COVID 19- 2 weeks in

This will probably go down in text books that kids will learn about in a hundred years. The world has it formerly existed shut down.

• There is no going to school {there is homeschool but we will get into that later} 😳
• There are no stores {besides grocery stores and feed and supply stores}
• There are no public gatherings. No funerals, no weddings, no conferences, no nothing 
• All parks and recreation facilities shut down
• No church
• No 4-H 
• No sports

It’s officially been 2 weeks. (Maybe just over for a few things). There has been a lot of adjusting in our home- as with everyone’s.

My girls were so disappointed about missing out on 4-H regional communications {for reals}. They both thought they had an excellent shot at winning. This week brought further 4-H disappointments when the exhibition cancelled the show and sale in June.

There have been lots of amazing things to be grateful for.

Spring is coming. The kids have all been enjoying the warmer weather, planting seeds, and playing with the animals. 

Home centered- School Supported education has been.... interesting 🧐 

The older girls are organized and seem to be handling the online assignments and instructions well!

Penny wishes that she only had to do her teacher assigned tasks BUT I bought a few books and some flash cards and have really upped the anti around here!

Andy is having a blast  and he is ruling the roost!

He gets at least 1 hour every day with one of his sisters to build all the awesomeness! 

Here’s to another week of living the dream 🍻 

Not a dog person, dog person

Oh man.

This dog.

He really is the cats meow of dogs.

I am not really a dog person or a pet person but this dog makes me one. 

Babies Everywhere!

March and April Whizzed right by! 

The months of March- June is why we live where we do.

 We have babies everywhere

      The grass is greening up.

             The air is warmer.

                   The house gets aired out.

Andy has always loved his goats but this year he is actually particularly helpful!! He is almost my master goat herder!!

{Lucy on Trixie}

{Andy on Molly}

{Andy with a January Lamb}

{Penny and her 4-H lamb, Squirt}

{Andy, Lucy, and Rocky}

{Bailey, Dusty's horse, got a wicked eye injury that almost resulted in the removal of the eye.... the main reason we were married to our house for the month!}

{awe! The lambs}

Sickies

Lucy got strep throat this week so has been off school all week. She's been marathoning 'Full House' and I think she's actually made it to season 2....

Baxter has also been feeling a little under the weather. He went in Monday to get Neutered. 

He's needed a bit of extra lovin' from the kiddos. 

He is 7 months old and a whooping 62lbs already. 

Baxter and Ellie at 3 months

The sickies hangin' out today.

Waiting

If you look closely there is hay smashed in with the nose crusties. 

We HAD to move horses this morning

(Truly there was no other option)

It is windy and cold

By the last three horses we were in full blown melt down.

It is a good thing the horse I had did not care about the flapping crying writhing little boy in my arms.

By the time we hit the barn I put him in his "barnyard babysitter" and he screamed in there while we sorted. 

Occasionally one of the old mares would go stick her nose in to see what the commotion was all about.

Finally- face down in the hay he fell asleep.

(Of course 2 minutes from when I could of taken him in the house)

Now he sleeps in my arms out of the wind but I am too scared to wake him to wipe his hay nose !

A day well Spent

There are few things better than a warm sunny day and laying on the trampoline. We are done our chores and the baby is napping.

We look at clouds. We listen to birds. We talk about life.

When I am 80 I hope I can still climb on this bad boy!

Outside Play

Andy LOVES it outside.

Which is good since we spend 

a LOT of time there!

We have been getting ready for lambs

and spring

so we have been outside even more than normal

and

not always in favorable weather condidtions.

He is big enough now that he gets shipped out too.

Yesterday we sold our geese and it was sloppy out.

Yesterday we were busy so he was left to his own devices...

(mostly- he was still supervised just not hovered over)

and

he discovered

stomping

and not just any stomping

but

stomping in Puddles!

Quiet Time

 Like I was saying previously,

we are cycling through the flu.

Ellie was the latest victim!

Poor girl!

She wins an award for best sick kid...

Last night Ellie came upstairs and says she "thinks" she might be sick.

She was.

No whining

No crying

She just set up shop on the couch and has been there all day.

We've been saving the "best" for last....

So hopefully they don't get a turn.

With all this quiet time I have been able to get a few things done.

I cleaned out my towel closet...

sort of...

I got it all out and then Ellie's teacher came over 

so I shoved it all back in!

hahaha 

maybe tomorrow...

I also got our farm blog set up so that we can sell our lambs.

I was just going to do it from here

BUT

I decided that I didn't want perspective buyers getting to see ALLLL of our crazy.

the new site is

www.cattailcoulee.blogspot.ca

I also am ALMOST done knitting Andy's sweater!

just in time for summer....

hahaha

Tomorrow I am going to pooper scoop my back yard by my ewe pen. 

I am tired of dodging all the land mines!

Too bad Dusty didn't have all this "down" time-

Maybe

he could of trained his dog to "go" in the field!

