Ridgetop - our place and how we muddle along

[B&B Happy goats]

Nice team work you got going with the dogs and mule, absolutely love it !...peacocks are in the pasture next to us, escaped from somewhere and have been a nuisance for the last four month, NOISY screaming birds going directly into my hearing aide, talk about driving you nuts, oh my gosh...I want to pull their tail feathers and feed them to my dogs, lol

 

[Ridgetop]

They scream big time during breeding season. That was about 4-5 months ago here. Now the juveniles are out and looking for new territory. Coyotes will probably get most of them even though they are strong flyers.

I am always amazed at the way the dogs work together without seemingly any communication. Wonderful animals! Josie The Mule is a great help too, Mules are able to kill cougars so between the 4 of them, we should avoid visits from the big cats.

0439 lambed last night right on schedule. Large single ram lamb. DS1 suggested culling her since she had a single her first time too. I don't want to since she is a clean shed so I looked up her history a nd she has a set f=of split twins last October. Since January 13, 2020 she has now produced 4 lambs, single ram 1/13/20; split twins 10/11/20; and another single ram 6/19/21. No problems lambing. 3 lambings in 18 months means she stays. She is one of the 2 surviving ewes I have from Travis Blackburn's Axtell flock which has brought in some new bloodlines. 8111 is due tomorrow. She is huge so hoping for twins. Her daughter had two pretty ewe lambs on June 3, and is a wonderful mother.

Smalley bred another ewe yesterday so he is right on the job.

Baby Annabel is sick so DD2 and family will not be coming to Father's Day dinner. She offered to send Dominic and DGD2 but told her to keep them home. DD1's family is leaving on a camping trip on Wednesday and we are heading to Texas in 2 weeks We haven't escaped Covid to be felled by a summer cold!

Only 8 days to close of Yelm escrow!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

 

[Baymule]

Whoop! Closing on Yelm! Crossing my fingers, toes and eyes, that nothing goes amiss this time!

What is your ETA for Texas?

 

[Ridgetop]

Here is the recipe I promised to post for Baymule.

Recipe for Summer Pickles
These are a bread and butter type pickle made with zucchini and yellow crookneck squash, red bell peppers and onions.

2 medium onions sliced thin
2 sweet red bell peppers sliced thin strips
1 quart zucchini squash sliced about 1/4" thick
1 quart crookneck squash sliced about 1/4" thick

Toss vegetables all together in large bowl, sprinkle with 1/4 cup pickling salt, cover with ice water for 2 hours. Drain well - do not rinse.

Syrup
2 1/2 cups cider vinegar
4 cups white sugar
1 tsp. turmeric
2 tsps. celery seed
1 1/2 tsp. mustard seed
2 tsps. powdered alum
1 cinnamon stick, broken

In a large kettle, bring syrup ingredients to a boil, then simmer 10 minutes. Add drained squash, onions, and peppers. Bring pickles to a full boil and IMMEDIATELY remove from heat. Put in clean hot jars leaving 1/2" headspace.

Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

This recipe will make 4 pints. I usually put it in the taller 12 ounce jars which will make 7 of these jars. I like them in the taller jars so you can see the colors. This is a pretty pickle for gifts too.

 

[Ridgetop]

IF Yelm closes we will be leaving on July 5 or 6. I had hoped to leave sooner but we have a baptism on 4th July. Also DGD1's birthday on July 2. I have to phone Weatherford Campground and make sure we can get in that week.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

IF Yelm closes we will be leaving on July 5 or 6. I had hoped to leave sooner but we have a baptism on 4th July. Also DGD1's birthday on July 2. I have to phone Weatherford Campground and make sure we can get in that week.

Fingers crossed that Yelm closes!

 

[Baymule]

Do you have to go to Yelm for the closing?

 

[Ridgetop]

DISASTER STRIKES!

Our normal campground in Weatherford where we have stayed every summer for over a month says they have NO vacancies!!! All summer!!!
We were looking forward to shedding a few Covid lbs. in that pool!


I have to find another campground somewhere for us to stay in our 5th wheel. Must have hookups and pool. Going on line to look for something. Worried that everyone will be going to Texas for summer vacation since it is open and maskless. I couldn't make any reservations earlier since I had to make sure that Yelm would close, and have never had any problems getting reservations even at the last minute before! Particularly when you want to stay for a long term stay.

If worst comes to worst Kris, our TX agent and friend, has said we can park on his property. He put in a lovely pool last year too. I hate to impose though - always like to stay somewhere on our own.

Better start the search.

 

[Ridgetop]

SUCCESS!!!

Found a site in Rusk at the Koa there. My main requirements were a POOL! Got to work off this Covid weight. They have a salt water pool. Reserved for 2 months although probably will return home prior to September.

Closer to Bay and BJ, not so close to Erick, or Kris. But relatively closer to the area in which we will be looking for our ranch. In the Piney Woods area so we will experience that area. Loved the Weatherford Campground, so hopefully this one will be lovely too. Relieved!

8111 has not lambed yet, but her vulva whitish pink and tight, yesterday turned red and loose. Not long now. She is big as a house too. 3rd time mom, so no worries.

DD2 is coming over today with DGD2 & 3. she has a job interview and wants to leave them here. we are leaving at 11:00 am to play bridge. She was upset first but DDIL2 and DS1 will be here so no worries. I will set up the portacrib in my room for Annabel. It is good for the girls to learn to rely on each other instead of always on mom and dad. DD1 would have bee thrilled to have the DGDs but they left this morning early on their way to the Grand Canyon on vacation. Who goes to the Grand Canyon in the summer when Arizona is having a heat advisory?! And they have a pool in their back yard!!! Ever hear of a Staycation?! However, unless he goes away poor DSIL1 gets calls from his office about work. He told us that he thinks the reception at GC won't be very good so don't call them. Maybe that is why they are going there! LOL

We have temporary custody of Truffle - DS2's Guinea Pig.

 

[Ridgetop]

Update on lambing. 8111 has nice ram lamb up nursing and a nose poking out. Closed gate to barn to let her get on with it. As I left she was laying back down to push. Hopefully a ewe lamb this time.

Doing laundry this morning. With so many people in the house plus a baby it seems that the washer and dryer are never free. Asserted priority this am. 3 or 4 loads to do, including bedding, towels, etc. Washing the new pair of overalls I bought in Yelm for DH. I will have to hem them up too. Going to take the old pairs that are just a tad too small and add a gusset to them so he can button up the sides. it is fine to wear them gaping open here at home, but he forgets and leaves to do errands! One pair I lengthened unsuccessfully using a different denim fabric. Doesn't look good. I will cut those off to shorts and use the cut off portions for the gussets in both pairs of overalls. DH loves his overall "rompers". Maybe he will start new trend in Texas! Summer wear for the farm crowd. That will give him 2 pair of rompers and 3 pair of proper overalls.

Going down to check 8111 and iodine cords.