Same Day Different Cat

Here is Coco, a.k.a. Ump, wearing her old Adidas sock bandage and Daisy, outside waiting to come inside. Coco was bitten in the neck by our other barn cat, Poppy. The wound was slow to heal and required a 24/7 bandage and pad to protect the wound. When we left for my surgery, the wound still needed treatments, so we boarded her at the vet. She came home looking better then she reopened the wound. Out came another old sock, new bandage made and Coco is ready to heal again. Life is never boring on the farm.

My Hysterectomy

Last week I had a hysterectomy. It all started 10 years ago when I could not get pregnant. I was tested, husband was tested, I had fibroids, but was told over and over again, "that should have no effect on getting pregnant". Move ahead 11 years, no kids, several OBGYN and fertility idiots and I was having heavy bleeding. I told my husband and he told me to see my doctor, the results, my organs were all in the wrong place, my bladder dropped and I have a several very large fibroids.
I got scoped and was told I have to have a hysterectomy. My uterus was fibroid filled and I had a big one, called Hedgehog, causing major problems.
My insurance allowed me to find a hospital in network, I picked a very new and highly trained Woman's Hospital of Baton Rouge in the use of Laproscopic surgery using the Da Vinci robot. It means less cutting, easier and quicker recovery.
I was major scared but my husband stuck with me for this major surgery. It should have taken the surgeons 4 hours to cut out my uterus and hedghogs/fibroids, it took half that time. The team was able to push the fibroid though vaginally after the uterus was removed. No cuts, small holes from the scopes and I gave birth to a calcified hedghog. I got to keep my ovaries as party favors. I was up and walking after a few hours and went home after a day. I have pains from gas and organs moving around, but I can get things done. I nap a lot as I have low energy for now. I am restricted to 10 pounds lifting weight, so I just kick the cats around when I need them to move. My husband does the farm chores and I just watch the animals push him around. Especially the poultry, they have seen "The Birds", and they have ideas.

Fall Colors

Enjoying the colors around the farm on the trees and on the ground. The trees are so rich in colors this fall. I guess the drought helped bring this out in the foliage. The trees are ready for winter.

Zilla in Fall

Close up of my young 6 month old German Shepherd. She is just back from the vet for a spaying.

Zilla poses and waits for me by the round bales. She wonders why I keep stopping and making her sit each time. She looks full grown here but she is only 78 lbs. She will grow to about 200 lbs, that is a big shepherd. Her parents where both huge. She is already bigger than my older shepherd. She might need a saddle and be ridden soon.

Baby Ducks in the Fall

My 2 month olds and my 3 month old ducklings in one big flock. These are Cayuga Swedish mixed ducklings. I incubated one group and mama duck hatched the others. She abandoned the ducklings' so I raised them. Now they are all independent and going to the big pond. A few will be going to a new home this week. 

My veterinarian wanted to raise some ducks for his pond. So I am giving him 4-5 from this flock.

This year I stopped incubating eggs by August. It is just too hard for me to raise baby poultry in the winter. So much easier when the weather is warmer. Some of my hens do go broody in the winter, and I have to watch them on hatching days. I isolate the mama's and babies in a separate coop when this happens. That way mama can do her job and keep her weight in the winter.

Goating Around

My neighbors herd of Boer goats coming out to greet me in the pasture.

A billy needing some attention

Opal the guard donkey getting some petting. She prefers the company of men

but will tolerate me.

The billy wanting more petting as well. Very happy herd of goats to be around.

Horse and Buggy

Here is my friends 1980's reproduction of a doctor's buggy, harness and horse 

for sale. I listed it on-line for her. The horse is a 5 + year old Fox Trotter gelding. Since she does not have the time to ride/drive all her horses, she is selling this horse and doctor's buggy.

The gelding is Amish trained to pull a heavy buggy. He is a big boy and can pull about anything.

I have never seen such a large Fox Trotter before. The horse, harness and buggy are a package deal.

They are listed on Craigslist and located in Southern Missouri area of Summersville.

Happy Pumpkins

I saw this in front of our local nursing home. Quite the effort was made to decorate the front of this place. It was neat to see. The nice thing is that the same care is given inside to the residents.

Hauntings

We have been busy running the haunted mill fundraiser in our town. We had a busy weekend with lots of people coming into the mill to be scared. Next weekend is our last run for the season.

Volunteer teacher and scarecrow

Mill victims and spooks in our mill maze.

Haunted Mill

This is one of the props I created for our haunted house inside our towns old grain mill. Our theme is a  Wild West ghost town. We have all spooks in cowboy western gear in 1900's style of dress. The local high school is providing the free talent to haunt all visitors for the next two weekends. My husband and I have been working non- stop for weeks setting up this haunting. It will be so nice to take a break from building sets to now haunting them all up. I will post more photos as I get time.

Second Son

Here is our trainer riding Bean, our other 2 year old horse from our farm.

Bean took to the saddle well. He will always have a bosal bridle since his wolf tooth refuses to descend.

It is inhumane to put a bit in his mouth when his tooth would clank on it.

Bean looking for the next part of the lesson. He knows he gets grained after his lessons.

Bean stands calmly as the trainer dismounts. Bean has a long way to go before he is safe, but he is doing well for the first time. And he has a nice Fox Trotter gait just like his half sister.

Travelers

Can you guess where my round bales came from? Oklahoma!

Ah, look how cute little prickly pear cactus growing on top of my round bales.

I will have to transplant these guys to a high and dry place. Cactus can grow in Missouri, but they prefer the heat of the southern zones. I do like prickly pears so this will be a nice treat growing these.

Turtle Wars

This is not the way turtles make baby turtles. The plain green turtle is trapped by the fancy shell turtle.

The light green turtle's foot is inside the mouth of the painted turtle.

You can see he is trapped. I saw these guys in the morning and decided to rescue the trapped one that afternoon. Otherwise both turtles would become a snack for my dogs.

I flipped the bad turtle over hoping it would release its victim, no luck. I had to use the base of my knife safely separate both turtles.The victim lost a toe in the battle but escaped. 

You can see the blood from the victim's foot in the upper right of the shell.

I moved the aggressive turtle to the other side of the farm. This was the first time I have seen different type of turtles fighting like this. They usually keep away from each other. All this rain has the turtles on the move getting ready for winter.