This one ends with a visual.

The moon was amazing tonight. I am ready for the chickens to be gone! they don't stink-STINK, but they definitely have a smell about them. Tory is coming over Saturday evening, and the deed is scheduled for 4 am, Sunday morning. (dun-dun-dun) Luckily this is a good time of year to pick up a long black hooded cape and a sickle. (so I can dress the part, you know, get into character and whatnot.)

I am really looking forward to having the space to pile crud, and it will also free up some of my day. I may take up a hobby. Tying lures? :) This is funny, because a lot of lures use pin feathers from roosters. See? Funny. Thank you. :)

I need to get some sleep, but I won't. The laundry and dishes are very dense. These clothes and dishes have been washed, dried, and put away many, many, many times, and they still don't get it! How many times to I have to show them what needs to be done before they get the initiative to do it themselves?!?!? I'm telling you, dishes these days, they have no work ethic!!!!

Riiiiiiight. Well, I think that's my cue!!
GOOD NIGHT, BLOG-READER!!!! *arms in the air, stepping back while making the 'audience' noise---while crickets chirp in the background*

Lesson 1

Well, in our adventure-filled weekend, I was able to watch someone take the meat off of a cooked chicken. She used to butcher chickens, but it was a while ago (it's my mom :). So I am feeling a little better prepared for the butchering of our 3 inside roosters. That, and they are really stinking!!! I clean their kennel every day. It's most annoying. SO, the plan is next week, but I need to talk to another of the players of this act first. My mom suggested having someone there for moral support. I chose Eric, but he won't take off of work to be there for me to butcher some chickens. The main thing I am having some troubles with is the actual killing. The throat slitting is giving me a few moments pause. They are all laughing, since I've named all of the chickens. You know who you are. That, and I'm pretty sure there's a pool going about if I am actually going to go through with it or not.

You just can't make this stuff up!

Earlier today, while cleaning out and around the inside chickens kennel (again!).

Me:"Whew, the chickens are stinky. Thank goodness we won’t have them here much longer."
Ben:"Why not?"
"We’ll butcher them in a few weeks."
"What’s butcher?"
"We’ll kill them and then we’ll eat them. It’s kind of like when Papa goes hunting, and brings us back deer meat."
"Hmm." (with contemplative look)
"Chicken is really yummy. Besides, we do not have room for them this winter, so they’ll have to be butchered."
"But not Houdini, he’s an inside chicken, because he’s mean."
"Yep, and that’s why we have to butcher him, because he’s too mean to put with the other chickens."
"But the black chickens aren’t mean."
"No, but they aren’t very smart, either. They’ll taste good, you’ll like them."
"But not Houdini. Because he’s an inside chicken and I like him very much."
*pause* on my part
"Fine, he’s your chicken. You take care of him."
Silence (I have no idea what happened for these moments, as my back was turned away from him)
"Well, I believe he will taste very yummy."
"Me, too, kiddo."
and I came straight to the computer. :)

And the current temperature is...

44 degrees. Yep. That's cold. So, when Eric gets home on Sunday, we are going to cut out all the pieces for the homes we still need to have ready for winter. (I will not use the table saw.) Then watch for the pieces being assembled (hopefully!) throughout the week.

The chickens seem to be doing just fine---we've rigged a way to close the top windows with a pulley system. Now we need to get some heat in there. We're thinking a heat lamp--but if we want them to actually lay, they will need a light on for a minimum of 10 hours... so that is still a work in progress. We are also trying to devise a better watering system, but this idea (should it work) may just make us millions, so we're not sharing just yet. LOL that, and it's still in our heads.

The goats are fine. We had it pointed out to us that they could be bred. I think I've already mentioned this, but I think we may pay a visit to our neighboring buck... I think I need to look into how and when goats come into heat. The things we learn here, huh?

Well, tomorrow is another busy one, I just wanted to get this in today!

Real quick--

The weather has changed--it is currently 54 (degree symbol) which means we are stepping up the winterization process. We need to have the house ready to go so we can get the coop ready and the barn ready for the winter. And that dog house? Still not finished. It's on the list for this week. So... by spring for su..maybe. :)

Oh, the Duluth Trading Company. If you have hard-working people in your family, they have some really neat clothes (in theory)--I'm ordering some for Eric, but the thing with these guys is that they are similar to Pampered Chef---they have a 100% money-back guarantee. If you don't like it, send it back! It's so refreshing to find companies like that!!! So, they have all sorts of practical clothing for today's workers, and especially guys-- www.duluthtrading.com go check it out! (and let me know what you think--when it comes I'll let you know how we like it---I am thinking about getting a pair or two just for around the animals... but that is a want, and not a need, so not right now.)

