Pig outsmarted!

According to our pig, Harley, she will not be defeated!  When she has made up her mind about something she will continue to do it, will not have anyone change her mind.  maybe this is why they say pigs are smart.  Relentless is my choice. Annoying would be another word.

We have owned Harley since May of 2007.  This was my daughter Madison's idea, a pig would be really cool and something everyone should have living on a farm.  So she saved her pennies and we looked for a Vietnamese pot-bellied pig in which to join our clan.  Well, low and behold we found one for sale in the back of a local horse magazine.  This breeder was a 2 hour drive, way north of the Twin Cities, but I am guilty, I didn't mind because I think a child should have as many pets as they are willing to take care of. Myself included.  So we drove the long haul up to the town of Isanti to the Rainbow's End Ranch to look at baby pot-bellied pigs. We found Harley.  She was the cutest of the new batch but definitely not been held enough, for the entire ride home she squealed.  And if you are not familiar with pigs, their squeals are as loud as a jet airplane - 125 decibels.  She was cute, though. That's all she had going for her at this point. And all she ever really had although Madison says "She is cute!  She looks like a large piece of bacon!"

So its years later now (i will share more stories of Harley as they are quite abundant!) but back to the 'Outsmarted Pig.'
Harley has decided lately that the dog waterer that she also drinks from should not be upright or the 5 gallon container should not sit within the bowl.  So she will walk over to get a drink and immediately bump it with her incredibly powerful snout, knocking the 5 gallon container, and subsequently the 5 gallons of water contained within it, on the floor.  This continued for approximately one week.  And knowing her relentless nature we knew this would continue indefinitely, there is no stopping a determined pig. So Bob is standing there quietly, looking down at the spilled container, contemplating. When he speaks up, interrupts me at my work and tells me to come and look at this.  As I walk over and inspect the latest spill, he says, "I have an idea in which to stop her from knocking this over again.  I will build an encasement for the bottle in which she would have no ability to do so."  I said sure, as my immediate thought was, 'wow, another contraption.'

So this is what it looks like.  And if you have been to my house you have seen many of these 'contraptions.' I do really enjoy the natural look of plywood. So far it has worked, three days after the defeat of Harley's indescretion.  And Bob had to annouce his victory!

Pig Outsmarted!

But ya gotta admit - she is kinda cute.

We're all crazy here!

My mornings duties for the past 6 years have been this: up at 8 am, feed the horses and goats, milk the goats, strain the milk, check on the chickens, empty the dishwasher, feed myself, then go to work on whatever project I may be doing at the time. People have asked me, "Isn't that alot of work taking care of all thoses animals?" Well, the chores have always been distributed between the family members: Bob feeds the dogs and pig, Maddie takes care of the chickens, Sam and I feed the horses (when she was still living here), I take care of the goats. It all works out to be only about 1/2 hour of care each morning and night. I don't consider it work; work is well... work. This is my meditation time. I walk out to the barn, feed the horses, listen to their happy munching noises, listen to the goats yell about not being fed first, the sun is coming up when I get out there early, or its just shining up over the back 40 (I call it the back 40 but it really is the back 4), the air is still and the calming of this is enough to make one realise that I am the luckiest person ever! I have peace and tranquility in my own back yard! I am truly blessed.

This has been the most incredible month of October for weather! Started out in the 80's and now we have perfect fall weather of 60's during the day. It's been sunny and beautiful! and i have taken advantage of it for the most part. Although with my schedule something has to give when I want to go play - and last week it was school. This week there is no school for me on Friday so I am off to the Bottoms and a night camping with my pony and friends.

But this week there is much to do before winter sets in. The horses were just trimmed, and given their dewormer. The goats still need to be trimmed but have been given their dewormer, the babies also need their shots. The fence has to be redone to separate the goats from the horses or really to separate the horses from the nice pasture i restored last spring, so they don't ruin all the grass during the winter. All the fence rails need to be double reinforced around the arena, the garden needs to be cleaned up before the snow falls and the heaters on the waterers need to be turned on. Need to get the light fixed under the awning on the barn, so I can see in the dark since the days will be shorter all too soon. AND...... oh, we are having a Halloween party on Saturday the 30th! Join us! Should be a rip-roaring good time as usual. We will be having the bands: Hoag Park, Blue Monk, musician Ted Eckhardt, and many others join us for fun, music, food and Halloween fun!

Sneak peak: we will be having another great concert in the Barn Bar (http://www.barnbar.com/)  on December 5th. http://www.mairtinmusic.com/

Well, here I am typing instead of teaching my online class. Now I guess I can understand why it takes them so long to get their work done; distractions!

I guess we are all crazy here!

I Live on a Crooked Farm

Nothing is straight here, not the driveway, not the walls, nor the hallways, or the barns or floor, everything is crooked, off or just plain tilted.

While our entire farm is crooked, and the fact that i live with a husband that really doesn't mind that it is, i continue to struggle with it. Call it perfectionism or not, or maybe its my artistic eye forcing me to notice the slightest difference in proportion or line when looking at something if it is level or not. I am precise within an 1/4 inch. Not kidding! Once when we had put the counter on top of the bar in the basement, i sat looking at it that night, swearing to God that it was off a little; one side was higher then the other. Bob of course got up to measure it to prove me wrong. but alas! i am the winner. It was just a mere 1/4 inch difference from the left side then the right.
I hate being right all the time.

October 17,2010

So here i am 7 years later after we started this farm and now i am really putting my effort into a blog.  I started one when we first moved here but i can't seem to remember my old login to access it.  So its easier to start anew.

But here's the glitch - i have to remember what really has happened in the last 7 years!  I have my own diaries and memories are never truly  very accurate but i think i can do it, and honestly - i think i got a really cool concept here.  We'll call it a Pulp - Reality kind of Blog.  Or maybe Pulp - Non-Fiction.  I don't know, all i know is that i have created another piece of work for myself, and as you will find out - with all my recalls of past events - I've had a lot of work these past 7 years.  Bare with me, as i learn the ways of Blogging and really making use of technology, in a good way.