clever dogs

Our Johnny dog is so smart. He was getting out of the dog run. My husband watched and he was lifting up the gate and crawling out. So he placed a piece of granite in the gate so it was heavy. This stopped him for awhile. Well he is now getting out. So he watched again. Now Johnny is lifting the handle and pulling the gate in. This is so clever. My husband says that we need to tye wire it closed. We still need to get in and out. This brings back memories from when we first moved here. We had another dog who continued to get out. My husband poured concrete all around the bottom of the fence because he would force the fence up and crawl out. Then after that the dog would force himself in between the poles so my husband welded them together. This dog would also climb over the fence using his teeth. So I suppose if they want to get out they will.

Quick Tarter Sauce

I like fish sticks. The kind in the cardboard box in the freezer section. You can't eat these without tarter sauce. I can not bring myself to pay for it so I make my own. I make a quick version. I mix mayo with sweet pickle relish adding just a little sugar. Quick and easy is the only way. If you look online the recipe calls for parsley, capers,and lemon juice. To much for me. My quick version suits me just fine. HQow do you make hour tatter sauce?

New Computer

We broke down and got a new computer. I can now surf and blog until my heart is content. This is such a relief.Nothing is worse than not being able to do what you want. Well maybe there are worse things. To catch up yet again. How annoying. Anyway. We had a terrible loss when the neighbors dog broke into one of our Rabbit colonies and killed all 16 rabbits. He jumped through the chain link fence. I went out one morning and caught him in the act after he killed Silver Tip our beautiful buck. My husband took care of him. I don't have to say how. We have the other 3 colonies and Cole our original buck still. We have stopped breeding them for the summer it is just to hot. Also our female Puppy got out and she mated with the neighbors dog. So you guessed it she is pregnant. Abby our senior Doe had two gorgeous female babies. I have decided to keep these girls. Evangeline looks like her mother with la mancha ears and brown eyes. Francesca looks like her father with long ears and blue eyes. They run and play like no other goat I have seen. They do not scream when you pick them up, usually. Abby is doing so well with her babies. Her udder is so full. To give her relief I have milked her and she is giving just under a gallon. The babies have started to eat hay so I have to decide if I want to continue to milk her. I have only been milking her for two weeks now and I love the yogurt it makes. I have not gone to the store for lemon juice so no chevre yet. I use chevre in the place of cream cheese for bagels and baking. You can use vinegar but I think it gives off and after taste. We lost our little duck and 3 chicks. We had a red ant infestation and they died because of their injuries. One little turkey isn't doing so well. It was bitten up and somehow I think broke its leg. The turkey is now in our bathtub healing. We brought in the other turkey when everyone else died. It was just sitting by the coop gate all alone. So now We have two turkeys in our bathtub. One very active and one not so much. The make such a lovely noise. It is truly a beautiful melody of chirping. The active Turkey could probably just pop out anytime it wanted but it is so concerned about its companion that it stays right by its side. We have feathers and wood shavings all over the edge of the tub.I'm not sure how long it will take this little turkey to heal. Mamma duck is doing much better. I don't know if you remember but the male duck helped himself to her to much and broke her leg. She does have a little limp but otherwise she gets along just fine. I am getting 4 duck eggs every day. Two female ducks are nesting. I have 6 ducks and I believe they are all females. I have left the eggs just to see what happens. Perhaps we will have another little duck. We lost a couple of roosters and the male duck before we lost the rabbits. We thought it was the neighbors dog but could never catch him in the act. One morning I caught our Taco dog eating the last little chick. We can't say who ate the others but now Taco was caught in the act. This was very hard for my husband. All he could say was what will we tell our youngest. When our youngest came home and we told him he said once a chicken eater always a chicken eater. He has Taco's collar in hes truck. I have changed my laundry soap. Well its basically the same just no added water. You grate everything together and stir it up. Same ingredients minus the water. Super easy. At the same time I got this bright idea my mother was also doing the same thing. What can I say great minds think alike. My Nephew is moving to my neck of the woods. I have offered our two empty bedrooms. He hasn't yet let me know if he will take me up on the offer. The best part is that he has two little girls. You know I have two boys. This will be so fun. Or so I think. I have been busy cleaning out the boys old stuff to give them room. You know just in case.

