Ridgetop - our place and how we muddle along

[Ridgetop]

Seriously considering doing that. Looking forward to return to TX to do septic and electrical work in November.

Today DD1 and DSIL1 picked up their puppy and guinea pig at 6:00 am. I cleaned the jugs before it got too hot. Well over 100 today like all last week. Supposed to cool off to high 90's tomorrow. So many flies in the barn just had to clean. Really need to move the older lambs out of the creep so this last lot can go in. New lambs are starting to nibble hay.

Crystal is growing very well. I cut her back to 10 ounces of milk in her bottle because although she was willing to drink a full pint at a feeding she started to scour a bit. She also wags her tail so hard that her dock fell off while she was drinking! I sprayed her butt with fly spray because her tail dock was raw. Crystal is beginning to eat hay now. I put a handful of alfalfa into a shallow pan and add extra loose leaves that have fallen off on the bales. The only lamb not eating hay yet is 18003's week old lamb.

0439's ram lamb is 10 weeks old and 80 lbs! Her lambs grow really large and her singles grow huge very fast! If the ram buyer doesn't take him we will send him to the butcher. I think he is too large now to band!

After cleaning the jugs, I came up to print out and send wedding invitations. Hope I don't have to cancel them but if so I will just call everybody and tell them wedding will be at our house. If worst comes to worst, paper goods, and Costco finger foods. I am don't with this. 3rd set of invitations going out now. Beginning to wonder if this is a sign!

While working on my computer DSIL2 showed up with Annabel. He has the holiday but DD2 doesn't. He told DH he could bring over some dirt for dh's Never Ending Wall. Told him I could not watch her since I was very busy on the computer He said she was taking a nap in the playpen. No sooner was he out the door than Annabel started fussing. Dirty diaper and hiccups. Luckily DS1 offered to hold her and try to get the hiccups over. Gone home now. DD2 is working and instead of staying home and doing laundry and cleaning house he likes to come over here and "hang out".

The invitations are not wanting to line up properly so I will have to change everything by hand - then I have to load them one at a time into the printer since it doesn't want to accept the heavy card stock in the feeder. Did I mention this is the THIRD TIME I have had to do this?

Yesterday DH, DS1 and I went to the Connexes and moved a shelf over under the carpets which were hanging off the top of some shelves. These are large wool carpets (one modern Persian and one old Chinese) which we had cleaned and repaired. They were rolled and wrapped in plastic for storage. The Chinese carpet was too long for the shelves that were in the Connex since we needed another shelf at the end of the run. So yesterday we moved a 6' shelf over to that side to support it. Next thing to do is to move boxes of items we want to keep over to that Connex from the other one. We will be sorting out stuff for the Salvation Army and the kids as well while we do that. Once we have emptied one of the 6' shelf units we can move it over to the driveway side of the property and install it in either the milkshed or Rubbermaid shed where we need vertical storage. I need to move a lot of oak molding from the milkshed into the top of the tool shed to store it. Then we can remove the rest of the stuff from the milkshed to make room from the shelves. There are some rolls of rabbit cage wire, some rabbit cages still in shipping cartons, metal privacy panels that need to be boxed up, etc.

When we come back to TX in November, we are thinking of staying in a motel and bringing the stock trailer with some of our farm stuff to store in the tack room in the barn. The cattle tenant is going to store hay in the barn but will not be using the tack room. The house tenant might want to store stuff in the other shed so we will put our rabbit cages and some other items in the tack room and put a hasp and lock on it.

We have at least 10 large water troughs - about 50-100 gallons. Not sure. They are 24" x 48" x 30" high approximately. The ones we used for our failed raised garden experiment. We did nit drill any of them for drainage holes. Instead we took out the plugs and inserted PVC pipes to drain them. We can easily replace the drain plugs. I was considering giving a couple of them to my DDIL1 for her horses.

QUESTION!
Which ones should we bring to TX? The rubber ones or the galvanized ones? Need help people living in that sort of wetter climate. They are actually too tall for the sheep, but they would do for Josie the Mule or cattle. We considered building a ramp and platform for them so the sheep could use them but worried small lambs might fall in and drown. If we brought them to TX and did not use them we could sell them there I suppose, or use them for raised gardens there with plexiglass on top for a cold frame.

Anyway, having trouble with the template for the invitations and got side tracked. Got to work on those. Only 3 weeks to get them out for the wedding.

