Well, almost three weeks ago we had Secret, my Jersey heifer, artificially inseminated. Cows cycle every three weeks (minus two days, in Secret's case).
During all our moving hassle, Secret and her buddy, Meat Loaf, escaped through a widened spot in the fence left by mushroom-hunting neighbor boys. We got Secret home, but Meat Loaf has been gone since May 27; he isn't tame, and we haven't figured out a way to get him.
Yesterday Secret started bawling constantly, and we knew the breeding hadn't settled her (see definition number 8 of "settle"). Without Meat Loaf to climb on, and to climb on her, to distract her, Secret somehow found her way out of the pen she was enclosed in, even though it isn't directly adjacent to the pasture containing the neighbor's cows and bull.
I imagine by now she is very well impregnated by the Angus bull, and truthfully, that's fine with me. Cliff has to mow hay today, but I think I'll make our second priority to call the farmer who owns that herd and see what we can do to get our two wanderers home. He's been very patient, but enough is enough.
Priorities are a big thing around here lately, with so many dozens of things that need doing. Cliff ordered the skirting for our home, so that will get some things started. Rena would like a clothesline so she won't always have to use the dryer; that might get done this weekend too. Maybe.
Oh, by the way. I did that entry yesterday about how well Sadie and Angel get along: well, that was at my house. I took Sadie over there to visit with Rena, and Angel turned into a devil, seriously. Can you believe that Sadie was terrified of her?
Turns out Angel has never had a dog visit her in her own home.
I'm not sure if I mentioned it already, but Cliff found his shoes. I thought I remembered getting them from our old closet and carrying them here, but that must have been my own sneakers (there's surprisingly little difference in the sizes, I'm ashamed to say). Cliff found his own lost shoes in the motorcycle trailer where he'd put them before an extended trip in case his biker boots became uncomfortable. Now the only items I've failed to find are our phone chargers, and that isn't a real problem now. They'll probably show up in the next few months.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Friday, June 6, 2008
The dog next door
Rena comes over for coffee before she heads to school each morning, and her spoiled little Angel comes along.
Sadie isn't one to take kindly to other dogs, but for some reason she's decided she likes Angel. I think it's because Angel is submissive and rolls over on her back when Sadie first approaches her.
The only thing Sadie worries about is her dog food. When Angel first arrives, Sadie goes to her dish and eats like crazy, as though she's afraid Angel will eat all her food. After that, they're fine; Sadie even lets Angel have some food without getting upset.
To see a video of the girls playing, go HERE.
Sadie isn't one to take kindly to other dogs, but for some reason she's decided she likes Angel. I think it's because Angel is submissive and rolls over on her back when Sadie first approaches her.
The only thing Sadie worries about is her dog food. When Angel first arrives, Sadie goes to her dish and eats like crazy, as though she's afraid Angel will eat all her food. After that, they're fine; Sadie even lets Angel have some food without getting upset.
To see a video of the girls playing, go HERE.
I seem to be fine this morning
I no longer feel like the leaning tower of Pisa. Whoopee!
I have so few health problems of any kind (except for arthritis) that it throws me for a loop when something weird like that happens.
Anyhow. All's well that ends well.
I have so few health problems of any kind (except for arthritis) that it throws me for a loop when something weird like that happens.
Anyhow. All's well that ends well.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
I feel strange
When I woke up this morning, sat up, put my feet on the floor and headed toward the bathroom, I felt myself listing toward the left. Sort of a dizzy feeling, but things weren't whirling; I just had to watch out or I'd fall over to my left. I figured it would pass, that perhaps I got up too fast.
Unfortunately, it did not. My coffee didn't set well with me, and I wasn't hungry; although at 10 A.M. I finally ate some cereal because once in awhile when you feel a little ill, eating makes it better.
Inner ear, perhaps. I took my temperature and blood pressure. Nothing unusual.
Although I've adjusted, I'm still listing to the left and not feeling as perky as I should; I really notice the dizziness if I bend over and then straighten back up.
Very peculiar. If this feeling doesn't go away by Monday, I'll be seeing a doctor to find out what in Sam Hill's going on.
But I'll bet I'll be fine when I wake up tomorrow.
Unfortunately, it did not. My coffee didn't set well with me, and I wasn't hungry; although at 10 A.M. I finally ate some cereal because once in awhile when you feel a little ill, eating makes it better.
