Halloween

My sister in law, Vicky, goes all out for Halloween. Here are just a few pictures I thought all of you would enjoy. Needless to say her house sees a lot of trick or treaters! The last one has to be my favorite. If I remember correctly he also makes spooky noises! A lot of the decorations move and make noise. She also has flying ghosts! I'm sure there are many kids in her small town who will carry those memories a lifetime.

My New Kitchen

I've been given a promotion of sorts. I'm now in charge of my favorite elementary school kitchen. I've worked here on and off for the past two years when the previous kitchen manager has been off or sick. She has never been well liked. She yells at the parents, teachers, Lorraine and children. She's loud and obnoxious. I heard she was caught mimicking a child with a speech impediment. The children were actually afraid of her.

She recently fell down her steps and broke her foot. She is also scheduled for surgery. I was told on Monday I would be filling in for 6 weeks. I was absolutely thrilled. Yesterday, Max told me, "it's an early Christmas present...the kitchen is yours." I asked about Robin and he said, "don't worry about Robin." If she comes back I don't know where they will put her. No one wants to work with her.

The staff is just thrilled. They have been asking for me. My 83 year old co-worker, Lorraine, is also very happy. Peace has returned and I've gotten so many compliments. One aide gave me a hug today and said, "it's amazing the difference one person can make." She was going to send my boss an email.

I fix lunch for around 200 children and adults. We have a salad bar with all fresh fruits, salads and vegetables and a sandwich bar too. All the bread is fresh baked in the main kitchen. I start prepping at 7a.m. and lunch begins at 11a.m. and runs to 1:30p.m. Lorraine comes in at 10a.m. and stays until we finish around 3p.m.

I'm planning on doing a few things in addition to running the kitchen. I'm going to run a twine line and clothes pin pictures of my goats, animals and Lorraine's new puppy. I'm going to ask the kids to bring in pictures of their animals and see if I can have a beautiful pet contest. I'll pass out animal crackers to everyone who enters. I may put up a small donation jar with the proceeds going to the animal shelter. I'm also going to put out notes with special requests. If you have to work it might as well be fun!

Guardian Angels

The Pumpkin Party

Every now and then I get a random call. The caller has either been referred by the vet's office or the feed store. It's a question they can't answer so in the back of their heads they are thinking, "You were crazy enough to get a goat so here call this crazy lady." Lately, that's how I've been meeting all my friends. Through the years when I've read about two nut cases getting together and going on a killing and robbing spree I've wondered how do crazy people like that meet other crazy people like that? Probably some girl telling some guy about some other crazy guy who licked her feet while she was sunbathing on a beach. Who knows? There's a connection out there someplace for everyone.

I had a message on my home phone from a lady asking about ammonium chloride. She was referred by the feed store. You can't buy it locally. In fact, there are a list of things I use regularly I can't find anywhere in town. Cynthia, Rosemary and I try to help each other out whenever we can. If I don't have something it's a sure bet Cynthia does and visa versa. I met her through the vet's office by the way.

Ginger had lost her twin wethers because of stones in their urinary tract. She wanted to know what I knew about ammonium chloride and what preventative measures I used to avoid urinary calculi in my wethers.

http://fiascofarm.com/goats/stones.htm

I have a treat recipe I make for my goats. For those of you who might be interested it is:

1/2 Cup Oats
1/4 Cup Slippery Elm Bark
1 Tablespoon AC (ammonium chloride)
Mix together and then add:
1/4 Cup Molasses
Start adding a splash of water until the mixture binds together. Divide into 12 equal pieces and roll into small balls. Roll the balls in a little Slippery elm Bark to coat.
1 Ball equals a little less than 1/4 teaspoon.

As we talked about our goats it became clear we had so much else in common. She had picked up a book over a year ago and had been trying to teach herself Reiki but wasn't getting far. I won't say that's impossible but without the attunement process I don't see how it is effective. You can only be attuned through a Master. She wanted to be useful to her animals. That is why I first researched Reiki and developed my interest. I offered to teach her Level I. She cleans the library in her small community 4 hours a week. She would never have been able to afford classes. She would not have found me through that avenue since I don't advertise classes, treatments or therapies. However, as a Reiki Master I will teach someone with the "Reiki Heart". It's a commitment you make when you become a Master and get your teaching certification. I know she will be very useful and bless many hearts.

