Ridgetop - our place and how we muddle along

[greybeard]

Love it! but it would have been better if you had been singing it!

Probably been lots easier to sing than it was to live it.

 

[Rammy]

Sounds like a busy day!

 

[Ridgetop]

Still working on too/workshop. Milking shed is almost emptied. Shelves are in and all items sorted into containers and on shelves. Lots of open shelves left. Tool/workshop now emptied to point that I can get to walls. large industrial shelving units in shop have been moved to milk shed and am sorting tool, equipment, nuts and bolts into jars, etc. Lots of this junk came from Daddy's workshop when we cleaned it out after he died before selling the property. Should have dumped more of the stuff at the time!

Sent a load of children's stuff to Goodwill, along with some lightweight plastic shelving units which we used to put the grandchildren's toys on. Apparently they don't take any children's items anymore, including clothes, crib sheets, etc. They also don't want anything that is not in new condition. If it was in new condition I would still be using it. Duh!

So now all the stuff that is lightly used must go to the dump instead at $75.00 per load. Actually, if I had a larger truck, it would have cost the same amount but for just one pick up load the minimum is $75.00. I just got rid of a pickup load of wood and trash, now I get to start another dump pile with usable stuff. I have a lot of trash wood from an old feeder in the lower goat barn so it can go at the same time. Hopefully we can get DS3's dump trailer up here and toss everything in it. It is huge and holds about 10 pickup loads. We can get rid of everything at once with it. With Goodwill getting so picky it is not really worth the effort and time to try to donate anything to them. DS1 says it shows that California welfare is too high when Goodwill will not take any used items because the poor turn up their noses at used stuff!

DS1 had new lambing pens almost installed in barn. Dorper yearlings are HUGE and developing cute little udders. Hoping for twin ewe lambs from each of them! The Dorset ewes are getting big too, but since they are 3 year olds and have lambed several times before, their udders are still empty. Dorpers are due next month according to my calendar.

 

[Baymule]

Goodwill turning down children's clothes?

Lambs! I hope they have twins for you!

 

[Wehner Homestead]

Check for a local Salvation Army or maybe a church would take them? I know ER’s also keep a closet for people that need clothing when they leave there. Maybe a youth shelter or abused women’s home??

 

[Ridgetop]

Can't sleep so decided to look over this journal and see what stories I have not posted yet. I was surprised to see that I got completely sidetracked by politics and complaining about the government!

Here is another pig story, as you can see we learned a lot over the years.

We also learned our lessons in the keeping of pigs. NEVER keep more than 1 pig per child. Have a large separate pen for each one if possible, although 2 can share happily if necessary. Spend lots of individual time with your pig if you want it to be tame. Our best pig keeping fun was with only 1 or 2 hogs at a time. Luckily as they grew older, our children each developed affection for their favorite market species. They all did the main family breeding projects, but then they divided into cattle or hogs. DS1 and DS3 liked hogs. DD1 did not. DS2 could take ‘em or leave ’em depending on how he felt that year. DD1, DS2 and DS3 loved veal calves. DS1 had bad luck with his calves even though they were raised identically. DS3 loved cows and raised 2 replacement heifers at different times. We raised a lot more hogs for 4-H and our own table. But mention Devil Pig at a family gathering and there is a superstitious pause, an ingathering of breath, salt is thrown over a shoulder, and then the stories start.

One of our favorite hog raising experiences was a blue butt raised by DS3. Our other children decided they didn’t want to raise hogs that year. DD1 had graduated and was busy in college. DS1 was getting set to graduate from high school, and decided to concentrate on his lambs. DS2 was busy with his growing dairy goat herd, and would do lambs, veal, and market goats. DS3 decided to do a single hog in addition to his other market animals. Our Poland Spot breeder had retired and sold up, but after years in 4-H we had other contacts now. We located a large commercial breeder 3 hours north who also bred and sold project pigs to 4-H and FFA kids.

Arriving at the hog operation, we met the young owner who offered us a tour of his facilities. Always up for a learning experience we leapt at the opportunity. WOW! He had the biggest boars we had ever seen, manure pits with water under the floors, separate pens with different weight grower pigs in each. The brood sows were in model farrowing pens with their piglets. He pointed out the farrowing bars – bars attached about 12” above the floor and 12” out from the pen walls, that enabled baby piglets to squirm away from the sow as she stretched out to feed her litter. Sows are so large and heavy that they can crush their piglets against the walls of the pen without even realizing it. The farrowing bar gives the little piglets room to squirm out of the way. His feeding operation was also incredible. It was completely mechanized and used giant turn screws to deliver a set amount of pig chow through giant pipes into each pen at specific times each day. All his alleyways were gated at specific points making it easy for one or two people to handle lots of hogs themselves. The days of many people wielding pig boards were over! This was the future of hog raising!

