Berry Update
Blackberries are still plentiful. We had an issue with ground bees and burnt out their nest tonight. Hopefully there aren't any more in the berry patch but we are going to try and weedeat through the blackberries and that will surely stir up any in that area. We were thankful for the shower we got but I know we could still use more rain. I don't believe it was enough to help the blueberries set fruit but miracles do happen. The raspberries are taking their sweet time ripening for the fall fruit set but the good thing is that they will produce another crop. Maggie Mae and Lucky came to the house around 3:30 this afternoon and hung out until around 6:15 this evening. They ate some corn and hay then just lay in the shaded area of the front yard until it was bottle time. I have decided that during hunting season I want to get a paint stick like they use at sale barns and write PET on their sides. Hopefully hunters in the area will respect the fact that they are bottle babies and not take aim. I just hope they will take refuge on our property during that time and remain safe. I would like to find a good home or homes for some of our goat whethers so if any of you hear of anyone desiring a goat pet for brush clearing or companionship I would appreciate it if you would mention our babies. They range in age from 2 years old to 7 months old and are all very loving and gentle. They need a place that they can browse for food (they prefer a wooded area with brush) , have shelter from the hot sun, rain, and cold winters, and fresh clean water to drink. We are also going to be selling some bucklings that will be ready to breed in the late fall. They are also very people friendly and enjoy being loved on. Also if anyone knows of someone that would like to find a home for a hen turkey or two I think Peep Peep would calm down and not be so protective of me if he had a real girlfriend. Warrior our New Zealand buck seems to be walking better. He is by no means back to normal but with each passing day I at least am not thinking about having to have him put down. I am thankful for that since he is such a beautiful buck and throws awesome babies. We got another set of results back from the buck test in Oklahoma yesterday and our boys are doing good. Two of them (Momma & Warriors ) are gaining weight and showing excellent parasite resistance. Samantha & Zorros buckling is still superior in parasite resistance (has had no parasite eggs in his feces to date) but actually lost a pound in the 17 days. I am not sure why since the other two gained, one 4lbs. and the other 8 lbs. but hopefully he will get use to their forage and heat and catch up. Gunner the new horse has really caught on to the idea of shadowing my steps. I plan on working with him on side passing and then teaching him to dance the electric slide with me. He honestly seems to enjoy the attention and is very in tune to my game of shadowing. I think with lots of love and patience he will enjoy learning as much as I will enjoy working with him. I want to get him to do it with music so he can get to feel the beat. LOL We are very happy to have him as a new addition to our family and I want to expose him to many different disceplines and see which ones he enjoys the most. I believe that he will be a wonderful all around horse. I am hoping to compete with him in the extreme cowboy trail challenge next year which is where you race your horse through obstacles. He seems to be unafraid of things that most horses find spooky. Hope you all have a safe and wonderful weekend. Jill Zink