Her little goat earned his wings tonight. If it hadn't been for him she and I would never have met. She will be able to treat and impact the lives of God's creatures great and small. There are no coincidences. We all have our guardian angels. Some just happen to have hooves and paws.

The Elephant in the Living Room

With the children gone I approached Mike to talk about the elephant in the living room. You know the one everyone walks around but doesn't talk about. It's part of my energy clearing and getting well. I woke up with another migraine today and decided today is the day to move that elephant's fat ass off the couch. He's laying in front of the door.

Tomorrow I'm going to work on a gratitude list.....and buy pumpkins!!! My fellow blogger friend told me it's how she deworms her sheep!!!! I hope they like them. Guess I better hope I can find some.

Updates

Thick and Thin
The Bowflex doesn't get much use but it's perfect for hanging yarn.

My New Rescue Goat

Life is slowly returning to normal. Clayton and his girlfriend, Darcy, came to live with us while Clayton has been recovering. I will be honest. It has been well established I do not agree with "playing house". To add insult to injury they stayed in my room. I was displaced downstairs. Darcy was not very helpful and did much of nothing except make my life miserable. She was incapable of unloading the dishwasher or even putting dishes in. She did absolutely nothing.....and I do mean nothing with the exception of her laundry. She was a complete clutterbug which drove me insane. I don't know how people can live like that particularly in some one else's home. We won't even delve into the lying, taking things that don't belong to you and the dishonesty. I have huge issues with character. Our character is the essence of who we are. Without it we are no one. Let's just say I felt like all the good air was being sucked up and I was suffocating.

They moved to their own apartment this past Thursday. Although they are no longer here the effects of their stay linger. I spent the entire day cleaning. I woke up early and started with the barn and tack room. Later I moved inside and cleaned the entire house. I also did some energy work. The cleaning is done but I still have more energy work to do.

Negative energy clings. It clings to everything including spaces. If you walk into a room full of happy people you feel that energy. It's exchanged through our auras. The same holds true with negative energy. If you arrive to work cheerful and someone else is in a shitty mood it shifts your energy field. Image the effect it has when it is going on for months. It has actually made me physically ill. When I first began practicing Reiki my blood pressure stabilized and I did not require medication. I was thrilled. Well....sad to say I am back on high blood pressure medication and I have the start of an ulcer. Both these physical maladies have made this Reiki Master feel very defeated but I am working on them and hope to get back to normal soon. Wasn't it just last year I was going through something similar????

Simon and Bentley have kept my spirits up. Simon told me, "Mom, don't worry. Some other transient will move in and make your life miserable." I am blessed with sons who both have great senses of humor.

I lived with my sister when we first came to Steamboat. I did everything to make myself useful. I cooked, cleaned and was helpful. I was extremely grateful. When Simon and I moved into our own apartment I didn't leave a mess. I am not difficult to get along with but it would seem to me that when you are offered a place to stay you could make yourself useful even minimally and why leave a mess when you go for someone else to deal with???

I rescued a pygmy goat. I got a distress call last Tuesday from a contractor I used to deal with at the lumber yard. He and his wife had adopted two dairy goats. The little pygmy has horns and was beating up on the new goats. He asked if I would take the little doe. She would either come here or go into some one's freezer.

I've grown fond of her. She is a little wildcat but Hanni, Nanni and Colleen have put her in her place. She is very affectionate with me and a sweet little girl. She's not much to look at but her disposition makes up for her lack of beauty. She's not particularly useful. I won't milk her and she doesn't produce fiber. She's just a little hayburner.

We sheared and I need to get my fleeces ready for the mill. They are full of cockleburs so it's going to be a huge project. There are 25 fleeces and I've only cleaned 6. I've also been working on some spinning projects while watching NCSI and Law and Order. I know these shows have been on for years but I have just started watching them. I've never been much of a TV person. While Mical was in Denver I learned how to use the remote.

So...that's it from the Ridge! Sending blessings your way!

Summer Round Up

Thank you all for your comments and concerns. All is well.

Simon graduated from the Air Force Academy in May. He's now in Enid, OK for pilot training. He got his private pilot's license before he left and took both Mike and I up for a flight. I wasn't going to fly but reconsidered. I might hate flying but Simon had been dreaming of being a pilot since he was 4 and I didn't want to miss out on the opportunity of soaring with my son.

I went to NM and visited James and Bentley. I was introduced to the camel, zebra and two new grandpuppies. While I was there I finished my Reiki Master's training and became certified as a teacher. I had my first student this summer.

