A new member!

The new Gato, Shadow!
Black Cats Rule!

This past winter we had the opportunity to hire a little extra help. Our hired help lived in Woodland Park. I happened to be running behind one day. I know, big surprise there! I entrusted a couple dozen eggs to the hand, gave him what I thought were adequate directions to the home of one of my customers and asked him to deliver the eggs. Several days later I received a phone call from the recipient of the eggs. It wasn't my usual customer on the other end of the line. Instead it was a new, bright and shiny voice that was singing the praises of my layer's gifts. After chit chatting for a bit I gained a new customer. For the past several months I've been delivering eggs, milk, and meat to this new customer friend. This wonderful family passed my name and information along to others and I've gained many new homes in which egg deliveries are made. Business is good, I'm thankful for the mistake the hired hand made.

Last week I received an email from that original "mistake" family. They were searching for a new home for their family cat. After a couple of phone calls, several emails and a visit to the ranch my family has been honored with another member. We welcomed Shadow to our clan. After a couple of days of adjustment he is starting to get the hang of things. He has become fast friends with one of our other cats, Thompson. They curl up together in one of the cat beds, eat from the same bowl and prowl around the basement harassing Mama Kitty.

I know what some of you are saying....Just keep it to yourselves. I'm happy, my family is happy. I am thankful to the universe that I have the means to provide homes for all of my critters.

Always late with the chicken!

Okay, get off my back! I know I'm late with the chicken pictures. It's been a busy week. What week isn't? I transferred the cockerels to the coop last week. Last time I had broiler chickens in the coop I lost about 20 to a patient hawk. The hawk would perch atop the layer coop and lay in wait until one of the broiler chickens would stick its head and neck through the chainlink trying to get a morsel on the outside. The hawk would pounce or dive or whatever hawks do. It would kill the chick and eat whatever it could pull through the fence. If the hawk had dinner after I had put the birds up for the night, a fox would come along and try to get whatever the hawk couldn't. Nightmare, I tell ya. At any rate, this year I built a smaller chicken wire fence inside the coop until they were larger in hopes of foiling the hawk. They have graduated from the smaller yard inside the coop. They now run amok inside the coop yard and the coop. The still eat as if they've been wandering the desert for days without an oasis. They are getting big fast. They've got feathers but nothing like the layer chickens. They were 4 weeks old on Wednesday. Four weeks to go before beer can chicken. I am getting very excited.
Other things about the ranch are busy as usual. The Nubians finally kidded out. I don't think we will be expecting any more babies around here for awhile. Tawny had a boy and a girl Wednesday afternoon. Ivory decided to show no signs of labor and had a boy and a girl around 1130 that evening.
All are doing well. Along with babies, I've been finding lamb's tails about the barn yards. We band tails with a castrator band at about 3 days old and now they are dropping like flies. I try and pick them up and throw them in a trash bag or toss them into the grave yard. If left, one of the dogs will sneak them off for a treat. A treat for the dogs means a long smelly evening for the family. Fun on the ole rancho.

New Roo!

Several months ago I opened up the coop to find my old, crotchety rooster in eternal slumber. I only had one. When I broke the news to the girls, their faces barely changed expression. Since then amidst protest I have been looking for a new roo. Yesterday I found a perfect fit. He has survived his first night among 50 layers. His name is Herschel and he's a beauty. He has a fabulous crow and puffs up his chest feathers just right. He may not have a practical purpose, as I'm not eating him and I'm not breeding him but he sure makes my day a little brighter.

Another year, another naked sheep.

Coming in for a summer 'do

Shearing is finally done for another year. I like to talk big about how I love my life here on the ranch and how I'm happy that I can pass along "teachable moments" to my kid via some retro, back in the day, how they use to do it skill. I hate shearing though. The first year I was excited about it. I'd never seen it done other than an occasional demo at a county fair. Shearing at our ranch is hot, smelly, and generally filled with at least two women who are teetering on the edge of a hormone explosion. I'm usually so pooped by the end of it all, I pass out in my bath. This year, although it was hot and smelly, I didn't have to pluck and haul sheep. Shelly's menace of a ram, Nubie didn't plow me over leaving yet another bruise.

