Itty Bitty Hooves

Hay Troubles–Rain Woes

I was watching the news last night like I always do, and once again that old complaint reared its ugly head. The weatherman commenting about what beautiful weather we were having and how there wasn’t rain in the picture for at least the next 7 days. Now I know that for most folks rain is a pain. Heck for all of us it is, but sometimes I think people who live in cities and even in the country when they don’t own livestock, or farm produce like corn, wheat, and the like realize how vitally important rain is, and how bad the droughts are in this country. Even our state which is not quite in a drought state is experiencing yet another really bad hay crop year. Fields are only yielding percentages of what they were once capable of. It is downright scary.

Now I’m sure some who live in cities would say well that means you can’t have all those stinky animals. Hopefully they’re vegetarians that say that. Without those stinky animals there are no steaks in their freezers, or pork on the barbeque. At best there will be fish and chicken. But even chicken needs some feed and corn and other field products are suffering as well so get rid of the chicken in the recipes.

Top that with beyond bad hay crops there will be other shortages as well. Other crops that will suffer from the severe droughts. Luckily Illinois is doing well with their corn. It’s high and mighty already and looks like, baring a disaster, it will have heavy yields for the state. What about other drought ridden states. Illinois can’t feed the entire country. It’s time for the weather reports to say when a little rain would be a good thing.

Discovering The Truth

When it comes right down to it there are probably three things that keep people who have addictions from seeking help. First can be the difficulty in seeing themselves the way others can see them. Denial is a big problem with all types of addiction. Second can be the feeling that they’re all alone in their type of trouble. Lastly once they do decide they have a problem, and know that they’re not alone the fear of what they might have to go through in Drug Rehabs can keep them from taking that all important step toward recovery.

Drug, alcohol, and gambling addictions like all other addictions are disease that require help to recover from. Now there is a new blog out there to help those with drug and other addiction issues recognize themselves in the stories of others, see that they’re not alone, and learn the truth about drug rehab programs from people who have been there.

They can read about the very real pain, but more importantly how that pain and difficulty turned into a positive experience that was sometimes even joyous as recovering addicts learned to take control of their lives again. This is a fantastic blog that will help many people overcome what is one of the biggest epidemics in our country today–addiction.

Calm and Peaceful

That’s the way it’s been around here for the last few days. It’s a nice break from fence breakdowns and other issues. The weather has been warm but not unbareable and it’s supposed to last through the week. We even took in a hay delivery on Sunday so the barn is full of fresh smelling hay–the best we’ve been able to get in a long time. It feels good even if it isn’t anywhere near enough to get us through the year.

I’ve stopped milking altogether now even though Alex could have gone on for quite a few more months. Mostly because I’ve been putting in full work weeks of 8 hour days at least on the computer and needed to take a break on my wrists where I could get it. Also because I don’t want to get too into the milk. As delicious as it is my main focus with the goats is meat production. I wanted a herd that would be easy to care for and less time consuming than a dairy herd. I wanted the dairy does so I would have great milk production in the dams and their second gneration boer cross offspring. I do love Alex though and I think she misses our daily milking sessions as much as I do at times.

All in all I could use more nice relaxing weeks like this.

Protect Yourself

It’s pretty hard in today’s economy to get some of the most vital family needs like housing or cars without some sort of financial backing. It’s fairly safe to say that better than ninety percent of those that own a home, or a newer model car have had financing to back them in their purchase.

The problems arise when people do not take the time to really learn about mortgages, and what each type of loan means to them. How it will impact their future. If they can afford the variables in a sub-normal lending situation. Find out what you can do to get a bad credit loan to consolidate if you need to before you get deeper in debt.

So many new loan types are created because fewer and fewer families can afford, or qualify for a standard loan. If you don’t do the homework to understand these loan offers you may find yourself in the situation over 80% of today’s home owners find themselves in–bankruptcy and foreclosure.

Those are scary words. What is worse is they can be avoided. Too often we feel overwhelmed by the specifics of home lending, mortgages, car loans, etc… so we figure the person filling out the paperwork should know their business. It’s their job right? Yes, it is. Chances are they know all about the different loan options. They understand IVA and re-mortgage loans, and what you are signing. It is NOT their job, however, to protect you. It is their job to get a signature on the bottom line obligating you to pay the specified amounts.

Before you go out to get a loan be sure to find out all you can. Check out invaluable sites like The Thrify Scott for advice on debt management, lending practices, home loans, bad credit loans and more.

Get Your Goat

Hey in case you haven’t seen it yet, my new article called ‘Get Your Goat’ is out now on Associated Content. It’s a general online magazine that I felt would be a good way to pass on the word about these delightful creatures, their uses for people both as pets and livestock, and the things needed for their care. We need to spread the word about goats. In the world they are the most common type of livestock and beat out all commers for sources of meat and milk, but in the U.S. we are sadly behind the rest of the world in enjoying the fantastic abilities these animals provide.

Support goats, and their productive assets provided to us. Write articles, talk about them to everyone who will listen, and above all, USE the products from your goats.

I have gone to two goat shows MEAT GOAT shows… you’d think that the vendors at those shows would at least provide some form of goat meat. Clubs can make it possible… find out how and DO it today. That next visitor to your show may learn just how wonderful goat meat is if you give them the opprotunity to try it. Don’t miss out on one of the easiest marketing opprotunities you have. Use what you produce!

