Allow Me To Reintroduce Myself

 

Since I could not decide on which intro I wanted to use today, I'm just going to use them all.....

Hi-lo! I'm Cyndi. I've seen you here before. As you've probably noticed, my inner child is stuck at 12 years old (maybe 10 actually) and as you can clearly see, I'm living out my 12 year old life on a farm as I've dreamed of.

No, wait wait, this is more like it....

Hi, it's me. I'm the problem, it's me. I have this thing where I get older but just never wiser.  (I can't help but like Taylor Swift.) 

Hold up, how about I combine them.....

Hello there! Welcome back to your very own secret farm you keep online with this 12 year old girl taking care of it for you. Guess what!? I've got you some new farm animals because I have a problem. It's me, I'm the problem it's me. You see, I said in my head (and out loud) that I was not getting any more farm animals. JK and you knew that. 

Nice A$$

So how did this donkey thing start, you ask?

Cue dream sequence music. So I was talking to Karla, and then to Rebecca at the Horse and Donkey Rescue in Celina (you know the one by Brookshires) and was going to take on 2 special needs rescue donkeys. The problem was that these 2 sweet donkeys were alternating reoccurring issues with their feet/infections/abscess and without getting them under control, they could not be released for adoption nor load on a trailer. And since the 2 donkeys that I was going to take are bonded, they would need to come together. And they are staying at a foster site due to their health issues. Fast forward to that not really working out in the short or long run. 

Instead though, I spoke to the lady in Oklahoma (who brought me Dora, my mini horse, many years ago) and talked to her about a couple of donkeys she had taken in from an auction in Abilene - and ended up taking those instead. She said she was happy to make the delivery, too. And to back this train up, it was to be 1 donkey in the beginning, but I ended up taking 2 jennys because someone had "cancelled" on her regarding the delivery of the white donkey - and she was in the horse trailer already, so here you go.

I named her Poppy 🌺

Welcome, Pippa! 

Okay, 2 donkeys is fine, as that's what I need to do anyway because they are actually already bonded and need their bestie (they are herd animals) and 2 is a good manageable number. They came to me without names, and with the idea that the "brown one is probably 12 years old and the white one is probably 10 years old" and supposably with the possibility of being pregnant but she could not be sure of it. She simply gave me a quick warning before she jumped in her truck to leave. "Oh yeah, they might have been exposed to a jack (male donkey) at the end of last summer is what I have been told". Great. Bye! 

They are always together. 💕

So these 2 love bugs are truly sweet and kind mini donkeys. They are all up in my business. They want pets, treats and love please. 

Probably should have named her Eeyore as that's how she sees
the world. Slow, postures as such, and not a care and in no hurry.

Esp Poppy, as she's always accepting of love and attention. Treats are good, but love is better.  She allows me to brush her and groom her without a halter. And by the way, they are easily haltered which is great for not only grooming, but also to have their feet did. And also, it's wonderful that they are easy to catch, small donkeys, and extremely trusting. They do each have some skin issues I'll need to focus on, but so did Hope when I got her years ago. Poppy has owies on the lower parts of her legs which I immediately placed ointment along with wound spray on to keep the flies off (flies make everything worse). And Pippa has a couple of places where her hair is missing (under right eye and at her right shoulder). She also has some lower leg fly strike places, but hers seem better off than Poppy's. Nonetheless, I'll get them squared away. A good diet will help them as well. 

Are they pregnant? Not really sure. I asked google and she said donkey gestation is around 12-13 months, so I'll know for sure around the end of this summer. Whatever that means. End of summer?

I'm not sure where I got the names Poppy and Pippa from, but those are the names that popped in my head and I've just decided that that will be their names. Easy peasy. No need to overthink it these days. And I love it that these 2 jennys are so tame, sweet and gentle. Who knew? And they love love the barn very much. I don't keep them with my mini horses right now although they were all introduced and everyone liked everyone. Very nice.

But instead, I have them in the front pasture with access to the barn there for shelter. I really want them to eat and graze as they both came to me underweight (Poppy more so than Pippa). Pippa has gained weight nicely, but Poppy still is too thin, so I'm trying to see about getting her to gain some weight. Pippa could just be pregnant. Who knows around here. Maybe the pigs are pregnant (Wilbur you silly boy) and maybe the donkeys are pregnant. So things could get exciting or things could stay calm. I do happen to like calm. But we all know baby farm animals are so darn stinkin cute. Like I have a say in any of this anyway.

