Ridgetop - our place and how we muddle along

[Baymule]

Tax the rich...... appeals to envy, greed and jealousy. Take it from “them and give it to me because they have too much and I deserve more”. Destined to fail. Companies don’t have to stay here, nor do the wealthy. They can go somewhere else and take their money and jobs with them.

 

[Ridgetop]

Take it from “them and give it to me because they have too much and I deserve more”.

Unfortunately, that is the mind set that is being taught in this country. When it became "racist" to teach or even speak the words "word hard and you'll get ahead", take from others and give to me became a rallying point.

This sort of thought process is not limited to any political party. Once it is taught to children it becomes universal. You can see the results in the screaming mobs of college kids that don't truly understand what they are demanding.

 

[Ridgetop]

Angel has become an unwilling house dog for the past 24 hours. I have notified DDIL2 to stay at her folks' home for another several days since Angel s confined to the tied hallways and laundry room. At night when we sit and watch TV she is allowed to come in the FR. We have to walk her on a leash to potty. She wants to be outside, but keeps jumping out of the barn and we don't want her to tear open her stitches. The vet gave us mild Ace Promazine tabs to give to her occasionally to keep her calm. Or as DS1 says "drugged up". I am hoping we can et her out next Tuesday which will be 7-8 days. Not the full 14, but????? We will have to see. Annoying for DH because he can't get over baby gates - no body can since I had to attach them high in the doorways. A baby could actually crawl under! LOL

There was a mountain lion attack across the boulevard 3 days ago. It killed the dog of a long time friend. 50-60 lb. pit bull cross. Other sightings of a cougar on that side of the boulevard as well in the past week have been reported. Right after the big fires a couple years ago, the tagged old male cougar that was known to be living on that side of the boulevard was found dead. We knew that another would eventually take over his territory. Looks like one has moved in.

A number of coyote attacks have also been reported in the past week or two killing small to medium dogs in their own yards while owners tried to come and rescue them. Lots of missing cats reported too. One person whose dog was attacked in her yard which was fenced with high chain link wanted to know what to do about it.
she was shocked that coyotes would jump the fence. Told her that coyotes can clear 6' from a standing position. Also Animal Control will do nothing about it. They used to bring out live traps 25 years ago and then kill the coyotes they caught. Animal rights protestors made them stop and relocate the coyotes, possums, and raccoons. Now they won't do anything about attacks, even cougars are not chased unless they come back many times and attack people.

With no rain there is no forage and thus no small prey animals for predators. Dry winters mean lots of cats and small dogs will go missing. However, also smaller coyote litters, but that doesn't provide the amount of prey needed for the pups born a couple years ago when we had heavy rain and a lot of growth. They will get desperate towards the late summer and fall.

Hopefully Angel will be back on the job before the coyotes and cougar decide to try for our sheep. It will need all 3 of the LGDs to warn off a cougar. Coyotes just become play toys.

DS2 just arrived home! He was not supposed to get back until tomorrow. He has his next step test tomorrow in the apprentice program. He graduates in October(?) to full journeyman. Once he is a journeyman he goes onto a different set of books. No guaranteed work like when he is in apprenticeship, but can move anywhere with his union ticket.

!!! DD2 just showed up! This is Grand Central Station for my children. Nice to see them, but . . . .

 

[Baymule]

Coyotes and cougars here too, but we can shoot them. Not sure if cougars are on the protected list, but if attacking livestock, it’s game on.

 

[Ridgetop]

Switched out the ground squirrel trap for the rat trap yesterday and ds1 set up the Sonic Repeller. Caught a big rat last night. Looked dead in the trap but I didn't want to remove it since I would have to climb up into the raised bed. So just turned on the sprinkler for the vegetables. It was 95-100 degrees the past several days so they needed water. Came in and told DS1 that it looked like the Spnoc thig had killed the rat. Later he took Angel out and told me that the rat was alive but pretty annoyed at being wet! LOL I'm glad I didn't reach in and try to take the "dead" carcass out! Tonight DS1 will turn off the Sonic and we will see if we catch any more rats in there. The Sonic is supposed to drive the away so want to try to catch and kill as many as possible.

It makes sense that it was rats since they can go in and out of the squirrel cage easily and all the bait was eaten out of the Squirrelinator. Also, the ground squirrels are much larger and might have been able to push over the pails. Next tomato and squash plantings I put in, I will put pails over them too.

