The woes of Facebook, and a perk or two

Well, I did it.  I signed up for Facebook.  After talking to a couple of good friends, I became convinced that the way to market my goats and horse, to reach people about things that are important to me (like freedom-robbing bills going through Congress), and even just to reach people that are unreachable by phone, I had to bite the bullet and get a Facebook account.

I was stunned to find that FIVE PEOPLE wanted to "friend" me as soon as I had logged on for the first time.  Good grief!  This was even worse than I had anticipated!  I mean, how could that happen?  And it just got worse from there.  I have people asking to "friend" me that I'd never expect.  For example, why would a 19 year old boy at church want to "friend" me?  What possible interest could he have in what I have to say?  Or the husband of an acquaintance?

I've noticed that people have "friends" in the hundreds.  Do they really check in on everyone?  Do they really look at each and every post that appears on their Wall?  Do they not shut off the feeds for most everyone, and if so, why "friend" them to begin with?

I suppose these and other questions will be answered as time goes on, but though I spend a lot of time on the internet, I doubt that Facebook will take up a lot of my time.  That said, it's nice to be able to see what's happening with Magic's training, as Carol Poulin posts updates frequently.  My girl is sooo much happier in work, and I love being able to see her progress.  Since Carol uploads her videos to YouTube, I get to post here.

 

And talking about videos, I can't wait to get my new camera.  Then I can film my goats as they escape from the pasture and chew down the apple trees and rose bushes--like they're doing right now.  Time to go!

Idle Thoughts

Leah

Tuesday dawned to the bleatings and bellowings of Leah, my youngest doe.  Having just obtained a buck rag, rank with amorous pheremones, the night before, I offered it to my does.  My rule is:  if they sniff it and show no interest, they're not in heat; if they show interest enough to linger on it for a bit, they're either coming in or going out; and if they want to eat it, that's a standing heat.  Leah literally started chewing on the buck rag eagerly.

At 8:30 in the morning, she was in the back seat of the car, still bleating pitifully, and we were on the road to Thorndike, about a 35 minute drive.  No hesitation when we got to the Amish farm where my buck is housed.  She was bred several times as I conversed with the young Amishman -- I hesitate to say "boy", but he's only in his mid to late teens -- about horses, goats, and conformation.  An hour later, I loaded  her back in the car, and nary a peep out of her on the way home.  Nature is wonderful, and I have no doubt she settled.  I really don't want to keep Leah.  The goat market isn't all that good at the moment, and I'm hoping she'll be easier to sell if she's due to kid in the spring, particularly bred back to a Sable buck.

Sanuba looking over the gate

This evening I found a similar situation in the barn, only tonight it's Sanuba, who is being milked through.  I scratched her neck as she leaned against me.  Poor girl, she'll just have to deal with it.


I bit the bullet today and bought a digital video/still camera.  I lost (misplaced?) my Kodak digital camera that I bought 10 years ago, and after not being able to find it for several weeks, decided I had to replace it.  It's amusing, in crooked sort of way, (is that irony?) that my old camera cost me $527 when I bought it, a high quality, megapixel camera with both digital and soft zoom.  The new one, which can do soooo much more, including sharp video, was only $98!  Ah, technology!  It moves at an alll out gallop while I'm poking around in the barn.

It wasn't a good day today

I just lost my 5 month old Sable doeling, Dehlia in a death so quick it took my breath away.  I had triple wormed her with Fir Meadow's wormer, followed that up weekly, had consulted my homeopathic vet about a cough that wouldn't go away, and finally took her to my local goat vet a few days ago.  She examined her, assured me she didn't have pneumonia, but that she did have a high worm load.  She was about a 3 on the FAMACHA scale.  The vet gave her injectible Ivomectin.  Her stools were finally normal, so I let her out today.   I walked into the barn this afternoon just in time to see her flop over at the feeder. She gave a bleat, and gasped a couple of times, and I felt down her throat to see if she had anything lodged there.  Nothing. No signal in the barn, so I had to run to the  house to call the vet.  WHY do cell phones not work when you need them the most? 

I tried percussion to keep her heart going, breathing down her nostrils.  Too late.  There was nothing I could do to save her.  The vet said it was probably a blood clot, and probably related to the heavy worm load.  That's her best guess since it was so quick.   Could a too-fast worm die-off be responsible?  I'll never know.

My brother came with his backhoe and helped me bury her.  Rest in peace little Dehlia Rose.

Sables!

I finally got my Sables!  I picked up my new little doeling, Patina Eula's Dehlia Rose, and my new buck, Patina M&M Eye Candy, on October 29th.  It was a long drive from Northport to southern Maine, and I had a stop on the way.

I left around 10:00, with Magic in the horse trailer.  I figured she'd better get some training, because I was about ready to turn her into dog food otherwise.  Since I'd left the horse trailer parked in the dooryard of the barn, and had been feeding her on it for a couple of weeks, she walked right now.  We quickly closed the door and she was ticked!  She settled right down, though, probably because she had to get her balance.  I'd left her loose in the trailer, and, not unexpectedly, she faced the back.  By the time I got to Durham, and Esprit Equestrian Center, we'd been traveling for 2 hours.  Surprisingly, she walked out rather than bursting forth like a bolt of lightening.  Carol was impressed.  So was I.

Patina M&M Eye Candy  (photo by Cindi Shelley)

It took another 2 hours after I left Durham to get to Shapleigh.  Not that it should have.  It just did, what with me ambling along with a horse trailer in tow and losing my bearings every now and then.   I had meant to bring the Maine Atlas, but somehow it never made it from the car to the truck.  At least I remembered the directions I'd been given over the phone, and the phone number in case of need, and oh! there was need!  I picked up my two goats around 2:30, left Shapleigh around 3:00 (after stopping at Ted's Fried Clams for a late, lucious lunch), and headed for home.

I detoured to Thorndike to drop off the buck at the farm of an Amishman who is housing him for me, and arrived home around 7:45 (or was it later?) in pitch dark.  Shawn, bless his generous heart, carried the doeling down the lane and into the barn, where I bedded her down in deep hay, and then went back and parked the truck and trailer in the dark--no easy task when it involves backing into a side area.

Ike (photo courtesy of Cindi Shelley)

Ike (short for Eye Candy) is, from all I hear, having a great life.  The does were batting their eyes at him when we left, and he's had company every day since then.  He's a happy camper.

Patina Eula's Dehlia Rose (photo by Cindi Shelley)

Dehlia Rose had a croupy rasp in her chest and received Aconitum for that.  She's much, much better now, has a friend from the neighboring farm, a wether borrowed to keep her company.  She's a sweet thing, but very tiny compared to my kids of the same age.  She's well formed, though, and coming out of her shell a little more each day.