Outside

Andy stands by the windows and points and grunts. He loves being out and since he is up on his feet more than on the ground... I have started to unleash him in the great outdoors... Aka the grass on the side lawn. He wanders around and has to check everything out, especially the quad.

Barnyard Babysitter

So for most of last year Andy has been confined to his stroller. I would plop his little chair into it and he would just sit- stuck in his throne.

Now that he is very mobile, he is having none of that stuck in a stiller business. 

But

He is too little to just roam freely. No concept of roads, horses, and worse, GEESE! So we compromised....

Kidding Around

Goat tying was a hit! Now I just have to convince the girls to ride past a trot!!! Haha and jump off of a horse-

Good thing we have a few years!

The Sorrows of the Shepherd

"A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way."

Mark Twain 

I love having an assortment of creatures on our acreage. 

I love watching them.

I find great amusement in all of them.

I enjoy caring for them.

Inevitably something happens that requires additional care.

I love to learn new things.

I find satisfaction in nursing these guys back to health.

I don't love carrying a cat by the tail 

(So to speak)

Not too long ago-

One of my ewes was "off"

We went out and she had some fox tail in her eye.

She gets really wooly eyes and so she does get grass etc caught in them from time to time.

I cleaned it out.

Long story short.

My efforts were not good enough.

By the time I called the vet my poor sheeps eye could not be saved.

I know she will be fine.

I know most farmers shoot a sheep in the same predicament.

I also know that this is on me.

I have carried my cat- I hope that I don't have to write another post about a sheep and fox tail and a tardy vet call....

Bella prior to eye removal.

Boog

We have a pony.

Lots actually

But only one

Named

Booger

He is eating someone else's grass

For the moment

And it's surprising

How much we miss that rascal!

Hard Headed

This posts title could read something like, "life's lessons" or "learning the hard way" or "I should of actually learned something from all of those dang discovery channel shows" but alas....

So it happened on a Wednesday.

It was a beautiful hot morning.

Finished teaching riding lessons...

I was expecting some petting zoo kids...

And I thought to myself

"What a perfect time to move all the sheep pens around."

I had three pens going at that moment.

1) teddy and Oreo (aka ram pen)

2) the ewes and lambs (no aka)

3) the barn pen with the newbies.

So I moved the ewes.

Fine.

Then I moved the new ewe in with the other ewes and lambs.

Fine.

Then I moved the new ram over to a pen by the other rams.

Fine.

I let them be.

They sniffed and walked up the fence line.

They ate.

I left and watered my garden.

Came back and thought.

"Humph, they seem fine"

So I put them in together.

They sniffed.

Oreo got bit high school so I kicked him out.

They big boys grazed.

I turned around. 

Walked out the gate and then heard the most sickening thud.

The girls were yelling.

The rams were in reverse to collide again.

And smack.

Blood flew everywhere.

The girls were now screaming.

I was running through all the possible options.

Smack.

I go back into the pen.

Smack. Crack.

The rams are covered in blood.

A bone is now sticking out of Teddy's face.

They back up again.

I pick up a tree and javelin it between them.

Pick up a halter and crack it across the new ones nose.

I pick up another tree and get teddy back on his side of the fence.

I get out of the pen.

And then I remember to breathe.

I call the vet.

Apparently "sheep people" aren't the same sorta breed as "horse people" because when I call about a horse- I get walked through a procedure.... A sheep bone out of a head..... I get... "It'll probably be fine-keep the flys out if it"

Ha

Anyways.

He is fine.

So the vet was right.

But 

At that moment...

All hopped up on adrenalin...

I was mad.

So I catch Oreo buy the horn

(He is kind of like a unicorn... Only way less beautiful)

And drag him to the barn.

Lock him in a horse stall.

Turn around to go get the new ram

And get half way across the yard

And see the stupid sheep out.

I am changing his name to Jackie Chan.

I catch him again.

Lock him in the tack room.

And go AGAIN across the yard.

I halter the very agitated 200lbs temper tantrum throwing 2' toddler/ram and "lead" it across the yard.

It is now like 40 degrees.

I then take Oreo who I am pretty sure would have ADHD and hyperactivity disorder out of my now absolutely trashed tack room and lead him by the horn across the yard.

After all this and moving the ewes back....

I laid on my lawn. I contemplated moving.

I contemplated sheep. Life.

Lesson 1)

When you think you have a brilliant idea.... Wait.... Let it sit for a while.... It will probably still be brilliant in 20 minutes and if it's not brilliant- it should give you enough time to not go through with it.

Lesson 2)

Never underestimate a male ego.

Lesson 3)

Life without animals would be so so so much easier 

But

Who really likes the easy way??

Har har Har har-dly funny

Today was a day for the books.

I was sick most of the night.

Woke up with a headache

(Boohoo- I know- )

Then

I went to go do chores.

I get the the hen 

(We have a hen with 3 chicks)

And yesterday I cleaned out her nest.