Inner ear, perhaps. I took my temperature and blood pressure. Nothing unusual.
Although I've adjusted, I'm still listing to the left and not feeling as perky as I should; I really notice the dizziness if I bend over and then straighten back up.
Very peculiar. If this feeling doesn't go away by Monday, I'll be seeing a doctor to find out what in Sam Hill's going on.
But I'll bet I'll be fine when I wake up tomorrow.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Rain, rain, every day
Cliff needs to mow hay, but you can't mow hay when it rains every day. The orchard grass is already past its prime and going to seed. The clover is in full bloom and will soon be going over-the-hill too. This kind of thing drives Cliff nuts, and makes me thankful we don't make our living farming. Farmers are slaves to the elements.
I'm enjoying my soft water like you wouldn't believe. I love taking a shower and rinsing off "squeaky-clean". The Bunn coffee maker has my coffee brewed in three minutes, and I don't have to worry about hard water stopping it up. Even with the reverse-osmosis faucet that supplies sodium-free water for drinking, I go to the outside hydrant when it's convenient and collect a gallon-jugful of our hard water to keep in the fridge for drinking. It's much tastier than softened water. Even the Culligan guy agreed it contains healthful minerals that the softener removes (calcium, for one).
I'm also enjoying my air conditioning now that temperatures are rising above 90. Sadie likes it too.
Cliff's sister is settling in at our old house, getting things moved in little by little. I'd love to have taken pictures of Cliff and the grandson and others moving her incredibly heavy tanning bed up the stairs, but I didn't have the nerve to watch, let alone take pictures.
Cliff and I have always slept in a regular, full-sized bed. Rena's king-sized sleep-number bed barely fit in our old bedroom. Would you call that a wall-to-wall bed?
Rena has always wanted to get her GED, but has put it off for one reason and another. As luck would have it, a class started up yesterday not far away, and she signed up; it'll be Monday through Friday for three hours a day; it's a nice diversion for her, and she'll be a graduate before you know it. She's still working on the pre-test, which simply lets the teacher know what she needs to work on.
I went with her to buy an air conditioner yesterday, a large window unit; she's used to cool Wisconsin weather, which is totally different from what we're having here. Cliff is going to run 220 wiring from the pole to the house so it doesn't overload the puny wiring there.
We have so many things to do. Little by little, they will get done.
I'm still keeping Blue in the stall and letting him out to graze twice a day. I no longer feel guilty about that, because he doesn't seem to mind at all. I give him a treat when I go out to bring him back, and a tiny bit of grain in his stall; and he now comes running when I call. I don't even have to go get him! Yeah, he's doing just fine. I sure wish I could sneak in a ride, but it seems I'm either tied to the house waiting for something to be delivered or attended to, or else it's raining.
Oh, we found Cliff's missing shoes. I didn't move them at all; they were in the motorcycle trailer from our last trip. He'd taken them along in case the biker boots started hurting his feet. So as of now, the only missing items from the move are the phone chargers, which is not a biggie: We had an extra one that worked for my own cell phone, and we found one for Cliff's cell in the bargain aisle at Wal Mart for $10.
That's my report for the day.
I'm enjoying my soft water like you wouldn't believe. I love taking a shower and rinsing off "squeaky-clean". The Bunn coffee maker has my coffee brewed in three minutes, and I don't have to worry about hard water stopping it up. Even with the reverse-osmosis faucet that supplies sodium-free water for drinking, I go to the outside hydrant when it's convenient and collect a gallon-jugful of our hard water to keep in the fridge for drinking. It's much tastier than softened water. Even the Culligan guy agreed it contains healthful minerals that the softener removes (calcium, for one).
I'm also enjoying my air conditioning now that temperatures are rising above 90. Sadie likes it too.
Cliff's sister is settling in at our old house, getting things moved in little by little. I'd love to have taken pictures of Cliff and the grandson and others moving her incredibly heavy tanning bed up the stairs, but I didn't have the nerve to watch, let alone take pictures.
Cliff and I have always slept in a regular, full-sized bed. Rena's king-sized sleep-number bed barely fit in our old bedroom. Would you call that a wall-to-wall bed?
Rena has always wanted to get her GED, but has put it off for one reason and another. As luck would have it, a class started up yesterday not far away, and she signed up; it'll be Monday through Friday for three hours a day; it's a nice diversion for her, and she'll be a graduate before you know it. She's still working on the pre-test, which simply lets the teacher know what she needs to work on.