Uncle Working REALLY HARD

Jolene was relieved of her wool picking up duty by a group of women from a local spinning club. She was able to spend her day tromping around the ranch with someone of her own age, with seemingly the same interests in weird kid things. (I don't remember being interested in weird kid things)

Discussing Wool

The lady spinners chit chatted all day about this type of wool, and that type of wool, virgin wool, baby doll wool, cotswold wool, smelly wool with poop infused in it, etc. They talked about wool. I chatted with my Aunt, drank lots of soda, sweated and counted naked sheep. I'm tired but not nearly as tired as years past. I'm so thrilled that I was able to be in the company of family without hearing a eulogy on another relative.

Whew! So much cooler.

Even though sometimes the conversations turned to maggots and hang overs, it was great. I can't say I'm looking forward to shearing next year but I am looking forward to family visits, no matter what form they take.

Slipping into reverse!

Whew! I have been whining about the summer taking FOREVER to arrive and now I'm wishing I would have shut my pie-hole. Even though I love the summer weather and many activities that come along with the season, I'm slipping into reverse. I had the honor of having my family visit yesterday. I was great fun. Everyone is so busy with life as usual that I rarely have time to drop by for a visit, and I know it's the same with them. I have three sister-friends who are all teachers. I'm not a teacher. I dabbled it in when I was younger but then decided that I did not have stamina. It really pisses me off when some parent or even non-parent offers up their opinion on the "state of the country's education" or why they think we pay educators too much. I could go on for days and tell you what I really think but that is not what this blurb today is about. It's about my ability to get nothing done.
Yesterday the broiler chickens were three weeks old. I didn't get a picture taken or a blog written. I intended to get them transferred to the coup yesterday but instead I kissed the Little Alien and Sooper Cooper. So I thought I would be able to do the transfer today, but instead I have a softball game to attend in the valley. No matter, there is always tomorrow. Please pardon the poor picture quality. The broilers think that anything near the ground is food and since I'm operating with a camera that only has most of it's functions working, I took the picture through the stall door. They are growing up fast. The Buff Orpington and Black Sex Link pullets that are the same age are about half the size. Can't wait to have my family back for a Chicken Q!


In the meantime there are a lot of other things that need to be done on the ranch. We have sheep shearing this weekend and the barn is full of dirty stalls and lambs. The vet came out to float teeth today and check on the new mare.


Shelly will be left to do evening milking on her own as I will be spitting sunflower seeds in heat and yelling for my kiddo and her team. Whew....I'll catch up sometime.

Organic Lawnmower

Have you ever been on the wrong end of a thundering tribe of goat? It's not pretty. They have pine needle breath.

Watch out here they come!

Hurry, run away!

Save yourself!

Awh...Too late, you've been had!

Okay, I really wanted to offer my endorsement of an organic lawn mower. My friend said there was no such thing as an organic mower and that I've gone offer my rocker talking about organic things lately. Just so happens that I have a complete line of organic mowers. They are even specialized. Some cut really low to the ground and others are diversified and will even trim trees. They are space efficient, fuel efficient, last for years with low maintainability, and are truly and completely organic. I can produce fuel for them right here on the ranch. You don't even need to worry about oil. Just maintain the treads once in awhile and you're set.

Give me a call and I can line you up with a new model!

Chicken update! Two weeks old today. They have graduated from the stock tanks to the floor of the stall. We are feeding a meat maker food now, twice a day. They devour it in seconds but I don't want to feed them too much too soon. I'm trying to make sure their body doesn't out grow their heart and lungs. The birds are healthy and we are trucking right along toward our July 10 plucking date!

Two weeks old.

They grow up so fast!

I finally got chickens last week. It was my fault really, I put off buying them as I wanted to make sure I had all my ducks in a huddle before I thew chickens in the mix. Well, I finally got my ducks huddled. Friday the 14th the Post Office called bright and early to alert me to the peeping arrival. These chicks were hatched on Wednesday, May 12th....so today they are a week old. Can you tell a difference? They sure are eating.

Taken the day they arrived.


Taken today, on their week birthday.


Stay tuned for updates!