A little break...

With not a whole lot happening in the meantime--we had a bunch of extra dogs out here, but they played very nice with our dogs, and LOVED the chickens.

I think we have a decent system going. We put 1 gallon of feed in each feeder every other day. Let's see, so it goes like this Day 1, clean out and fill waters. Day 2, put one gallon jug of food in feeders. Day 3 place clean bricks in water (to raise the water level). Day 4, put one gallon jug of food in feeders. Repeat 1-4 until can't take it anymore, then fried chicken for everyone.

We had our semi-annual-spin-off-one-time-only party this weekend. We still have 3 roosters inside. Seems I am their sun. We stayed up quite late, and the next morning, I slept until 9:30. As I walk into the kitchen, Houdini starts crowing. The people that slept in the room between the kitchen and the chickens groaned, rolled over, and asked if we were having chicken for breakfast, and could they please pick it out. I have noticed that it doesn't matter when we get up, that's when they crow. Eric has said the same thing--if he gets up at 4 to go to the bathroom, and then 4:30 for the day, they crow at 4:30. Up at 6? Crows at 6, and for whatever reason, Houdini is the only one of the three in here that crow. The other 2 are the Partridge Cochin. They are much bigger than Houdini but are much, much dumber. (and they are Bootes and Babs (they have feathers down their legs--so Bootes is my humor, and Babs is actually short for Baboon, because he was plucked bald, practically day 3 (:)) so he has a pink little bottom.)

Goats are great--they should be getting bred, but we haven't looked too far into that just yet. I do not want a buck here, I know nothing about goat AIing*, and to be perfectly honest, I doubt it would be cheaper. That. plus the fact that they do not come near us very often. Although, in bringing groups through to see them, the goats stood by me without freaking out or bolting, so that was a warm fuzzy for Lori. Fine, I did have some leaves, but the other people did, too!

Squeak is out of the kennel, but mostly because I felt so bad for him. We've switched him to a prescription food. I know. I swore I would never be one of those people that fed their animals better than they eat, but this cat has been here since.... well, he just turned 9, so I've had him a long time. He's put up with a lot, so he can eat the stupid fancy food. It's going to make it so he doesn't pee everywhere, so that in itself makes it okey-dokey-fine with me.

so, as I am very tired, tonight, the quote is from Ok Go "So please, use your powers for good."

if you want to see an awesome video, here you go: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbdbVhBGETQ&mode=related&search= as we do not have 'television' we were not aware of the 'treadmill song' but this is the same group. Also, I am aware that this 'phenomenon' happened quite some time ago, but I just learned about it, so this is the first I could share it!!! (Plus now I'll always have it easily accessible) (*taps forehead* Not just a hat rack, my friend) the powers quote is from Invincible. Hat rack is from Friends.)

*artificial insemination. I'd explain, but I am really trying to keep this blog PG. Look it up if you're still confused.

Two days in a row??? Whaaat is this?

Tonight, Ben and I decided to break the monotony of our farm life, and head into town. He asked if we could take the 4-wheeler, so we did! Kodiak followed us, so we had to head back a ways, and then 'floor' it to get ahead of her. Luckily she was pretty tired, so we didn't have to go very fast at all.

On the way in, we saw a motorcyclist at the cemetery. He was grinning pretty big at us. :) So we waved. I love it down here!

On the way back, we took 'the long way'. We saw birds, the sun shining through several layers of clouds, a garter snake (that I was too chicken to pick up, and sensing (alright, hearing) my hesitation, he didn't want to, either.), and a HUGE hole where a culvert caved in. Oops, the cave in was before the snake. Shortly after the snake, we were going really slow, talking about what we were seeing, when I heard a rev behind me. There was a green truck on the dirt road at 7 at night. Huh. Anyway, we got way over, and as they passed, they smiled and waved and we chatted for a little bit--then Ben told them that 'that hole would wreck your truck and mess up the picture on the back' they had a scene on the rear windshield. They thought that was pretty neat. Me too. This kid is just amazing.