I went with her to buy an air conditioner yesterday, a large window unit; she's used to cool Wisconsin weather, which is totally different from what we're having here. Cliff is going to run 220 wiring from the pole to the house so it doesn't overload the puny wiring there.
We have so many things to do. Little by little, they will get done.
I'm still keeping Blue in the stall and letting him out to graze twice a day. I no longer feel guilty about that, because he doesn't seem to mind at all. I give him a treat when I go out to bring him back, and a tiny bit of grain in his stall; and he now comes running when I call. I don't even have to go get him! Yeah, he's doing just fine. I sure wish I could sneak in a ride, but it seems I'm either tied to the house waiting for something to be delivered or attended to, or else it's raining.
Oh, we found Cliff's missing shoes. I didn't move them at all; they were in the motorcycle trailer from our last trip. He'd taken them along in case the biker boots started hurting his feet. So as of now, the only missing items from the move are the phone chargers, which is not a biggie: We had an extra one that worked for my own cell phone, and we found one for Cliff's cell in the bargain aisle at Wal Mart for $10.
That's my report for the day.
Monday, June 2, 2008
moving Cliff's sister
Cliff and his brothers left for Wisconsin Friday morning around 8 A.M. They arrived at their destination twelve hours later, loaded up all Rena's stuff, and headed right home with no sleep. It was not an uneventful trip home, but the story of the road trip will be better told by Cliff, if I can pin him down long enough to tell it. Let's just say things did not go smoothly.
Rena, of course, is not only physically, but emotionally exhausted. She has fine furniture, and she left behind a nice house. Our old two-story house is not so nice. Her huge bed takes up most of the bedroom Cliff and I shared for over thirty years. There's really no place for her exercise equipment and tanning bed.
However, it's a port in a storm. It's a place for her to camp out while she gets her GED and looks for a job. Once the divorce is final, she'll have funds to go house-hunting if she so desires... and she most likely will so desire.
Oh, if you wonder why we didn't just take the furniture into the house instead of piling it in the shop, it's because Cliff's brother Don still had four hours to drive, and that was the quickest way of getting stuff unloaded so he could leave.
Rena, of course, is not only physically, but emotionally exhausted. She has fine furniture, and she left behind a nice house. Our old two-story house is not so nice. Her huge bed takes up most of the bedroom Cliff and I shared for over thirty years. There's really no place for her exercise equipment and tanning bed.
However, it's a port in a storm. It's a place for her to camp out while she gets her GED and looks for a job. Once the divorce is final, she'll have funds to go house-hunting if she so desires... and she most likely will so desire.
Oh, if you wonder why we didn't just take the furniture into the house instead of piling it in the shop, it's because Cliff's brother Don still had four hours to drive, and that was the quickest way of getting stuff unloaded so he could leave.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
So, where's Cliff this weekend?
I've mentioned in this blog that Cliff's Wisconsin sister, the one who's getting a divorce, will be staying in our old house until she can figure out what to do next.
Cliff left Friday morning with his two brothers (three old guys with heart issues, go figure), to get her and her stuff (tons of stuff) loaded in the truck she rented, and transported here.
Cliff just called. They've had a couple of breakdowns, but they're in Des Moines, Iowa, which is about four hours away. The only sleep they've gotten is the few catnaps they can catch in the vehicles. I certainly hope they only did that when they were not driving.
Bless his heart. Cliff spent the past two weeks moving us. Now he's moving his sister. I think he could use a few prayers and good wishes. Let's face it, moving is not on anybody's list of favorite things to do.
Oh, and his brother Don has four more hours to drive after he arrives here: it's his anniversary, and his wife wants him home. No comment on that.
Cliff left Friday morning with his two brothers (three old guys with heart issues, go figure), to get her and her stuff (tons of stuff) loaded in the truck she rented, and transported here.
Cliff just called. They've had a couple of breakdowns, but they're in Des Moines, Iowa, which is about four hours away. The only sleep they've gotten is the few catnaps they can catch in the vehicles. I certainly hope they only did that when they were not driving.
Bless his heart. Cliff spent the past two weeks moving us. Now he's moving his sister. I think he could use a few prayers and good wishes. Let's face it, moving is not on anybody's list of favorite things to do.
Oh, and his brother Don has four more hours to drive after he arrives here: it's his anniversary, and his wife wants him home. No comment on that.
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