It is hard to watch all of the forums at at DG. When mats and thermostats were mentioned here I thought it seemed like a good time to bring up the coop. I try to keep an eye on the coop forum, cause you just don't know what is gonna pop up there. The great thing about the seedling mats is that it is open ended. There is not fast deadline to take advantage of it. That means I can wait for a paycheck or two and that is important.
Weather Report
I really appreciate your bringing this to us... I'd never even looked at the co-op board, but I'll sure keep an eye on it now!
Glad I could help. Good luck with the seedlings. They can be tempermental little things.
It was windy as a politician yesterday, and today we've got snow--just a couple of inches--and cold. I read an article in the Friday Wall Street Journal that said even the scientists are saying the weather patterns are becoming more unpredictable. The article noted among the Inuit of the eastern Canadian Arctic, the elders are no longer willing to trust their forecasting skills, honed by a lifetime of living in the field. What's that tell you? That indeed the weather is getting wonky, just like you thought.
That's one of the main reasons we're building a greenhouse, for weather protection. Much of the year we'll just have lightweight shade fabric over it instead of plastic, to protect our veggies from hail and roaring winds.
Anyway, one expects snow this time of year, so I'm not complaining about that. We're inside, baking bread, roasting winter squash, and watching the birds at the feeder. Got our first house finch or purple finch (didn't stay long enough to figure out which), and a flicker was filling up. Don't usually see them up here. Mostly it's juncos, goldfinches and blackbirds.
Good day to catch up on reading. =0)
Jay
Black birds are good to eat. When we were kids they used to come into the fields by the thousands. My cousins would shoot into them with a 20 guage shotgun and bring down 10 with one shot. Then we'd skin them and my aunt would fry them for us. The breasts were just a big hunk of dark meat and went great with a plate of red beans and rice. There wasn't much meat on any part but the breast.
So I've heard, but we don't have many blackbirds here... not much water. So they're a treat for me. I love the way they fluff up their little red epaulets and show off for the girls in the spring.
Starlings on the other hand...
Jay- sounds like the perfect day for spending that way! I made some bread yesterday too, and for once it was a success! I just wish I'd written down the measurements as I went. It was something like- 1 pkg of yeast, let's see, that looks about right for the flour, hey, some honey might be good, don't forget a couple shakes of salt, do eggs go in this, no, leave those out, oops, almost forgot, some butter, hmm, that much looks good....you get the picture! I'll never duplicate it, but maybe the next batch will turn out good just by luck!
I'm more than a little concerned about the weather situation. By the time I get my homestead I'll have to build a dome over it just to feel like I can be self-sufficient! And after reading the list of stuff you have had to do in spiffing up your place, I'm thinking the to-do list may be several years long BEFORE I can tackle that!
CajuninKy-you brought back a long forgotten memory of when I was a kid, and we lived back East for a couple of years. I remembered seeing 'flocks?' of blackbirds along the fence lines and in the meadows, and I always thought they were special because of that bright red spot on the wings. I guess when you are very small, weird stuff has importance. But then I moved back to CA and forgot all about them. Of course I would have been traumatized if I'd seen anyone shoot them back then! But then, I wasn't growing any crops, either!
We had nice weather today, and since I'm 98% healthy again I took the dogs for a walk. Well, I started too; I was about 5 minutes out, lost deep in thought about spring and gardens and who knows what, when I realized the the new puppy wasn't there with me, and I had this vague memory of him trailing off after the older dog. You already know about the coyote issue, and we are in the middle of a very remote uninhabitated area, so all I could picture was my little guy wandering around lost all afternoon, all night, until he got ate! And, after days of resistance, my hubby succumbed to my cold this morning, so I wasn't going to tell him I lost Theo and have him out there combing the hills in that condition. So, to make a short story long.. After running up and down the hills, yelling THEO at the top of my lungs in between pauses to listen for his lost little wimpers, I finally went back to the house-and there he was, curled up on the steps, oh so happy I finally came home! Little turd! But at least I know he has some sense of direction and knows where home is!