No, it did not make us want to jump into raising hogs. Large amounts of pigs, even in a model operation, still smell. A lot. The owner walked to the project pig pens with DS2 and DS3 on either side of him. As they walked he asked when their Fair was. How many days to Fair? What was the desired Fair weight? What was the normal daily weight gain for a pig? The boys had all the answers at their fingertips. We were thorough in our training. DH and I glowed with pride. Now the $100,000 question - What weight pig did they need if the pig gained x lbs. per day? This was trickier, since the boys had to do the math in their heads, not DS3’s best subject. However, we under estimated them. Apparently, they had discussed this in the car. Over the years we had had pigs that we had to push to gain enough weight (add corn), and pigs we had to hold back to avoid going overweight (cut feed with oats). DS3 proudly told the breeder the approximate weight he thought he would need for his Fair pig. They had reached the project pigs by now and the breeder gave them another lesson on choosing a prime hog. From hogs that were too small, to hogs that were at slaughter weight, the breeder showed the boys what they needed to look for in a Grand Champion hog. Now DS3 chose his hog, a prime blue butt barrow.

After paying the breeder and receiving the bill of sale, we all washed our hands. Our picnic lunch was waiting in the truck. DH pulled the trailer around and in less than 3 minutes the hog was loaded in the trailer. No pig cart, no pig boards, no shouting, no pig mud! It is amazing what can be done with a turn key operation! We drove home, eating our sandwiches, to the tune of 2 boys arguing over the perfect name for the soon to be prize winning pig.

More later . . . .

 

[Bruce]

Goodwill here still takes used clothes, toys, etc. They don't take things like bead craft kits or things with filters. Or diaper covers which I find really weird since they take used underwear.

There has to be somewhere you can donate the things you have in good condition. Any refugee resettlement organizations?

 

[Latestarter]

Many shopping malls and grocery store parking lots have drop bins for clothes and such.

 

[Ridgetop]

I am amazed that they will not take the children's toys, or plastic shelves in good condition. They also want everything in scrubbed (not hosed off) pristine condition. Small scratches or wear on furniture is also cause for rejection. Stuff that I would buy they don't want. Either I am not picky or the 'under privileged" here are too picky. My on sys they get too much welfare. When we had our apartment building I added up the benefits a mother with 3 children gets - free 3 BR apartment (sons and daughters cannot share a room), free medical, food stamps, welfare money for self and each child, etc. The older children are entitled to free college too because they are low income. The total income in benefits here in southern California came to the equivalent of a $70,000 annual wage. Not surprising no one wants to get off welfare here and get a job.

However, I am not going to worry about it. Regular clothes are still acceptable, along with smaller housewares. My son was told that they cannot accept any children's items anymore because of "liability issues". I got most of my best kid's toys (Little Tykes and Playskool) at thrift stores! I understand carseats now have an age limitation and of course, you don't know if they have been in an accident when buying used, but toys?! Really?! Doesn't anyone know how to sanitize anything?!

Well, I have taken care of my Bridge club Agenda and announcements for Friday's Board meeting. I am the club president this year. This illustrious position entitles me to hear all the complaints from all these old geezers and gals when they are unhappy about anything. The room is too hot, the room is too cold, the snack is not what they like, etc. Just like raising my kids again! Luckily, I have a terrific Board this year. I am also laying down the law strictly about the rules hoping that my iron fist approach will keep me out of the position next year. I have heard rumors that it is not working.

Well, back to the Tool/workshop cleanup. At least the weather has gotten cooler - low 80's. I can see the cupboards in the workshop now - not long until I can open them and put stuff away!

 

[Ridgetop]

Still working on the Tool/Workshop cleanout. More stuff sorted and boxed, i.e. concrete working tools, drywall tools, 3 boxes of assorted painting tools, electrical stuff, plumbing stuff, drip irrigation lines, 2 pressure canners and 15 boxes of canning jars - assorted sizes, 2 water bath canners and jelly/jam/pickle making supplies, rabbit cage parts 5 boxes, miscellaneous horse tack 2 boxes (more in large Conex), assorted tractor stuff, etc. Still need to sort out the hand tools, power tools, Bosch tools in boxes, etc. and put them on shelves in Tool/Workshop. Still, I am getting there after a week of straight sorting.

