Getting Life together

I feel so much better when things start coming together & become organized. I realize that you would not think that organization existed, looking at the "clutter" around my house, but it really is true.

Things are starting to come together somewhat. I've got my list ready for the attorney so we can start working on the estate. He has been gone, so I don't see him until about a week. But I've made progress. I just hope it is in the right direction. I've made progress in other aspects of the estate with insurance & retirement issues, which is a relief to get things accomplished.

BUT there are the other items. I need to separate the cria from their mama's. Now I will say this is a major undertaking. I have to remove them from the large field & move them to another area by the barn. Three years ago when I discovered our first mama had not weaned her cria, Dennis & I made a separation in the field & feeding shed such that all the females were together but three were on each side of the fence (separating cria from mama of course). Things went very well until day 5. On day 5 the cria had her head down & looked depressed. She would not eat & would not drink anything. I then discovered she was having diarrhea. I had to call the vet with my diagnosis (she was truly ticked off by the situation & upset) & ask for a couple of meds. Then I went ahead & put them back together. Whenever I'd see the cria nursing, I'd run out of the house, jump over the fence & yell & separate them. It was such fun. Last year we decided to go with the other method ---- out of sight, out of mind. It worked well. But I need to do them 2 at a time & that will take a minimum of 4 people to keep them moving and get them where they need to be.

THEN there are the rabbits. Now I told Dennis that I did not want any more rabbits. IF HE chose to get rabbits, then HE had to take care of them. So here I am with 5 rabbits that desperately need their cages cleaned & to be sheared. I say sheared because I don't dare pluck them. It is still getting down to 6 degrees at night. They are in the barn, which sounds wonderful. BUT the barn was built in 1887 (or at least existed in a photo back then)........so there are cracks --- if that is what you call a 1/4 to 1/2 inch open area between many of the boards. Now the rabbits have done fine all winter even with it being that cold & no heat, but I really think it needs to warm up a little more before shearing them. I hate cleaning rabbit cages AND I need to cut more boards for them to stand on also. I did find appropriate boards & I do know how to use one saw that Dennis has. So those are two of my now larger items that are creating mental problems for me.

Oh, I cannot forget the taxes. I've not touched them yet. I used to get everything together for the tax person out in CA. BUT once we moved here, I only did a small portion. I let Dennis do all the farm stuff...................so I guess I get to learn something new this year!!

On another positive side (unlike the last 3 paragraphs), well, positive & negative ----- it has been warmer during the day the last 3 days. So warm most all the snow is gone. I love the warmth & anticipation of Spring---------BUT we need more snow. It is still February (I know tomorrow is March).........we need moisture for the crops this year.

God is good & things are pulling together. Onward we go.

Learning Something New

Last year during the Fiber/Folk Art Festival here in Monte there were a number of people selling beads. Now I'm truly not into beads nor making items out of beads. BUT then I saw some very pretty knitting stitch markers for sale -- made from beads. I could not figure out how to justify buying them though. The lady across from our alpacas also had a sale going on with a bowl full of beads.

I finally picked out her prettiest 20 beads that I just fell in love with. I have been waiting until just the right time to make my stitch markers. (Actually waiting until the person who indicated they would help actually appeared). Finally last week, the light dawned that Cheryl, a friend who does a lot of beading could help me. Today I went into the local bead shop where Cheryl works a day or two a week & showed her what I wanted (I actually planned on her doing ALL the work ------ I don't NEED another hobby!).

Well, my stitch markers are all done, took about 1 1/2 hours which included picking out smaller beads to add to what I had & some spacers etc. etc. Of course Cheryl forced me to learn how to do it also (it was fun, that's for sure & I did enjoy myself).

VFA mtg

Yesterday was our Valley Fiber Art Guild meeting. Dennis & I started this 3 years ago in January for people who could not meet with the other fiber group that meets on Wed. evenings. We had a wild day yesterday.

About 5 - 6 years ago we had a group of Amish families buy various farms south of Monte. I'm not real sure how many there are in the area now, but a number. Dennis & I have met a few of those in the community. Every year we buy apples, pears, & peaches from them (they are taken about 4 hours away to get the fruit & then resell it) Billie, who comes to VFA on a very regular basis, is close to a number of the Amish families. Yesterday she brought two ladies & I think about 7 of their children. We had so much fun. One lady used my carder for some lamb wool she had. Emmy Lou showed & taught 3 of them how to use drop spindles. They observed carding, spinning, plying, knitting, & who knows what else!! One young boy learned how to weave on the triangular loom (a small one). Emmy Lou started teaching the youngest girl how to knit, I think she is maybe 4 or 5 at the most. Willie took all the children out on a tour to see the alpaca & the rabbits.