It was stinking up to high heavens

There were some dead chicks and cracked eggs.

It was nasty.

Anyways.

Cleaned it all up.

Removed all eggs.

So today there is an egg.

I pick it up.

It stinks.

But

She stinks.

I am not one to judge....

I totally get not having enough time to bathe 

And

I only have one baby!

So I get to the house and my kids are hungry.

I start the stove 

And put a pan on.

I turn around to wash eggs.

I forget about the pan.

The house starts smoking

I turn around

FIRE

like lots of it.

I set the egg down on the counter.

I grab the pan.

I hear a pop.

I get out faster.

I come back inside 

Then

It hits me

The most disgusting smell on the whole planet.

(I have smelled some pretty gross things)

It was the egg that popped.

It exploded EVERYWHERE.

Gross

Disgusting

Green egg

Yuck!

Now my house smells like rotten pickled egg.

Dusty thought this was funny

The whole thing.

I do not.

My kids do not.

My mom (who showed up just in time to help clean up) does not think this was funny.

I wish that pan would of burnt down the whole kitchen!

I will never get the smell out of my nose.

Superior Species...

Today Andy has cried a lot.

He is hungry and angry

My lambs are cute

And fat

And frolicy

They jump on the ewes

They steal their grain

And eat their hay.

Andy lays 

He cries.

And I go to him.

I change him

I find him so he can eat.

He is completely and utterly dependant.

It's actually a miracle we were never wiped out...

That was my thought for this lovely Friday.

Spring- weather we like it or not.

So last night happened to be one of THE coldest nights of the year.

And true to form

Our ewes decided to give birth.

Burr.

Wet 4lbs babies in -45.

Not such a good mix.

After some help and a really long night 

ALL three seem to be eating and warm.

Not as warm as Andy

Who got to sleep all night in a heated bed.

Planning

It's hard to believe that this was two years ago,

So much has changed.

I have been thinking about life "plans"

We were very happy two years ago.

Ellie was just starting grade 1

We liked our house.

We were busy making plans and living

and no one would of even guessed this is where we would be now.

we are happy now too.

(you'll love this lead-in to the new thought...)

and we are planning still

like for the storm that hit us.

We prepared

 but no matter what preparations are made

there will always be surprises...

like frozen water lines.

sheesh.

the water lines weren't even the biggest battle..

it was putting on my pants

and taking off my boots...

and i wouldn't of been able to plan on how many times

i would actually have to do those two tasks!

Ellie out doing sheep chores.

I think they were happy to see her 

after the long cold night.

I guess the point is..

have fun making plans

but

they probably won't work out 

and 

you'll still be happy

even if you are trudging through a mountain of snow

with a hammer

screwdriver

and kettle.....

horse parts and paranoia

Today I was rubbing lotion into Penny's feet

she has really dry skin

but that is beside the point.

I am rubbing the bottom of her foot

and she looks at me

like only a 3 year old can

and asks,

"why is my frog so ticklish?"

I cried.

This may be a sign that we might spend too much time

with our furry friends in the barn 

and not enough time

with the human variety.

(a frog is a part of the bottom of a horse hoof)

Lately we have spend more than are usual

time out with the horses.

We have been moving pens and changing up

who is where 

so

we spend more time checking on them making sure they are okay.

Yesterday was no exception

so Penny and I go out and check everyone.

When we got up to the top of the hill

(which takes a while between her short legs and my lack of being able to breathe)

we noticed Biscuits

(my old mare)

wouldn't use one of her legs....

I couldn't find anything wrong with it.

but

with the way our week has been going

(Dusty's horse broke it's leg... and not in a normal horse break it's leg sorta way)

(and two horses pushed through fences)

panic and paranoia set in.

Anyways

she is going to be fine

my very handy and helpful neighbour came down

he figured out what was going on

and today she is back to her

regular hay-burnin' self.

I am very much looking forward to sharing the load

and perhaps with all my "free" time I might actually

teach Penny

the parts of a HUMAN foot!

Days to Look Back Upon

While the weather has been cooling

the afternoons are still warm

and pleasant

Our grass is green and

we've been home more 

Our animals have been turned out to graze

on the delicious grasses 

and clovers found on our lawn.

All of our animals have their place here

but 

the sheep seemed to have found

a special place

in the 

hearts of 

our girls.

I am grateful for the opportunity

we have been given

to raise our children in the country.

To have sheep

and chickens

and geese

and ponies

and kitties.

To have space and fresh

(albeit dusty prairie)

air.

We spent 5 hours this morning 

riding.

The girls just saddled up

(I mean I saddled them up)

and they took off.

Ellie rode around and around and

around

the yard.

In and out of trees

over sticks

through the garden.

Lucy worked on a barrel pattern

and pole bending in the corral.

Even little Penny

rode completely

by herself for a few laps.

We came in 

hungry

tired

but 

so

very

happy.

I think we've found our happiest place on Earth.