 

[Ridgetop]

After working on my invitations for 2 days, adjusting margins, paper sizes, etc. I puled in DS1 to help. He insisted that I was not setting up the template right. After spending 3 hours retrying all the things I had tried, he agreed that it was the printer. Not the computer operator. Yes, my printer has died. Just in time to mess up the rush job of sending out the invitations.

I will have to buy a new printer/scanner. No choice since I use it a lot for business as well as needing it YESTERDAY for the invitations. I will have DD2 nd DSIL2 call everyone on the list and make sure to get an RSVP since I need the number of beef and chicken entrees.

Anyway, it was slightly cooler this am so I raked out the jugs again when I fed. The DGSs were over today and helped us with some stuff. They picked up the pile of soiled hay. I had both Robert and Annabel today. Annabel had her first bowl of cereal. She really liked it. Robert had carrots which he liked but then he absolutely refused any milk contaminated with formula (we have to cut it now his mama is back at work). While DS2 begged his fat little boy to eat, I callously told him that if Robert wanted to suck his thumb just to put him down for a nap. DS2 said he would call DDIL2 at work and I vetoed that. I told DS2 he would eat when he got hungry enough. I did try adding a little Karo syrup to the formula/breast milk bottle, but Robert was too sly for that trick. He must not have been that hungry because he waited till his mama got home to eat. She said that if I waited until he was sleeping I could stick the bottle in his mouth and he would drink it but I worried that he would choke. He needs to learn to drink the bottle anyway since she is not able to pump enough as he grows.

Crystal loves her bottle but is starting to nibble hay.
She is doing well. DS1 said we needed to tag the older lambs. I need to order some new scrapie tags You can't get them free anymore.

Then DS1 and DS2 emptied one of the shelves in the Connexes and brought it over to the Rubbermaid shed. We emptied that shed and they put the shelf in at the back. Everything that had been stacked on the floor was able to be put on the shelves with some of them still empty. Then I went out and brought more boxes over from the second Connex to fill in the empty shelves in the first Connex. DH wants to go to DS3's place next weekend with one of the boats. He can take all the tack and saddles up then too. I am going to continue to look through the Connexes and make up a load for the Salvation Army. DH said he would take it over when I got the stuff together. Not a huge amount, but getting it out of the way will help a lot. Also found a couple of good Boogie Boards and a skim board that we gave to the grandkids. Also going to give DGS1 the 10 speed that DS2 had at college. It needs to be cleaned and the tires aired up but it is a nice bike. (And we need it gone!) LOL Also giving the electric ice cream maker away to DD1 or DD2 or DS3. We used to make homemade ice cream n 4th of July. The grandkids will enjoy doing that now.

DH wants to buy a Connex for Texas. I told him we could just lock any stuff in the tack room in the barn. I would buy a hasp and padlock. He said it would get dirty and chewed on by rats. No point arguing about it. Let him do what he wants. I am going to continue to dispose of stuff quietly. Found a bunch of his old lineman spec books in the shed. He tried to give them to DS3 years ago but DS3 said they were out of date. He tried to give them to DS2 this time. No success - DS2 refused them as well. Very insulted. Another valuable heirloom I will have to transport to Texas probably. I hope they don't get lost on the trip.

Well, got to go look for food. I told the family to forage for dinner with? the left over curry and fajitas. Plenty for dinner. I was too busy alternately cursing the printer and trying to make it work. Another candidate for Baymule repair therapy. Where's my hammer? I need the big one.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

The lineman spec books, are they in decent condition and over 20 years old? If so, you could try to sell them as 'vintage', maybe make some money off them to buy the connex?

 

[Baymule]

My son bought 2 Conex from somebody in Marshal off Facebook marketplace. They are 40’ long, I think he paid $3500 each delivered, but not set up. He didn’t have the concrete blocks to set them on. So he had to get the blocks and set them up. He plans to put a roof between them to park his RV in.

Happy printer crushing. It’s wonderful therapy for releasing tension.

 

[Ridgetop]

We have 2 brand new 24' Connexes here (that DS3 offered to load on his flatbed and bring out to Texas when we move). We also want to roof between them for hay storage. Been wanting to do that for several years. DH did put corral fencing around them and then DS1 stacked all the extra corral and fencing pieces inside to keep the horses and sheep from getting around them and being injured when they knock one over. We also have another corral just for scrap metal. Hopefully DS1 will take a load of it to the metal yard and sell it soon. At least it can't escape and run off! LOL

Today no puppy, or babies! Elizabeth comes after school and will feed Crystal and do homework. She has started asking for Crystal's bottle as soon as she gets here and just before she leaves so she can feed her.

