Ridgetop - our place and how we muddle along

[Ridgetop]

Good, I will plant them in a container. I will look out behind the shed too since I think I saw some of those leaves there as well. They have been growing in almost compete shade under the trees so I will plant them in the barrels Mrs. MacDonald left on the front porch.

Another day, another 5 or 6 boxes emptied and put away. Also went to Quitman register the car in TX. Got our new plates for it. Have to do the truck when we bring it back. DH forgot about the gooseneck stock trailer, so we have to transfer that as well. I will check on it since the seller reregistered it for us before we picked it up. Then we went to the Driver's License office and got the forms for that. We will make an appointment for a date after we return from California. Then, we went to Potts Feed around the corner and got 25 lbs. of Land O' Lakes milk replacer. No problem with parking anywhere in Quitman so t only took about an hour. Flushed with success we went and had mani/pedis at the nail place in Sulphur Springs. DH likes this place because they offer you wine or beer. I like the chairs at the pedicure area - so comfortable - although the massage unit is pretty forceful and hurts my back. After a relaxing time there, we stopped at Lowes so I could get the smaller diameter bolts and nuts for the clamps. I picked up two 1x6" boards to repair the base cabinet I am making the island out of. Instead of lifting the cabinet DH dragged it across the porch and broke the bottom side. I can repair it and will actually put new pieces both on it and the one I am attaching to it since they are older cabinets. I installed them in the tool shed after finishing the apartment remodel (I bought them used at Habitat for that project) and pulled them out to use here. I still have to order the 36" wide deep drawer base cabinet. I might be able to use one of the oak cabinets I have in the shed since I want to put a 12" deep x 36" w overhead cabinet on the other end for a bookcase for my cookbooks. I have one oak cabinet that has no doors in the shed. I just have to measure to see if it is the right size, otherwise I will order one from Home Depot. Now that oak has gone out of style/favor, Lowes is not carrying them in stock. I did find the deep drawer base in oak at Home Depot though I have to order it. I am in no hurry to install the island yet since I want DS1 to help me remove the peninsula without damage to either the cabinet side or the peninsula which I plan to use for an eating counter on the island.

I need to get into DS1's room and get everything cleaned up. I used it to sort out pictures and a lot of stuff is scattered around in there. I need to pack up all the photos I am not going to use and wrap them for each child. Then they will go back to California to the children. I also have been breaking down the boxes for DD2 to use. She started packing without me though and said that she is practically finished so the boxes and bubble wrap and paper can go back in the Connex for the next person to move.

Another major storm came through last night. I lost power and the internet around 11pm. Went to bed and watched the lightning flash continually for several hours. The power finally came on early this am. The salesperson at Lowes though said that her power in SS was still off! Larry called and said that he lost power for about 7-8 hours and his generator kicked on. So glad we decided to make the generator a priority. I can live without AC for a day or so, but I would hate to lose the meat in the freezer. The propane guy said he thinks they can get out this week or next and then Bryan can hook up the Generac.

We have moved the bottle lamb outside. Her crate smells in spite of my constant changing of the puddle pad. Last night we put the older bottle lamb in with her since she has been limping on a rear leg. Big mistake. Lulu will curl up and go to sleep after her last bottle. Coco screamed most of the night. Today we kept them in the back yard and will put them in the crate on the porch tonight. I might bring Rika in with them.

I moved the last bookcase out of the living room. I am not going to roll the Bokhara rug out just yet. I have a lot still to do in the house and don't want it to get dirty from the rain and mud either. No rush yet.

 

[Baymule]

Those flower bulbs look like spider lilies. In the fall, they send up a single red flower. After the flower dies back, the leaves appear.

 

[Ridgetop]

Yesterday DH and I moved the rams' pen. This entailed moving and clamping together 16 12' gate panels with screen on them. DH unloaded 3 of the 12'-foot Priefert gate panels at the T-posts that used to be part of the electric fence. We made the new pen 3 wide then started back toward their current pen with the rest of the panels. When we ran out of the new panels it was time to take apart the ram pen. First, we took Baby 'Bota to the barn and attached the clamp on forks to the bucket. We tied our old friend, the 16' stock panel to a post and DH put some pellets in that corner. Once they were jostling for the pellets, I pulled the panel around and tied it to the fence to confine them. Then the work began. As I unclamped the panels DH picked it up on the forks and took it to the place it would go up. Once we got most of the panels moved and clamped, it was time to move the rams into their new space. We moved one more panel over and swung the panel over to make a funnel. Then I untied the stock panel and swung that Priefert panel out. The rams seeing the way to fresh grass obediently walked into their new pen. Last thing to do was drive a post to keep the pane in place. DH took care of that and then dumped the ram water and carried that tub around to refill it in their new pen. Their new pen has a gate into the garden where DH hopes new grass will come up. I told him that probably not like he thinks since it was all winter rye, and the horses ate it down and trampled it all before it could head up and seed. However, when we have to move the rams again we will be able to run them in there while we take apart the pen again.

