Where Do the Days Go?

A week ago, we were in final prep for Barnyard Babies, 

2018, at the National Agricultural Center & Hall of Fame... "the Ag".

The committee members were working overtime to get everything done. 

Weather was a real factor this year, rain threatened all week long, and 

the days just would NOT warm up. 

Saturday morning dawned cold and rainy.  Slowly, the exhibitors and the 

animal tenders came in and set up.  

There's Dave, committee member and our announcer for the day, 

ready to start work. 

It was as chilly as it looks. 

My two helpers, Jax and Paiton, were with me.  Our job was to 

set up and keep the bubble table going.  We had lots of fun. 

Our friends Diane and Caitie Larson brought chicks, a duckling, and goslings and turkey poults

and were set up in the feed room of the poultry house.  There was a line all day to see the babies, and 

next year, they will need to be somewhere where folks can get in and out easier. 

Thank you, Boling 4H!

The Shawnee County Mounted Sheriff's Posse stopped by... they are the 

only county around us that still has a mounted posse, and these two representatives couldn't have been nicer, letting all the families pet their horses and answering questions. 

Operation Wildlife was there again, too, fascinating people with their beautiful educational birds, like this kestral. 

The train, of course, had a line all day.  So did the pony rides. 

I think the families all had a good time, we had good food and 

lots of things to do. 

So, Sunday, my son Jim and I took Thunder to pick up two of these.... grow out brooders. 

I wanted to move the chicks into one, and then store the other until next year. 

I had found the guy who made them on Craigslist.  I believed he was closer to us than it 

turned out he was. 

He tried to sell me this brooder: 

It's in his living room. 

It's a beautiful piece of work, but weighs 150 pounds. 

Notice the bottom? 

There were four full grown ducks in that tiny space, they could neither stand up 

straight or flap their wings.  Please notice there is ANOTHER duck in the upper left. 

He would not sell me that duck, I bought the four Pekins, which were "two boys and two girls", according to him.  I asked him to carry them to the truck... and we put them in 

one of the brooders to ride home, because they were too big for the carriers (my son did not notice in the back seat of the truck)!  The brooders were laid down on their sides. 

As the guy brought them out one by one, each whisper-quacked, and those of you who have ducks know what I mean.... THEY WERE ALL DRAKES. 

Hens quack the traditional way... QUACK QUACK QUACK.... and the drakes quack MUCH quieter, almost a whisper. 

Jim bucketed water to the pool, and they rushed around, flapping wings and 

standing tall. 

Notice their bills are white, and should be yellow.  I suspect there was a 

dietary deficiency. 

It didn't take long. 

These girls are faking me out, I've had few eggs these last two days. 

Two of them are broody.  Not going through that again. 

The Hen Spa is also due for a complete clean-out. 

The six chicks in the brooder are looking good, and feathering out.  

I could not get a good picture of the two cochins, but they are heavily feathered. 

They are enjoying seeing out the window, as opposed to the trough they were in on the floor. 

I tried to put the Singleton with them, that didn't work very well. 

After calling his mother, who was equally as distressed, I put them back together in the feed room. 

Last night, Jaxton, my ten year old grandson, had his spring program at school, his sister's was last week. 

I high-tailed it down there, nearly forgetting it.... 

and when I got home, this is what I saw: 

Yes, somehow the three sheep that were coming here for the summer had become 8. 

AND... there is a ram lamb in there. 

(on the left).  

I understood from the man who owns them, and who is using my pasture, that there were to be a hair sheep ewe and her three lambs, but that changed, obviously.  Now, of course, I am worrying about the two that need shearing.  (the reason I never started in sheep). 

As you see, they were terrified.  

I put a water trough in there, and frankly, what he is feeding I don't think is right for sheep... milo and cracked corn... so I am going to buy a bag of sheep feed this afternoon. 

They are going to be turned out into the pasture tomorrow morning. 

When I saw that little ram, I understood they are probably not going anywhere in the fall, 

so I have a metal trough that can hold a heater for winter. 

I have the game camera out there, and have not had a chance to review it this morning, 

I will put it out nightly for a while, to see if anything is bothering them at night. 

I personally could not eat this. 

Here, I'm going to get serious for a moment. 

Last Tuesday, I made the decision that it was time for 

Lilly Ann to cross the Rainbow Bridge... her twelfth 

birthday is in July, but she has torn her right ACL, 

and is having trouble getting around, and must be on 

pain medication all the time now. 

I watched her all week, and took about a thousand pictures. 

You see, Lilly came home here from the Leavenworth Shelter, 

after we lost Oscar, our min-pin. 

We went to the shelter's open house to look at a German Shepherd female they had, 

because we had a German Shepherd that Keith had found limping along the road in the county.

Lilly greeted Keith and rolled over on his feet, waving her paws at him, 

and he was smitten. 

We came home with an (estimated) 8 week old pup who 

had been found out in the county with her mom and sister. 

Lilly was the boss of Ranger AND of us since the day she walked in the door. 

To this day, she has to be muzzled to be handled, or brushed, or have her nails done, etc. by the 

vet's office, and woe betide ME if I try to do too much to her.  She is my bosom buddy, but still. 

I talked at length to a friend this weekend who represents Hero Braces, 

and even though Lilly cannot be braced (I would have to muzzle her tightly!)... 

I realized we had not yet gotten to the time. 

Hence, our visit to the vet this morning was not her last.  The vet assessed her 

gait, and while he said she will never recover, we are just.not.there.

We are putting her on a new pain med for mornings, and she will have 

tramadol the rest of the day.  She is staying very quiet for her. 

She still goes outside to lay in the yard and watch everything... and I can 

tell she is still engaged.  We just aren't there but it will be soon. 

Here she is last night, she sort of hop-chased that squirrel up into the tree. 

She did not realize he had come down and was calmly eating his dinner on the other side!

So, it's been another long post, and I'm sorry. 

Lots going on here. 

Pray for Lilly and for me, that we have a few more weeks together.