Today going to try to empty the remaining items out of the milk shed. Moldings to go in the loft of the toolshed, rabbit cages still in flat pack shipping boxes (which will go to Texas with us for the new rabbitry), the old wood stove from Yelm which I am not sure can be repaired now, and miscellaneous junk to discard.

Also to come out of the milk shed are several items we will take to Salvation Army. Found our old solar charger which I will add to the items going to DS3. It needs a couple of wires reattached which DS3 can do easily then he can run a hot wire for his horses and calf to graze in specific areas. I will keep the hot wire tapes and equipment for Texas, and buy another charger if we decide to use hot wire. Might want it to keep the sheep away from the game fencing or protect new trees and garden. We will see. Eventually will have to go through the boxes and bins in the milk shed again. Did get out the 2 large plastic bins of extra horse tack and add them to DDIL's haul. Also found 2 boat life jackets in one Connex that can go to DS3 as well. One of the 2 old boats will be leaving this weekend to go up there with all the horse tack, etc.

Not sure what to do about the anatique wood cookstove we brought home from Yelm as well. In working condition and not a scratch on it. Was going to donate it to a museum (one of those old houses museums) but DH suggested bringing it to Texas to sell (???) On the other hand if we bring it to Texas maybe we should just put it in one of the outbuildings and use it if the power goes out? I have a box full of working kerosene lamps from Yelm too. I will bring those in case the winter storms last year turn out to be the "new normal". Actually, we plan to buy a propane generator that will run the house in emergencies. There is no propane on the property, but we can always put in a tank and maybe switch to propane for cooking in the kitchen since I don't like cooking on electric. OR just use my Instapot, electric oven, and electric skillet! OR let everyone else cook! No, DH belongs to the school of leave the dishes and dirty counter behind. DS1 belongs to my school of clean as you go. The worst offender is DS2 who belongs to the school of use every dish and pot in the cupboard and leave it all for someone else to clean up. I guess I need to keep cooking, but maybe I could just start using paper plates?

Got to go feed Crystal and the ewes and lambs in the barn. Need to weigh the lambs again but I hurt my hand the other day and broke a whole bunch of blood vessels inside it. It completely swelled up and turned an interesting shade of purple. No knuckles on that hand, and it looked like an inflated rubber glove! Did not break any bones but pretty painful for a couple days. Getting better now but still no noticeable knuckle bones and can't close the hand completely or lift stuff. Mainly coffee cups and small items since I can't close the fingers to grasp. Luckily typing does not require closing the hand or any pressure on the keys.

Got to get a new printer asap. Also got to meet with the venue today. Oh yes, and have DGD1 try on her flower girl dress to see f it needs to be let out. DGD2 tried hers on and there is plenty of room so she is good to go. DD2 needs to have a final fitting at Davids. Forgot about that. I also need to recut and sew her wedding petticoat which I cut down from DD1's. Then had to recut it and add a new top part from the hips up to accommodate the baby bulge Now need to take it back in! Oy Vey! DD2 will be over today since she has to finalize flowers. I can fit it then and remind her about scheduling a fitting with David's immediately. All the alterations have been paid for so she needs to get in and make sure they are correct. I really don't want to have to finish the alterations on her gown as well in the next 2 weeks! Now I know why parents cry at weddings - Dad cries over the cost while Mom cries with relief that it is over and she can finally take a Xanax and collapse!

Still very hot here but has dropped from over 100's to 90's. High 90's but lower. Gotta go get that bottle ready and feed.

 

[Ridgetop]

Posted too soon! DDSIL1 showed up with the puppy. Just when I thought we were safe.

DGD1 will be feeding the lamb later and

 

[Baymule]

Hahaha! You just thought you weren’t going to babysit today!

 

[Bruce]

The lineman spec books, are they in decent condition and over 20 years old? If so, you could try to sell them as 'vintage', maybe make some money off them to buy the connex?

Why would anyone want them?

 

[Ridgetop]

I cleared out the end of the milkshed and loaded a half pickup load of stuff for the Salvation Army.

