Rural Gardening: December on the 'Stead, 1 by CajuninKy

CajuninKy wrote:
Jay, welcome to my world. *sigh* I've been taking care of everything here for several months but it is almost over now. Whoo Hoo!!! Just in time for winters hard work.

Snowed about 4" yesterday. Working hard to keep the fences cleared. Still snowing but very lightly and it's fine, dry flakes. Yesterday was big, wet flakes. Those are the ones that cause so many problems.

Got the border collie, Galloway, in the house now. He is nearing 12 and has arthritis in his hips. The cold is painful for him so he is living in the house now. He is very well behaved but he is sure a hairball. So what. I'd rather vaccum than have him in pain. We've been best buds since he was 12 weeks old and I love him. He gets a smudge of bute paste when he gets too stiff.

Ben was starting to collic yesterday evening. The cold stresses him. He is only 19 months old and this is the third time he has colliced. He is DH's favorite but we are going to have to consider letting him go. I am afraid he is going to end up having to have surgery one day and we can't afford that. I put him up in the horse trailer with a tub of warm water and some hay. Gave him 6cc of banamine and he is fine now.

We had to cancel church for today. With the side roads iced up it is too dangerous for people to get out.

Pulled the last of the greens yesterday. I covered the carrots back up. Hope they make it through the winter. I planted really late but it was just a trial run for the bed. I am going to have to move one side in a bit. It is just a bit too wide. I can't reach the middle easy enough. I am going to make another bed in early Spring, Lord willing and the creek don't rise.

Lost a roo yesterday. He had been in the house a few days. The other roos beat him up and the cold didn't help him. When I got him in I realized he was really thin and it doesn't add up because I made sure he ate good. He was one of the free range roos but he was the least annoying one. I actually liked him. It was Jeffery. I fed him by himself and would watch over him until he finished eating because the others would take his feed. I also can't think it was need of grit as he was free range and our soil is sandy and full of gravel. He has had a few bouts of not eating now and again so he may have had some on going problem. At any rate, his last few days were good ones.

This is Cowboy. He keeps the coyotes and bears away.