agent/broker texted me on Saturday that they needed us to sign the Rescission on the offer in order "to be able to send us the offers that other agents were submitting". The Rescission had a paragraph guaranteeing we would pay him the entire commission if some other agent sells the property FOR THE NEXT 6 MONTHS AFTER HIS LISTING EXPIRES!!! His text made it sound like he had other offers to present on the house, right? but first we had to sign the Rescission. I figured he was phrasing it that way on purpose so I would get excited and sign the Rescission accepting the 3rd paragraph! I had already told him that I would not sign it with that paragraph in it. I told him AGAIN to remove that paragraph and I would sign the Rescission. He sent it back with the paragraph crossed out. I signed it. he has not presented any other offers so obviously he was phrasing it as a come on! I no longer trust this agent to be working for us at all. The sad part is that he was highly recommended.

The listing ends April 1 and we will get another agent. This time for only 3 months. The property will be spiffed up and look good. Sadly with Biden in office jobs are being cut so I am not sure if it will sell. Time for a Novena. BTW the Supreme Court has ruled that California cannot forbid the holding of religious services in churches. They can limit them to 25% of the capacity, but we can go back to church!

Getting my hair cut and nails done on Friday. It has been forever and I look terrible. Luckily DH needs new glasses so . . . .

 

[Ridgetop]

Dropped off the lambs this am at sale yard. Only a few goats already there at 11:00 am. Auction is this afternoon. Off ramp was closed so had to get off further down freeway. Went through heart f what used to be thriving dairy preserve in Chino. So sad driving through area and seeing all the empty cowsheds and overgrown milkshed yards.
Dairy restrictions tightened about 15-20 years ago started to drive out dairies that were in business there for generations. Most have moved to northern California but even there the restrictions are making it hard on dairy farmers.

DH was telling me that DD1 read scientific article about artificially making food a la Star Trek replicators. We were discussing the new requirements here in CA that all new cars sold here by 2035 must be electric. I can envision all those working people with their :energy efficient" electric cars driving home after work and plugging their nifty little plugs in for a recharge.
ENERGY GRID GOES DOWN - CITY GOES DARK!!!
Do the green energy czars even know where electricity comes from or do they just think it is a clever little receptacle in the wall? It was an amusing mind picture reminiscent of Christmas Vacation when Griswold's 100 million Christmas house lights finally come on.

So off to the hay dealer. Arrived at noon right after the gates were locked with a sign saying "Back at 1:30 pm". DH actually considered sitting there for an hour and a half and waiting for the guy to arrive! However, since we only live about 15 minutes away cooler consideration prevailed and we returned home to clean out the trailer before picking up hay at 1:30 pm.

DD1 found the inflatable mattresses and the pump. He filled them to test them for leaks. Nothing worse than going to bed on an inflated mattress and waking up flat on the hard ground. I have to find 2 sets of double bed sheet to take with us. We can use sleeping bags as blankets. DH reminded me to pack some PJs for the motel since we will be sharing a room with DD1. Don't want to traumatize our son by letting him think his parents actually enjoy bodily contact.

Washed out the cooler and the tool box to pack the larger tools. DS1 will get them all packed up and together for loading tomorrow. The drills, and smaller battery operated tools, etc. all pack in their own storage boxes and clip together on a dolly. The towels, bedding, etc. will be packed into plastic crates to carry north. Got the coffee maker from the camper so I am ready to travel.

Hear DH returning with the hay - the diesel is unmistakable. Tomorrow we will pack the trailer and our suitcases. OOPS! Just remembered that I did not put clothes into washer! Better run do that now so we will have clean clothes.

Have been talking to DD1 and 2, and DDIL2 about who will stay at house. DD2 was sent to bed rest, so I figured she couldn't come. It turned out not to be because of pregnancy but with a pulled groin muscle which caused abdominal pains. She is also very anemic and has high blood pressure. Am trying to arrange overnights between DD1 and DDIL2 (who is coming up for doctor's appointments). If they can split the overnight stays between them, grandsons can stay here all week to feed. Still need to discuss with DD1 who doesn't want to stay overnight. I feel she owes us this, but . . . .

DH found out about the truck. DD2 told DH the shop said the water pump in the truck had several leaks. The Ford dealership wanted $800 to do the job. DD2 and Doofus decided they were being cheated so are picking up the truck. Doofus had replaced the radiator, thermostat, and it turns out had already bought a new water pump before Christmas. He did not bother to change out the water pump because he did not think it was leaking. Then was puzzled when the truck kept overheating. DUH?

Let's think about this - If you changed out the radiator and thermostat, and the car still overheats, and you already HAVE the new water pump don't you think you should CHANGE IT TOO - JUST IN CASE?!!! DOOFUS HE IS AND DOOFUS HE WILL STAY!

Green grass is surfacing on the hillsides now. The sheep were all the way across the gully eating on those steep sides. Obviously nice fresh green grass over there. Got to get that laundry in the wash.

 

[Baymule]

That boy is dumber than a box of rocks. Dirt is smarter than he is, at least dirt is useful for a myriad of things. He's got amoeba brain--ONE CELL and it ain't working.

Road trip to Yelm! Hey, you got the coffee pot, everything else is secondary.

