Sudokuaholics Anonymous 11

Everybody!

Rain is supposed to start any minute. They say we may get up to 4 inches / 10 cm in the next 24 hours. We're under flood alert. After that, the temperature is supposed to fall from our present unseasonably warm 64˚F down to around 20˚F, with snow.

to everyone.
Be happy, healthy and positive. Let's not let all of this get you down. Go away Covid!!

Midge, I hope the radiation treatment does the trick and I hope you get to spend some time in the caravan at the beach. And that your house is ready to move back into sooner rather than later.
Julie, I hope your hubby is feeling better and is back home, how awful for you. The treatment by the so called 'professionals' needs reviewing. How unfeeling of them! People over here don't know how good things are.
DorA, if that had been me, many expletives would have been uttered. What a shame, I love devilled eggs.
Heidi, I love that Kheoni's name has meaning.
We had a quiet New Year, Covid cases are doubling every day here and it's a free for all, Most restrictions have gone except for masks and young people think they are exempt from that. I'm staying close to home. I dread what might happen. I heard one theory of a worldwide 'Covid Tsunami' coming. Doesn't bear thinking about. I just hope things will improve over the next weeks and months,

Happy New Year to All!

We're having pouring rain right now. And we're under a Tornado Watch for the next 6 hours. That means conditions are right for a tornado to form. There is a Tornado Warning right now in the county immediately to the south of me. A Tornado Warning means a tornado has been sighted.

We are still under Tornado Watch, Flood Watch and now Flood Advisory. Most of our local roads are under water and are impassable. This is a rotten way to start the new year. Doing the feeding chores was NOT fun, I can tell you. The mud in the cattle areas in particular is DEEP. At least the temperatures are supposed to drop more than 50˚F in the next 24 hours and the mud is supposed to freeze hard.

The temperature is starting to fall FAST. The rain is starting to turn to snow, so I made a quick run to the feed store to stock up in case we hsve an ice storm. I also picked up cat food for my friend Debbie. I think they like me at the feed store. I only spent $400 today. Now I get to have the fun of unloading it after I've taken a break.

The temperature has now dropped to the freezing poinr and it's snowing, after a day of sleet. So in the first two days of the year we've had almost the full range of bad weather.

There's this strange bright shining thing in the sky. It's been so long since I've seen it that I almost forgot what it looked like.
The temperature is at 33˚F, just a smidgen above freezing. So the mud that tried to freeze overnight is getting bad again. I want it to stay frozen for at least a week. We're taking 4 calves and 2 two year old heifers to the sale barn next Sunday, and I'd love it if they could dry off before they left here. That will leave my 2 replacement heifers I'm keeping and 3 smaller calves here. The 3 smaller calves will be on feed for another month before we take them to the sale barn. All of these calves are black.

It looks like we'll be having a calf born in the next 24 hours. She was due to calve around Christmas day, but is running late. This is my Red Angus heifer who was bred by the ugliest bull in the neighborhood, who jumped some fences to get in with her. The calf may be any color. Since it's so late, it's probably going to be a bull calf, which run bigger than heifer calves and tend to be born later. I hope it is a bull calf, since I won't be keeping it, and steers bring 10¢ a pound more than heifers do, since they mature larger. I'll be checking on mom every 2 hours until she has it, which means some pasture walking through the night.

No calf yet.
In half an hour I take Imp into the Vet Clinic to be spayed. She will not be happy. She's very much a one person cat. Tiger Lily and Jet (formerly Spooky... the name didn't fit him) love everybody, but Imp was very feral when I got her at about 2 months old.

Apparently, the cow is in no hurry and it was a false alarm. She's in no hurry, even though she's 9 days overdue.

Imp is back home and still very groggy. I'll be keeping her crated overnight.

It warmed up to 50˚F / 10˚C today, but it's going to drop again tonight. Tomorrow's HIGH is only supposed to hit 27˚F / -2.8˚C with a low of 10˚F / -12˚C. Plus, we're supposd to get 3-5 inches / 7.6-12.6 cm of snow tomorrow. NOW I know what that stupid heifer is waiting for! She's waiting for the worst possible weather to have her calf in!!!! She is 10 dys past her due date. Her udder id fit to burst. She has a mucus discharge, but no signs of actual labor yet.

I had an appointment with the eye doctor today, to assess if there was any permanant damage from my fight with the fence post. There isn't. But he told me I now have developed cataracts and they appear to be getting bad. I have an appointment with their cataract specialist in a few weeks. I thought my increasing problems were due to a faulty eyeglass prescription. At least cataracts are fixable.

Just popping in quickly to say Hello!

Heidi, I'm sorry it's a false alarm with the new calf. Sure hope it's a good one when it finally arrives!

It has been a crazy week, as so many are. I hope Everyone is staying healthy and Happy in this New Year! Thinking of Everyone and sending greetings, , {{{{{HUGS}}}}}. healing energy, positive thoughts, and prayers. Take care, Everyone!

