It’s a lovely day here in Michigan for Columbus Day. The trees are getting more colorful by the minute. It has been sunny and mild although that is supposed to end today. We still haven’t had a killer frost, if this is global warming I am pleased with it. I picked two tomatoes yesterday, the roses are blooming like crazy and the zinnias and marigolds are still going strong, as well as the hibiscus in front and the buddleia. The moonvine and the impatiens browned a little and quit blooming from the light frost but damage to the rest of things has been slight.
I have had some horsie fun. Last weekend little Charlie colicked. I came in the barn at supper time and found him rolling violently on the stall floor. I called the vet out and tried to keep him upright until he came. He was little enough I could sit on a chair and hold him across my lap but the struggling killed my back. The vet managed to get a pain shot in him and then tried to get some mineral oil down him but didn’t have a tube small enough so we held him and gave him syringes full of mineral oil. All night I checked on him every two hours. He was just standing in a corner with his belly contracting up and down and I was sure he would either need surgery or die. But when I went out after breakfast I could see his tail end was oily and he was feeling better. He must have passed his blockage.
I wormed him and Lily two days later and so far everything has seemed to be fine. Vet thought it might be worms, he said it’s common in foals to colic from worms. Horses have such delicate digestive systems.
My granddaughters came up the next day and Desiree, the youngest, loved brushing Lily and helping me work the burrs out of her mane. Lily is very good with kids. Desiree also got a thrill out of going in the hen house to collect eggs. We took them inside and washed them and then she got to arrange them in a carton to take home. Brianna went for a walk with her dad instead. I asked them to get me some red sumach off the far pasture fence because I wanted to do some art with it and my legs were bothering me too much to go get it myself.
All the horse fun and visitors must have lowered my immune system because on Tuesday I came down with a killer cold, the first I have had in a while. I was feeling very poorly through some of this gorgeous weather so I am glad I was feeling better the last couple days.
Lily had really eaten down all the grass in the small pen so we opened up the east pasture which curves around the pond to her and she is in horse heaven. It’s a nice pasture lined with trees on both sides but there is a bad spot in the fence up by the orchard that I worry about. Lily has the habit of going under instead of over fences and there is loose field fence along there. I fixed part of it today and hopefully she has enough to eat that she won’t be tempted to go anywhere. Last night she came in the barn to get her grain and then she and Charlie just went to sleep in the corner of the stall. It’s the first time I think I have seen her just rest. She is usually looking for something to eat. Since she has been out all day we haven’t fed her much hay but I worry she is getting fat off the grass. I don’t know how people keep these mini horses from getting fat.
I have been letting the chickens out to roam the pasture nearly every afternoon too. The turkeys are getting out all the time again and they have taken to roosting up on the top of the barn or house at night. I worry about them coming down inside the dog pen, even though they are big birds the dogs could really rip them up. One was sitting on the top of one of the kennels this morning, luckily he flew off before a dog noticed him. They come in the front of the barn now looking for cat food which could get them in trouble too.
Speaking of turkeys it’s almost time to get the big white one butchered. She is huge. I am going to have a hard time carrying a cage with her in it. I need to call and make the appointment. It’s harder to butcher when you have just one meat bird and its really tame, but that’s all these big white ones are good for. The bourbon reds and the blue slate we are going to keep and try to breed, if the dogs or an owl don’t get them.
Well this is Michigan after all. Beautiful today, blizzard tomorrow, you just never know. I better get out and enjoy it.
I have had some horsie fun. Last weekend little Charlie colicked. I came in the barn at supper time and found him rolling violently on the stall floor. I called the vet out and tried to keep him upright until he came. He was little enough I could sit on a chair and hold him across my lap but the struggling killed my back. The vet managed to get a pain shot in him and then tried to get some mineral oil down him but didn’t have a tube small enough so we held him and gave him syringes full of mineral oil. All night I checked on him every two hours. He was just standing in a corner with his belly contracting up and down and I was sure he would either need surgery or die. But when I went out after breakfast I could see his tail end was oily and he was feeling better. He must have passed his blockage.
I wormed him and Lily two days later and so far everything has seemed to be fine. Vet thought it might be worms, he said it’s common in foals to colic from worms. Horses have such delicate digestive systems.
My granddaughters came up the next day and Desiree, the youngest, loved brushing Lily and helping me work the burrs out of her mane. Lily is very good with kids. Desiree also got a thrill out of going in the hen house to collect eggs. We took them inside and washed them and then she got to arrange them in a carton to take home. Brianna went for a walk with her dad instead. I asked them to get me some red sumach off the far pasture fence because I wanted to do some art with it and my legs were bothering me too much to go get it myself.
All the horse fun and visitors must have lowered my immune system because on Tuesday I came down with a killer cold, the first I have had in a while. I was feeling very poorly through some of this gorgeous weather so I am glad I was feeling better the last couple days.
Lily had really eaten down all the grass in the small pen so we opened up the east pasture which curves around the pond to her and she is in horse heaven. It’s a nice pasture lined with trees on both sides but there is a bad spot in the fence up by the orchard that I worry about. Lily has the habit of going under instead of over fences and there is loose field fence along there. I fixed part of it today and hopefully she has enough to eat that she won’t be tempted to go anywhere. Last night she came in the barn to get her grain and then she and Charlie just went to sleep in the corner of the stall. It’s the first time I think I have seen her just rest. She is usually looking for something to eat. Since she has been out all day we haven’t fed her much hay but I worry she is getting fat off the grass. I don’t know how people keep these mini horses from getting fat.
I have been letting the chickens out to roam the pasture nearly every afternoon too. The turkeys are getting out all the time again and they have taken to roosting up on the top of the barn or house at night. I worry about them coming down inside the dog pen, even though they are big birds the dogs could really rip them up. One was sitting on the top of one of the kennels this morning, luckily he flew off before a dog noticed him. They come in the front of the barn now looking for cat food which could get them in trouble too.
Speaking of turkeys it’s almost time to get the big white one butchered. She is huge. I am going to have a hard time carrying a cage with her in it. I need to call and make the appointment. It’s harder to butcher when you have just one meat bird and its really tame, but that’s all these big white ones are good for. The bourbon reds and the blue slate we are going to keep and try to breed, if the dogs or an owl don’t get them.
Well this is Michigan after all. Beautiful today, blizzard tomorrow, you just never know. I better get out and enjoy it.
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