I often find them resting their head on the other, with eyes closed.
Or standing so close, they touch. Love these girls. 

These two. How did I get this blessed? I could NOT have
asked for more sweeter donkeys. 

Feeding the tank

It happened. I had a new septic system put in - and if that's the last time that happens in my lifetime - I'll be just fine with that. It was not awful or anything like that. It's just that it takes huge construction equipment like a crane truck to lower all-the-things like the concrete tank into a huge (and I mean huge) hole in the ground. And an excavator came to dig this huge ginormous hole. And you know people don't care about other people's things. In my case, my pasture. I did beg them to try and not tear up my land putting this septic system because these large construction vehicles had to go through 3 gates to go down and around and back up to the area where it was to be placed underground (next to the old one which had to be crushed underground which required another piece of heavy equipment.) I can tell you the willy nilly of the farm animals getting out of their particular pasture areas was the least of my worries. I was mostly worried they might fall into the crater of a hole though. It was at least 12 ft deep and longer than 2 cars. I was scared of that hole. 

I took this pic at night, so it's hard to get a handle on the size.
Trust me on this one.

You see, they left that hole there overnight and the next day they would "drop the tank". I can imagine in the dark that that's a long way to fall esp when you don't see it coming. ie livestock guard dogs, sheep, etc. I did my best to manage the animals, but I can tell you there's only so much you can manage with roaming animals. 

And after it was all said and done, the dirt around it all is like quick sand when it's wet and I may or may not have almost lost my life figuring this out. Why? Because merely days after the install, the septic system started alarming. I've never heard an alarm so loud. It was a Tuesday morning and I was home (as Tuesdays are my day off) and I was excited to be able to do laundry now. But no, the septic system light and sound goes off full speed ahead. I call my septic guy. No answer only VM. I text him. Help please. Nothing.

So I unknowingly walk (like an idiot) through and seemingly over/on that new wet dirt to do some trouble-shooting myself (it had rained all night unfortunately) to check the pipe that holds the liquid chlorine (which is my job to keep full) and that's when I sank and understood how quick sand works and how people die in it. Holy Jesus. This is not packed dirt no it's not. It's dirt that needs to settle over time and going into it wet is not a good idea. I thought about an animal getting stuck in it and how would I pull them out? Frick. Call the septic guy again. Nothing. Geeezzz.

Okay, so now I can't use the water until I know what's going on. It wasn't until early afternoon that I heard from my septic guy and he would come that evening to check it all out.

Luckily, the sheep are staying away from this trap
I’ve seemingly accidentally set. 

Fast forward, they can't get to what they need to either because of the wet dirt/sinking issue without using boards to walk across to where they needed to get. And they will also need to bring a digger (more heavy equipment?) in maybe, too. OMGoodness. Luckily, a short term temporary fix was implemented by him and "when it dries out enough" they will be back to make the changes/repairs needed to correct the root problem. It's raining like cats and dogs and sheep and goats as I write this. It's gonna be a minute before this will be truly rectified. We can use water which is a plus in it all. And did I mention I'd like this to be my last septic system I ever have? We'll see though. If I ever move.....there will likely be a septic involved. We never know what the future will bring. That's the only thing I know for sure. Wait, I do know that feeding the tank (flushing the toilet) is good for the septic system if the septic system is healthy. I do know that I should be feeding the tank. 

Bee knowing

Dear God,

Why does beekeeping have to bee so hard?

Amen. 

Y'all. It's no joke. I went to Bee Class at The Bee Supply in Blue Ridge (which is where everyone goes apparently) and whew, that was a bee-ting. From 9 am - 4 pm we talked bees. We touched bees. We looked in bee boxes/frames and hunted for the queen. We learned ALL things bees including bee precautions, bee predators, bee management, bee feeding, bee checking, bee everything. My brain hurt when I left that day. Seriously, I had no idea. The only thing I knew about bees prior to the class was:

1) I have the equipment (bee boxes/frames and the things that go in the bee boxes) and not the bees. 

2) Not sure if I'll get the bees.

3) I have to get the bees for a possible ag exemption

4) Bees are a part time job (wait, I learned that in class)

5) From the people I know who have ever tried and had bees, only 1 person still has their bees and even he has killed/lost his bees multiple times and keeps buying more. That's the only reason he has bees is because he keeps buying more. 