Now that the temperature has plummetted into the low 20's, and the snow is due to start in about an hour, the stupid heifer has FINALLY gone into labor. She WAS waiting for the worst possible weather. And of course, she's as far as she can get from the shed.

The snow is coming down HARD and visibility outside is awful. Checking the stupid heifer, who is in no hurry to go into hard labor, was becoming an ordeal. So I got her up and put her in the barn in a clean, dry horse stall. Now I can check on her easily, and the calf, when she finally decides to have it, can be born in a comfy place.... ... instead of in several inches of snow.

Morning all!
I hope that calf has been born by now.
Over there you have snow, over here we have relentless humidity. Our temps haven't gone over 30C but the humidity is constantly over 80%, even during the night.
We are going to a party tonight. Our Maddy is 21 on Sunday but the party is tonight at a hotel across town, so we are staying the night there. That way we can have a drink or two without worrying about driving.
I hope everyone is feeling well, avoiding Covid, ans staying safe!

The cow went berserk in the barn and we decided that it was better to let her fend for herself outside than kill or injure herself in the barn. I think the calf in her may be dead because I have seen no sign of hard contractions all day.

My beloved old horse Buddy is down and can't get up. Mike the Vet will be here soon to put him to sleep.

The cow still hasn't had that calf. I've given up hope that it's alive.

It's 10˚F / -12.3˚C with a feels-like temp of 5˚F / -15˚C. I just had to break ice on all the water tanks.

Buddt has passed away at the ripe old age of 30. Thanks to Mike the Vet, his passing was gentle once Buddy let us know it was time.

The cow passed a dead calf. Surprisingly, the sac was completely intact, showing that she had no hard contractions. Mike thinks she was too lazy to push and just let it fall out. So between that and her history of horrible behavior in the barn, she's sealed her fate. She's going to the sale barn on Sunday.

So sorry to hear of Buddys' passing, Heidi. 30 years is a long time.

As for the cow, if my next steak is tough, I'll know where it came from...

The hound & I timed our last ''stroll'' of the evening, just right. No sooner had we returned, indoors, it started to rain.

Greetings to all! I'm about to fall asleep, so I will say Good Night and send healing energy, positive thoughts, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}}, and prayers for all! Stay well and healthy!

I'm in deep depression from losing Buddy. I can't stop crying. I thought I was prepared for his passing, but I wasn't.

I got the new battery for my tractor today, and now it's starting right up and running beautifully. Just in time, because Mike's tractor just got a flat tire, and the guy who repairs tractor tires in our county just died.

Heidi, I'm so sorry to hear that you lost Buddy. He was a very special 4-legged member of your family. You certainly gave him a good life!

The timing for getting your new battery for your tractor certainly worked out well. I never realized that repairing a tractor tire required a specialized skill set. (Well, I guess I never thought about it.) I hope Mike can find someone who can do it!

Either I'm really tired or the carpal tunnel is getting worse, because my typing iseems to be going downhill tonight.

Thinking of Everyone and sending healing energy, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, prayers, positive thoughts, and for All. Good Night from here and have a wonderful day!

Repairing a tractor tire does not so much require a specialized skill set as specialized equipment. You need huge jacks and the tires and wheel hubs vary considerably in size.

Heidi, you being in farm country, it shouldn't be much of a problem to find a tire guy. And yeah, on occasion, tractor (and big truck) tires can be a lot of fun to dismount. If I'm in a hurry, Even though I have the tools, I quite often either take the tire to the shop or have them come out. The second option is spendy, but what are you gonna do???

I turned the 2 rescue horses in with my other horses for the first time today. They've been visiting over the fence for the past 2 weeks, so it wasn't a huge adjustment for them. They're getting along like old friends already.

Heidi, that's great that the horses can all be together and get along! Will it be a problem to give the rescue horses their specific diets if they're all together?

Well, that makes sense that the size and weight of tractor tires would require specialized tools and equipment! I hadn't really thought that through. Hopefully someone will fill the need.

Thinking of Everyone and sending , {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, healing energy, prayers, and positive thoughts! Stay well!

Right now there’s nothing much going on except doing chores and worrying about the predicted storm this weekend. Some sites say we’ll only get a dusting of snow and others predict ice and up to a foot of snow. We need to take 3 cull cows and 4 calves to the sale barn…. we decided to postpone last weekend’s trip because of the major storm…. and I’m not thrilled about postponing again. I’m thinking about taking the cull cows down there on Saturday before the snow is supposed to start and playing it by ear with the calves on Sunday. If the weather deteriorates too much, and scares away buyers, we can take the calves the following weekend, but at least the cull cows won’t be competing with the calves for the feed in the meantime. The sale starts at 1 PM each Monday. I prefer to take them at least a day before the sale so they settle down, act calmer, so bring more money.