Found Daddy's large clamps made with a long water pipe and slide on clamps. He used them when making cabinets. I used them to repair furniture many times. Also found what we thought was an attachment to a weed whacker we no longer have. Turned out to be a new(ish) battery hedge trimmer. I remember now that DH bought one 3 years ago when we cleaned up the Yelm property to rent it out. Keeping that! Those items came up to the tool shed with the moldings.

Sent a SS sink to Salvation Army. It was our laundry sink in the old garage laundry. We kept it to use in either the tool shed or the new laundry. Not bothering to install it now even though there are water outlets in each location. Debating over whether to donate my old tile saw. I used it to install back splashes and tub surrounds in 7 kitchens and 11 bathrooms in the apartment, then used it at DS3's
old house to do their kitchen counter. Installed all that with the Italian tile I got at Habitat. I bought a complete pallet of 6" tiles in a neutral sand color. I got edging in matching/contrasting colors since there was no edging tile with it. I used mostly black and used formica countertops to pick up the black and sand colors. All bathrooms turned out beautifully and all prospective tenants raved abut the tile. A little know how, some shopping expertise, and all that tile work done for only $200 in tile! I love DIY.

Still more to go to salvation Army, but have to get to it in the Connexes. Next stuff to go will be the saddles and tack, boat, etc. to go to DS3. There are 8 saddles, a larger number of bridles, saddle blankets pads, bareback pads, halters, saddle racks, shipping boots, fly and winter blankets, and miscellaneous stuff. Huge moving boxes of stuff. The 7' x 7' Rubbermaid shed is full of the tack!!! Oh yes, I need to check my box and pull out the lamb halters. Although I can wait to give those to the DGSs until I give them lambs. I also need to find the stretchy Fair lamb coats too. Found the show sticks and pig canes. I need to remember to take the Chafing dish from my inside cabinet too. I might also have some pretty serving dishes for the children later too. Maybe I should pull a "Gammy" and wrap them for Christmas! Save some $$$$$!

Sent out the emails to all the wedding venue participants - cake, photo, DJ, coordinator, etc. and set final appointment with the venue manager. All set. Then sent an email to the officiant to remind her and make sure she has the day free for rehearsal. We had to pay for a minimum of guests. It is possible that we will have less guests than the minimum, but the venue has said we can arrange to put in some extras (ceiling hangings, extra hours of bar service, etc.) in lieu of the unused guest charges.

DS1 got me a new printer and spend several hours hooking it up and figuring out how to print the invitations with me. We got them printed out and the menu cards as well. Then I had to retype a lot of the addresses - I am using labels instead of doing them by hand like I did for DD1's wedding. More time and younger 16 years ago! In calligraphy too! Anyway, tomorrow I will print the labels and get the invitations into the mail. I asked everyone to RSVP immediately by phone. That will save me postage on the menu acceptance cards.

Met DD2 at the florist and arranged all the flowers. Then DD2 made an appointment for her final fitting. She needs to get pair of shoes and possibly new undergarments, She complained that she needed to tighten her tummy more, but since she weighs 100 lbs., her tummy is flat as a pancake, and the dress is a lace up style, no worries. I just have to alter the petticoat from maternity to normal. Tried DGD1's flower girl dress on her and it just fits. No room for error. She wanted to keep wearing it because she "felt so pretty". I told her she could wear it every day after the wedding. I remember when we bought the dresses we got a larger size for DGD2 but couldn't get a larger size for DGD1. She needs a new pair of white shoes - her mother will get them for her next week.

DGS2 is worried about being ring bearer at the advance age of 10. I assured him it would be fine because it was an important job. Offered him the job of being train bearer but he prefers to remain ring bearer. Got hold of the wedding coordinator, minister, cake baker, and photographer. Scheduled the rehearsal an final meeting at the venue. If Gov. Gruesome cancels this wedding I am going to be in line to drive a stake through his heart! I would be acquitted I am sure - just need the jury members to be mothers who have done weddings for daughters! So wedding is back on schedule.

This afternoon got the rest of the "baby jail" panels out of the barn loft. DD2 wants se of them so we hosed them off and she will take them home and scrub them up. These are panels that fit together to make a large play yard for infants and toddlers. You can't buy them anymore, and I bought 5 sets used 14 years ago when DGS1 was born. I have kept them, passed them around to the girls and now the next set of grandkids will be able to use them. They are one of those things that are so useful you pass it down instead of getting rid of it. We also used to put them together to block off the Christmas tree from crawlers and toddlers.

