Dry...dry...dry

We may not get a second cutting of hay worth the cost of fuel if we do not get some rain. Nothing has turn brain and burned like last year ut the stage is set to have the same probalems if rain does not stop being called for here but then splits north and/or south of us. Going to Madison next weekend patty at Haugh's and to get my new used bike at Mischlers. Leave Friday and back Monday while our neighbors take care of animals and feed for us.

Got my new used bike home yesterday. Had a great weekend in Madison - friday for some shopping for cheese and coffee, Saturday was for Marnies haircut at 7 am, pick up bike in Beaver Dam in am, visit friends in the afternoon and shop, Sunday to church at Bethany twice, to the reception honoring the marriage of Amy and Matt Haugh, and a fast 400 miles home to IN. In by 9 with only one hour of nite riding.

All is well here..... Cept for tree scale, anemic sheep and DRAUGHT.....

Hatched 13 new guineas for a friend- another hen sits it out. The two old goats have been sent tom the circus. Some improvement in the sheep herd - only two lambs still not thriving and we are now trying isolation and controlled eating. Hope things improve quickly.

8.4
Several lambs improved and only two are taking daily individual treatment - Mini & #27. Six chicks hatched. Very hot so we work in the am and stay inside in the afternoon doing inside work and napping.

8.7
Restarted core workouts- sore butt good feeling. Have not figured out Minies problem (smallest lamb) and can not wee any change from our interventions. Frustrating and frustrated, fearful for her. Do not know what to do next to prevent further emascation and weakness. Other lambs are looking healthy and are growing vigorously. No significant rain in 4 weeks, we are hoping this summer will not repeat last summer's draught (no rain from June 20 til oct 15).

Lambs

Tuesday - Just completed a 5 day drenching for coccidisos followed by a dose of worm meds as we have some diarrhetic lambs and some not gaining weight. Started the process of trimming hooves today completing 3 goats and 3 sheep. Luckily we have tamed the sheep so they are easy to work with and the goats might as well be dogs. Monday wew lost our second lamb, having had one die the week before. We can not figure why they died as they were not diarrhetic and we apparently eating and active less than 12 hours before death. This enterprise is becoming a time consuming, expensive and worrisome.

Two lambs have died, four still scour and two are scrawny-kissing wt. Depressing and exhausting... One good sign is the one which could not get upmis now able to lay down and arise. Two Sannen goat will go to the circus.. They are big and in the way most of the time. Also they are hard on the sheep. They have been grea friends and ompanions but now is the time or hem to move on.


Our foster son, Geoff Hubbard, and his 2 children are coming from AL for the weekend. Have not seen him in more than 15 years. Kelzie and Marnie are planning for Ironman Canada in Penpiction on August 28.

East and EAST then SOUTH

7.24.11 Sunday
Paul leaves for home. 406 miles / 2628 total

7.23.11 Saturday
Kincardine, ON to Chittenden Brook Farm / home
539 miles / 2628 total / 8:34 minutes
Above 90 degrees from Michigan on. 100 degrees at 465 x 37.. Hot..hot..hot !
Stopped at Rural King for medication..

7.22.11 Friday
Bruce Mines to Kincarden ON... via the Soyhe Baymouth - Tobemory Ferry
281 miles / 2089 total / 5:30
2hrs on the ferry. Cool day with marginal sunshine

ON THE ROAD NORTH BY EAST

7.21.11 Thursday
Nipigon ON to Bruce Mines ON ... 40 east of Sault Saint Marie on 17
413 miles / 1809 total / 7 hrs
Fog all morning next to Lake Superior and in the 60s
lots of trees and rough land.

7.20.11 Wednesday
Superior WI to Nipigon ON
269 mi / 5:22 / 1395 total
Stopped at Aerostich, drove thru Duluth and followed hwy 11, stopped in Thunder Bay

7.19.11 Tuesday
Ashland WI to Superior via Bayfield and over the Chequamegon Pennisula on hwy #13
122 miles /1127 total miles / 2:30 riding time
Tour of the Apostle Islands by boat for 3 hours
85 temp in Bayfield and around the Penn it dropped to 70 and started to rain
As we got to our motel HI EXP

7.18.11 Monday
Waupaca to Ashland Wisconsin
245miles. /. 1004 miles / 5 hours
90 + degrees temp - hot

Bike trip with Brother Paul

Left for madison from home

Thursday 7.14.11
Chittenden Brook Farm 0 miles/trip total
Bloomington IL 200
Madison / Paul's House 393 / 393
Time. 6 hrs/ 6 /
Notes. 83deg +\- person in front paid my toll

7.15.11
Madison / Paul's house.
To Mischlers. 124 / 517 miles
Time. 2:30
82+/-

7.16.11
Pauls to Racine WI for. Ironman Racine 70.3 miles
Madison -Racine. 84 / 601 miles
Time. 2 hrs
Overcaste/ reviewed the swim & transition areas
Lunch at Noodles & Chopothe

7.17.11 Racine 70.3 mile Ironman competition
Kelzie did a 5:09
Done by 2 so Paul and I started north
Got Waupaca after riding thru Milwaukee into the Fox River Valley to Oshkosh and on to Waupaca
156 miles/total 760 miles
Staying at Best Western where mom use to have water aerobics with dinner at old familiar place and a tour our Camp Cleghorn
Temps were between 95 & 99 all the afternoon trip



7.17.11
Racine .... North in Wisconsin

Hay Again

Tuesday started by cutting 15 acres which produced 54 1700# bales, 3.6 bales per acre - a record. Cut 13 acres on Wednesday and baled today, over 3 bales per acre. Tomorrow we bale the last 12 acres, hoping for a record first cutting and a long rest from 10 hours a day in the tractor. The weather is beautiful and dry so we are delighted...

Kelzie is coming on the 7th for a race in Muncie on the 9th, then stay home until competition in Racine WI on the 16th. She got here at 4am and M took her to Muncie this noon.  We follow this evening for competition at 8am - 1.2 swim, 56 miles biking, amf 13.1 mile RUN..... then home for the week and in Racine next weekend.

Dakota Red has taken up residence with neighboring friends to whose house she often ran. Has only run once and is enjoying the in-house amenities and several dog friends. She will remain there as long as she observes decorum. Cat Lloyd has be missing for 6 weeks, suspeced of being eating by coyotes. we are having a diminishing herd of frigate to trap and remove - only 60 + skunks, possums and raccoons this spring.

Finished hay last week - 168 bales on 48 acres - 3.5 bales/acres and 80 some tons... all sold.. Rained last nite so second cutting is started unlike last yeare when he had a draught between June 20 and Oct 15 and very little second cutting..  Worked yesterday helping neighbor get his hay up and in..