I'm back

Where oh where to begin?

I guess an update on Miss. Sherry and Lobo is first up. Missy (as we call her) is doing fine. Sutures out and healing as we speak,er, type. Lobo is coming along nicely also and his foster mom Debi told me yesterday that he is getting a new collar as the one he had when first coming to them is too small. Yeah he is getting healthy and gaining weight. His ears are cleared up and he is wallowing in the luxury of having good care. Debi also shared that he greets her by talking to her and giving kisses. He still has more weight to gain and his treatment for heartworm but sooner than we know he will be ready for his forever home.

This entry may be discombobulated (is that how it is spelled?)! I guess my mind might work better if I began now and work back to Christmas.

This has been a tough month so far here at the farm. On Wednesday the 20th we sent Lexi our almost 14 y.o. English Setter (and our last) to the Bridge. We had spend a rough night before up with her and we were grateful that I had access to some serious drugs so we could keep her comfortable until Adian our vet came the next day.   I don't have a recent photo handy but Lexi was Micki's sister. They were both Blue Beltons and lovely show quality bitches with great personalities and very loving ladies. If you will remember Micki passed in the Fall preceded by Skittles our orange girl. We have had many English over the last 25 years and Lexi's passing leaves a huge hole in our hearts. Also in our home as when we moved to Mendocino Co. in 2006 we brought with us 8 dogs and we are now down to 2 Kelsey and Spinner.

That same day we had Adian assist Fannie our 10 year LaMancha doe , grandmother of almost every LaMancha doe in the barn, to the Bridge also. She had begun to go down after that intense arctic weather we had in December and just never bounced back. It was most certainly time for her to go where all good goats go. The photo above was taken two years back and is the last we have of her. Fannie earned her SG title from American Dairy Goat Assoc. which stands for superior genetics. We are very happy to have her three year old daughter Walnetto Farm Fannie's Lucky Penni in our herd along with many granddaughters sired by her son Walnetto Farm Nite Rider. Rest easy Fannie.

And if that all wasn't enough on Thursday I began to notice that Kelsey , 6 year old Border Collie/Aussie X, was beginning to exhibit subtle neurological symptoms. As they became more pronounced I called for an appointment with our vet. in Santa Rosa and on Saturday packed her and I into the truck and headed out down the hill. We spent 3 hours there with blood work, films, exam and so forth. The bloodwork is to be back today. And so far all results are negative for  anything from spinal myelopathy on down. She has been on Robaxin, Tramodol, Metacam plus herbals and seems to be doing better. We are hoping that she just tweaked something between the L3 to L7 doing something stupid with her barn cats. We are guardedly optimistic at this point in time. Photo from event two years ago with foxtail but she pretty much looks the same only no lampshade!

When getting ready for Christmas I managed to snap this photo of Tabby Tabby one of the barn cats. Evidently she was in a birdie mood that day.

Then Christmas happened and we weren't even looking for it. We didn't have a "real" tree this year as I was leaving the day after for the "Berg" and we had been working our fannies off to get the house in shape for a change of venue. Which reads "new relator" so we had a wonderful little tree that Geoffrey's Mom had in her collection. Made by someone unknown from New Jersey. Enough said!


That is all for now folks. It is getting late and I need to get supper going. More soon I promise. Stay tuned for the trip to the Berg and the big storm that will float California to ????

Help needed

I have been very busy and with family. I promise a blog with lots of news this week. Right now we have a huge need for help with two of our rescues. I am the co-chair and a director of Great Pyrenees Rescue of Nor. Cal and I am putting out this link in hopes that those of you who depend on this awesome breed to protect your herds and flocks will help these two who have given all. http://www.gprnc.org/

I realize we are in a time where time and $$ are of little to spare. But please if you have ever had a livestock dog of any breed or a K-9 companion search your hearts and pockets to help these two. Miss Sherry was picked up by me on Tuesday last and fostered at our farm. Lobo is the epitome of a dedicated working dog while even starving continued to guard the flockless farm where he lived. IF NOT YOU , WHO????

Did you hear, it's almost here!

Merry Christmas everyone! The last 3 weeks have been whirlwind and show no sign of slowing down.
I have well meaning photos, written news and just stuff in general. I promise to do a real entry in the next week , eek , or two!
http://www.goatbiology.com/carol.html until then Merry Christmas dreams and praise!

Santa Paws no not Disney

On Friday I left in the morning to go to our Great Pyrenees Rescue Annual Christmas event. Santa Paws happens in the historic town of Jackson http://hjba.homestead.com/CalendarofEvents.html  at the fire station.
Randy and Debi Carpadus (Debi was Chairperson of Rescue for 10 plus years) began this event and continue to work hard at seeing it gets done. This was my first year going to it.

I stopped by Potter Valley and White Dog Ranch http://www.whitedogranch.com/ to pick up Caspian who is a 5 month old Pyr. pup who was taking his first big adventure off the ranch on his own.

For a pup who has never been on a lead or around strange people and places he was amazing. He did bark going around Clear Lake to the Valley and drool but those of you who have done that drive know it would make a grown man do the above also ;-)

We stopped at Williams to meet up with Donna and Dallas plus Lacey their lovely Aussie who is recovering from an emergency spay surgery. Lacey is one cool girl and is my sleeping buddy whenever I go to visit them in Cottonwood. We had a nice visit , got a bite to eat in a tailgate picnic, exchanged stuff and off I went to do a home inspection for rescue in Dunnigan a bit south on I5.

The potential adoptive family was very nice. They have a cute place that needs little to amend it to make it Pyrenees ready and they also are previous Pyr owners so now we just sit and wait for the right dog to find their forever home with them.

