Changes

It’s 4:20 in the afternoon and the temperature outside seems to be hovering around the plus 2 C mark (maybe 35 F) with more mud and bigger puddles than yesterday. You can compare the melting around the summer kitchen with yesterday's post. Spring must be here because the neighbour lady has let her chickens out to graze- I have heard the roosters crowing for two days now, and at four I went outside and got them on film checking out our front yard- it’s like we have our own chickens but they never lay eggs over here- she has them well-trained.

Garry has cut back on how much corn silage the cows are getting to eat and increasing the hay – they found out yesterday that they can buy more hay from the same man they bought it from in the fall, as soon as it dries up to move it. They are still getting brewers’ grain and some soybean meal for the high producing cows. Yesterday, the cows almost made it to 600 liters in a day- 596. Maybe today- I haven’t heard the total, and the water bowls may not have froze last night. Yesterday morning it was -17 C and they had to get them working again in the morning, after 2 days of unfrozen ones. Unlimited water whenever you want it is is a good thing- I'm sure the cow in the photo would agree!




In this photo you can see the latest attempt to make ID signs for the cows- they are made of wood with the names on with permanent marker- the calving information is on the duct tape so it can be changed as needed (something both sturdy and removable)
The pretty cards on the wires took a beating from the wind after they went up in October- half of them blew away.

One of the neighbours is coming over and buying brewers’ grains everyday to feed his pigs. The big dairy farmer got part of the load that came on Sunday (instead of Monday like the brewery had told us- we had to hurry back to pay for it) so he could try out the new ration Garry recommended. He must be sticking with it because he had Victor ask if Garry wanted any of the next load (no- we still have plenty piled up- got more than Garry wanted of Sunday’s load- good thing the weather’s cold!)

This morning Garry went to the dentist for his noon appointment and took Needles the cat along to visit a vet in Dnepro for his operation. Needles is- er was a boy, by now I guess, we duct taped the clothes hamper shut to make a cat carrier(Box thought Needles was playing a game inside- she could see him in there). Last night I put the cat food away- the kittens are on the all-you-can-eat system- until he left, the little kitten (who’s female) was happy when the food reappeared. Hopefully all goes well and Needles will be up to playing- or just sitting on Jonah while he’s sleeping soon (this was taken this morning- but he's there on Jonah's bed most mornings!)





Garry arrived home with an awake but wobbly cat. He says the cat threw up on the way home- in the clothes bin- he was a little wet. Good thing I didn't let him eat anything! Needles insisted on climbing up on the radiator behind the Mennonite bench to recover, as you can see in the photo. He was sleeping off the after effects of the drugs there when I finished this entry.