So Long, August!!

The white one is a commercial large white egg.

This was NOT expected until November!  I went out to collect a couple of Escapees this morning.  Got everyone settled back into the yard and calm.  I Opened the big door to put away a small rake.  Found a hen sitting on the perch inside the coop looking into one of the nesting boxes.  I began snooping and found the eggs!

I hope I have enough egg cartons.

This past week has been a trip to Hell.  By Friday night - Dwayne ended up leaving work in the middle of the night to drive all the way home and take me to ER in Lenoir City.

By then I could only sit on the edge of the bed with my legs dangling enough to take pressure off my back.  And I had to sit on a heating pad.  I was submitting to pain pills and stool softeners – which thoroughly hacked me off.  Both of us had missed 2 nights of sleep before he’d gone back to work.  And I just couldn’t take it anymore.

They took 4 vials of blood and pushed Saline tubes – before loading me with a series of pain meds and muscle relaxers powerful enough to take me an inch away from being completely sedated – just to take x-rays.

The diagnosis was severe inflammation of my spine and hips.  They don’t know why it happens.  But they’ve started seeing a lot of it happening.  And a person doesn’t really have to do much at all for it to come along.

I’ve been – quickly – volleyed back to Heaven with a Steroid pack and muscle relaxers.  Have I mentioned before – how much I LOVE those Steroid packs?

I get things like this accomplished!  More Jalapeno Peppers and packages of breaded Okra.

This was for dinner the other night!  Our very first Dexter Beef Hamburgers!  We had our first grilled T-bone steaks a day or so before that.  But I forgot to get photos.  Grrrrr…..

Stormy and Dodger have been moved back over to the paddock where they shared with their mothers.  And the boys are in their glory!  Both boys love all the grazing.  And they’ve had fun hanging out with Bruce at the fence.  Bruce seems to enjoy having company on both sides of his place!

The only negative – they look like black ants again.  Ha!

Bruce loves the shelter Dwayne built in that paddock for Killian.  We’ve had really warm temps and he’s snapped to the cool breezes that filter through the boards.  He gets ticked off if you make him come out for any reason – until the shade from the Cedars falls over to his side from Artist’s paddock.

Dwayne got the Hay cut!  I am so proud of him!

This is his very first time cutting hay - ever!  And he did such a fantastic job!  We came out with 164 bales - minus a few left inside the baler.

Lloyd and Rita helped load onto Lloyd’s hay wagon before they all struggled with getting it up the elevator and stacked in the loft.  Everybody was flat-out torn up by the end of the day – too tired to even eat.  But we got a variety package of Dexter Beef together for him to share with Rita – along with some frozen breaded Okra that Lloyd mentioned being ready for chomping down on!

We’ve changed up rations.  All the ‘ Bigs ‘ are now receiving 2lbs. of Purina Stocker Grower ( non-medicated ) twice a day.  They receive hay in the evenings.  And this is encouraging more grazing on the whole!

Last meal in the little yard - before moving back to the big Paddock!

Stormy and Dodger are now receiving 2c. Calf Starter and 2.5c. Purina Stocker Grower ( non-medicated ) twice a day.  They also get hay in the evening.  And we’ve just never had to lift a finger to encourage those 2 growing boys with grazing!  I think it really makes a difference when they’re born on site – how well they take to the grasses they have in their pastures.

Cora and April have started eating ( DE ) Diatomaceous Earth out of the feeder bunker like Artist.  In the past – Cora had no interest.  And Miss April would take to putting her head down in it and spinning in wild circles – making wild noises.  It was like crack for her!

We’re having a serious problem finding these worms on our little pine tree that we planted in front of Artist’s paddock and on our Sunflower plant by the driveway.  The Neem barely phases them.  Not sure what to do next.

If anybody knows what these little turds are – any help would be greatly appreciated!

I’ve been putting a good deal of green beans and okra away.  I’ve even managed to get several packages of Purple Hull Peas frozen.  We’re getting ready to plant some spinach for fall season – now that the hot temps have calmed down.

Sharing one of the Tractor Tires!

I’m not quite sure what happened here.

It looks like 2 different melons are coming up.  The striped ones must be the Sugar Baby watermelons.

And the other looks like an organic honeydew that I tried to plant again.

I thought I’d replanted squash!  I’m telling ya’ – I’ve been in Hell!  This year has just been a challenge!

Dwayne’s been helping me with water buckets.  I promise.  The door is not locked!