Gabby had puppies! I have a litter of 6 males. I have 5 beautiful Pyr males for sale if anyone is interested. My friend, Mel, is taking one. She absolutely fell in love with the gentle nature of Gabby and Cody. Her eldest, Buddy, passed away and they really didn't want another dog but Simba stole their heart. They will be back in a few weeks to pick him up. So...if anyone along the stretch between Steamboat and Canadian, TX are interested please let me know. They are AKC registered, have shots, been wormed and are $350. My Pyrs are worth their weight in gold. I have never lost any livestock to predators.

Clayton will be coming home this coming Wednesday. It goes without saying our lives have been anything but normal the past 6 months. He has made wonderful progress and has a very positive attitude. He and Darcy have become engaged and mom has become enraged. The social worker at the rehab hospital told her it would be best if she didn't visit since she upset Clayton so much when she was there. They had to ask her to leave.

Clayton still has no movement in his left arm but perhaps with time that will return. His left leg is weak and he will wear a brace. He is not walking yet but hopefully with continued rehab that will come. He is so anxious to get home as you can imagine. He is a different person and has been a pleasure to be around. I had a great visit with him while I was traveling.

I have 15 baby goats and I now have a market for all my fleece. I also have an offer from a store to carry my hand spun so I need to discipline myself and spend more time at the wheel.

My favorite little goat, Chloe has been to the vet twice and on antibiotics at least three times since she has been born. On the second visit I told the vet she has milk coming out her nose when she nurses. A light went off and he checked her mouth. She has a cleft palate. He checked with the teaching hospital in Ft. Collins and they said unfortunately there is little anyone can do for her. This breaks my heart.

Since I had 11 little bucklings this year I decided to wether all of them. I am going to get rid of the buck and not breed any goats for a few years. I have all I can handle right now and feel blessed to have a market for all my fleece. The mill had been buying all my light fleeces. I called to see when the silver would be processed and she said she would like to buy my colored fleeces as well. She said she has never seen any mohair as beautiful and lusterous as mine. That certainly warmed my heart because she has seen lots of fiber through her work.

That's the summer round up! Thank you all for keeping me on your hearts and in your prayers. I will try to be more diligent about blogging! I am on Facebook. It's an easy way to keep in touch with all your family and friends. I really suggest everyone have a Facebook account. It's lots of fun too! It's also much easier to upload and share pictures. So...if you want to join my circle of friends on Facebook I'm under Rebecca Kassemi Huyser.


Blessings to all!

Round Up

Serendipity Butt Naked

Cinnamon - Look how big he's gotten!

The girls' hooves have been trimmed with the exception of Serendipity. I'm waiting until she kids. Everyone has been sheared. I'm sure they were happy to get out of those winter fleeces. Shots have been given. The house has been cleaned. Laundry is done. Cynthia's little buckling has been wethered and her kids given shots. I injected lidocaine in his scrotum and Cynthia placed the band on him. I will go back in a few days and cut the sack off beneath the band and dip it in iodine. This method was very humane and done with ease. By cutting the sac the risk of infection in a closed wound has been eliminated. He was more upset when I gave him his CDT shot than when this procedure was done. We did a really good job and I'm so proud of both of us. I really don't think there is anything we can't do together. We've helped each other dehorn, band, give shots and kid. She checks in on my goats and I check in on hers.

My little ones are just so playful. It is becoming increasingly more difficult to round them up at night. They just want to romp. I'm moving Gabby over tomorrow. Cody is going to be depressed. Vacation is over. It's time to get her back to work. I can say I am honestly worried about predators. This little ones would just be a small mouthful for a mountain lion. We look so silly trying to gather them up for the night. Every time I go through this I laugh to myself thinking of my friends who are cattle ranchers riding and rounding up cattle. I can't even imagine the skill and practice needed for that! The theme from Rawhide plays in my head as I try to cut one of the kids off while they run around the feeder.

I went to see Rosemary's lambs this evening. They are adorable! She has 3 bum lambs that have been on bottles who are really very friendly. They are having some stomach issues so I made a trip home for some FastTrack, Probiotics and Pepto Bismol. Rosemary, Cynthia and I are fortunate to live close to one another. If one of us needs something it is likely another has it on hand.

I'm really whooped so I'll leave you with these videos I took today of my little ones.