Watermelon and Hooves

Farm chores are not for the weak of heart.
They weaken your heart enough as it is...

We trimmed the goats hooves.
Doing so entails Chad sitting and holding onto two very fat goats (not at the same time mind you) while I struggle to get a hold of each foot and, while lifting my glasses away from my eyes because it's easier to see up close with out them, trim away the overgrown hooves.
While this is happening the goats are screaming loudly "HELP! THEY ARE TRYING TO KILL US !"
And the horse is nudging us in the head because she is both worried about her friends and she wants to get in on the action.
If it weren't bad enough that all of this is happening, the dogs are on the other side of the fence barking at the commotion and I'm screaming at them "SHUT IT DUMB ASSES!"

It's a good time!


Since the county we live in is in a drought we need to water the pastures that the goats and pony eat from.
We do rotational grazing...they eat from one pasture for a few weeks, then we shut that one down and move them to the second pasture.
This allows for the first pasture to return on it's own.
Then we rotate back.
Sounds easy, right?
Well, since the grass isn't growing (so happy we haven't had to mow the rest of the yard), we have been watering the pastures.
It's a tedious task that involves moving the sprinkler to different areas of the pasture, and NOT watering during the intense heat of the day so as to not scorch the grass, and remembering to turn off the water before we go to bed. The drought has frazzled not only the pasture, but also my water bill.
And we have to fill up the pool more and the water trough by the barn.
Mother Nature is not being very helpful this year.
In fact, she's being down-right stingy with her water.
She must be retaining it.
She must be really crabby.

So, there are now short-hooved goats, somewhat greener pastures, and very hot, but happy farm pets who get watermelon and hose showers as often as they want.

Speaking of the drought, all of the creeks and ponds around us are bone dry.
Dry as my mom's zucchini bread she baked this week.
Dry as my wallet.
Dry as... you get it.
We have found some animal parts within our fence not too far from our water trough.
Two rabbit legs and a oppossum tail.
And some guts.
It has been thought that there's a coyote coming up to drink from our water trough which is the only viable water source around and it's been bringing it's dinner along.
Yuck.
And scary.
Scary in that we haven't seen Jumper all week.
Again.
He's either sitting in someone else's living room or he's been coyoted (I just made that word up.)
JUMPER! COME HOME!

Stay safe and cool y'all.