I did go back last night to finish clipping a path through the blackberries, but I was thwarted once again. For one thing, I always feel like I'm clipping in more or less a straight line, but that often turns out not to be the case. Last night my path was spectacularly awry. I clipped and clipped and kept thinking I should be coming out into fresh air, and it kept not happening. I finally realized that I had been moving steadily downhill, making my job that much longer.
After a fair amount of despair, a lot of sweat, and a whole bunch more scratches, I finally got to a place where I could see light at the end of the tunnel. I was about at the end of my rope, energy-wise, and was so relieved to be so close to the end, when something buzzed around my head. I have a little PTSD about things buzzing around my head, but most of the time they are flies and I can just ignore them. This was a little bigger. I scampered back down the tunnel a few feet and carefully watched to see who was strafing me. I didn't see anything so I carefully walked back, keeping low and keeping a close watch. Then I saw the hornet nest, hanging like a little paper Death Star right over my head. I can't believe I didn't get stung, but that was the end of that path, at least until the little buggers are removed. I tried to clip a path diagonally that would meet up with my tunnel before the Death Star, but I was too exhausted, so I gave up and just fed them.
On the way out there last night, I got a call from the kid who is farm sitting for my friend Tracy, whose puppies I have for two weeks. He said one of the goats had a nasty cut on her ear and was looking for guidance. So after the blackberry/hornet debacle, I went over there to take a look. It was pretty gnarly.
Sadly, it was pretty obvious that the injury had occurred a couple of days ago, and was too scabbed over to be stitched up. She will have to live with a funky scar. I put antibiotic ointment on it, but that's about all I can do without a suture kit and a time machine.
This morning we had more rain, which kept it cooler, and I went back out to tackle the impossible fence move. I gave up on the path I had been cutting, and instead followed the original path up the hill over the big rocks. Once I got it cleared, I ran the fence through and jammed the spikes between the rocks. It should hold pretty well, but I will be keeping my fingers crossed until I go back to check it tomorrow. The goats were over the moon about all the new salad. They have been pretty bored and hungry for the last couple of days while I have been dealing with all of the above.
I realize that the first half of this post was heavy on narrative and short on pictures, but I have trouble remembering to take pictures when I am so tired and frustrated that I am fighting an urge to find a tall bridge.
I'll shut up for a minute and just show you pictures of very happy goats.
I went up on the second story deck of the house to take a couple of shots with more perspective. In this one, the goats are standing at the edge of their fenced area, wondering what on earth I am doing.
This one is a panoramic shot that shows most of the area I am working on. There is more behind the trailer.
After all the fence drama, I went to check on the little herd, who were also out of snacks. I figured I would execute the super cool move where I pinch off the fence, blocking them in, and move the remaining fence to better grazing. Works like a charm and I don't have to slog up and down the hill to lock them in the trailer and then let them back out. This time, however, they were carefully watching me and when I touched the fence without getting zapped, they figured they wouldn't get zapped either! So they plowed through the fence and went rogue while I did all the work.
This next shot is for @carolkean. This whole field is canary grass! The goats like it, but that doesn't make it any less invasive!
I got their fence adjusted and I managed to lure them back where they belong. This whole adventure today took about three hours, but it felt so very much longer. Here's a little shot of yellow, just because it's Wednesday.
Good night, everyone! I will go pass out as soon as I figure out why all six dogs are barking!
Sometimes I want to be there with you. I love a day of hard yard work, when you feel yourself worked to the very end of your rope, and then you crash and you just suck in all that peace that comes with not moving. Sometimes, as in one day out of the month or so...otherwise I'd be glad to be waiting on the porch with lemonade :)
I would love to have you be here with me! Although it's considerably more than one day a month that I get to this point. And there's a certain amount of weeping involved. Maybe I should just join you on the porch for lemonade...
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Yes, but I only want to do one day a month of hard labor ;) I'm okay with weeping, I would have to be, because I would be weeping too.
I have lemonade and wine here. Ready to go.
There’s so much food for these goats! You need a small bulldozer sometimes!!
Sometimes a large bulldozer!
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It does sound like an awful lot. I laughed out loud when you said you would shut up for a minute and just show pix.
So why were the dogs barking?
Existential angst, I think. Nothing more obvious ever showed up!