Besides the visitors, we had 7 regular people. I'm so glad for all the extra room in the sun room as we easily expanded & everyone had a great day. Salai & Tawney plied the fiber they had spun & finally had two ply yarn. They were thrilled!!!

This is a day Dennis would have enjoyed very much. He would have been in the middle of the children showing & teaching & having a ball. God is good & He is here.

Toe Nails

No, not my toe nails ---------- my corgi girls toe nails. Dennis has always used the dremmel to shorten their nails. It isn't a challenge with Jamie that much. She wil freely come & allow you do to it. But toward the end she's getting aggitated. PLUS when finished she has to bark at the dremmel to let it know who is boss. She then gets some peanut butter. Malen has to be bribed out of her hiding place to allow you to work on her. Once started she is usually ok & gets her treat at the end.

BUT I have never done this before. This was Dennis' job & all I did was get the corgis & provide the treats. I have never even held the dremmel before!! But today was the day. It has been 3 months & 1 day since Dennis died. Their nails had not been trimmed in at least 3 months & 4 days & you could certainly hear those little toe nails clicking on the lineolum.

Overall everything went well. Jamie got nervous at the end & told the dremmel "what for". Malen had to be bribed, but we (with a little help from Willie) got it done. I have now learned something new.

Animals

Today was a day for wild animals.



The corgi girls HAD to go out at 3 am. I don't know why, but Jamie has it in her head that she needs a trip outside once during the night. Soon there was a lot of barking/howling. The coyotes were out too & having their say. I finally got the girls inside & tried to get another 2 1/2 hours of sleep.



Then while feeding the alpaca boys & rabbits this morning I could smell the skunk. Back when I was a "city girl", I thought the only time you smelled a skunk was when they sprayed. But now that I'm a "country girl" I know different. Skunks always have an odor around them, about 20 or 30 ft. around them. You can smell them as they walk anywhere semi-near where you are. After I fed the boys & headed back toward the front yard I caught a movement out of the corner of my eye. There was the skunk waddling/running in the field across the road. He/she was headed toward Freda's shed or haystack. (Good I thought)



Today was a "Mom" day and I had things to do in Center. I picked up Mom to take her to a Dr. appt. in Salida. Before we made it to Saguache we had a herd of antelope cross the road in front of us. Then on the other side of Saguache there was a herd of deer beside the road.



As we returned to Center I saw an Eagle at the top of a tall tree about 5 miles north of town. He was so very pretty. I love being able to see the wild animals in God's nature. It was a good day for wild animals.

Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork

Sometimes it is so hard to do paperwork when there are so many other things going on. Now the attorney is gone, he is in Africa climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. Ah well, that means a little more time before getting paperwork together. It's amazing how much paperwork there is especially running around my house!

Otherwise, no new snow which is good. Everyone seems to be doing well. All the rabbits NEED desperately to be sheared, but I think it is a little cold for that. There is no heat in the barn (& the barn was built in 1887 or something like that). There are large spaces between the boards in the barn, so although it is warmer than outside, it isn't truly warm at all.

I haven't seen the fox again, although I did see a skunk run across the driveway area a week ago. Luckily neither of the corgis have seen the skunk nor trapped a skunk like they did last year. Onward into the paperwork!

Catch up

Seems like time flies, perhaps I'm just growing older!!

The Work & Witness team made it back & had a very good trip from what I understand so far. I have been busy trying to do paperwork for the attorney. I have to pull information from our file cabinet, which is interesting. I finally gave Dennis one drawer when we moved here for him to do filing with. Well, that drawer is interesting. I think I have almost found most everything I need. But I am missing some items from 2006, so that could be a challenge.

But the weather has been so nice for a while now. No snow, we are in the mud season now. But we maybe might have snow this weekend. Hard to say for sure (you cannot trust weather reports for here at all). Still cold at night, 0 degrees C. but it seems to get up to around 30 or so in the daytime, which is what accounts for the mud.

I'm almost ready to pick the first lemon off the tree. They were green on one side, so I'm waiting for the entire lemon to turn yellow. I'm doing so much cleaning as I go along, which is needed. In the meantime I'm keeping my eyes open for things that I cannot seem to find besides the 2006 stuff. Dennis had been in a men's Bible study that was studying the book, Heaven. I know it was here. I know for sure it was here..............I cannot find that book. I had planned on reading it sometime in the near future. So as I clean I "look" and am trying to organize a little better.

God is good............and maybe we'll have a true summer this year!!