Good Morning!

[Dotch]

It certainly can be touchy this time of year when the weather is making wide temperature and precipitation swings. That's part of the reason we shear them now ahead of lambing. With all that wool on them, it can act like a sponge if they get snowed or rained on. As a result it makes it wetter in the barn and more conducive to development of pneumonia among other things. Getting them shorn also allows the ewe to give off more heat, keeping the lambing barn warmer without an external heat source. That's a positive for newborn lambs to be able to snuggle up to mom after they get a tummy full of milk. And, it makes the ewe's "equipment" more accessible to the lamb.  Keeping the animals well bedded along with providing good ventilation is crucial at this point. I know several shepherds who complain about losing lambs to lung problems. If one looks at how some of them are bedding it doesn't take long to figure out why. I thank my Dad for getting on us as kids. That straw is not up in the haymow for decoration he'd insist. He was right.

[Mid-Lake Rock]

1 hour ago, Dotch said:

lamb

Now I'm hungry.  My new sous vide machine arrived today.  

[leechlake]

   , 

Edited February 17, 2016 by leechlake

[RebelSS]

34 minutes ago, leechlake said:

   , 

[Dotch]

Probably had to go door to door trying to get out the vote for Bernie. That or the dog ate his confuser. 

[bobberineyes]

Funny dotch!!!!! Well at least he didn't leave us a period this time.  

[RebelSS]

25 minutes ago, Dotch said:

Probably had to go door to door trying to get out the vote for Bernie. That or the dog ate his confuser. 

Now it's eating replies!!! He BETTER get rid of it!!!!!!!!! 

[leechlake]

I spent hours typing some questions for Dotch on sheep and realized my sheep loving friend Reb had beat me to the punch and Dotch had already replied.  So there I was asking similar questions that had been asked and answered.  Since there isn't a "delete" after posting and I didn't want to leave a "period" like I did last time so I left a comma.  

Next time I'm posting a zoomed in photo of my finger for all of you.

 

 

Edited February 17, 2016 by leechlake

[RebelSS]

You'd best learn how to keep up with the BIG DOGS, scooter! 

[leechlake]

settle down Reb, it's 34 minutes til 5pm so get your white dress shoes on and get dinner ready.  I think Lawrence Welk comes on too...but you already knew that, silly me

 

[RebelSS]

I heard he had a new bubble machine, that get's those polka babes hotter than the Swedes puttin' pepper on the floor to kick up their skirts. 

Edited February 17, 2016 by RebelSS

[BLACKJACK]

On 2/16/2016 at 4:07 PM, delcecchi said:

80+ today.but don't believe that "clear every day" .  This time of year is good, but they have "June gloom" sometimes may gray also

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_Gloom

Yeah '70 degrees and clear' is a little overstatement but it sure is nice compared to MN weather!!! Even during the rainy season it would rain in the morning and the sun would come out in the afternoon. I spent four years there serving Uncle Sam while i was in the Navy, and it sure was nice being home ported in San Diego -- NAS Miramar to be exact.

[reinhard1]

Good Morning!  My wife just left for work at 6 am.  I get up with her early and make her some coffee.  She's not much for breakfast during the week but on weekends she wants breakfast.  I was pretty much the same way.  When I get ready for work, I get ready for work.  Lunch and dinner was the deal.  I do have some oatmeal in the morning and  a apple later, and my mother-in law gets some cereal [she likes Cherrios] and sometimes she asks for my sausage and eggs.  I made some breakfast sausage some time ago bulk which i make into patties.  So, talking about sausage, I have some venison,pork, and beef on the counter thawing out to make some jalapeno summer sausage.  Hopefully I can get it ground today so I can mix the spices, jalapeno, and cure so it can meld overnight to stuff the next day. 

Was going to go fishing today, but I talked to my brother yesterday and He wants to meet me at Grindstone Monday.  Great time to give him his share of the venison sausage I made so far.  He will probably bring some of his bud's along so I will bring some sausage up there to cook up.  Didn't have a Grindstone GTG this year because of the ice conditions on the lake there. Last I heard they had 14 inches in the shallows and 12 inches out in the deep waters.  Not enough as far as I'm concerned for safe driving to different areas of the lake.  Mopped the floors yesterday and vacume day today.  Going to gather all my alluminum cans and see if I can get some cash for them also.  Lucy and I will take our walk as usual.  We have a nice park here [Bunker Park] in Andover.  Lot's of trails to walk on.  It has a Wave Pool also which my grandkids love to go to.  Jumped a couple of deer yesterday there.  good luck.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SwivelDigger]

Good morning guys. Caught a few crappies yesterday so the two daughters got a good meal of fresh fish and homemade French fries last night. Fresh crappies are hard to beat. Thawed out 18 pounds of hamburger. Doing a surprise 40th birthday party for the wife tomorrow, tacos on the menu. Going to the big city today with a friend of hers to get the rest of the supplies. She has no clue what is happening and on Sunday her brother just about blew the whole plan out of the water. Could of strangled him.  The story is that her friend is having a meeting for all of us that go up to the cabin in the summer. ( they are right next door at the cabin). Supposed to start at 6. The wife being the busy accountant that she is and still fighting a bad cold ( and generally ornery in the typical woman way) says to me last night that she wants to stay no later than 8:00pm. Boy does she have another thing coming. After 2 months of planning I'm staying for more than an hour per month! Have a good day. 