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Oh! They look like they have their work cut out for them!!!!
That is a definite ouchie! Goats will clear that land pronto, right. :)
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Would you have stitched the goat's ear yourself? Just thinking about it has made me a little faint.
The goats seem to be eating a lot. I am surprise the grass grow quickly enough for them. You must have got a big field area.
You have no idea how much I need your goats in my backyard right now! The weather here is very crazy and all grows extremely quick so my backyard looks like a jungle! I have to cut all with a machete aaaaah
Haha the death star got me giggling and your exit was so well described.
It's a busy and exciting life by the sound of it? Not the pastoral idyl we may imagine? 😋
There are idyllic moments, but they are often preceded by bloodshed! I wish I had taken a picture of the hornet nest, but I was too anxious to leave the premises!
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This would make a great movie. Especially the bloodshed bits 😂👍
Looks like a nasty tear on the ear. It’s a lot of hard physical work for you @goat-girlz to keep the goats with areas to clear. Nice you are up for the challenge.
It is so crazy that goats are the perfect lawn mowers! One day I an idea to have land again...run goats on it..then run some pigs, and have an amazing garden! I love seeing your experience! Be well
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The goat doctor--the intrepid explorer--yet another great post! This again is the hallmark of a great fiction writer: I have a little PTSD about things buzzing around my head, but most of the time they are flies and I can just ignore them. This was a little bigger. I scampered back down the tunnel a few feet and carefully watched to see who was strafing me. Strafing! OMG, why didn't I think of that when the bees buzz around my head and seem to go kamikaze at me? Maybe because it's Japanese Beetles doing the head-on collision with me. Those things buzz loud and move fast, certain times of day. War, war, war on these alien invaders... Keep writing!!! Nonfiction or fiction, just keep going, and maybe in time you'll come up with a plot/theme/cast of characters for a novel.
Oh, and thanks for the reed canary grass tribute - LOL!
This next shot is for @carolkean. This whole field is canary grass! The goats like it, but that doesn't make it any less invasive!
Your orchid-like little yellow flower looks like jewelweed to me. Mine is orange though.
Aha! That's because there are several varieties!
Our resident herbalists,
@owasco, @crescendoofpeace, and who else, know this:
That's great information! I knew it was a native plant, but not what its medicinal properties are. We don't have poison ivy in this part of the country, but we do have a little poison oak. And since I am allergic to grass, I might have to try a poultice or a tea when the grass is going crazy next year. Thanks for the education!
Jewel weed can also be made into a really effective salve for poison ivy/oak, and any other kind of skin rashes.
We have tons of poison ivy around here, and no jewel weed that I've found, so I'll have to break down and get some seeds.
Thanks, @carolkean, for alerting me to this post, which I'd missed the first time.
The death star and strafing references cracked me up, and I can completely relate . . . last year we had a nest of yellow jackets on our front porch, of all places, and I was about ready to just lock it up and move out.
We were finally able to take care of the little bastards once we had a couple of good freezes, and I felt a particular satisfaction when we finally built a roaring fire, and burnt the box they'd nested in.
I really miss our goats.
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I could send you a bucket of seeds, although the flowers are fading now so I imagine the window is closing quickly on that.
This year hasn't been as bad with the stinging menaces, but it's still a little stressful to be out chopping blackberries and wondering when I will be attacked. Last year was wretched. They were everywhere! We've had rain off and on all summer. Maybe that helps keep the population down. Congratulations on making your porch safe for humans!
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Btw #hashtags matter - it's fun to create our own (and I used to do that) but I've learned that in order to get the most visibility, it pays to find and use the most popular hashtags. Sounds boring: #life, #photography, #blog, and so on, but it makes a difference. There's #thealliance and you already have #homesteading. Much as I like #soverytired, your post is all alone in that hashtag:
Just sayin'. Ignore me at will. :)
I often just use the tags I've previously used and add whatever comes into my head at the last minute before I hit the post button. I know I should pay more attention. Thanks for the reminder!
Yeah, I tried to create an ongoing hashtag last year, and had a whopping zero people ever use it, so I finally gave it up. But yes, hashtags count.
Wondering now what your hashtag was....
The irony is that I couldn't recall, and am still not certain, but it was something along the line of @dailyjournaling.
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