Ridgetop - our place and how we muddle along

[SageHill]

Congratulations - you made it through a LONG TIME and process to get to your dream. May it all be smooth sailing from here on out. This last year was a doozy to get through and you did it!
The pic -- OMG, it has such a calming feel to it. Yup - you are indeed HOME

 

[murphysranch]

But if your son lives with you, where is his recliner???

 

[Ridgetop]

We brought his recliner and DH's recliner to the ranch this trip. After a strenuous day of unloading the trailer and truck, sorting everyting out and moving it between the shed, barn, and house, both D and DS1 collapsed into their recliners. DS1 said that he is sad that it is here since he will be leaving for California in a week and won't have it there. LOL

After we sorted out everything, DH and DS1 drove the truck and trailer ut to the barn where they unloaded the fences for the jugs. Then they worked on the tractor and out the hay spear on it. Tomorrow they will pick up the flat bed trailer and after moving several bales of hay into the various pastures we will load t on the trailer and take it to the shop. We are not sure how long the tractor will be at the shop, but want to make sure that there is enough hay available for the sheep. There is still plenty of drying grass in the rear of the pasture the sheep are on. The grass is recovering on the pasture that was grazed during the summer. It is colder now and the grass is not growing like it does when the weather is warm though.

I am really disappointed in the way the lambs look. They had a rough start this year, but O had hoped that with grazing they would fill out. Some of them look really small and haven't filled out the way they usually do on alfalfa. I plan to cull them heavily and will send a load to the auction in another week or so. DS1 and I recounted and found that we actually lost more than I originaly thought. We lost a couple more lambs as well as another good ewe after I went back to California.

While DS1 and DH were working unloading the panels at the barn and working with the tractor, I started unloading boxes. I got about 15 boxes unpacked and put away, 3 loads of laundry washed, and a load of dishes done. DS2 had bought me new Cuisinart pots and a wok for Christmas so I got those washed and put away. We still need to put the meat from the rental freezer into the new one, but were too busy today. We have it for a month so no real rush on that. DS1 wants to return it to the store asap, do we'll get that done by next week when he leaves. Monday I have the NAHMS vet coming to take blood and stool samples so we have to set up a chute and separate out 25 sheep over 15 months old for the sample group. I will pull the 3 stud rams into the group if possible.

The dogs are working shifts. This morning DH and I went to turn out the ewes and as we walked back fro the rear field Ozel rushed out barking. When she realized it was us she was soooo happy. Angel and Rika were asleep in among the hay bales. Angel must have worked night sift. Roka was just sleeping since she has retired herself. LOL Rika is 12 now, and the last of her litter still living. Poor Rika has a bad patch where she has chewed the hair off her tail and a bare patch on her butt. DS1 wasn't sure what it was but when I looked at it I could see fleas running around on her skin. He has been using flea control every 30 days, but looks like we need to change brands for something stronger. I will worm the dogs tomorrow and that should also help. The other dogs don't show any problems.

I need to empty the spare room closet and figure out where to build additional shelves to store my sewing stuff. I had a 5' closet in California that was half full of those sewing bins. I need to find space here for them. I also have to double rod all the closets in this house. The double set of shelves is nice, but there is not enough hanging space. I think we also need to go through our clothes and dispse of some of them. I have a lot of "work" clothes that have paint, etc. on them that I should get rid of. The clothes that are old but still good can move into the "work" clothes spot. LOL

 

[Baymule]

I use Bravecto on my dogs. It’s a 3 month chew tablet. Only they won’t chew it. Do I break it in pieces and hide in something yummy.

 

[Ridgetop]

On Thursday DH and DS1 picked up the trailer for the tractor. It was a car transport and the tractor wheels barely fit - the tractor is just a bit too narrow. However, they managed to get it on and tied down. DH brought his giant metal hook and chain things (the name of which I can't remember) so it was secure. I continued to unpack but discovered that I had pulled muscle in my back. I needed to take oxycodone and use my cane FOR THE ENTIRE TRIP! We planned to leave early Wednesday but things had to be done so we got away later. It didn't matter since the shop was closed on Wednesday. The father had gotten a blister or stepped on a nail and it became infected to the point he ended up in ICU with sepsis. The daughter had to call her grandmother and her dad's best friend to force him to go to the ER. The nurses took one look at his foot and rushed him into the ICU. According to the daughter he has recovered enough to make the nurses' lives miserable by demnding to go home! I am sure they wil be happy to discharge him eventually. Anyway we drove to Cleveland (north of Houston) stopping in Lufkin to have dinner with Dana and a nice visit.

We decided to stay over in Cleveland in order to drop the tractor in the morning then drop the trailer at the U-Haul in Cleveland befoe heading to Leander to pick up Hazine from Erick. The motel told us there was trailer parking on "the access road behind the motel". HA HA! We were still pulling the tractor and trailer and found what had been described as the access road behind the motel. One narrow lane, no lights, but a car had come out before we turned in so ok. We went about a mie looking for the wide area to park the truck and trailer but road got narrower. By now we knew it was not correct but nowhere to turn around. Finally we saw ahead of us that the road was a dead end! DH had to back out of the pitch back tunnel! Luckily he is a fantastic driver with a truck and trailer - any size - and was abe t back it down the road to the parking lot entrance. The parking lot was full of work trucks from one company but the Popeye's next door said we could park in their lot.

