Well our garden this year consists of 6 tomato plants (with very green tomatoes) and two stunted squash plants which we found after we cut down the three foot weeds! I am convinced that they survived because the weeds protected them from the hail and wind and I am hoping the tomatoes ripen before the frost comes, but at the rate they are growing, it might be a while. I anticipate the we will be building a greenhouse next season!
R is great, he is back with his old company and has finished his 'probationary period'. He is back to being their top Foreman and is enjoying the work again. And our health plan starts next week! WOOHOO!
Dogs are all good. Dozer (the bulldog puppy) is just over 1 year and weight 65 pounds. He is getting better at listening and coming when we call but the stubborn bully streak is still very prominent!
We are planning to breed all three goats this year and will be selling all but 1 of the babies. I have come to then conclusion that I can not control who buys the babies or what they are used for (pet vs food) and I am finally OK with that.
Max (my gelding) is still about 75 pounds under weight. We are having some tests done at CSU to find the cause. I fear that if we can figure it out and get some weight on him before winter, he may not make it.
Funny story.
We were outside burning 'goat heads' yesterday. These little buggers are noxious weeds with seed pods that have 1/4 inch thorns (one actually punctured my riding mower tire last years and gave me a flat!). Each small plant can produce hundreds of seeds and they will quickly take over your property. Horrible plants! Anyhow, we were out burning goat heads as they have made the jump from the mail box to the driveway. Logical, as we DRIVE over them and help them spread.
So we were out yesterday afternoon burning weeds with our new weed burner. Did I mention that it was 95* out yesterday while we were burning weeds? I made it from behind the house, down the driveway to the mail box and 1/4 of the way back before my delicate sensibilities started to over heat. Lo and behold, the sprinklers were on at the house! I quick, passed the torch off to R, who was my fire brigade in case of a runaway grass fire, of which I had several, and I went back to the house. I walked through the sprinklers to get a 'mist' and cool off.
Well, about this time I noticed that one of the sprinklers was not sprinkling. Hmm, I am a competent woman, capable of many amazing things, I will fix said sprinkler myself! Excellent idea.
So I bend over the sprinkler and start trying to twist off the top to make it sprinkle. No progress. Ah, Maybe there is gunk inside that needs to be cleaned out!! I twist off the top. A GEYSER of water comes shooting out and hits me square in the face. Very cold water. Quick try to put the top back on. Too much pressure, water shooting 4 feet in the air, I am drenched and choking. Quick, use finger to pug hole. Whew, immediate relief.
Umm... Now I am stuck. Finger on hole, water geyser temporarily staunched, and can't let up finger to fix sprinkler head. I let go of the hole, water spraying everywhere, and run to turn off the sprinklers. Ah, I am brilliant. Now I can fix the sprinkler without getting drenched. I did mention that I was a smart woman, right?
So I, without looking at the sprinkler head in my HAND, walk back over to the 'broken' sprinkler. Well, when you turn off the water, the sprinklers go back into their underground caves for protection from mowers and chewing puppies... So I look and; oh nice, I can't stick my finger in the hole far enough to see what the problem is. And instead of looking at the sprinkler head in my HAND, I walk back over and turn the sprinklers on again so I can figure out what the issue is. Earth to me, the issue is with the piece in your HAND!
As you might imagine it takes the sprinklers a minute to build up pressure and turn on. Meanwhile I am again bent over the broken sprinkler peering into the hole trying to figure out if I broke the system. Why is water not coming out? I can hear it hissing... Oh, there it is. As the GEYSER shoots out and once again hits me in the face...
I am not normally one to admit defeat so easily but I give up. I quit, game over. Quick finger on hole, with one hand put spring back in top and quick screw in place on sprinkler. Look! Still broken and not sprinkling. At this point, who cares? Let R get hit in the face for once. Did I mention that he was burning weeds, watching and laughing the WHOLE time? Guess we have been married long enough that I am not longer a damsel in distress who needs saving. I am now just the competent, capable woman who is wet and can not fix the sprinkler.