Yesterday I took Robert into Rural King (a HUGE farm store with ridiculously low prices) to get a new battery for his Jeep. We took Dawn along. Once we found the right battery, we walked around the enormous store, looking at what they had. We came around one corner and found a row of cages full of rabbits. I thought Dawn was going to lose it. She walked up to the cages, stood up on her back legs like a human and froze like that, her nose an inch from a cage. A rabbit walked up to her and sniffed noses. Dawn is part Beagle, and the only rabbits she’s ever seen have been running flat out away from her, with her hot on their trail. She was entranced and could have stood like that for a long time.
Once we got back to my farm, Robert installed the new battery, and was thrilled when his Jeep started right up. He then got in and drove around the neighborhood…. the first time he’s driven in over 3 years. He is now planning in renewing his insurance and tags ad becoming independent again. This was a major step towards his independence.

Hi all, sorry I haven't been here.
Since Monday, I have been fighting off a virus that had some Covid-like symptoms.
I did 2 RAT tests, both negative, and spoke to my doctor by phone. He thinks it's quite unlikely and said that there is a virus going around with the symptoms that I have had. My symptoms - headache and fatigue, were low on the list of Covid symptoms. I have stayed home anyway and am improving every day.
I hope to be better by tomorrow as I'm going to see a Van Gogh Exhibition and Sunday is my birthday, followed by my son's birthday on Tuesday. Combined family celebration on Sunday.
Covid is rife here in Australia, huge number of cases, deaths higher than ever. A high percentage of those infected have not been vaxxed. State borders are open, it's a free-for-all. It's like the authorities have just thrown their hands in air and just given up trying. Or that's the way I see it!

Heidi, sorry to hear about the loss of Buddy.
Glad that stupid cow finally dropped the calf but sorry it died.
Also happy to hear that Robert is gaining back his independence.

Heidi, hooray for you and your memory! Hooray for Robert! I can't imagine how thrilled he must be to be able to drive again!

Well, in a way I can imagine it. I haven't been able to drive since I broke my foot in February. I finally was given clearance to walk on my foot and start physical therapy, even though the bone has not healed. Of course, the problem is how much physical strength I lost due to being stuck in a wheelchair that long. The physical therapist won't let me walk with the walker unless someone is following me with the wheelchair. Unfortunately, due to hubby's recent falls, he's supposed to have someone following him when he uses the walker. Now we need to find a caregiver who is a good follower.

CynB, I'm SO glad your symptoms weren't COVID! Have fun at the Van Gogh exhibit! Have even more fun on your birthday and the family celebration!

I'm thinking of Everyone and hoping all are well!

Sending lots of , positive thoughts, healing energy, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, and prayers! Take care and stay well!

A big hello to you all. I have been trying for ages to get back in here. Finally success.
Ohhh helllooooooo Heidi.
Still here and posting, good on you.

VIV!!!!!!! It's great seeing you back here!!!! Please fill us in on what's been happening with your life!

Today I need to discuss sale barn strategy with Mike the Vet. I am worried about the weather, but want to get rid of stupid cow #24 (who lost her calf) and Mike's 2 cull cows, this weekend if possible. His truck had more towing power than mine, and he can haul all of the cattle in one load safely. If he's comfortable with doing it on potentially slick roads, he can. I'd rather divide them into 2 groups on 2 different weekends to minimize the chances of bad prices because of less buying competition due to bad weather.

Oh, look who's here! Welcome back, Viv! How great that you found your way back in!

Heidi, I hope you and Mike can work out a good strategy for selling the cows!

I'm falling asleep and having a hard time typing. Thinking of Everyone and sending , healing energy, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, prayers, and positive thoughts! Please take care, Everyone!

We decided to take the 3 cull cows today before the snow arrives. We're only supposed to get 1 to 3 inches tomorrow, but the area where the sale barn is is due to get up to 12 inches tomorrow. Not good conditions for hauling cattle. They'll have the roads cleared in time for the sale, with any luck. If not, they can feed the cattle until the next sale. Next weekend is supposed to have good weather, so we're going to take all 7 calves then. That'll just leave the 2 replacement heifers I'm keeping, and they can rejoin the herd a few weeks later. Then I'll only have to take care of one group of cattle after that.

We just changed our minds. I tried to call the sale barn to make sure they were receiving cattle today, and nobody answered. So we're going to wing it tomorrow. If it looks like the roads are safe tomorrow afternoon, we'll take the 3 cull cows down. If it's too dangerous, we'll take them next weekend.

Uh Oh. The latest weather forecast for tomorrow is calling for icy roads, with snow on top. They've already put out a driving advisory warning. Those cows may have a one-more-week stay here. I'm so glad I put out more hay for everybody today. I do really hope that it isn't as bad as expected tomorrow and we can get rid of the 3 culls. The calves will be much happier with less competition for feed.