Thursday, April 29, 2010

The wind is back with a vengeance today.  It is cooler too but at least we don't have snow!

Yesterday as I opened the back door to let my little red dog, Penny, out, I was slammed in the face with the oily, musky scent of skunk.  It started to get stronger and stronger, then Buddy my LGD, popped his head around the front of the house.  He was black and white instead of all white.  His chest and front paws were covered with skunk!  Ughguhaug!  Sickening!  Poor, stupid dog!  I had to go out and shut the gates to the back yard so that Buddy was isolated in the front yard.  Steve was leaving for work and Sara for school.  They did not need to have a big smelly dog brushing skunk perfume all over them.

The poor dog had to be isolated most of the day until after supper.  Steve stopped at trusty Walmart and picked up some hydrogen peroxide 3% solution.  It is one of the ingredients in the de-skunking formula Steve found online the last time this happened.  Then we proceeded to soak the dog's chest with warm water and rub the solution on him.  Then I had to stand there and hold him steady for 5 long minutes til the stuff worked the smell off.  My aching back!   But it was worth it!  By the time we rinsed and dried him off, he smelled like a regular dog again instead of a skunk.  

If you ever have a run in with a skunk, or your pet does, here is the formula:
     Skunk Odor Removal Formula
          1 quart 3% Hydrogen peroxide (found in any drug store)
          1/4 cup Baking Soda (sodium bicarbonate)
          1 teaspoon Liquid dish soap (like Dawn, what I used)

     This solution must be mixed in an open wide mouth container, like a bucket.  It bubbles profusely and could cause a closed container to explode.  Make it fresh and Use it immediately so that it will work properly.

     Wet pet's coat with warm water, then thoroughly message formula into coat.  Be careful NOT to get it in your pet's eyes or mouth.  Use a washcloth to carefully remove odor from the face.  Leave the solution on for 5 minutes and then rinse off thoroughly.  Repeat if necessary.

Monday, April 26, 2010

At 9 am, it is about 84 degrees, sunny and NOT WINDY, for once!  I have already fed the animals, taken my grandson to my daughter's house, washed and hung clothes out and answered my email! WHEU!  I also took some more photographs for this blog and to print for card making.  This is the week I have determined to get my Etsy store online, so I will be working on that today too.

We lost one of our old hens yesterday.  She was a big Americuna with red feathers.  She was about 5 years old and died peacefully in the pasture.  No critters got her.  I am thankful for all our animals and this hen gave us many eggs in her lifetime.  Thank you Red Hen.

We also had a little adrenaline rush yesterday while we were sitting outside after supper.  A huge swarm of honey bees buzzed over the pool.  We all jumped up with the intent of grabbing the kids and heading inside, but they had already headed down the hill and off of the property.  We sat down again but some of us were a little edgy and kept hearing buzzing sounds!  Arizonans are very careful around bees.  We have been warned to assume all bees in Arizona are killer bees and to act accordingly.  We don't mess around with bees or snakes here.  We might end up dead!

The yucca plants all around us are in full bloom.  I took some pictures on our property and off.  There were quite a few on the hill behind us but the neighborhood cattle herd decided to eat them all.  I tried to get pictures of the cattle but the sun was so bright and I could only see my own reflection when I was shooting.  They didn't turn out the way I would have liked.  I was pleasantly surprised taking pictures on our property this morning when I came across a very small cactus with big pink blooms on it.  I think it may be one that is native to this area only.  I'll have to do some research.  Until I find out what it is you can enjoy the photos.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Today Donald escaped from his pen.  He surprised himself.  He was stretching and reaching over the fence for the new green leaves on the young pomegranate tree just outside his fence.  I think the fence caved and he just flipped over it.  It doesn't really matter how he got out, he did and he wanted to keep on doing it.  Lil Buck wasn't quick enough to follow and I managed to keep him in even while trying to figure out how to barricade the fence until Steve can put up new poles in the saggy part.  

I put a 4 by 8 piece of plywood against the fence, then placed the big black trash cans against that.  Even with all this I still had to use the hose and squirt the boys in the face to keep them away from the fence.  So far so good.  They don't like getting hosed.

Then the weather turned totally horrid!  The wind picked up and blew black clouds and cold temperatures in.  It rained and forced all the animals to seek shelter.  We may get snow tonight.  I did see it slowly creeping down the mountain side behind us.  And here I thought winter was over and I'd be complaining about the heat soon!

