Ridgetop - our place and how we muddle along

[Ridgetop]

DGD1 and DGD2 renamed lambs in barn. "Blackie" is now "Soot". The white twins out of GR10 are "Sonic" and "Swoosh" because they like to run and jump. Wonder what their names will be next week. LOL

 

[Ridgetop]

Had a very nice Easter. Our family went to mass and afterwards our pastor came up and spoke to us. He recognized the babies since he had baptized them. He also married DS2. The previous pastor, since retired, married DD1. DS2 is thinking about putting the kids in school there since the public schools are getting so crazy liberal. It is a good parochial school. Our kids went there until we moved to Shadow Hills.

The kids (adult children and teen grandchildren) played board games last night before and after dinner. The game in progress was placed on one of my sewing cutting boards and stowed on the freezer in the laundry room during dinner, then resumed afterwards. 13-year-old Daniel (DGS2) came in the office very excited to tell me how he had won against all the adults including his Uncle Rick. I remained with my eyes open and attentive as he described his strategy although I did not have the least idea what he was talking about. Every now and then I felt them start to glaze over but recovered quickly.

The prime rib was fantastic cooked on the Traeger. The potato casserole made by the 13-year-old DGS were delicious, and the root vegetables and brussels sprouts were all consumed. I returned the cheesecake to the freezer since DD1 had brought cherry and apple pies which we popped into the oven during dinner. She also brought a chocolate cream pie. Wine and sparkling cider were also consumed along with crescent rolls and salad. I did most of the dishes after dinner and finished with another and this am. So much easier to clean up without roasting the prime rib in the oven!

All the new sheep are doing well. We hit a little rain on the way home, and it rained all night on Friday, but the expected flood did not show up over Easter weekend. The purebred white ram's tail has fallen off. We need to vaccinate the twins and give the older ram lamb his last vaccination.

DH and DS1 are planning t load the trailer with the furniture and panels along with whatever else will fit in for the trip back to Texas. The eclipse glasses are already back there. DGS2 brought over his fishing pole and tackle asking us to take them to back to Texas so he can fish in the pond. He was thrilled when we told him we had stocked the pond. I didn't mention the "stockers" were tiny fishlings about 2" long. Let the boy have his dreams. LOL I think the bait is larger than the fish we dumped in last year.

I am excited to get the loveseats back to Texas and put on the slipcovers. We will have a few days of work to get the house ready for the family since the spare room has a giant cabinet and boxes in it taking up most of the floor. The king size mattress (left over from when we got our new mattress) is trapped behind everything up against a wall in the room. This doesn't concern me since we will eventually remove it to the dump, but DH promised the family that there was a large mattress for the children to sleep on. Wait till the DGSs find out they have to move everything to put it down on the floor. We do have lots of blankets and a couple sleeping bags in the trailer though so no problem since it is only for one night. We have promised (threatened?) to take the children to Sulphur Springs to use the public toilets. These are a tourist draw, being constructed of one-way mirrored glass. From the outside they look like mirrors but from the inside the user can see everything outside. It can make for a rather uncomfortable sojourn, particularly when one of your party comes up to the glass and assures they can see you, then laughs hysterically. Since our family has an odd sense of humor, we are looking forward to this.

We will be leaving on Thursday. Got a lot of laundry to do today. And maybe more packing.

 

[Ridgetop]

Got the nose of the small trailer loaded with the loveseats, plastic bins, cabinets for the new island, etc. Now the back compartments of the trailer will be loaded with the fence panels. DS1 is taking apart the current chute by removing the outside panels. He will set up another chute for working the sheep when the vet comes out by using our Sydell and Shaul panels along the outside panels of the fold. It will be easier to chivvy the sheep along since those panels are only about 42-48" tall. We learned that you can't use a chute that is 5' tall for sheep. LOL

DGD3 has taken to biting everyone. Yesterday she bit DGS6 when he wouldn't let her play with his truck. Today she decided to bite her mother - many times. Apparently biting is her new hobby. I told DD2 that she took after DS1. He was a biter too.

Tomorrow is my appointment with the orthopedic surgeon. My knee will suddenly wake me up painfully at night. It also kept collapsing on me during the trip to and from Texas when I got out of the truck after prolonged sitting. I would like to get the partial replacement done here since it won't cost us anything. Once we move our health care to Texas from UCLA we will have a co-pay. And it will cost more for the PPO insurance.

@Margali: Thanks for telling me about Dubose - I checked with them and their gates are about the same price as Shauls (who can't do my order for about 4 months anyway if ever). They attach differently, but I can deal with that. And they can do some custom work so maybe I can order some gates that will pin together. Thanks so much.

