8.22.10

This morning we found one of our Runner ducks dead. He was fine yesterday evening when we put them up but dead this morning and not a scratch on him. I don't know what's happening overall but it's been my experience that things tend to happen in 3's.

I had a terrible time sleeping last night but got a lot more of my book written. I don't recall dreaming when I finally did sleep but I woke feeling like I had dreamed something. that's very unusual for me because I recall most of my dreams and am a lucid dreamer.

There's a wonderful breeze today that makes the humidity feel much less oppressive. I checked the weather last night and saw that it's supposed to cool off a bit this coming week. I hope so because we have a lot of outside work to get done. I want to start working on moving some pens for a new garden spot next year. It's a lot to do but it might get done.

I was also able to get two metal gazebo things when a welding place went out of business. I intend to make one a greenhouse and am torn on the other. I need to sell it for money but I would love to keep it as well. We'll see what happens.

The Blazer is having some trouble too lately. The day after we got back from Virginia Nik started it up and pulled it out the flat area and checked the fluids. he started it up again and pulled it back in, it started right away like always, no problem. The next day we got ready to run to town and it would start at all. On the trip we had to sleep in the Blazer and left it running some nights that weren't safe to sleep with the windows open. The second morning we checked fluids and the battery was almost dry. I filled it and it started and ran fine ever after, until the 3rd day home. I figured letting it get so low may have burned out some of the cells so a neighbor took it for us to be tested but the guy said the cells were fine, it was just low on charge. Now it won't even start with a jump tho. it turns over and almost starts but doesn't.

Good news, Thistle is almost completely well and none of the other goats have shown any signs of illness of any kind. We'll soon be down to just Thistle and Ivy, and as soon as thistle is completely well I'll move the goats to an unused pen and sterilize everything.

I believe our poor Anya suffered worse because she was depressed about us leaving and not being milked. I believe it caused a lowered immune system which made her more susceptible to Thistles illnesses and parasites. the parasites cause diarrhea which wasn't tended to for the 5 days we were gone and in the heat she dehydrated. She was doing better, not as well as i thought she should but better, I was drenching with double worming and other herbals, feeding cooked oatmeal and fresh oak leaves and giving water and electrolytes. The giving water is always hardest because it can to easily go down the wrong pipe. I think I must have not given enough water and electrolytes.

I wish I had more fencing to put up because I was made a wonderfully generous offer on some Saanen goats today. But I would need an adult buck pen ready and room to house 3 extra goats until they could be sold.

We've still not had one broody hen this year. It's very odd. We've never had trouble having broody hens and have new chicks almost every year. We're also barely getting eggs again. 1 a day for the last several days and we have 8 laying hens. I may end up going with all Buff Orpingtons and a few Ameraucanas for green eggs. I'll miss the variety but I'll be grateful for the broodies and the eggs :)