Jake hugging Dolly long before she got sick.

This article is difficult to write, and not because I had writer’s block or any other pressing problem.  This article was hard to write because the weather was so beautiful this weekend, and I had so many things to do.

We had an extremely busy weekend.  My husband, Lane,  says, “When do we have an easy weekend?”  He is right.  There are always so many things to do on the homestead.

My children are all members of the Grimes County Jr. Deputy Sheriff Mounted Posse.  As such, they have to take good care of their horses.  These beautiful animals need hay.  High quality hay is best fed to horses in square bales.  We were just about out and Lane was scrambling to find more.  We did from a local farmer.

Unfortunately for me, Clayton, my strapping thirteen year old, was gone this weekend.  Lane needed help loading and unloading the bales of hay.  Therefore, I volunteered to help.  Jake also came and tried his hardest, but the bales were literally about his size.  Needless to say after loading 78 bales of hay, I was not looking forward to unloading them.

When we got home, we began unloading the square bales.  Then we heard the noise of a motor.  Our neighbor and his teenage son jumped out of their vehicle to help us finish unloading.  It was an answer to an unasked prayer.  We were more than happy to accept their help.  Neighbors helping neighbors.  What could be more American or more Christian?

Some of the kids and I worked in the garden making rows and planting some vegetables.  My muscles were more than happy to have something else to do besides carrying around bales of hay.  We also planned out the rest of our tilled up patch of earth.

Jake’s sheep is sick.  We have contacted and spoken to the local veterinarian almost daily, but nobody seems to know much about sheep.  I used the internet to research her symptoms and I am afraid that it is not looking good for her.  She is separated from everything else in a stall.  We are checking on her and drenching her with liquid food three times a day.  The sheep does seem to be improving, but I fear that her baby/babies are not going to make it.  She was due in three weeks.  Jake is handling the news pretty well.

I just wish that I was an expert on everything.  Maybe I could have seen this coming, but we learn hard lessons on the farm.  Hopefully, it will not ever happen again.

After church, we mowed the yard, which requires a lot of cleaning up around here first.  We had to corral all the balls and toys.  We burned boxes and feed sacks.  We also burned the cuttings from the pruning we did on the plants and bushes.

We also decided this was the weekend for our goat herd health.  Lane trimmed all of their hooves.  They grow out so fast!  We vaccinated and wormed our dry does.  We left the lactating goat alone.  We also wormed our show goat.

We also are taking care of six baby ducks.  They require food three times a day, which I am preparing for them.  We move them to an outdoor cage during the day.  They can enjoy being outside with the safety of the cage.  I have forgotten how much water a duck drinks.  They go through two gallons a day easy.

Our older drake is so happy to have duck company.  He sits outside the cage most of the day quacking to them.  I wish I could understand what he is telling them.  Are they instructions? Are they words of encouragement?  Is he introducing himself?  I think he is looking forward to the day when they get all of their feathers and I let them out of the cage.  Then he can lead them to our neighbor’s lake and show them around the place.

Jake spent most of the weekend riding his horse with a neighbor boy.  Both boys see their future involving horses.  Neighbors all around us have given them permission to ride on their land; therefore, the boys have access to hundreds and hundreds of acres.  I am not sure which is having more fun the boys or the horses.  Jake rides an old gelding and I have noticed that the horse acts like a young colt on these “adventure” days.  I think it is good for all of them.

Oh, I also cleaned house.  Not fun.  But if I don’t clean everyday, it gets away from me.  Then it is harder to get under control again.  It is truly a vicious cycle.

Well, I am glad that it is Monday.  You don’t hear that very often.  Homesteading is hard work, but I love the challenge.  And, it does have its benefits.

Tags: baby ducks, cleaning house, hard work, hauling hay, Homesteading, horseback riding, sick sheep

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