On the way to Jackson a wonderful rainbow appeared as the rain clouds that followed me began to butt up against the Sierras. I did my best while driving to snap it. A few telephone polls in the way but this photo gives you an idea of how nice it was to see almost all the way up the hill from Sacramento.

Rolled into to Jackson about 3:40 and found the firehouse and another set of early birds Tina and her daughter Jenn plus Jenn's friend whose name now has left my brain. That unfortunately happens often anymore. :-(

They brought Prince with them for the photo shoot and had already captured the imaginations of many shoppers with a stroll down Main St. with Prince decked out in his Christmas finery. He is a handsome fellow isn't he?

Randy , son Tyler and Randy's two nieces arrived with all decorations, printer, camera etc. So we got going on making the cozy, small fire house decorative with the spirit of Christmas. We got allot of help from a gal from the chamber whose name I have also forgotten and the place was looking pretty spiffy. Folks began to find their way in for a photo taken with a donation to rescue with the big white dogs.

Caspian did his part too not to be out done by the ever popular Prince. Snuggling up to this toddler for a quick pose with Mom and older sister.

All in all the event was great. Good conversation, excellent chili provided by Tina , cheese and crackers by me. Spent the night at Randy and Debi's and headed out the morning after a great tag team breakfast eggs by Randy and biscuits by Debi.

Returned my travel partner to his ranch and drove home to the farm where Geoffrey had provided good care to the critters in my absence.

Next adventure will be the annual trip to Fresno at the end of month to have Christmas with the kids and grand kids. Hope your Thanksgiving weekend was as grand as mine!

 

Day of Thanksgiving

Have spent today with barn chores, making soap labels and stumbling down memory lane. About 5 years ago I got a lovely black and white nubian doe from a herd in Washington. She was a first freshening yearling and we got her about a month after she freshened. She went on to give us triplets the next year and we retained one doeling Walnetto-Farm Logan's Berrie who is in the barn today. But this is about her dam Pearl who passed not long after that kidding but had a short career as a "rock-a-billy" bands mascot. I stumbled across this photo from a newspaper ad those many years ago.

Pearl never made any public appearances nor went to the Full Circle Brewing Co. but she was a lovely doe who left us a legacy of good bloodlines (her dam was Royal Cedars Pazaaz Celebrity) and we are looking forward to the kids from daughter Berrie and granddaughter Pearl this coming year. And we are thankful that we to have a lifestyle doing what we love!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours and may your life be blessed with what you love.

Wednesday Thanks

I am thankful that I can post for two days on one post since yesterday got away from me.

Yesterday was spent with everyday chores plus making mashed potatoes that are part of tomorrows feast. They need to set 2-3 days after being made to age properly. They contain garlic powder, cream cheese, sour cream and butter. Absolutely yummy! Did a few other things including walking Spinner my working girl who certainly enjoys getting out of the goat yard on occasion and seeing the sights.

Today on my way back to the house from the barn I stopped by the fish pond. It is extremely overgrown and with the lows in the high 20's and low 30's the fish are coming to the top to warm themselves and grab some oxygen. I made mental note to self that it needs cleaning out. So the next thing I know Geoffrey is out there cleaning away, great minds think alike after 38 years of marriage.

After the cleaning we counted about 20 goldfish (really farm supply feeder fish) from about "can I really see you" length to about 5 inches long.

Gold, white and orange and a black wee one. They have been busy this summer breeding and are so happy to have a clean pond to swim in.

This is what came out. They are now singing the 3 little fishes swimming in the dam song-do do doum doum watum bam! Today I am thankful for a husband that can read my mind! 

A week of Thanksgiving

I make every attempt to make each day a thankful one. I have gotten much better the further along in my journey I am. Not perfect just a bit more ahead of where I was last year or even just yesterday.

I will begin this week of Thanksgiving with a huge thank you to Kat. Kat is my friend, she also happens to be a Master Herbalist and this is her link http://www.firmeadow.com/ . Kat most kindly reminded me she would be my eternal friend the other day due to our commitment each in our own way to God and prayer. What I like the most about a spiritual journey is it is allot like raising goats. There are allot of ways and allot of words to get you where you need to be but the pathway isn't always the same but the end result is.

Anyway this is my story. One I never thought I would write or speak of because until this part of my journey I would never have done what it took to put a goat of mine in this situation. I leased out a buck, I have a closed herd , I don't lease. I have in 25 years heard horror stories about this act. But I did it, why isn't as important as the end result.

He came back to me a week ago Sunday. Three quarters dead, 60 pounds under weight, losing hair, eye injury. But it was not his time to die and he was despite all the external issues a solid individual. He has simply put been sublet and bred into a hole. Yes I did check him during the lease and yes until the day he returned he was in good condition when I saw him. But that is all beside the point.

To make this long story longer we , my husband, the lessee and I carried this guy into my barn with a sling. I started him on herbs, Kat's herbs. I also gave him lovely alfalfa hay and he ate darn near nonstop for the first week. As the days wore on I introduced grain, sunflower seeds and more herbs. The first week he got Cayenne tincture every 2 hours 12-14 hours a day.

He is becoming stronger and on Saturday last he sprayed again. Yeah, he knows he is a boy. He has a day pen by the does for company and at night goes into the barn in a kidding pen. When he is more advanced he will be transitioned to the buck barn. He needs a name as he was named by his lessee but it needs changing to help diminish the bad juju. He comes from fine stock. But for now he is just "Mr. Man".

So this Monday before Thanksgiving Mr. Man and I are saying "Thanks Kat" couldn't have done it without you!