Ridgetop - our place and how we muddle along

[Ridgetop]

DH has Checked weather report and says that we will leave Saturday - apparently weather is letting up for a week. I did laundry and repacked. I am taking sleeping bag, pillows, 3 wool blankets for us along with thermals, wool socks, gloves, etc. Also packed laundry bag to stuff with straw from Idaho barn, old wool blanket for puppy, waterproof pad, collars and leash, crate for in the motel, and chew bones. Puppy will ride loose in back seat of truck, but not trustworthy overnight in motel and won't leave in truck overnight so will see if crate works. Otherwise, if noisy, puppy will have to sleep with us. Bonding. LOL I will take computer in case I have time to check emails.

 

[Ridgetop]

Where did you go?

Yes, we sat in front of windows and enjoyed huge surf, stormy weather, and played bridge, 4 handed cribbage, and worked on a puzzle. Tried to go on a whale watch, but they were leaving fro Ventura instead of Oxnard location. They didn't specify when we booked, and we didn't know there was a second location! Next trip was Wednesday, but it was canceled due to big storm. I enjoy winter at the beach when I am inside and warm. LOL Briefly made me consider buying a beach house instead of a farm, but I don't think I could handle being so close to the neighbors and visitors during the season. It was busy enough on Saturday when the sun was shining!

 

[greybeard]

We spent a week on the beach one time, it was cold, blustery and stormy. But it was nice just to get away and enjoy being somewhere else.

A little beach goes a long way for me. I spent a year "living" within 200 yards of the sandy beach, in sight of the surf, and got really really tired of the sand in my food, my hair, my eyes, my ...well, places I didn't want sand, but fortunately, spent most of my awake time far away from that water line. Arrow is where I sometimes slept if I wasn't sleeping in another little building about 1000 yards off to the right but out of frame of this picture.

 

[Ridgetop]

I don't like going in the water - I don't like to swim in water where I can't see what is in with me LOL - and the sand does get tiresome, but sitting inside behind wall to wall windows watching the surf was lovely. I find the surf to be very relaxing - possibly it is putting me into some sort of hypnotic trance. LOL I also got terrific cards and made 3 grand slams and several small ones! God loves me.

 

[Senile_Texas_Aggie]

Miss @Ridgetop,

I completely understand how you loved the stay at the beach. My Beautiful Gal and I used to LOVE the beach. Not long after we married, we moved to Ft Walton Beach, FL, with the intention of living there for the rest of our lives. Alas, we had to move after 9 months to, of all places, Reston, VA! Since that time we have gradually replaced our love for the beach with a love of the mountains -- I got to where I would sunburn easily and now have skin cancers that have to be removed. But in 2009 and again in 2010, we went to Ocean Shores, WA, in May. The weather was mostly cloudy and quite cool, the storms were very fun to watch, and listening to the surf was so relaxing. So I think I fully understand how you felt.

Mr. @greybeard, is that a picture of Quantico Marine Base? If so, I don't remember an island or peninsula being just offshore there. Or is that somewhere in Vietnam or somewhere else?

Senile Texas Aggie

 

[greybeard]

Mr. @greybeard, is that a picture of Quantico Marine Base? If so, I don't remember an island or peninsula being just offshore there. Or is that somewhere in Vietnam or somewhere else?

Senile Texas Aggie

Definitely not Quantico and the towers aren't for lifeguards.
That was 'whereislept'.
this is 'whereiworked'.

 

[Baymule]

@Ridgetop please do be careful on your trip. Go get your puppy and come back home safe. Waiting. On. Pictures!