RH - if you run out of room for all that sausage you make there's plenty of room in the freezer at my cabin!

[leechlake]

I got a full night sleep and I woke up in the wrong stage of sleep so I'm tired.  Had a couple phone calls straight out of the chute too so that didn't help.  I need to get my wheels under me so I'm attempting to take 20 minutes without any calls or anything.  I had another odd dream last night.  Five old Mn Viking players were dressed up in some Viking type way and were on really big and loud snowmobiles.  The were driving around in a perfect V formation like an offensive line in pass protection.  For some reason Doug Sutherland was one of them.  Feel free to interpret that dream in your spare time today.

Last regular season hockey game of the year tonight.  Boys need a win to gain 2 seed for playoffs.  They seemed stuck at 2 seed but a team below them beat the undefeated 1 seed and that opened up all sorts of possibilities.  That's sports, any team can win any time.  Kind of like a bad deer hunter shooting 2 bucks in an off year, there is hope for everyone!!!

[smurfy]

morning...gona be a busy long day!!!!!

[RebelSS]

I had a very strange dream too. Surrounded by sheep, all wearing pink hats, carrying chewed up wallets in these little pouches they had. Some were barking at me, some were talking , while some were smoking huge sausages  with this smoke thing with a cord and temp gauge on it. Some were in a canoe shouting "We got the rice!"  Boy, I gotta lay off the Extra-cheddar blast Goldfish and Cream Soda before bedtime.    It's a balmy 28* and breezy. Upper 40's for tomorrow, then rain. Spring's coming. We'll know as soon as Mickey D's has the Shamrock shakes come out. I saved those delicious RH sausages I was gonna have for supper last nite, gonna grill 'em on the Weber tomorrow...and top with sauerkraut. They had to thaw out anyway. All my work and stuff is done, filed all my pertinent papers/tax info stuff  from 2015 away in the yearly "boxes". Pigeon holes in roll top desk and drawers are now all ready to receive monthly statement receipts, etc. Kinda fun going back thru stuff like old checkbook registers from 15 years ago (ya, I have it filed) Boy, I sure wrote a lot of checks out to "Hy-Vee Liquor store''. The ice on Lake Pepin is 19'' deep yday, measured by the COE. I always watch that one close; when that first barge comes up thru, It's Spring. I love seeing that. Something very deep feeling and nostalgic about that, to me. River broke open March 24th last year, we'll see what it is this year. Average date she opens up is March 22nd. Was way late year before last, the deep freeze Winter of 2013-2014 . Have a good day, guys.

Edited February 18, 2016 by RebelSS

[Coffee118]

Good morning all, for the third time this winter there is a water main break in front of the coffee shop that has us shut down for most of the day and it's always right at prime time for sales. Tired of complaining to the city to fix it instead of just patch work but I guess that guves those Union street department workers something to do other than driving around or sitting in the garage B.S.ing by the heater all day. The best part is when i tell people we don't have water and can't make coffee (since our machines are hard plumbed) ive actually had people say all I want is a cup of coffee why can't you make it. Dealing with the public this long I've come to realize how dumb people have become 

[Dotch]

Ah, off to another "productive" Thursday. Luckily the office pest has been a "no-show" so the people who have come in here this a.m. have been entertaining to say the least. Sounds like we need a dream interpreter back here. Pulled an all-nighter last night myself. I didn't have to pee until about 6!!! I better be careful though. Mrs. Cheviot has the day off today so she may be rested up and try to mess with my beauty sleep. Oh well, it's supposed to be windy tomorrow so I'll have a bad hair day anyway.

All was calm in the lambing barn at chore time. The wind out in the open today is making it feel cold even though the temps are nearing the freezing mark. Same story with the ewes as yesterday. Those pointy little ears don't like the wind and running around in their undies doesn't help. With 50 forecast tomorrow and a nice calm 43 for Saturday, it sure beats the snot out of last weekend.

With the warmth, it means I better think of some ideas for grilling over the weekend. The lamb supply is running on fumes although there are several lamb steaks that may as well hit the coals. Could do a couple more legs as well although I'm not sure I have enough coals for that. Dog food supply may be in question as well as another bag of softener salt. Hmmmmm...may be a trip to FF in my future. Not sure what surprise activity the social director might dream up with so I'd better hedge my bets.      

[smurfy]

hey reb, what you doing??? you and the neighbor lady planning the weekend?????? awefully windy out!!!!!!!!!!!

[RebelSS]

12 minutes ago, smurfy said:

hey reb, what you doing??? you and the neighbor lady planning the weekend?????? awefully windy out!!!!!!!!!!!

Ya, it sure is...the hot air is blowing already, I see.   I'm gonna run over to KRPR and blow kisses at Shari thru the window, she just came on . 

Edited February 18, 2016 by RebelSS

[bobberineyes]

I had a feeling dotch with all the sheep talk someone was gonna dream about sheep, just didn't think it would be reb. Well let's just hope now that they are all shaved up and sexied up running around in one's dreams that they didn't get caught in a fence ...

[smurfy]

he says he had sheep dreams..............BUT  we all know who he was dreamin about...........see the weber thread!!!!!!!

[RebelSS]

%%!$%@# 

[Boar]

are ewwww upset reb, are the boys treating u baaaaaaadly,  its ok little reb peep, have u lost ur sheep,? u dont know where to find them it seems, but if i were u, what.iwould do is keep them.in yur deams Lol!!!!!!