HOUSE: We are down to the last few jobs to complete the house!! Interior painting is almost completed, with just a part of the kitchen and a few touch-ups needed. The tile floor is partially laid down and we're hoping to have it finished by the end of the week. Of course, everything stopped for a few days because of Hurricane IKE, which ended up turning more northerly and missing us completely. But, before we knew IKE was going to turn, the people working on the house had to take time off working on our house to get their own homes ready, so everything came to a halt.
Two larger pastures are fenced and need to have the gates hung (this week hopefully) so that we can move the livestock over. The last pen and the yard will be fenced this week too (again, hopefully). Landscaping the yard will have to wait until we get moved in, since workers are still driving up to the house to unload and tromping around the outside, so grass or bushes wouldn't have a chance.
Basically, finishing the house is a almost a catch-22 situation. The fix-it punch list of items need to be done before the painters can finish, the painters can't finish while the tile workers are laying the floor, the floor in the kitchen has to be finished before the appliances go in, etc. I just want to be moved in!
SHEEP: Sheep have all been healthy (fingers crossed that it stays that way). We had two lambs born Labor Day weekend - of course, it happened while I was gone to my one and only grandson's birthday party and to the Houston Area Herding Association Play Day. Some how the sheep just know how to create havoc for Brien while I'm gone .
Had the ram Harley in with the girls for several weeks, so around the end of January, I should have most of our lambs on the ground. The lambs born in April this year did not seem to fare as well as the lambs born in January. It just got too hot, too early this year, so I'm hoping to have the lambs all born earlier this year.
As soon as we move, I'll have to find a meat processer who is familiar with butchering lambs. Then we'll have to make the decision that we've been able to put off since they were born: which sheep are we putting into the freezer... Of course, since we are hoping to make a real go of the sheep farm, we need to start advertising the sheep for sale, knowing that they'll be bought for processing. It seems like every lamb that I mention going to market, Brien claims is his favorite, taking it out of the "market" pool.
On a lighter side, once the weather cools down some, I need to trim sheep hooves and try my hand at hand shearing some of the sheep that are particularly wooly.
DOGS: Working more regularly with Brock, who is doing so awesome. I'm working on sending him to fetch the sheep starting from farther and farther away. I'm also using him more and more for 'chore' work, just so that we'll get more training time in. This upsets Sinto to no end, since I used to use him for those necessary chores :( .
Our guardian dog Petey is still at the vet's office, recovering from the Brown Recluse spider bite. He lost all the skin on his stomach and has had two surgeries. His hospital stay is going on six weeks. Until we get moved to the new house, he'll have to stay there, as there isn't any room for him inside and with his open wounds, he cannot go outside, except on a leash.
More later. Terri & Brien
Callista Creek Farm Sandia, Texas Home of the South Texas Gulf Coast Sheep 361.442.9437 or 361.774.1077
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