The Spring Post

That doesn't sound optimistic. Possibly realistic.

We have had 18 kids so far this year. Goat 19 is still pregnant due sometime this month.
Mimi the potbelly pig is pregnant. Due tomorrow. She is the queen of our farm. She gets what she wants over all other animals (including us) She is cranky and cantankerous and fun and sometimes loving. Rarely loving, but it happens. She was mated to an American Yorkshire pig. They had a swell time together. We have moved her from her shed to a barn stall (the indignity!) So she can have her piglets. She was being bothered by flies all around her eyes and Kristi solved that problem tonight with mint oils. We applied mint mixed with water on a paper-towel and rubbed it around her eyes (I tested it on my eyes first to make sure it wouldn't sting. So it was human tested before being applied to a pig....sigh) This had an immediate effect and the troublesome flies are gone! Yay! Mimi's attitude has changed for the better! She even let us pet her and brush her! We also sprayed it on the goats. They are pestered by flies this time of year and we suspect they bite. One brief application of the mint spray and the flies are gone the goats are less stressed and to top it off, they smell better! The goats smell better, not the flies.

Kristi planted loofahs tonight and some birdhouse gourds for me. We're a bit late to the party with planting, but my tractor hasn't been running and we really need it. I had arranged with a fellow to come pick it up and haul it to the tractor repair shop last Saturday. I filled the flat tire, and hooked up a battery charger. Got a tow chain out and brought over the pickup. Once the battery was charged and the chain hooked up. I towed the tractor (with Kristi steering) to the end of the driveway where the tow truck would be able to winch it up. Kristi said to try starting it. Now I had tried starting it dozens of times over the last few months and I knew it to be a futile effort. I tried it anyway just to appease her and of course it started! F&*(!! I hate it when that happens. I called off the tow guy, and immediately began mucking out the barn. This isn't as much fun as it sounds. It hadn't been done for about 9 MONTHS and it REALLY NEEDED it. Goats have little common decency and they will do absolutely disgusting things right there IN the barn in front of anyone. After that I disced the two garden plots, turning under the grasses and weeds and making the dirt nice and fluffy for planting.
That's when I started pushing the limits. I tried to haul the barn muck to the compost area. There is about 9 cubic yards of "muck" that will over a couple of months become 6 cubic yards of beautiful rich compost. All it requires is that I turn the whole mess over a few times with the tractor, add water while I'm turning it and oh yes, our secret ingredient for central Texas - elemental Sulfur. We moved that goats into the driveway so they could eat the grass and weeds on either side. That would keep them occupied for a few hours while I moved the muck. I got about half of it moved when the tractor began acting up. When I would raise the bucket to dump the muck on top of the pile, the disc set on the back would drop to the ground and drag. It would drag enough that I couldn't pull forward to drop my load. Arrg! The tractor with have an appointment with the tractor doctor. I don't know how to fix hydraulics, but I'm gaining experience breaking them.

Oh the peahen may also be fertile. I have seen the peacock mate with her a few times. We would love to have some more peafowl. They eat lots of bugs, we don't have to feed them, they take care of themselves and Kristi sells the feathers of the peacock every year so they are profitable for us!! Only the peafowl and chickens make money. Everything else costs.