Today DH and I are crippled. After our marathon workday yesterday, we staggered into the house and showered. Then we rubbed Arnica on each other. There was a time when it would have been sexy but the moans coming from our bedroom were of agony not pleasure. I made a quick dinner and we watched a little TV alternately congratulating ourselves on the work we had done and moaning in pain. After Blue Bell time we lay in bed whimpering as our legs cramped all night long. From groin to toes. Where there was a muscle there was painful cramping. Once I woke up with cramps in my groin, thigh, calf, ankle and side of my foot - all at once! I did not realize there were that many muscles that could cramp all at once. This morning, we tried to get out of bed, but were not successful. More Arnica was applied, more cramping experienced, and more moans occurred. We could have been the soundtrack for a movie - I leave it to your imaginations to decide what kind.

Finally, I got up and put on my clothes very slowly. I dispensed Ibuprofen and went out to let the sheep out and feed the bottle lamb. We had left the gate from the pasture to the yard open last night and Ozel discovered there was a highway closer than she realized. She spent about half an hour laying facing the highway barking at anyone who dared to travel past. Stranger Danger apparently. She accompanied me to the sheep pen. Rika was nowhere in sight. The horses were far out on the large field grazing. At least half of the small lambs were outside the pen grazing. I let out the sheep and looed for Rika. she was in the side barn waiting for me to move the heavy old cattle panel to let her out. She could have gone around - after all, that is how she got there - but so much nicer to have Mom move the heavy iron panel for her convenience. I accidently set it on my toe when moving it and now my big toe has joined the rest of my body complaining about abuse.

I tried to get DH to use the electric fence, but he doesn't trust it on the rams and wants to wait for DS1 to get here to use it. DS1 is planning to come out on the 11th. That won't give us much time to vaccinate, dock, and tag before we have to leave. We are driving back with our stock trailer and DS2's truck. I asked how we would get back with the stock trailer everything that would not fit in the gooseneck with DS1 if we were driving DS2's truck. He gave me a funny look and I said DS2 will want his truck back - what will we use to tow the stock trailer? DH said we could use DS1's old Explorer while we were back in California, and I said "Fine, but it won't tow the loaded stocked trailer back to Texas".

At any rate all we have planned for today is to get more eggs, and a trip to Lowes for a new toilet seat - for some reason ours has broken at the hinges - and if it is still on sale, a small refrigerator for livestock meds. If it is not on sale, we will wait. I still have a lot to do but my body has waged a strike.

On a good note, the propane guys came yesterday morning. They installed and hooked up the propane tank to the Generac. Now Bryan has to come out and connect the generator to the house panel.

 

[Mini Horses]

You've expressed your pain so lovingly

Someone to slather you with meds is a luxury. . Enjoy.

. Hmmm. How WILL you tow the trailer back?

 

[SageHill]

You had me laughing with that one. Mostly because it's too true for most of us!

 

[murphysranch]

soooo descriptive!!!

 

[Ridgetop]

Haven't been on in a while. Between the work we have been doing outside and the unpacking I'm still doing inside I have been really busy. Bryan came by to check the generator and discovered that although the generator box said 26KW our generator is actually a 22KW. I called Larry who got in touch with his guy who said that they would have to order a 26KW, but that they would deliver it and pick up the 22KW. Larry said that he had inspected the box and it said 26KW. That puts the generator hookup back a bit.

Having recovered from lung rot and constant coughing, I now came down with bad stomach pains and diarrhea. After a week DH forced me to go to Urgent Care it turned out I had Diverticulitis. Oh Joy! 4 prescriptions and 2 days later I am feeling somewhat better.

Meanwhile back at the CA ranch . . . DS1 was trying to load the gooseneck with all the corrals. it rained for a couple days, then he had to pick up both DD1's boys as well as Elizabeth from school, watch Annabel, attend Elizabeth's and Daniel's graduations from grade school and middle school respectively, all while trying to cut brush for fire clearance. Instead of being able to leave when we thought he was going to he was delayed until yesterday.