Now, for a little light reading, back to DS3 and his blue butt hog, Hubert . . . .

Raising one pig – what charm, what joy, what ease, what fun! The terrors of Devil pig were far behind us. Many other hogs since then had come and gone. We had learned a lot – mainly never to keep more than 2 at a time, and make sure they had a lot more space than the minimum square foot per pig required in "Everything You wanted to Know About Raising Pigs", Volume I. Volume II probably corrected the measurements by adding a 10 in front of the square footage. I did not have Volume II, but not to worry since we only had one pig in a space that had progressively gotten larger since the infamous 7 pig debacle.

We had our trusty scale, our pig cart, a 2-horse trailer, pig canes, the appropriate feeders and waterers, and the hopefully perfect pig. DS3 was ready to compete for the ultimate award, the rosette, trophy, and title of Grand Champion!

Looking at the pig classes you might think that all the showman had to do was follow the hog around the ring waving a cane. And that is what a lot of the FFA and younger 4-H kids did. It was certainly what my children had done during their earlier hog showing years. Occasionally a group of children would converge on their uncooperative hogs who had bunched into a corner of the ring and proceed to beat them over the heads with their canes in a vain attempt to get them back out into the main ring, The dads, armed with the ever present pig boards, would leap in, dispersing the pigs and children back into the general melee.

However, over the years we had found that we needed training from experienced persons in showmanship. We were driving 1-2 hours one way to receive lamb and goat showmanship instruction. The same with DS3’s replacement heifer in a completely different direction. I had purchased all the Purina show videos. We had watched them for hours. I had set up a large mirror closet door on the driveway for showmanship practice. It was progress, but it was not enough.

We had noticed that some of the older kids demonstrated a panache, a debonair je ne sais quoi, during their time in the ring. Somehow their pigs were always in front of the judge, turning to display porcine charms on either side, as if the pigs themselves knew they were parading in front of a judge of ultimate hog beauty. Obviously, these exhibitors had an edge that allowed them to control their pigs with a meager little 24” fiberglass rod. We needed that knowledge.

For DS3 and his pig to reach the pinnacle of success he needed to learn showmanship to a much higher degree. A good showman can make a lesser animal look better, while a poor showman can make a champion pig look terrible. We had the right teacher only 20 minutes away, practically in our own backyard.

Marcia was the 4-H leader from whom we had purchased our pig cart when her sons graduated from 4-H. She offered to teach DS3 showmanship. For years before they graduated and went off to college Marcia’s 2 sons had won both the market classes and showmanship classes. Showmanship wins are almost as important as auction wins. The classes are separated by both age and organization 4-H, FFA, Grange. The winners of their species and division compete in Master Showmanship. In Master Showmanship the exhibitors must show all species. The Master Showmanship winner is eligible to compete at the penultimate ***STATE FAIR***!

Most project leaders ended up specializing in 1 or 2 species. (Not our family, of course, but go figure.) Marcia was the go to for pigs. For the first 3 lessons Marcia came to our house. Once GS3 had the basics under his belt we had to bring the boy and pig to her house for further training with her own project member. This meant loading the pig into the trailer and driving to her house. We had to back into the driveway and unload the pig then park at the curb since Marcia’s house, once in a rural area, was now situated on a very busy street. I was undecided whether I was more worried that Hubert might get out in the road and get killed, thus terminating DS3’s plans for a triumphant win, or damage someone’s tiny car, making us liable for thousands in repairs.

Under Marcia’s tutelage DS3 learned to move Hubert around with his cane. We had a lightweight bamboo cane my Daddy had found in his garage and given to the kids for their pigs. I had also bought new fiberglass pig canes – 24” lightweight rods. Pig canes are used to guide the pig around the ring. The term “caning your pig” does not mean beating at it with your cane. DS3 was determined to do well at Fair with Hubert. He practiced every day. He exercised Hubert by running him on the field. This included DS3 and DS2 riding the pig. Riding your pig is a sport much favored by small 4-H boys. Not so much by 4-H mothers as it results in torn clothing and occasional blood. Hubert was a mild natured pig who became very attached to our family. During a family work party in the barn I came up to the house for something and found a happy Hubert grunting his way down the hall. He had left a trail of pig mud along one wall. Upon being summoned, DS3 was surprised to realize that he and DS2 must have forgotten to lock Hubert back up after playing with him. DS3 felt that Hubert must have been looking him and had tracked him into the house, especially since Hubert was discovered trying to enter his bedroom. In spite of his protests that we should overlook DS3’s irresponsibility and admire Hubert’s obviously high IQ, DS3 was handed a bucket, brush, and towel after he had returned Hubert to his pen.

