Mondays are Always the Same

Summer keeps cruising along.

Kellen, Lydia, and Nolan spent last week with Jeff and Gail. The kids had a fantastic time. Grandpa and Grandma kept them plenty busy with swimming, water slides, movies, golf, and lots of fun activities.

While they were gone two more litters of piglets were born. Quite honestly, I have no idea how many piglets are down in that barn now, but I guess it must be around forty. We have a crazy amount of pork. Anyone want one for the freezer in a few months?

Remember the poultry discussion? To help with the fly problem we decided to use some of our older chickens in the pig and goat barn. Yep, sacrificing the old birds. They aren't laying anymore, and the only thing keeping them out of the freezer is the lack of time to butcher them. Might as well make them useful eating flies. They haven't all fared so well.

The predator battle continues. So many raccoons have been trapped and killed here this year. The woods must be just full of them. We took a few hens down to the hog barn. Lost one the first night. Chatterbox, the first hen we got here, escaped and went back to the hen house. We hadn't seen any signs of the coon for a few days, and thought we finally had them under control. Then found their way into the duck pen, and got all the ducks. And got another hen at the hog house. The one hen that survives there roosts on one of the sows at night. Smart hen isn't she?

Tim and I took Vivian camping for a few days while the other kids were gone. It was so nice to just do nothing for a few days. The weather was cool and damp, but it was very comfortable for camping. We went to Twin Falls state park in Southern WV. It is a beautiful park. We spent a lot of time hiking the trails, and the rest of the time eating delicious food, and sleeping. I even read about half a book. It was perfect.

We weren't home but a few hours Friday when a neighbor came to tell us the steers were out. Not just out, but out on the road, stopping traffic. Stupid things would not lead with feed, or be herded. Ended up penning them in a different neighbors back yard and getting the stock trailer to get the steers home.

I did get to meet new neighbors. "Hi. I'm your neighbor. Our cows are in your back yard." They were very nice, and actually have some ducks they'd like to give away. First we need some electric fence around the duck pen for those coons.

Jeff and Gail brought the kids home Saturday afternoon. Tim and dad worked on fence and various other things around the farm. I worked long shifts Saturday and Sunday, as always.

So now it is Monday, and as always I woke up ready to get moving on things that I couldn't do over the weekend. There is always laundry and housework. This time of the year there is always something to do with the garden.

This morning I squashed bug eggs, pulled weeds, picked a bowl full of cucumbers, and went out picking the first of the blackberries. Then like every Monday I crashed. About 10:00 or so, every Monday, I realize how tired I really am from the weekend. I probably should make Monday my day of rest. So very hard to do though when there is so much to do, and summer is cruising along!