His story doesn't end there. Approaching Seligman, AZ, the truck lost power and he could only climb hills at 40 mph. He also had lost cruise control. DS1 wondered if it might be the turbo charger. DH said that he had that happen once before and the turbo charger had quit working - luckily there was a call back by Ford on the turbo so no cost to us to replace. Another time something similar happened was on our way to Yelm and the turbo hose had come undone. DH and DS1 discussed what to do and decided to try to find a diesel shop to check t out. Between calls to us from DS1, calls from DH to AAA, me trying to find a diesel mechanic and motel online in Seligman, we shared a nightmare for several hours. It was 5 pm so naturally all the diesel shops were closed in Seligman. Ash Fork had a truck stop so DS1 decided to limp into it and park. Ash Fork also had a diesel shop, but they were not AAA approved and would not take AAA. The shop was closed but they had 24-hour tow service with a diesel mechanic on duty on the truck who would come out and see what the problem was. $400 later the diesel tow guy said that since the engine and turbo were new and all the hoses seemed to be intact, it might be the fuel filters. The shop opened at 8 am and DS1 could bring the truck in then. He thought they had the fuel filters in stock. The only motel in town would not take dogs so DS1 had to sleep in the truck at the truck stop. In the morning, he would drive to the shop. Angel had had diarrhea on the moving pad in the back seat of the truck throughout the trip. Once the diarrhea stopped, she had disgusting gas. DS1 had to sleep in the truck with her and the smell. DS1 also reported that he had been feeling nauseous for the past 2 days. Annabel had spent the night and thrown up in her crib the morning he left. DS1 was not a happy camper and said that this is what comes of moving to Texas!

Meanwhile, back at the TX ranch DH and I discussed what we would do if the truck had a major problem. DS1 had said he would turn around and go back to CA. That was not an option. DH said he would buy a gooseneck ball and drive to AZ to pick up the trailer and come back to TX. Not an option either, I said, since he has to be in CA for his cataract test on the 21st, as well as his oncology, cardio and pulmonary appointments in July! Instead, I said he should go to AZ, pick up DS1, leave the truck and trailer in the storage lot at the diesel shop, and head to CA. I would cancel my knee surgery and stay here with the sheep. We discussed what could be done for about an hour. Finally. DH went to bed where he tossed and turned all night. I stayed up for another half hour then took a tranquilizer and slept through the night.

This morning DS1 went to the shop, they replaced the fuel filters, and he did a test drive. The truck was driving with normal power, the cruise control had come back online, and it appeared that the fuel filters were all that were needed. This afternoon DS1 called and said that along with heavy rain, lightning and wind the I-40 was closed to through traffic, and he had to detour around some police action that had closed both sides of the freeway - 2 hours to get around Albuquerque. Rick further stated that this was the trip from hell.

DS1 was going to stop in Santa Rosa for the night so I got him a reservation. He called when he finally reached the Santa Rosa Best Western and had gotten the last trailer parking spot. Aat least he will be able to shower, sleep and Angel will be able to stretch out and walk around a bit.

On a bright spot, we got a kitten for the barn although she was raised as a house cat. She spent 3 days in the dog crate being eyeballed intently by both dogs and screaming her displeasure at her confinement. Yesterday DH took me out to the barn, and I cleaned out the tack room so we could fit 2 new metal barrels in for sheep feed. He carried the sacks in, and I opened the sacks into the barrels. Then I had to stagger back to the house and collapse. The medication makes me sleepy and dizzy. We took the kitten out of the crate and out to the barn where the dogs sniffed her all over and followed her around as she explored. We left her out there last night. Tonight, DH brought her into the house to be fed. She smelled of pee from being in the crate so I held her under the bathroom faucet, washed her off, and dried her. Then she played a bit. DH went out to feed the dogs. Rika went back to the barn before being fed and I had to give them their Ivermectin and flea stuff, so I had to walk out there after her. Marv brought Rika's super and with the kitten to put her back i the barn for the night. It happily ran over to Rika who was eating her supper. Rika backed away from her bowl and let the kitten eat from her dinner. After the kitten was finished Rika finished her supper. So adorable! Apparently, this kitten now belongs to Rika and Ozel. Tomorrow we will have to introduce her to Angel. It is possible that the kitten will have to go back in the crate for another couple days while Angel stares at her!

There is a black dog that keeps coming along the side of the fence where the old house was torn down. It is medium sized and either Rika or Ozel could take it, let alone when Angel arrives. Ozel and Rika bark at it, and Ozel rushed to challenge it now. We are not sure where it comes from since there are no houses along the back of the property, or on that side for quite a while. I am surprised that anyone would just let their dog run where there is a highway with fast traffic zipping along. Strangely we have not heard a single coyote since we got here with the dogs and sheep.

Fading fast so off to bed.

 

[Baymule]

Poor Rick! Oh my gosh, what a terrible trip! Dog poopy squirts, stinky gas, break down, awful traffic, I hope he makes it the rest of the way with nothing else going wrong!

 

[Mini Horses]

Talk about a trip through he// hope he's there safe.

 

[SageHill]

Yike what a trip and a dog with the squirts and the truck - application for Sainthood should be filled out.
We ran into a similar problem with one of the motorhomes. Started at the bottom of the Grapevine. Top speed for us ….. 20 mph. Managed to get that fixed at the top. Needless to say you can guess how happy other drivers were even in the slow lane.