The pig cane is used as a guide to point toward where you want the pig to head. The whole idea is for the pig to be guided back and forth in front of the judge so the judge can admire its perfection. You always want to have your animal looking its best when the judge suddenly looks at it so you always have to be working at presenting your animal at all times. In the lamb-goat-cattle show ring the animals are led in a circle and the judge turns to look at them. Then you stop and set up your animal and the judge feels the animal’s structure and meat. In the pig ring, the hogs mill around while the judge walks through them, or stands watching. The good showman guides his pig to a spot about 6’ from the judge. Any closer and the judge cannot see the pig’s length, any further and the pig disappears in a swarm of pigs and exhibitors. The good showman keeps his hog moving slowly in front of the judge so the judge can admire his structure and see that he has no flaws. The pig that is hiding in a corner, or hidden behind 10 other hogs, cannot be seen to be appreciated.

Since we are talking about hogs, often this is wishful thinking. Our local Grange allowed children starting at age 5 to show all large livestock. Because 5 year olds simply follow their hogs around the ring while their parents look on proudly, most of the Grange parents started their 5 year olds on hogs. It was considered the "easiest" animal to show because the parents pushed it to the ring in the pig cart, turned it loose, and shoved their child in after it. Some of the smallest Grange kids had heavy canes with which they smacked their pigs over the head, probably because the canes were larger than they were and so heavy they could barely lift them. Hogs, possibly mistaking a thump from a cane for an attack by another hog, started fights in the ring causing dads with pig boards to rush to separate them and prevent children from being bitten. Occasionally a dad was a casualty. Canes waved wildly, and sometimes landed on other exhibitors as well as hogs. Often there were tears. It was complete pandemonium until the judge weeded out the class. Once the class was thinned out the older Grange exhibitors had a chance to show their pigs without danger. The Grange hog classes always drew a large crowd of spectators. It was good entertainment and those of us not in the ring with pig boards enjoyed the show.

Luckily, the pig classes were divided according to Grange, FFA, and 4-H, so DS3 would not be in the ring with the Grange exhibitors.

When it came time for Fair, Hubert was loaded into his pig cart and scrubbed with a brush till his skin was positively rosy. His coarse pig bristles were shaved off, and he was rubbed with sunscreen lotion to prevent sunburn. Light skinned pigs get sunburned easily. They become very cranky since they hurt and are not pleasant to show. We wanted Hubert to be in his normal mellow mood. At the fair grounds Hubert had a pen all to himself since he was the only market pig entry from our club. This was a good thing since strange hogs abruptly penned together will fight. DS3 used most of the shavings we had brought with us for Hubert's pen. This caused harsh words from his sister and brothers who now had no shavings for their livestock pens, and a tongue lashing from myself because I had to go pick up another load of shavings. DS3 ignored us all as he proudly hung up his information card above the pen holding his beloved Hubert. Serene in his soft shaving filled sty, his water barrel with Lixit valve in place, J feeder brimming with feed, Hubert’s world was a happy one. DS3 spent much of his time at that Fair with Hubert.

When it was show time, Marcia was on hand to cheer on her protégé. As DS3 entered the ring with Hubert, he had a look of intense concentration on his face. Hubert looked great, his little piggy eyes shone with complacency, his skin gleamed. He knew he looked good. DS3 kept Hubert moving around the judge, about 6' away from him. The judge kept looking at all the hogs but his eyes kept coming back to DS3 and Hubert. I actually had my eyes shut when the judge awarded the 4-H Champion ribbon to DS3 and Hubert!

Although DS3 did not win the coveted Grand Champion or even Reserve Grand Champion placing, he did come in 3rd out of about 100 hogs with his 4-H Champion award. DS3 also won 1st place in 4-H Showmanship which meant even more to him since it won him a place in the Master Showmanship competition! His hard work paid off and he was very proud of himself.