Things I've Learned This Year Pt 3

It's that time again.  For me to pass on a little of my learned knowledge to all two of you that read this...

-Identifying bird species is quite difficult for many adults.  At least around here.  Maybe I should do a post with some pointers...

-I'm a wake up one morning with an idea and make it happen kinda gal.  Examples: peafowl, saddle pad, horse trailer, incubator, bedroom remodel, etc.  (good thing DJ is easy going...)

-When you apply for a passport, they send your birth certificate in with it.  Hopefully I don't have to learn what happens when it goes missing...

-The government doesn't like you to smile.  Not for your driver's license, not for your passport, not for your mug shot.  Okay, I don't know about the last one...  yet.

-Just because you buy a trailer with "new" tires, doesn't mean they're going to make it 100 miles before blowing.

-Cooking is hard.  I've lost count of how many times I've cut or burnt myself in the last month...

-Farmers are freaks of nature.  They don't need sleep.  This is why I don't call myself a farmer.

-Randomly deciding to run a 5k with your dog the morning of the 5k doesn't always end badly.

80 Days

We are eighty days in!  (okay, so these were taken awhile ago and I just got around to posting them so not exactly accurate...)

And this is how picture taking goes at our place.

Pongo is also very interested in seeing what stage the little bambino is at.  In case you can't read it because a.) you're on your phone b.) you're blind c.) the lighting isn't great d.) I'm a pretend blogger with zero photography skills, here are the stats for eighty days along:
-The sex is viable!!  I'll have to try the string test and see what it says!
-The head and neck are untucked.
-The little dude (or dudette) is the size of a chipmunk (about 4.2oz)!!  So no, she's not showing.  She's just a chub.  Like everyone else here at the Shitmon...

Some milestones the baby hit before I got around to taking pictures...
-Day 24: can make out head, eyes, tail nub, 4 leg buds, pea sized heart
-Day 40: 4 legs, head, eyelids, rudimentary ears, ridges for nostrils, functional elbow and stifle joints, size of an olive
-Day 50: ribs are recognizable, domed head (think chihuahua), developed distinct skull, ears, hock & fetlock joints developed, umbilical cord is developing, fetus status, size of a pecan
-Day 60 (when original announcement pic was taken): size of hamster, resembles horse, hooves developing, head tucked, hairless

More info than you ever wanted to know about a growing horse embryo/fetus?  I didn't think so.

Baby

Yes-- we're expecting!! Okay, let's be real.  The "we" is more "me" :)

It all started back in January.  I started looking for baby daddies and was able to find one in Ohio I just couldn't shake.  I talked to Grandpa and was able to lease a mare from him.  I signed the breeding contract and sent in the stud fee.

'Lil Mama came into heat and I called the vet.  We started trying to artificially inseminate (AI) in April.  I took her back in May and found out she was open.  She was also not coming into heat again. Apparently that happens to maiden mares sometimes, as it's the first time for them to be "violated."  We had to swab her and send it to the lab to make sure she was clean and we weren't going to run into further issues.  This also happened around Memorial Day weekend, which my vet was leaving for, so we decided to wait until she should be coming in again on her own.

June comes and we were able to AI her again.  I go back for the ultrasound and she came up open.  I was crushed.  We decided to try one more time.

I went and picked her up to bring her home and when I opened the trailer to unload her, there was sweat running across the floor.  I opened the divider up and saw she had gotten her leg stuck on the escape door.  Luckily, she let me get her loose without a fight.  A week before I was supposed to take her back to get ultrasounded, she could barely walk.  Naturally, it was the day before I was supposed to be leaving for a weekend trip.  I called the vet and we decided it was most likely a bruise or abscess,  The farrier came out and instantly thought abscess.  He found nothing.  I went ahead and soaked it and wrapped it each day before I left.  Peter came up and did the same while I was gone,  I continued when I got back on Sunday.  I took her down to get ultrasounded and get a lameness exam.  Good news: she wasn't lame anymore.  We're still not real sure what happened-- guessing a bad bruise.  Bad news: she's open.  I had pretty much already accepted that with all the stress she'd had that go.

New options:  find a stud close enough to take her to live cover within three days or buy a proven mare to AI to next year.  (Yes, I already had one in mind.)

Peter and I both started searching for a stud close by that I could afford.  She found a few options.  I found a few options.  I wasn't in love with any or I just couldn't afford it after all the vet bills had been paid.  And then I remembered one I found when I was still on Facebook, Tres of Salt.  I Googled his name quick and found their contact info.  I called James and he said to wait a couple days until she got closer to ovulating and I said I'd rather bring her up early and pay the mare care as to miss it (she tends to go fast when she goes).  He said okay!  I met Peter and we dropped her off.  Within ten minutes of being together, he bred her.  BAZINGA!!

James called back a couple days later saying she was done.  Char and I went and picked her up.

I took her to the vet a couple weeks later and he said she was pregnant.  I asked if he was serious.  He said he wouldn't lie to me at this point!  Hot Damn we're having a baby!!

I did a happy dance out of there.  Yes, I'll be having a late June (hopefully) or July baby.  Yes, people will judge.  Yes, I'm okay with that.  Yes, it will probably be brown.  Yes, it's already named.  Yes, 'Lil Mama is getting spoiled.  Yes, Pongo is super excited to have another baby pal.  Yes, I can still breed to the original stud next year or the year after.  TWO BABIES.  DJ is thrilled...

Expecting

Vacay 2016 Part 2

After leaving Lake San Cristobal/Lake City area, we headed to Taylor Park.  We found lucked out again and found an awesome camping site.  We were off the main road a bit and at the end of the path, so we didn't have much traffic to deal with at the campground.  We set everything up and headed out to tour.

We had some more camp food.

And a campfire.  Of course.

We were able to do a lot of riding and sight seeing.  We took the Ranger out, as well as the truck.

After a few days there, we loaded up and headed home.

We arrived home just in time to clean up from the storm that had came through.

Welcome home! :)

Another

DJ called me around lunchtime asking where I was.  I was at work. He told me there had been a peahen sighting and I should go look for her.  He told me where she was and I headed that direction. I couldn't find her so called and asked for a better idea of where she was.I turned around and looked again and that's when Bill pulled up behind me and said she had moved to a different road.He said she was huge and wasn't sure how I was going to catch her, but I had a plan. I headed that way and spotted her little head in the ditch. As I got closer, she got bigger and bigger, and that's when I realized it was an emu. I was not prepared to try and attempt to catch something that large so I called DJ and told him that it wasn't our peahen, but maybe he knew who has emus.  Once I was back at work, he called and said the owner was after her.

I decided next time I would be prepared to catch a pterodactyl if given the opportunity.