Zeus died a hero

Zeus 4/08
Tree archives

Farewell to Zeus, "Lord of the Bucks" at BLF. Zeus was visiting a farm breeding a dozen does and died protecting the does from a pack of coyotes.

It's back

Yes, after all the trials and tribulations with Dell company, I finally broke down and ordered the power supply from 911forpcs. For a third of the price, it was delivered two days after I sent in a money order. (being too paranoid to share a card number with a little known company.)

Friday it arrived: A box with a bundle of wires segregated into smaller bundles with connectors..just take out four screws, oops, now take out the fan below it, (not in directions,) and disconnect all the bundles from it, ooops that wasn't one of them, jeez this one does not want to come out of the motherboard and my hand is up the computer's insides...hook it all back up and wait twenty four hours to have the nerve to actually hook the monitor up and plug it in and press the button....POWER!!! yeah!

Now just six hours of updates later....

trouble is, I had too long on the mactop. I miss the fast keyboard instead of these gaumy keys, but I don't miss the two fingered to scroll mouse pad that was a pain. I do think the speed might have been faster on the mactop, too,- after complaining how slow it was...and sitting upright instead of kicking back in bed is not as nice, but at least I am not worried about irradiating my lap anymore, although the warmth was nice for midwinter...lol

At least I can leave this one on without being worried about a pet knocking it off the bed... so good and bad in both! Just never order a part from Dell computer, ever, never.

ON the farm front, Lars died. :((

Duke and Clyde have gone to their new home in Canada. Zeus is off for breeding and Monarch came back from breeding. The lady who had him is just spectacular and he looked buff when he came back.

Sandja and Galli went to slaughter.

Was below zero in the barn this am. My hands had a few bad moments for the first hour and then things were fine. Nice sun, temps topped out at about 26 at home this afternoon.

Someone came to pick out a couple little wethers and the first one they wanted was Badger! lol. Instead they picked Feisty and his brother Troll Boy, Sugreca's two. Willow and I were very happy Feisty was saved. Willow called him that because he is Feisty! I would have picked him to go with Badger but I didn't know how he might turn out with his over zealous affection-not bucky, but he loves have his neck scratched.

well, no big climatic ending for this blog..Just wanted to get on with the PC back up!

and as soon as I download the cam full of 80 photos and delete the card I can take some more pics! So I have been slacking just a camera full since the week before Thanksgiving!

Lord of the Bucks

Tree archives408

I had a breakthrough today with one of the farm bucks, Zeus. Nearly four years ago I joined in with K and R and chased Zeus in order to collar him for grain. We could only catch him with a bucket of grain and K said enough was enough and the chase was on.

K ended up snagging one of his horns and catching him. Zeus never forgave me, and I have used that story as an example to the young help as to why you never chase a goat. Then you are looked at as a predator.

I have been diligently working on winning Zeus over. I believe in using kind words and soft cheek scratches and have won fans out of most of the farm herd that way. Most everyone else uses grain or treats. In fact the filly has become a nipper because of treats, but that is another blog.

Still I could not win Zeus over. It had to be a bucket of grain at his place and then collaring him was simple. I guess you could say I gave up.

The bucks have been roaming far on their walks with the boss. Yesterday while going to bring them in, I had to go way down past the garden in the far field, and then down the woods road. While on the woods road, I found an apple tree that had tiny apples, so I filled a pocket with apples.

The last two days I have been solo collaring the bucks, and I have decided since they are so rowdy, I would only let a couple in at first, and then one at a time as I collared and chained them. The rest of the bucks have to wait in the parking area. Since there are three bucks including Zuess that can't be caught until the grain appears, I have been making them wait until last.

But, I have discovered Zeus' weak spot. Apples. He watched yesterday as I offered apples while I was letting bucks in, and he pushed to the front and stared at me with his big blue eyes.

"Oh, do you want an apple?"

So I gave him one and collared him and let him in.

Today was the same routine, but he backed off after the first apple. I ignored him and went on letting in the other bucks and giving ones apples that like them. Zeus could not bear it. Again he came to the gate and I gave him an apple and slipped a collar around his neck and led him in. Then I gave him a third tiny apple. (today I had two pockets full since I ran short yesterday)

After graining everyone, and pulling three out separate for hooves and picking up their grain dishes, I started releasing the rest. Zeus was my new best friend. He followed me all around as I untied each buck, and I kept showing him my empty hands to see that I had no apples, and then I would pet him and we would repeat with the next buck.