 

[Bruce]

Went through heart f what used to be thriving dairy preserve in Chino. So sad driving through area and seeing all the empty cowsheds and overgrown milkshed yards.

Yep. I spent the first 2.5 years of my life in Chino. Dad's parents also lived there a couple miles away. Used to be a dairy across the road from them. Of course that was a LONG time ago, both farms and the surrounding area is all cheek by jowl houses now.

 

[Ridgetop]

Our friends, the Marquez family, had their dairy in Chino. That is where I used to drive out to pick up our bull calves. Eagle Livestock was a few blocks away - they were the calf people that picked up all the day old calves from the dairies daily. Our veal project kids all bought 50/50 Angus/Holstein crosses at Eagle for veal calves for our Fair. They were so nice to the kids. Closed and empty now.

 

[farmerjan]

The dairies here are closing down too and the ones that used to help the kids are the smaller family ones that are gone. Sure, not as big as what you all have out there, with our terrain, many of our dairies are smaller anyway...
So sad that we are losing the diversity in areas where things like animal waste can be put back into the land and such... BALANCE is what we are losing.

 

[Ridgetop]

Packing tools, folding chairs, air mattresses & bedding, cookware, cleaning supplies, etc. for trip to Yelm. Grandsons helping drag all tool boxes , suitcases, etc. to trailer to be stored. Anything that I don't want wet like suitcases, sleeping bags, etc. go in front of stock trainer and are covered in plastic. Computer, travel printer, jackets, small cooler with travel food, water, and overnight bag goes in cab. Cooler will be loaded and stored in back of trailer tomorrow. Chains and padlocks ready to go on trailer to lock gate for trip.

Heard that they had a heavy snowstorm there (unusual) and are expecting 4" in Olympia - 20 miles away. DH got chains for the trailer today. We have chains for the truck plus 4WD. I will bring extra electric heaters, and DH is loading some firewood since the tenant probably used up everything he could find on the property. Plus this will be dry. If we run out we can cut up the wood partitions in the barn. DS1 had a good idea to bring a box of Duraflame logs. We can use them to start the fire in the wood stove in the house without messing with kindling and newspapers. Better bring water too since if the electricity goes out (used to happen during snowstorms) the pump won't work and there is no generator. Already bringing battery lanterns and DH and I plan to sleep in living room with wood stove and heater. If the power does not come back on we can move the wood cookstove outside and cook on it. It has to be moved out anyway since we are taking it back to CA with us. I don't think it will come to that though since we were in Yelm during some bad storms and snow a couple years ago after my aunt died while clearing out the property and no loss of electricity.

DH is at Sunland Produce getting veggies and fruit for trip and those persons staying here who must be bribed by steady supply of food. Tonight DS1 will do his laundry and pack his stuff for trip. I will pack cooler and cab of truck. DH already gassed truck and had all tires checked, extra 5 gallons of diesel is loaded in trailer, along with some additional ropes and tie downs. Tomorrow DH will go to Costco to get last of travel supplies - 2 BBQ chickens( 1 stays here for ravenous house sitters who disdain cooking), roll up sandwiches which will carry us through first day of travel, 6 volt batteries for lanterns, and whatever he decides to surprise us with. I will finish packing overnight case with meds, toiletries, etc. and we will hopefully pull out around 4:00 am. Planning only one night on the road but depending on weather might have to stop for a second.

Having planned for any eventuality I can't wait to see what will go wrong on this trip. It's a Ridgetop thing.

Meant to call auction today to get prices my lambs sold at but too late now. Check will be waiting when we get back. Texted agent to put key lock box on door and text me the code but he said he couldn't because it was snowing up there? Then he said we could run by to get it because their office was only 10 minutes from the house! Oh well, if they want to be disobliging we can get in house. Remember the break in? I had them board up the broken window and we have our tools so can remove the board easily. I had not panned to use that bedroom anyway since it will be freezing up there and we will just hang a moving pad over that exterior door and block the gap under the door into the rest of the house with a rolled up towel till it's fixed.

It rained last night so hopefully we will be getting some green stuff growing for the sheep when we get back. Once back we will sort and relocate different ewes for another breeding cycle. I have 4 ewes that are in condition again for breeding. The other 3 need more time and a little grain. The 4 down in the creep will be not wean their lambs for another couple month o so. Then they will go into the field pen to gain some condition depending on how they feel to me. Several of the lambs are really nice and I am extremely happy with them.

Well, got to go gather up the last items - flashlights, cowboy hats (necessary in rain and snow to keep it out of the neck of my coat), rubber muck boots. Oh, better make some ice for the cooler too. Easier than going back out to buy bags.

Not looking forward to this trip. It will be cold, wet, uncomfortable, and depressing. BRRR!

Now I get to go make dinner for the family (all 6 of us) again. DD1 and grandsons spending the night again. Learning to feed. I am fearful . . . .

 

[Baymule]

Do be careful on your trip. I know little to nothing about driving in snow and ice. What I DO know is that I don't want to drive in snow and ice. It sounds like y'all are prepared for just about anything. I know this is a working trip, but enjoy yourselves and have a good trip.

 

[thistlebloom]

Be safe out there on the road. Sounds like you are well stocked for any eventuality. Like a pioneer!