Then we stopped to see if the frogs were there (there is a rut along side the dirt road where we saw some frogs last night) and headed up the gravel road to cruise past the Stovers, and we had a small lesson on perspective. You know, when the windmills disappear, for him, but I can still see them. Then when neither one of us could see the horses, if he stood up, he could!!! (we were stopped.)

Then we stopped to check on the goats. They were a little hesitant, but we had snacks, so they came. Gabby-gab was covered in burrs, so I snagged her and drug her over to the barn to pull them out. Ben said "I'm not with her" to the goats, but Deer and Slash both came right over to make sure Gabby was alright. Which gave Ben a wonderful opportunity to pet them both. Guess he'll be 'with me' if it's to his advantage. :)

Chickens are doing great! Fresh water in the morning, food in the afternoon. No escapees today, and they really will come right up to you! So we held and pet some of them.

The fish tank got a sprucing up today, and cheapies that we are, I cleaned out the filter, and we're using it again. It's amazing how much gunk it traps!

Oh, well, Squeak is becoming a pro at spitting out pills. I got bit today. which reminds me i have to do that still tonight. thanks for the reminder *sigh*

Don't chase the goats, don't chase the goats!!

But it's so FUN! Tonight, Ben and I went to check on the goats... and they were nowhere to be found. So we went into the barn, and there, above our heads, were all three of them, looking down at us and the tasty leaves we brought them. Over the next half hour, they led us on a merry chase all over the barn. Sorry, no pictures, but I have to say that Ben was AWESOME!!! He stood where I needed him to, and although he didn't at first, he was very good at waving his hands and shouting NO when they came at him. I couldn't have gotten them where I needed them to go without him!!! After the merry chase (it was fun!) they were a little hesitant to come near us, but their tummys won, and they came for the snacks. :) I think maybe we are getting the hang of this after all. :)

Then, on the way back to the house, Mr. Peeps was out of the fence with a bloody bottom. Seems someone pulled his tail off--well, all except 4 tail feathers. So we caught her, brought her into the house, cleaned her up and gooed her bottom. I wanted to see what the dogs would do, so I held her in towards Kodiak. Mr. Peeps tensed, fluffed up a little, and jutted her head out. Kodiak practically fell off the porch getting away from her. I am guessing that Kodiak saw an opportunity to puke up another ball of feathers, but when she grabbed said snack, the snack attacked! (I'm sorry, but it's just plain funny, it is) Poor Mr. Peeps. Although inside, Ben told me that we can't call her Mr. Peeps if she is a girl, so we are to call her Ms. Peeps from now on (all him!). And now we're out of antibiotic goo.

On a more domestic note, Squeak is having trouble going potty. I called it in and my wonderful vet let me pick up the necessary medication. In the meantime, my normally docile cat, that let's me do whatever I want to him has decided that he would rather die than take his medicine that needs to be administered twice a day. The once a day one? No problem. The twice a day one? Harumph. That's right, harumph! In the meantime, he is stuck in a dog kennel. All by himself--well, Ben would visit with him several times a day--- until this morning when Squeak bit him. That was the only visit from Ben today. We are on day 4 (I think--it may be 3, I'd have to check the once-a-day pills, but it's clear over in the other room... :) Unfortunately, it looks like we're going to have to take him in after all. He's doing more than spotting, but it's nowhere near the normal amounts for him. And that's a nice little update about my having-trouble-peeing cat.

We're almost out of dog food. And we're switching over to the pellets for the chickens as soon as this bag is gone... and since we opened it today, we'll get more.... tomorrow? No, but it sure seems like it---Probably Saturday. Geez! Although, in pricing chew toys and dog treats, that chicken they ate was about par for the course---I hope it gave them a run for their money and didn't just die right away. I mean... um, we're out of dog food?!? Again! Those dogs! It's awful---I have friends with dogs that don't eat half of what one of my dogs eat in a day! They have 4 cups a day. 4 cups!!! If it was liquid, that would be a gallon every other day.

I've been shirking on the fun fact, so today I will end with a quote (I don't know who actually said it :)

Human beings are the only creatures who are able to behave irrationally in the name of reason.
I think it's just because we are silly enough to name it---has anyone ever seen a cat fall off of something and immediately start licking themselves as if they meant to? Or a dog run full-tilt into a fence that has always been there as they almost catch a rabbit? I rest my case. :)