I am sewing again. Have to make the christening gown for the babies. I will be gone the entire month of June probably so will make Annabel's larger since she will probably not be christened until the end of summer. Robert is probably being baptized the end of May. Otherwise he will be baptized in July when we return since his other grandmother is going to the Philippines to visit relatives in June. A little larger doesn't hurt anyway since it is just for the ceremony and then photos. But tradition to make the fancy formal gown. DD! has a complete set of gown, coat bonnet, stole, and blanket but these will not be that extreme. Just the long gown with lace, etc. for each baby. The ne I used was too old after my children. In fact, I was worried it wouldn't hold up for them! My great grandmother made it of very fine lawn, it went through 4 generations. I still have it but it is so sheer now that any baby would put their little fist or foot through it!

Angel is still in the house. She has not pottied in the house at all. Yesterday we closed off the gates to the front lawn and patio area and turned her loose under supervision so she could get a bit of exercise. Bubba and Rika kept trying to get through the gate to play with her so we brought her inside. She got a little run this am too. She will continue to be taken out for short periods of time until we can turn her loose. She tries to go out every time we go out though so I know she wants to go run. Tomorrow will be 1 week since her operation and she is doing well. Hopefully she can go out in the front for longer periods this week. She only has to be confined for 14 days but I think 12 might be ok. Thank goodness this will be all we need to do. With the coyotes and possible cougar from now till the end of the year, we need her on duty.

DH shockedme yesterday. We have t go to Washington and he wants t see his sister's new house outside Coeur D'Alene

 

[Ridgetop]

Oops! Accidently posted that. The rest was that the Western States Dorper Specialty is being held in
reno this year instead of northern CA. I was not planning on going, or buying anything, but DH suddenly said that we should go to the show and then to his sister's!! ?!?!?!?! I was shocked however, I would lie to go and see some of our acquaintances, see the judging, and go to the seminar. Also there is a general meeting and membership dinner which is always fun. So I have to make reservations in Reno, and then pack to go to Yelm.
I will have to be careful not to bid on anything. LOL

The sale looks to be a go. Only 3 weeks till escrow closes.

 

[Baymule]

I’m glad Angel is recovering so well. Poor girl just wants to go outside and play! All in due time.

Dorper sale! Not bid or buy? Who are you kidding? Do you really expect us to believe that? LOL LOL Then you’ll have to take your new sheep home before you go to Yelm, but it will be worth it.

Now I need you to stash a likely ram lamb in your truck when you come to Texas! LOL I have 7 ewe lambs that would love to meet him!

 

[Ridgetop]

No ram lambs for another several months. All last lambs were ewes! However, I can bring one back another time since once we get our ranch we will be coming back at least twice a year!
DH asked if I panned t buy anything and I said no He said that we actually could do with another ram. It was a shock. I do want another ram but I am waiting for the June and October on line sales. If I do buy at Reno I will have to arrange for it to be transported to ca and then pick it up between our return from Yelm and departure for Texas.

Angel has been staying in the front yard all day for the past 2 days. We bring her in at night. I think I might turn her loose on Friday or Saturday even though it would only be 12 days. She learned that as long as she is in the Cone of Shame she can't get through the triangle opening in the wooden gate to the front pasture.

DDIL2 and Baby Robert have returned home. I finished Robert's christening gown but realized that I don't have any snaps and don't want to bother making buttonholes for it. I still have the second gown to make for DD2's daughter so will get snaps for both eventually. All the hand work is done so just the snaps to apply and maybe some fancy beading if I feel like doing it.

Got to make dinner.

 

[Ridgetop]

It looks like the Yelm escrow will not close on 5/24. The buyer's appraiser came out and said they wouldn't loan on the property because "there was no heat source"! What?! My agent was flabbergasted. He is trying to find another appraiser who will recognize a split system HVAC unit. Appraisers usually get the square footage of the house by measuring on the outside. Either this guy did not do this, or failed to see the large condenser sitting on the concrete pad next to the side of the house. He also missed the large white unit in the wall of the living room even though it stands out against the dark wood paneling. A short extension is ok since DH plans to visit his sister in Idaho for several days at their place and they want to take us out in the boat. Depending on the weather that will be nice.

I have contacted several of my Dorper friends and they are going to be exhibiting in Reno. One of them said he can arrange transport back to CA for any of the sheep I am (not) going to buy. LOL The friend from Utah said they have had NO RAIN OR SNOWPACK THIS WINTER! The cisterns and reservoirs are only at 10%.

 

[Ridgetop]

I posted that because my bold function stuck. He said that all the ranchers were in terrible trouble, He is only irrigating one or 2 fields. He has let the others go dry and dying. Luckily he is a butcher and has a kill and cut operation. He said he had stopped taking reservations since he was booked 18 months out! Told him what my butcher had said about people coming in with printouts of the cuts they want and he laughed. He said he had a few like that - the lists of cuts were all from one section of the animal and he had to explain that the animal only had so many legs, etc. I have to get out and get photos of the lambs I have gotten out of his ewes and ram for him He is anxious to see how they have developed. I would like his comments.