Well, tomorrow's Monday and it's back to the grind! Hope everybody has a safe, happy week!
We grew up finacially challenged and meal we could get without buying was a plus. We also fished a lot.
We had beautiful weather today. I worked in the yard and let Cowboy, the big dog, off his cable to run and play. He had a blast. He is so big and goofy.
I went carting yesterday. Had a blast.
Financially Challenged! I like that. Yeah, me too, but I think now that I'm an adult I wouldn't have traded that childhood for any other. Too many cool adventures, and talk about building character! I'm just loaded with character! ((grin)).
Did you keep both feet in the cart this time? ((grin again))
I sure did and Max worked like a champion. He's a neat little guy. DH took some pics but it was getting dark so they didn't come out very well.
You can see some grass string tied on the shaft. I had to do that on both sides because when he goes fast the buggy rides up on him. I have to get some straps for it but the grass string served the purpose.
I am really looking forward to warmer weather so I can do some real carting. It's so cold it's hard to enjoy it right now but I am getting him in shape for better weather. A friend of mine that we camp with has got a cart her DH is supposed to refurbish for her. She has some ponies but she wants her mule to pull her cart. He is young and has not been broken yet but my DGS has been on him. I think she may have to use one of the ponies to start with. We plan on doing some carting together. I am also planning on training Granny to pull the cart. That way I can use her if we keep her and if we sell her she will bring a better price with the extra training. She is flashy and stylish so I think she would look very pretty on the cart. She is also a racking pony.
She looks pretty ragged in this pic because she is turned out on the farm and her mane is full of cockle burrs. She cleans up really nice.
Cajun, just be aware that a racking pony may need different adjustments between the cart and the pony... There's probably a very good reason gaited horses are not generally used in harness, but I don't know what it is.
I realize that pacers are gaited, but there is a lot more space between the vehicle and the animal to allow for the necessary hindleg extension.
I've used haystring for hold back straps, too. LOL
Do you know about cart balance?
I don't know much at all about carting. Just trying to pick it up as I go along.
If Granny's stride is too long I may have to borrow a larger cart. A friend has one. I'll keep an eye out for problems when I hitch her up. Thanks for the heads up.
OK, cart balance.... anything with 2 wheels....
With the shafts at the level of the point of the shoulder of the particular animal you are driving, there should be very little downward pressure on them when you sit in the cart (~5#). Definitely no upward lift!.
It's not about the height of the seat; that's about seeing over the animal. There are carts that have seats that move forward and backward to a degree, so that balance can be adjusted for 1 or two passengers, or height of the animal, but they're kind of rare. If you find there is too much downward weight, you can sit farther back in the seat, or add weight (milk jugs full of water) hanging off the back of the seat. Some carts are so poorly constructed that they really can't be balanced. =0(
The reason you want a light weight on the shafts is that there is really very little area that the weight is spread across on the animal's back... just that thin little back saddle. The bouncing of the cart will sore the animal's back if it bears too heavily. When properly balanced, the bulk of the driver/passenger weight is born by the wheels, rather than the shafts.
I'm glad you're having so much fun with Max! I really enjoy driving; it's so different from riding and you're non-riding friend can come along. =0)
Jay
Boy, it is going to be a thoroughly yucky day today. Not only is it cold (mid-30's) but it's blowing (mid 30's); everytime I walk outside I get a faceful of snow dust as the wind moves our 3" around. }=oP
AND I go to the dentist this afternoon to have a crown removed and a cavity filled. {{{shudder}}} I hate dentistry.
Bleeaaagh...
Jay
I hate the dentist too. Haven't had to go in a long time. Thank goodness.
I'll try to figure out if my cart is balanced next time I go driving. Thanks for the info. I am learning so much.
It's usually a two person job... one holding the shafts with a tape measure to make sure they're at the right height, and one parking their bahootnie in the carriage.