Next morning we took the tractor to the shop which turned out to be a house belonging t the Farmtrac parts people. The mechanic was to pick it up in a day or so and work on it at his shop. DH left instructions to have the mechanic check everything over and let him know what else needed to be worked on. The tractor had bounced a bit on the transport and DH had a job to get it off without the wheel falling between the rails but he managed it. We decided to rent a flatbed trailer to pick it up. LOL

On to Cedar Park where we checked into another Best Western, then on to Leander. We arrived in time to visit with Erick and the puppy for an hour or so until it got dark and we went back to the motel. Next morning another short visit with Erick then we loaded Hazine into the truck and came back to Yantis. Still on Oxycodone for the pain and walking with a cane.

Once we got back, my back was still very bad but I had to do more unpacking and packing before Monday 25th when the NAHMS vet came to take the fecal, hoof, and blood samples. DS1 was due to leave on the 26th so after we fiished with the sheep (3 hours) he had to pack and do his laundry etc. He left around 6:30 am and will reach Shadow Hills this afternoon. His sister wants him to come over early tomorrow and do the turkey for her. LOL

Yesterday I spend several hours laying down with Ibuprofen hoping the muscle spasm would resolve itself but although I can walk without a cane now, it is still in spasm. I did find that if I carefully stand straight and ove slowly I can do some stuff without bending. I made spaghetti sauce and we wil have it tonight as well. Realized I don't have any Parmesan cheese so will have to start a list for all the stuff I don't have in the pantry. This morning, after going through 5 boxes, I finally found where I had packed the prescription muscle relaxer so I can take one and hopefully it will get better. Not taking Oxy anymore, just Ibruprofen. Super happy I don't have to cook a ginormous turkey dinner though. DH and I will have steak for Thanksgiving dinner with Blue Bell for desert. Can't find the dining room table so will eat at the kitchen counter. LOL

Going to post this now before I forget.

 

[Mike CHS]

We aren't doing a traditional Thanksgiving dinner either. We are doing a standing rib roast.

 

[Ridgetop]

The day before DS1 left for California he put up most of the Christmas lights. DH finished putting them after he left. We will put up more next yeat. This wl be a quiet Chrstmas. We need to buy a new artificial Christmas tree. It can't be more than 6' since our ceiling here is lower than in California. I can't put up a real cut Christmas tree since the stuff they spray them with to keep them fresh gives me a rash. Didn't realize it until I had to decorate the tree myself when the kids had left home. Until then DH put on the ights and the kids hung the decorations. We will get one with lights on it. Easier to put up for me. We may wait until after Christmas or right before when they go on sale. There is nowhere to put it at the moment since moving boxes are taking up most of the living room!

Wrapped the Christmas gifts for TX family today. Had wrapped all the others and left them in DS1's room before we left. Still need to send $$$ to DGS1 since he will go to college next year. Forgot to leave it in CA so will have to mail it.

The NAHMS (National Animal Health thingy) vet came out and took fecals on 10 ewes, drew blood and did a hoof swab on 25 ewes. The fecals were put in one bag since it will be a grop sample for parasites. The hoof swabs are to check for hoof rot. Not sure what the blood samples are for. This is an every 10 year study on sheep. Each year they do a health study on a different species. We pulled out several lambs that we wormed since they looked bad, one black head cross had bottle jaw, and kept one ewe in quarantine to lance an abscess.

I ordered the punch test kit to do the Codone testing at the same time on my foundation ewes. The tool is like an ear tagger but it punches a tiny hole in the ear and captures the tissue in a tiny container to send in for analysis. You can have several types of DNA and health testing done on the samples. The tissue lasts 10 years at room temperature before you have to send it in so no rush. I need to do the rams but will have to wait for DS1 to come back for that. I can advertise lambs for sale with those results when they come in. The Dorper people are not concerned with the Codone results, but the Katahdin people want them when buying terminal rams for meat production.

This morning the tree trimmers came back to trim or old tree. They needed to wait until colder weather because there are hornets or wasps in a nest inside the trunk. The assistant wanted a lamb to butcher so I sold him a ewe lamb. The owner wants some ewes later when he has his fence up. Not sure if I will have any for sale depending on when he gets his fence up since they are due to amb in January/February. He wants some pregnant ewes but this close to lambing they will be expensive. I would like to put together a young flock with a ram lamb and several ewes for him. I need to look over the ewe lambs and decide who to keep, then everything else can go to the sale. I have a couple that are going to the butcher on Friday. We kept them penned separately after the NAHMS tests were finished so DH and I can load them easily. We will try to separate off some others to take as well. Emory has an auction on Saturday.

DS1 arrived in California and called me to complain about the way his room was left. I didnt understand what he was talking about so he sent me pix and I was shocked. DS2 and DDIL2 had moved everything from the rest of the house into his room instead of putting it in the Connex! Also one of the children, probably Annabel since they were sleeping in that room before we came back, had gotten hold of a Magic Marker and drawn all over his walnut desk. He is really upset because you can't get that stuff off and the desk is an antique one that my grandmother had given me and DH had refinished 50 years ago.

Looked it up on the computer and Magic Marker can be removed with hand sanitizer, alcohil or nail polish remover. I am going to tell DS1 to try the hand santiizer first. It can also be removed with Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and alcohol. If t takes off the Varathane finish, I can lightly sand around it and then redo the varathane.

 

[Baymule]

There’s no place like home and y’all are home now.
My Thanksgiving will be me, my son and my sister. We are going out to eat.