Doggie menstruation

Doggie menstruation.  When Puppy is menstruating she wears these cute diapers.  She has two, this denim and a black.  We place a female panty liner inside and replace it when it is soiled.  She doesn't seem to mind.

Sleezy People

My oldest son has a broken cell phone.  We have insurance on the phone.  A claim costs $100.  My son decided that was to much to pay.  He heard that if you take it in to the local repair shop it would only cost $20.  Of coarse this is much less.  I drive him to town to see.  The man at the dirty little desk says well my boss will be in tomorrow and he can look at it.  If we can fix the problem it will only be $20.  We say ok and leave our number.  That was on Tuesday. I got a call today from another man saying the phone needs a new mother board.  I ask how much money for the repairs.  He says $89.  I said interesting when we brought the phone in the other man said it would cost $20.  He said no we have to place a new mother board and reprogram the phone, that costs more.  I said no thanks I'll send it into insurance and get a new phone for $100.  The man then quickly says how about we do it for $50.  I said how about you repair it for $20 like you said originally.  He said mam I'm trying to work with you.  I said don't do any repairs I will be in to pick it up.  If you agree to something as a business you should stick by it.  When I went in to pick it up the man said how about $30.  I said no thanks you are very shifty. I don't feel comfortable working with you.  Before we went there my husband said he didn't like he owner that he had heard stories.  I should have listened.

Traffic Cameras

Casa grande is getting big.  Not only do we have a Walmart and more than 2 McDonalds we now have traffic cameras.  So if you come to Casa Grande be careful.

First time mothers

First time mothers don't always  know what to do.  Today we lost 3 baby rabbits.  It is very sad.

H2O

How much water should you drink?  Google says 1/2 your body weight.  The only problem with drinking so much water is going to the rest room more often.  I have tried to stop drinking soda and only drink water.  I can stick to this during the week.  The weekends are another story.  Soda is so readily available.

Dog toys and T shirts

We have 6 dogs.  We added Sugar when I wasn't writing.  Sugar came from my husbands worker.  His wife found her tied up and forgotten.  They could not keep her because their dog has issues with other dogs.  She is still young and in trouble a lot.  You  know puppies get into everything.

Well I can not bring myself to buy toys at the crazy high prices they are.  You know I have two boys that are still growing and growing and growing.  These boys of mine are very ruff on clothes.  When the Tshirts get so stained they won't wear them.  I can not throw them away.  I have finally found a use for them.  Well actually two uses if I can ever get around to it.  I cut the tops off and tie in knots to give to the dogs.  They love these.  Then I cut the bottoms into one long strip.  Right now I have rolled them into balls for the next project.  I want to make a rug using a hula hoop.  I have the hoop and the materia, just no time

Running late

Wednesday I was running late for work.  I normally arrive at work 20 minutes early.  This is so the morning person can give me any updates and so I can gather all my work.  I must pick up files from two other areas in order to complete my job.  Any way I would have arrived just on time for the shift switch without any extra gossipy time.   Look what happened to make me even later.

My husband came and put on the spare.  I Quickly gave him a kiss and drove to work.  I was 29 minutes late clocking in.  After my husband was done with work he picked up my truck and took it to get the tire fixed.  He dropped the truck off at my work and I drove it home.  His friend owns the tire shop in our small town.  He was the first person we met when we moved to Casa Grande.  Also because of a need for new tires.  He gives my husband a good deal.  Usually not charging at all.  Which is a blessing.

Hello Again

I decided to write again.  I am just going to start as if I never stopped. 

 This week I have some added little bunnies to our homestead.  These 5 are so round and plump.  They will mostly be black like their daddy.  He is Cole.  He has done so well.  In fact I think I will thin out the rest of the males.  We can not afford to feed them if they are not producing.  We have a total of 37 rabbits now.  This includes the babies.  

We recently harvested 5 males and I am so happy with the product.  Our neighbor helped process them.  This took less then 10 minutes.  I was cautious at first, but he had done it before. My husband took over for me.  I might have been going to slow.  This meat was so tasty.  We fed many people.  At least 9.  We had enough meat left over to send ziplock bags of leftovers home with everyone.  The next day we made quesadillas.  And the day after that we had Alfredo.  When my youngest came home for the weekend he had some too!  Of coarse we want to put some meat up in the freezer.  Next time.  I hope to plan out harvesting once a month.  Only time will tell