I got dibs on plopping my carcass in the cart! DH is good with a tape. He can see better than me. Do you measure the distance from the shaft to the ground before and after plopping in the cart?
No,... you need to know the height to the point of shoulder of the animal you will be hitching, because that is the correct height for the shafts. So it will differ from animal to animal.
Once you're in the cart, and DH has got the end of the shaft at point of shoulder height, then he'll be able to tell you if there's much weight on the shaft. If it's lifting up, you can sit forward or hang some sort of weight on the front of the cart to balance it. If it's pushing down, then sit further back or hang weight off the back. With two of you, you can play around til it's right. Have him sit in the cart and see what happens. It's illuminating...
If it's balanced, then adding another person probably won't change that. But if it's not a balanced cart, you'll have to do some adjusting for the added weight, back or forth.
When you switch to your other ponies, if there's much difference in height, you'll need to check the balance again.
=0)
Thanks. We will check it out.
Poor Jay-Dentists, yuck!!! I hope it all goes smoothly for you, no more pain.
Racking is....a gait? I've heard of lopes, canters, trots, that-thing-the-Spanish-horses-do-that-looks-so-smooth-, but never racking.
Boy what a slow day at work! My boss got caught by a nasty cold, (I think that was my fault) and called in sick, so no appointments this morning. But even without that, business has slowed down so much because everybody is broke! Or scared they are gonna be soon. So I'm sitting here doing crossword puzzles and enjoying the internet. I hope all of you are secure, and life won't throw you any mean curveballs.
Julia
Well, and in the cooler weather, more animals stay inside and out of trouble... we always had a big drop-off in business in the winter. Less contact, fewer diseases, fights, hit-by's, rattlesnakes,...
we'd play dice by the hours. LOL
Yes, racking is a gait. A very comfortable and smooth gait. It can be fast or slow but it is always a 4 beat gait where the feet land in succession. When a horse is racking on a hard surface it sounds like a type writer and the rider stays perfectly still. The riders head nevers moves up and down but always remains level.
That Spanish gait is called a passo or a llano I believe.
There's several spanish gaits, I don't remember them all. And I think the name depends on whether it's a paso fino or a peruvian paso..
paso largo, paso duble...
Anyway, they're all drinking gaits! Meaning you can drink your wine without spilling a drop. LOL
There are lots of those smooth type horses around here. The RMH mare I showed for a friend when I first moved here is awesome. You can set a cup of coffee on the saddle horn while you ride and never spill a drop. No exageration ( sp? ). She is getting up in age now and she is prone to collic and founder.
I had an Appy mare that paced... 'intermediate' gaits crop up in all the breeds... knew a quarter horse that did something, probably a slow gait, when I was a kid. Anyway, the wranglers sure loved to ride him!
I've seen a few QH and Apps that do what I call the single foot. It's a comfy gait also. We have several that pace and it is not comfortable. I keep them out of that. It's easier for them and if they are lazy they will try to drop into it. Godiva is bad about it but Knock doesn't mind a bit. He rode a sitting trot for a year on a Haffy pony so anything is a step up. He still cannot reach his stirrups. LOL
I'm wondering... is there a difference between slow gait and singlefoot, or is it another one of those east/west things, like cinch and girth?
Seems like I used to know this, but it's long since been crowded out of my tiny brain. %-P
Jay
If I remember right I think slow gait is a slow rack. I've also heard it called a saddle gait. Who knows? It's all confusing on paper. But if you ride it you know when it's happening... and when it ain't. LOL
Yes, slow gait is a slow rack, but what's a single foot? That's the question of the hour. LOL
My jack paces some and it's like riding a camel... bit lurchy. =0)
When all else fails, google it...
slow gait, amble, tolt, and singlefoot are all the same.
I think cowboys just call it singlefooting, no matter what breeds doing it. Sometimes they like 'em, sometimes they don't, because a singlefooting horse travels a little faster than others, and if you're leading a string or riding with other hands, it's annoying.
But if you're hungover, it's a blessing. LOL