I bought some more fabric and some stationary items I needed to finish projects for my Etsy site.  I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow but, hopefully, I will get it done this weekend.  


I also discovered that my knee is pretty messed up and I am going to an orthopedic surgeon soon.  So looks like I will be having two surgeries fairly soon.  I hope it will be after Caramel's kids are born and growing pretty good.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

The license is in the mail.  I have cut out 5 more aprons and prepared my photos to make cards for sale.  Tomorrow is payday and I will be able to put some money in the business account and get the Etsy site started.  I have some things ready to post for sale and others ready or almost ready to make.  I have been working on my profile, policies and item descriptions.  All a lot of work.  My daughter assures me that I can get the Etsy site set up in a day and that it is not hard.  We shall see.

I also figured out how much it will cost me to make the aprons, how much Etsy is going to charge me to post and sell them and postage costs.  My profit is not going to be great for any one item so I will have to sell many items.  I think the cards will be the most profitable, but will they sell?  I guess I will find out.

I am feeling a little overwhelmed about the alpaca fleece that I want to send to the Alpaca Blanket Project.  I will have to sort the fleeces, skirt them and get as much vegetable matter out as possible.  Then pack them up in plastic bags, suck the air out, put them in boxes and mail them to Oregon.  Skirting involves shaking the fleece out on a table, preferably a mesh top table so the dirt can fall away from the fleece, then pulling out any nasty fleece or any "second" cuts, and picking out any vegetable matter.  That is the worst part, picking out the VM, because it is often fine and sticky or prickly.  Some people cover their animals or otherwise keep the fleece clean, but I haven't figured out how to keep an alpaca from rolling around on the ground or, as they seem to like best, rolling around in any short left over hay that they have thrown out of the feeder and all over the ground!  I would not be comfortable covering them with a blanket here.  It just gets too hot.  And I am too lazy to rake the pasture daily.  So, on with the work!

I noticed some gorgeous Yucca plants are flowering in the field behind us.  I will try to get pictures of them and my pathetic little apple tree.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

On Sunday I injured my left knee while planting the flowers.  It was so bad that I went to the doctor on Wednesday.  I had to get x-rayed today.  I also found out that I have a hernia left over from my gallbladder surgery last year.  I have an appointment on the 26th to see about getting that fixed.  I am not very happy as it surely means I will be having abdominal surgery again soon.  If only they would take some of this excess fat out too....

Our weather has been fabulous.  I am already replenishing water buckets three times a day and we haven't hit 100 degrees yet.  Caramel is getting fatter.  I need to check my calender to find out exactly when the kids are due.

I did get my business cards printed with my daughter's help and my check is written and ready to go in an envelope for my tax license.  I have been researching the requirements and policies for opening my Etsy account.  I started writing my profile for that and I plan on doing item descriptions as soon as my profile is done.  I also checked out our Walmart's fabric section today.  They have lots of cool fabrics for aprons and pillows.  I have to do an inventory at home and see what I already have to work with.  Then I will write down pattern requirements and get some more fabric as soon as next payday.  I feel like I am making progress.  


I am still trying to decide what to do with all my fleece.  I don't know that I will be able to process it all myself.  I am thinking of sending some out to have rugs made and some to the Alpaca Blanket Project in Oregon.  I think the Blanket project is so cool.  They are purchasing alpaca fleece and sending it to the Pendleton Mill to have it turned into blankets.  North American alpaca fiber turned into North American Pendleton blankets!  How cool is that?!  Then I could buy blankets at cost and re-sell them, but probably not on Etsy.  


I will be sending some of you a business card soon via snail mail and some of you will get a fleece sample or two also.  


I contacted a local lady today about getting some Heritage breed turkeys.  She has Bourbon Reds and Royal Palm turkeys.  Both breeds are able to reproduce on their own, unlike the turkeys bred for Thanksgiving supermarket sales.  They are more "natural" and better tasting than industrial birds.  I hope to get at least two of each breed.  The lady said she has another batch hatching on Saturday so she will get back with me.  Steve asked if I was going to butcher them.  Maybe one for Thanksgiving, we'll see.  If the demand for these birds is as great as the lady tells me, maybe I will raise them for sale too.  I think my idea of the kind of farm I want is evolving.  I think I want a "real" more diversified farm rather than specializing in just one kind of livestock.  We shall see...