I called Y's attention. I was still in the pen with Zeus following me like a puppy and letting me scratch his cheeks while he stared up at me.

"I can't believe it!" Y exclaimed.

Sometimes it takes the right apple to win them over. ;)

Friday

Well, it's been a busy day! Should I add that it started off with more regurgitated cat food on the stairs on my way to coffee? Jingle has just got to stop eating mice-they are obviously not agreeing with her.

Busy at the farm. Ironically, my border photo of the farm shows Pablo in the fore-Boss took him for combing herself, as she is separating his fiber white from coloured. Fine with me-I tend to comb all over and am rather careless about separating, besides, I had my hands full.

Nasrim again, and I had Willow on Carlos, the caramel wether second near in the photo. Willow raved about how sweet he was, and then wandered off to admire the babies. Still only five romping about. Bonnie tried to get Boss when Boss climbed into her pen to wash her hooves after yesterday's trim-once Bonnie realized Boss had no interest in her baby (Willow's favorite), she settled down.

So, I moved over to take over Carlos, and managed to tease out a bit of cashmere clumped on his neck. Barbaranna, one of my favorite does, third back in the pic, was waiting for Boss to do her hooves, keeping us company in the box stall.

When she went, I released Carlos, and moved on to Clarke, a big fat white wether with long guard hair. Willow has nicknamed him, "The Cornmaster". He is reknown for breaking into the grain room and nearly stuffing himself into a coma.

His rear is totally matted dreadlocks, and I have been working him for two days trying to get the cashmere off his neck and midline, and alternating slickers full of guard hair off the mats. Still not done.

Then we moved onto the buckling hill with P, and she took on Rue, and I took on Bibbles. Yeah, we have missed the sun; by 10am it is picking up strength and two days of it is giving my face a bit of a glow.

Then I met the crew over at the big bucks, and took on Mauro. I set Willow up with Zeuss, after trying to help the boys find a short in the electric fence. Boss hadn't asked me to look, and since I was there to comb I left them to it .

Chriss started giving Boss a hard time while she was working on Zeuss's hooves, so I collared him and was bringing him through the fence while Willow had taken on Mauro. Then something happened. I missed it, but it involved Willow getting dumped off the five gallon bucket she was sitting on. I am not sure if he tried to butt her or just jumped and bumped her off. I think she was covering for him,(since I couldn't get a clear story) but thankfully she was unhurt except for her pride.

Boss took over combing Chrissie, and I sent Willow off to the farm pond to check out the croaking frogs. I was still on Mauro. Once or twice I cleaned my slicker and reached over and swiped gobs of cashmere off of Chrissie's neck when he had his head back showing Boss where to comb with his horns. It was funny watching him pause in mid scratch while I swiped his neck. He was in Nirvana. LOL.

Then the hounds next door discovered Willow at the pond, and startled her, so back she rushed through the swamp, filling her boots with water. TG it was time to call it a day.

Back home I spread some well rotted manure on the "lawn". We played some soccer with Peko in the driveway, and it was easy to see what happened to the lawn last fall. In no time the drive was churned up into loose dirt. When I have the drive fixed, I think I will just have them dump a load of gravel at the end and throw Peko's ball on top. It will be spread out in no time.

We took the goats for a walk in the woods. They were astonished when I dropped the gate and stepped back. They rushed out and started gobbling all the little bits on the ground, and then moved on to toppling small firs, and finally started walking and nibbling only the select bits. Once we reached the marsh, they bolted back up the hill to the goose grain, much to the chagrin of the goose, who latched onto Moonie, honking and flapping.

Then the goats moved on to the grain sludge the Firebird has been dumping out of the goose water all winter, and that was enough for me. I put the goats back in.

A huge pizza and half gallon of ice cream for dinner-I took beer instead of the ice cream-hey, it's Friday, what the heck...

I type this praying for rain to move in before morning-Boss wants us back tomorrow if the weather is good, but I want the weekend off. The weather looks great for all next week, so there will be plenty of time for combing then. Still, if the sun rises in the morning, I may go for some more combing. C'mon rain. (did I really say that????)