Now though, I know that bees are not easy and I may change my mind about that - with time. We'll see. 

And now I also know about beekeeping and even have people who will help me with my beekeeping (thank you, The Bee Supply). But wow, during class, once I had my bee suit on and was pulling out those frames (from the bee box/hive) with thousands of bees on them and the angry buzzing all around me, every muscle in my body was tense and I was sore the next day like I had worked out every muscle in my body. Being in the midst of that many bees was shocking. Now I know why other people's bees don't make it. It's because people don't want to do the things to maintain the bees because it's work, you get stung, and it's not fun (yet).

Yet ironically I watched the people who work there love this bee process. Their labor of love for the bees was inspiring and they truly love beekeeping. So maybe it can be fun to have bees and be a beekeeper. I'm working up to it mentally. I need to order a hive/queen (actual bees) to start the process and give it a try, but can't bring myself to hit the add to cart button much less the check out button. I mean, I'd rather go run across the US again before I bee-keep. Or stick a sharp stick in my eye. Or anything difficult or strenuous. #amIscaredofbees?

Can't the drones that watch over the land for Grayson County Ag Dept just see my bee boxes and assume I have bees? Can they really see if there's live bees in there? And y'all, you can't mow or weed eat around them. It angers the bees. Will I have to mow in my bee suit? So many concerns and questions. To be continued. 

Yes, Grayson County Ag Dept, there's bees in here 😉

Speaking of fun

Maybe with time, beekeeping will be fun and enjoyable. I'll keep you posted. But what was fun was taking Brooks to the Dallas Zoo this past Tuesday on my day off. I'll call it Brooks Cannon's Day Off. 

Brooks did not go to school that day and instead went to the zoo with myself where we meet my friend Gina, and her 4 year old granddaughter, Lana. So. Much. Fun.

This is not the Dallas Zoo we all knew growing up. This is now a real zoo. 

He was excited to see the whole
elephant family (including the baby)

The reptile building might have been his fav

Feeding the birds was fun, too

We saw lions and tiger and bears. And so many animals I've never heard of or ever seen. It's like going to DisneyWorld, as you need more than one day to do all the things there are to do there. 

The carousel is always a big hit 🎠

This water play area was truly amazing, and
bringing a change of clothes is advised.

I could go on and on, but for those of you who have been to The Dallas Zoo recently, know what I mean. It's the real zoo deal. No, they did not have bees there. 

Needless to say, he was much more excited about the snake than Lana was. 

And just like Ferris Bueller once said, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." 

It made me wonder all the many things I'm missing that are super cool, esp for kids. I should get out more often and see. We should have more Brooks Cannon's Day Off moments. 

Alrighty, in closing, I want to tell you I did a thing. 

Hope I can figure this out when I need it

I've been asked if I have this (a generator) before, and have actually needed this before, but have never invested in it and by the way, I can not imagine ever getting the benefit from it for what it costs to do this, but I did it anyway because I could because that's my business (thank you Tabitha Brown).

So I had a generator installed that pipes into a new transformer fuse box that transforms a certain number of fuses in the house to continue working when the power goes out, using this tri-powered generator. It starts with a push button remote. It runs on gas, or diesel, or propane. I don't know if the fuses (refrigerator, etc) I picked are going to be exactly what I want when the power goes out - or the world ends - whichever comes first. But I hope I remember the steps to turn it all on when that time comes. 

And I also want to tell you that the electrician that did this work for me is a sweet man by the name of Richard. He also works on my mowers and keeps them in great shape and running so I can mow my pastures. He also works on cars and helped me when my truck would not start (and the hood would not open, which he also fixed). This man is amazing and I hope God has a special place for him and people like him. He's 83 and still going strong. I call him Richard, but really he's my pawpaw. He's like a grand-dad to me. I'm not sure how I got so lucky to have him in my life, but I must have done just-enough right, that I was gifted him in my life. Dear God, Thank you for Richard - and people like Richard, all over the world. Amen.

And although my blood cancer dictates that cancer warriors with PV have a average age of death as 77 years old with some dying younger and some getting to live a little longer, I may not be able to aspire to Be A Richard, but I can sure start trying now. 

Trying to try,

Cyndi

Me after the zoo. Wait, Brooks after the zoo.