Anyway, yesterday we tried to get reservations in Reno and the Nugget Casino was where the sheep people had gotten a special rate. Tried to make the reservations and the clerk had no idea what the special code meant. So DS1 got us the cheapest reservations available (military vet) at the Nugget (DH wanted Best Western but their rates were higher). Late that night I got a call that the manager had found the code and to call back. I waited to call until the manager's shift began and made reservations for 3 nights. The final charge was less than the 2 nights we had reserved for so we cancelled that reservation. These casino/resort paces add on $35/night "resort charge". The sheep people had gotten that reduced or removed since we will all be at the livestock barns most of the time. The hot tubs are all closed which would be the only item DH and I would want to use. We don't want to gamble and it will be too cold for us to swim. Apparently the only time you don't have to wear your mask is when you are IN the pool. So 3 nights for less than the original 2 nights.

We will have to spend another night on the road going up to Coeur D'Alene since it is 850 miles north. Then straight west across eastern Washington to Yelm. I wonder if we would have time to visit Angel's breeder in Mesa, Idaho. She is just north of Boise and we could stop in on our way north to Coeur D'Alene. She runs a B & B as well as her sheep, Anatolian dogs, and goats. If the Yelm escrow is extended we will have time. Have to have DH get on the computer and check the route and mileage.

On the way back we will have to stop and pick up another field feeder - already ordered. I am considering getting a 5 head show rail stand. It is a stand where you can lock 5 animals side by side in head rails. They stand next to each other, so you can go over them to check conformation, width, thickness of leg and loin. It is easier to get a feel of them locked in the head rails instead of chasing them around in a corral or trying to grab them in a jug. You can also judge them against each other for conformation. I think it would help us/me to judge which ewes to send to auction and which to keep as breeders. So far I have not sent too many to auction but now I am getting so many that I am considering selling off some. The last 5 ewes that lambed had nothing but ewes! We have been averaging 50% but lately we are getting more ewes than ram lambs so some of the ewe lambs will have to start going to auction.

Yesterday was DGS2's 11th birthday. He received a basic model phone from his parents. The whole family (except the Nipomo ones) all went over for cake, ice cream and presents. I told the family that DH was surprising me by taking me to the sheep show in reno. They were not impressed and made unkind remarks about going to sheep shows. I pointed t that it was the western States annual specialty and there would be a seminar on Sunday morning. Still not impressed, I brought out the big guns and mentioned the Saturday night general meeting and membership dinner. DD1 wanted to knw which gown and jewelry I would be wearing while DD2 howled with laughter at her sister's witticisms. These children have no appreciation for the finer experiences of life.

DGS2's children's party is this weekend. DD1 said they would be late coming over on Sunday. ??? I forgot it was Mother' Day this Sunday. When I said I might be busy DD1 and DD2 got very upset so I had to tell them I would stay home for them. Oh goody, I get to cook Mother's Day dinner for the family to celebrate MY special day! The daughters and DDIL are mothers too but maybe I can get the fathers to BBQ.

I laid out and cut the 2nd Christening gown today This pattern is simpler and doesn't require lining. This time I checked the pattern before cutting and chose the one with the easier pattern. They all look the same anyway, but the last one had a more difficult bodice and sleeve opening. We have promised Robert this is the last time he will have to wear a dress no matter what future politics decide. I got the snaps yesterday, and some new beading needles so I can add some embellishments. I figure that I can fancy it up with beads since he is too young to know better and the next one to wear it might be a girl. LOL

Baby Robert is home and has a very bad temper when he poops. He will be laying in his swing happily, then all of a sudden his face gets contorted with rage, turns red, and he screams loudly until you pick him up and change him. Very recognizable screams when poopy instead of just wanting food. LOL

Well, I need to try to get the baby gown made up so I can clean off the table for Sunday dinner. Half my kitchen counter is now hidden under baby stuff. There is a baby bottle sterilizer, warmer, and half a dozen other pieces of equipment that I don't recognize, but have to do with baby care. I just put bottles and nipples in the dishwasher and not many of those since I nursed my kids. Apparently the thing to do now is to not only nurse but also to pump your milk for storage. This requires a lot more equipment. And storage. My kitchen has suddenly become too small. I hate having stuff sitting on the counters but now I just try not to go into the kitchen. The living room is full of DS2's stuff from his apartment in San Diego. The family room is full of baby equipment - swings, floor pad, and DS2s tax statements that DDIL2 spread out to sort on the floor. Outside on the patio is the play yard so he can lay in the sun for vitamin D. I must have been a very bad mother not to supply all those things for my babies!

Oh well, I can live with it. But I am beginning to really look forward to our road trip to the sheep show!