 

[Ridgetop]

OK! We are off to Idaho early tomorrow am! All packed and just the cab to load tomorrow. Lots of emergency supplies since I don't trust the weather and don't plan to be a tragic frozen statistic found in the spring thaw. Of course, we only need them when I don't bring them, but it is better to be prepared for disaster! LOL

DH has checked weather reports and I have called litter owner in Idaho. She says the snow is gone after a week of rain in Idaho, however lots of snow through northwestern Sierras and northern Nevada. Truckee, NV, (near the Donner Pass) got 4 feet in 24 hours last Wednesday! DH says that we have to go tomorrow since there will be a safe gap between 2 storms. We hope to make Winnemucca, NV, by Saturday night, which will put us into Mesa, ID, on Sunday night. Debra Buckner (litter owner) owns the Elkhorn B & B in Mesa. We will stay there overnight and chat about LGDs, meet the puppies, their parents, and her flock of sheep and goats.

Baymule: Debra raises Dorpers and Katahdin crosses for meat, owns mules, has Nubian dairy goats, and makes her own cheese!!! Do we know anyone like that?
She also has poultry, etc., and serves all her own homemade stuff at the B & B. In the summer she takes her guests on rides up into the Idaho mountains on her mules. She is surrounded by wolves, cougar, bear, and everyone's nemesis - coyotes. She hasn't lost any livestock with her dogs, but her neighbors have. She is keeping one of the puppies for her self. We have talked on the phone several times, and she sounds very nice. I am really looking forward to meeting her in person. The sire of the puppies is a Turkish imported Anatolian. He is a brindle. The dam is a niece to Rika and a half sister to Bubba. I am looking forward to seeing what a brindle Anatolian loos like. The male is really lovely in photos, but has close cropped ears like they do for working dogs in Turkey. At first glance the photo did not look like an Anatolian. But having seen pics of Turkish working dogs, I realized what I was seeing. He is very striking since he is a bright brindle. Looing forward to seeing the litter - 1 puppy already left last week and another is going Sunday. Debra said she cries each time one goes away. I told her to think of the great homes they are going to and her feed bill. She cheered up.

I will let everyone know once we are home with the puppy and post pics then. I haven't told the grandkids that we are bringing a puppy home! They will be sooo excited. I can't wait to see their faces.

Their mother said she would think about letting them have a rabbit for a pet. They are currently chick sitting 2 quail chicks that belong to the sister of DS2's girlfriend. There were originally 3 chicks but an unfortunate accident occurred when my 5 year old granddaughter tripped and sat on her assigned chick. It was a sad and traumatic happening and we do not speak of Chirpy. The other 2 are growing well and don't miss their brother. I am thinking of sneaking in a Plymouth Rock chick for DGD.

On another topic, we weighed lambs today and they are growing well on the barleycorn ration. ADG is around .7 lbs and hopefully they will all hit 100 lbs. around 4 months old. DS adjusted the creep gate and they are now realizing that they can get a second feeding of hay and grain in the creep. Banded the purebred Dorper ram. He is 6 weeks but weighs 50 lbs! Almost too large to get the band on. The purebred Dorper ewe that we are keeping is 2 months old now and has slowed her growth rate. She weighs 55 lbs. The crossbreds are 7 weeks old and weigh 51.2 lbs. and 45.3 lbs. I might mx some lamb grower in with the barleycorn to help the weight gain. Hopefully our grass will come up nice and strong after so much rain. Once the ewes are out on the grass, the lambs seem to grow faster. Maybe all the running and playing helps them work up an appetite! LOL Once the lambs go to the butcher, we will separate out the ewe lamb and put the ewes with the ram in his marking harness. I haven't decided whether to use the younger ram or to use the older one again. I liked what we got from him, but would like to try the young ram. We can switch back to the older ram next breeding. I also plan to buy a couple more Dorper yearling or lamb ewes this year.

Anyway, off to Idaho tomorrow!

 

[Baymule]

I'd love to see pics of the sire! @frustratedearthmother has a brindle Anatolian that I think is gorgeous.

 

[Bruce]

Debra said she cries each time one goes away. I told her to think of the great homes they are going to and her feed bill. She cheered up.

Tell her to join here and she can watch the dog grow by following your journal because we will DEMAND frequent picture updates.