Teresa & Mike CHS - Our journal

[Mike CHS]

We are getting ready to put the ewes back in with Cooper in another week or so and I have been giving them feed in a couple of PVC troughs. To keep them from running me down, I have been using Lance (our Border Collie) to hold them off of me. It took the ewes a couple of sessions to figure out that he isn't the passive cute dog they are used to seeing outside of the paddock. Considering he gets very little time on the sheep he does a super job and he is an extraordinary sheep handler that needs no commands to do his job (keeping me from getting swamped).

 

[Baymule]

Feeding sheep is dangerous! Greedy, knock you down, gimme feed NOW! They are just as happy eating spilled feed on the ground as they are eating out of a trough. Crazy durned sheep! Good boy Lance! He’s keeping sheep hood prints off of you!

I have 4 ewes with Ringo, saw him breed one this morning.

 

[Mike CHS]

There wasn't a whole lot of sleeping done last night as the weather made its way through but there wasn't any damage locally. The temps are all over the place but it seems the hardest choice of the day is deciding whether to turn on the AC or heat in the morning. We had the HVAC guys out yesterday since the unit seemed to be having a hard time maintaining temps even though it hasn't been all that hot. They said the AC refrigerant was down under 50% and the coil is also needing replaced.

 

[Mike CHS]

I moved Pete (wether) in with the lambs and moved the adult ewes down so I could turn Cooper in with them. He checked them all out but evidently none of them are cycling at the moment. I was sitting on the tail gate of our Ranger as the ewes and Cooper stood there so I could pull their loose hair off of them. I still think Cooper is setting me up as he lay his head down on my legs while I worked his hair off of him.

 

[Baymule]

Maybe Cooper likes you.

 

[Mike CHS]

Maybe Cooper likes you.

I post about Cooper pretty much jokingly. He actually has become very gentle as long as I'm by myself, but he is still all ram.

 

[Baymule]

Cooper will have a definite breeding season, then he'll come out. I have left Ringo with the ewes even through lambing, until the lambs were a month or two old. I tried to have two flocks so he always had company. At least in my new place I'll have the room to separate Ringo and Cooper. Ringo is getting stiff, is slow to get up and I will not allow him to get beat up by another ram. More room and plenty of grass will be wonderful for Ringo. He is with 4 ewes now and he'll get to stay with them. I'll sort them out so that Ringo gets "his" ewes and Cooper gets the ewe lambs when they mature. Plus I have ewes that are Ringo's, that will be available for Cooper.

Have you located another ram for next year? haha, I'll come get him in a couple of years, when he's done his Daddy Duties for you.

 

[Mike CHS]

We haven't even started looking yet but there are a lot of sheep folks around us.

Mr. Murphy was around all day yesterday. The HVAC guys definitely decided we need a new coil on our unit but when they calle to tell us that it would be a little over $3K and a new unit would be a little over $6K we told them to get the new unit. We had our HVAC installed right at six years ago but the dude failed to register it so the 10 year warranty is void.

I was mowing around noon yesterday and as I was cutting along the driveway, as the front wheel of the mower went over a big rock that was buried, the tire literally turned it over and the mower deck went right over it. I couldn't figure out what the damage was so we loaded it up and took it in to CO-OP. We have spent about half the cost of a new mower already this year so if this fix is going to be expensive, there will be a new one coming.

I got a text from Verizon yesterday telling me that my 3G phone would quit working later this year so I'm going to have to finally break down and get a new phone but it won't be a smart phone. I don't make more than 3-4 calls a month and the only reason to even have a phone is the few times that Teresa and I go to different places. I have had this phone for going on 10 years and when I got it, I worked in a classified work area and the only phones allowed were no frills especially camera capability.

 

[farmerjan]

Got a text from Verizon that here in Va we are going to have to start using the area code with ALL calls being made. The reason is they are running out of numbers and are going to phase in a new area code here in Va.. so then they can use all the numbers again with the new area code and they will go to the right places. Don't know exactly where the new area code will actually be originating from... usually starts around some sort of city. But with everyone "taking their number" with them when they move, I don't guess it matters. Used to be an area code was in a specific area... but phones were landlines and when you moved you got a new number. Nowadays, very few people have landlines anymore... You just take your mobile phone with you and keep your number...the only thing the area codes do is basically show where your number originated from now.
Yep, I am going to have to upgrade mine this year too. Mine is nearly as old as yours @Mike.

 

[Mike CHS]

I still use the same South Carolina number that I first got back in 1995.