Made a start on emptying out my cupboards today too. Offered a chafing dish to DD2 and she snapped it up. Also saw a 3 tiered cake server in the cupboard and asked for it. SOLD! One will go to DDIL1 along with a nice electric fondue pot, and the ice cream maker. I won't need it in Texas, home of Bluebell Ice Cream!

Stuff keeps disappearing from my storage areas like receding water in a drought.

Tomorrow I will work on the milk shed and try to get it cleaned out for the shelving units. Not sure what we will store in there since it can't be anything rats could destroy. Everything will have to be stored in plastic or metal bins. But rabbit cages, wire, and items that are not chewable can certainly go down there. The metal folding stanchion could go there, also maybe some of the rubber buckets and smaller pans for the sheep. There are several large dog crates (both the old PVC airline crates and some newer wire crates) in the barn loft that could come down and be stored in the milkshed. Also quite a few X-pens. Space - beautiful space!

 

[Ridgetop]

Was really blown away by poor Farmerjan's news about her dad. Really thought he was doing better in spite of terrible tractor accident.

A whole week has gone by and I have gotten more emptied from Connex. Abut 20 boxes of books have been sorted and removed. 10 boxes have gone to the Salvation Army The library did not want them. We don't offer them to Good Will anymore. Delusions of Grandeur there. The books were mostly paperbacks in series - mysteries mostly. I have a lot on my Kindle now so the paper copes can go. I have another 6 boxes to go now. I think I will check out the VA hospitals and see if they want some of them They are almost new. Wish I lived close to Farmerjan instead of on the other side of the US - I would bring them to her to read during her knee surgeries. I have kept my favorite series though as well as some old series. Agatha Christie for one. Also have 2 boxes of books that were printed 80-100 years ago. Told DS1 to find a place to sell them.

Still more up in the loft of the tool shed - probably another 12-18 boxes up there. I hate to dispose of them but I have collected them over 60 years and don't have that much time left to read them all over again! Might as well let someone else enjoy them. 3 boxes have gone to DD1 for her kids.

I also was able to find enough storage in the cabinet that I took the chafing dishes from to store my canned goods and noodles. An overhead and hard to reach cupboard was cleared out and that is where I stored the 10 containers of coffee. God forbid we should go short on COFFEE!!!

DGS2 was with us yesterday - a child in his class is positive for Covid so he is home. He is 11. Negative test Monday for him and he gets another one today. If negative he goes back to school on Friday. Told him not to worry since I had a magic cure for Covid now!

Sadly a 12year old boy in their scout troop just died of Leukemia yesterday. He and his 2 14 year old sisters have some genetic defect which contributes to the disease. The 2 sisters have the defect but not the disease yet. Their triplet brother does not have the defect. The older sisters and brother are all fraternal triplets. A horrible thing to lose a child and know that your 2 daughters may die before they are out of childhood. My heart breaks for these parents and children. Both DGSs are very upset.

I was laid up for 2 days with colitis. Better now but not eating much until it is resolved. Spend all day Monday laying down with a heat pack on my side.

4 refusals and 2 acceptances. Sadly DSIL2 grandmother said she won't come after all. She cares for a mentally retarded son and is afraid she is starting to get Alzheimers. Said she is worried about being able to cope on the trip from Florida. It is a shame since she and DSIL are very attached. I suggested that he and DD2 fly back with Annabel for a visit. Looks like we will be short of people. Anyone want to come? Next week we will start calling people to get RSVPs and menu selections. I paid for a minimum number of people so can't just deduct from that.

Governor Gruesome has evaded recall. It was to be expected with mail in ballots. We are now waiting for his revenge act. I am actually hoping for him to shut down the restaurants so we can just have the wedding at home at this point. I am taking in the wedding petticoat today. Have already altered it from pregnancy baby bulge but still too big. DD2 needs to buy new shoes and bra. After baby has gone down in bust size. Told her since dress was lace up corset style that we could just lace her in tighter. Last fitting this weekend. Really want to get this wedding over and done. At this point is is kind of like deja vu with her having a baby already!

The never ending wall is approaching completion. Once it is done, I am going to ask DH and DS1 to put up some fencing below so we can move the creep ewes and lambs there and move the new lambs into the creep.

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