Our weather has been fabu

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Today is a nearly perfect Arizona Day.  It is sunny and about 90 degrees.  A few white puffy clouds dot the sky.  Steve and I have done a lot of work this weekend.

Yesterday Steve cleaned all the pastures and pens as usual.  And he also cleaned out the inside of the goat barn and put all new bedding down for the goats.  I must say it is a much nicer experience going into the goat barn now! Ha!  I cleaned all the water buckets, scrubbing them out with bleach.

Then today we dug up weeds all over the yard and took them out of the rock garden in the front yard.  I planted flowers that I got for Easter.  I dug holes and added potting mix, planted pansies and pink daisies and watered them.  Then I put small rocks from the yard all around the new plants to help preseve the water and, hopefully, keep them alive until they start growing.

I noticed that my one and only apple tree has blossoms on it.  My son gave it to me for my birthday last year.  I try to water it but sometimes I forget so I was surprised that it is doing well enough to produce buds.  Now I will be more vigilant with the water.  

The hummingbirds, orioles and swallows have returned.  I also saw a sparrow hawk the other day.  I thought it was a swallow at first but it was too big.  It landed on the saguaro out front.  That is when I got a good look at it.  It is a beautiful raptor and I wish I had gotten a picture.  In the bird book, it is called a "Kestral" or a sparrow hawk.

I got some of my projects together that I plan on putting up for sale on my Etsy site soon.  I will post some of them here. 

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Saguaro Hill Alpacas will soon have fleece for sale and rolags for spinners.  I will also be making aprons and pillows.  I will post pictures as the items become available.  

I have set dates for myself to accomplish some tasks and goals.  I do not want to waste any more time getting my business going.  I don't know exactly why I have not done more sooner except that I am always "waiting" for the right time or more money or just to get over being a little scared of the whole business concept.  NO MORE WAITING!  

I also must order some things for the new goat kids that we are expecting at the end of the month or early next month.  I need new bottles and nipples and will probably order some new colostrum powder, just in case.  I do have some frozen colostrum from last year.  I am starting to get excited about the new babies coming.  I wonder if they will be does or bucks and if they will be white or colored this time.  I have no doubt there will be two again.  That will be enough for me to worry about this year.  We had too many last year.

Steve is planning on putting a new pen in for Falkor.  I would like to locate it in the pen with the younger bucks.  Steve will build Falkor his own shelter too.  That way we can use the pens in the goat barn for does with kids in the future.  I hope to buy two more does this year.  I am also thinking of purchasing another male alpaca.  I would like to get a white one or a silver gray.  We'll have to see.  

It is nice to write these plans down.  It makes things clearer to me and gives me things to work toward.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Happy Easter 2010

Happy Easter!  What a gorgeous day we had for egg hunting!  It was in the 70's sunny and breezy.  All the grandkids arrived at 11am.  We found eggs inside and outside.  We played catch and hit the baseball and had lots of good food to eat.  I cooked a ham and we had macaroni salad, baked beans, a "Hummingbird" cake, and, of course, lots of chocolate bunnies and jelly beans.  I praise the Lord for wonderful days with family and friends like today.  And for what He did for us all, the reason we celebrate Easter in the first place.  Thank you Lord Jesus!

All the animals seem to have adjusted to their lighter coats.  No one is shivering any more.  It has been warmer too which makes it more comfortable for them.  I am a little worried about Buddy.  He has not been eating his food the last two mornings.  He is still playing with Lux, the border collie, and he doesn't seem to have any other issues.  I hope he starts eating again soon.  He did vomit once or twice but nothing really unusual for a dog.

I did remove a dead skunk from the yard yesterday that Buddy had dragged in.  It was discolored and had been dead a long time.  I hope that is not what made him sick.  I have not seen or heard the coyotes since our last little episode.  

Steve finally finished our taxes.  We declared our farm this time for the first time.  It made the difference between paying and getting money back.  So we will be getting taxes back from the state and the feds this year.  Halleluyah!

Caramel is looking pregnant for sure and Little Bones is not. Yeah!  Steve thought Little Bones was pregnant too.  But I realized he was getting her mixed up with Mouth, who is a fat little wether! Ha!  I started calling him "Piglet" instead of Mouth, but not to his face! Ha!  Poor little fat goat!