 

[murphysranch]

Wait what? The tail fell off?

I bit my children back. I believe it took like ONE TIME!!

 

[Baymule]

By all means, take the family to admire the courthouse in Sulphur Springs-AND see the outdoor see through toilets!

Glad you had a nice Easter!

 

[Baymule]

Wait what? The tail fell off?

I bit my children back. I believe it took like ONE TIME!!

The tail was banded for docking. It’s supposed to fall off. ❤️

 

[Margali]

@Ridgetop There are several other companies as well. Rivera Custom Gates and Feeder makes the kind of funnel feeder I want and have been half-assing out of wood. They do custom work so I'm hoping I can get 6'6" and 7'6" made instead of buying their standard 8' to chop myself.

 

[Ridgetop]

Doctor's appointments all day. May be able to have partial replacement in June. I would wait since it isn't hurting as badly as it did in the winter, but I don't want to wait until I am in agony and can't walk out to the barn either.

Tomorrow bridge and Thursday we leave for Texas. DS1 got the panels loaded. DS2 helped him carry the scale up from the barn and it will go this trip along with the grafting panel, and a couple miscellaneous gates, etc. I will pack tomorrow night. Not too much to pack since we have clothes there.

Waiting for last slipcover to arrive. It was supposed to come today. If it doesn't arrive tomorrow, will have to reorder.

 

[Ridgetop]

@:Margali Emailed Rivera and they also have what I need and for even better prices. They also have make a hay cradle. I have been looking for one. I will have to check on reviews for it. The Tarter one had reviews saying it collapsed under the weight of the hay bale. The Rivera hay cradle is about $500 so cheaper too.

Maybe we can get there on the way to Yantis but we are in a time crunch (as always). We are playing bridge today, I have a nail appointment at 4pm, have to do 2 loads of laundry, get to the bank, pack, and want to leave at 3am tomorrow.


Got home late from the doctor's appointments yesterday. Between appointments I was able to talk DH into going to Ross - Tuesday is 10% oldie discount. Too far to go home. Got the towels I needed, and a couple items for the house in Texas. Ross is a discount store and I get kitchen stuff and linens there abut 30-50% lower than at Walmart. I also got 2 pairs of black pants that fit well and looked nice so a plus. I need to pack all those things in bins to go in the trailer once the last panels and scale are loaded. Last thing tonight is to clean off my desk, load my files and computer for the trip. Oh, and make sure DH has his checkbook to give Levi a deposit for the rear yard fencing fence.

DH has said that I need to drive back before the sheep go. I will need to have everything in readiness for the transporter, and for DS1 to know who to load where. When I go back, I will take Rika with me. She will ride easier in the car and I can take her into the motel. That way DH and DS1 can decide how they will deal with the other 2 dogs in motels. It will also give Rika a chance to scope out the yard and barn. I wonder if DH has enough money saved to be able to buy some gates in Texas so we can set up more jugs before the truck arrives with mamas and lambs.

Oops! I just realized I have to locate the 5' creep gate (already in TX) and set up a creep in one side of the current barn pen. So much to do, so little time.

Here is a hint to all those deciding to buy livestock - have your pens and shelters in place. You will ultimately decide you need to change them around, but at least you will have them there when bringing in animals. DH and I have to set up fencing across the garden area for the rams, make a creep, and set up an additional pen for the young rams who will be ready to wean when we get back to Texas. I will put the mamas and ramlings in the same pen so they can acclimate after the trip and then remove the mamas making it easier on the lambs. Ewe lambs can stay with their mamas until I get a second pen up for them. Then the new ram can go in with the ewes to be bred asap. There will be about 12 needing to be bred as soon as we reach Texas for late October lambs. The others will be bred a month or so later for November/December lambs. Next year Easter will be April 20. That will be plenty of time to get winter lambs to auction.

 

[Ridgetop]

DD1 and familyflew out for the eclipse. We thought they would come in on Friday night and stay through Tuesday am for the eclipse. We underestimated DDSIL1's frugality - they took a "red eye" flight on Saturday night, arriving at 4 am. DH was disappointed since he wanted to take them around the area. He contented himself with the idea that we could take then around after the eclipse. DD! said they had to be at the airport at 4pm ON MONDAY to catch their flight home. They didn't want the children to miss any school! At that point I started laughing so hard I couldn't talk. The expression on DH's face was priceless - it was part shock and part disappointment. I finally got my breath back and said they would miss the eclipse so why bother. At which point DD1 said
"We will watch it from the rental car on the way to the airport". ?????????? Why bother?