Independance from the MiddleEast

We’re in the middle of a new revolutionary war. This time we’re not fighting the tyranny of oppression from the British government, we are fighting for economical independance from the Middle Eastern oil fields that not only our nation, but the world have become irrevocably tied to for travel and survival.

In Indiana there has been quite an uproar over the government’s approval of a new refinery expansion that will allow BP (Beyond Petroleum) to expand on its Whiting Facility to accomodate an influx of heavy crude oil from Canada.

Every barrel of oil we get from a home source, or one of our allies is one gallon we do not have to be dependant on the Middle East for.

The anger created by the new refinery work is over a higher input of amonia into Lake Michigan water sources by the new expansion. However before people start putting up arms over environmental safety they should get all the facts necessary.

There hasn’t been a new plant in the U.S. in twenty nine years because of blocks put up by environmental worries. Now it’s time we started working on providing for ourselves while we monitor the effects of the environment.

At BP they pride themselves on having the best environmentally friendly plants possible. Over 99 percent of the water returned to Lake Michigan is pure. It is not the sludge that some would indicate.

Great care is taken by BP to take all environmental issues into consideration within their operations.

The Whiting refinery has about 1700 current employees as well as another 1500 contract workers. The new facility will create about an additional 2000 openings for work during the construction phase as well as opening up 80 new jobs for locals of the plant. It will improve everyone’s econmic outlook by providing a better source for oil in the midwest.

The next time you stop at a gas pump and complain over the high prices–think about the reasons for those prices. We need this revolution now, and we need to work with the refineries–not against them, in order to break free from the Middle East’s control over us.

The Whiting facility has served its Midwestern neighbors for 117 years and been committed to community and environmental leadership. They hope to provide valuable economic and environmental protection for years to come–with your help they are fronting the efforts of freedom from the oil fields of Saudi, and the Middle East. Get informed, and get behind them today.

All’s quiet on the Goaty front

It’s been a quiet day so far in the goat pastures. It didn’t start out like it was going to be. While I was getting ready to go out and feed Bob was getting his things together for work and I heard the door open and close. I looked out the window to see him trudging across the back yard toward the goat pasture in his uniform and proceed to release a stuck goat from the fence. Blondie–what a predictable goat. Of all the horned goats who could possibly get stuck in the fence, and do occassionally, she is the worst. You think she’d learn that putting her head through the fence means getting stuck, but no. She’s obviously not one of the brighter bulbs in the pasture. That’s probably the reason she hasn’t figured out we are not here to hurt her. Of the six boer/cross goats we got this spring who were practically wild and untouched, she is the most standoffish still. In fact one of them, Specs has become quite the little in your face nusience (but it’s an enjoyable nusience). Even Cherry who is the next most stubborn when it comes to human acceptance isn’t as bad as Blondie. Heck for that reason alone you’d think she’d stay out of the fence. Being stuck means being … ew… touched by people to get free. LOL Hopefully she’ll learn soon.

A Heavy Subject

I try really hard not to think about weight issues. I’m active, and do a lot of physical work every day so it’s kind of easy to tell myself I’m in good enough shape. Until I see a picture of myself that is. It’s probably common for most over-weight people. They convince themselves they’re in good enough shape, and they stay away from pictures. After a short picture taking session today though it’s plain enough to see I have to do something. I know I’ll need help though. A product like Miracle burn can be a great aide in diet struggles. Check out the dietawarenessinstitute.org website for a great comparison of the weightloss products and their effectiveness. It takes a lot of the guesswork out of buying products that can be quite expensive. It’s a lot better to know if they have a good history of success before spending the money, and seeing which is right for you.

The Great Escape

I had the whole herd of goats out in the one acre back yard this morning. The fencing at the back of that area is marginal but I don’t usually have too much trouble with it. Usually if someone does escape the area it’s one of the smallest, and they are dairy kids and very easy to catch. The worst time was when all four of those got out and I couldn’t figure out where to get them back in from the same place so I had to reach over the fence and lift them over. While they’re smaller than all the rest, they’re still getting pretty big to hoist over a fence.

Well today, I had another escape, it was only two, but this time it wasn’t the dairy kids, it was two of the seven month old boer cross kids and let me tell you those girls are not ‘hoistable’. Worse yet, they’re not particularly catchable at all. Luckily one of them is fairly friendly. You still can’t grab onto her but she will come when called. Even more lucky is that they’re both food-aholics so totally bribeable. I got a bucket of grain and shook it. They both ran to the area of fence that they’d gotten through at.

Now here’s the rub. A goat will manage to get over a low fence, through a weak spot, or under a loose bottom, but they will NOT go back over/under/through the same area no matter what. So Bob had to hold down the fence as far to the ground as it would go (which was pretty far, — the reason for the escape in the first place) and I held the bucket just out of reach. Specs, the easier one to at least pet and who will come to you was the first one over the fence to get at the bucket. Cherry– not at all people trusting was a bit more difficult, but she finally gave into temptation and greed as she saw Specs chomping away on the grain just out of her reach.

So we managed to get them back in the yard, and put all the goats back in their goat pasture. They have plenty to graze on in there, but I had wanted them to trim down the yard a bit. They’d had it really well ‘mown’ and I let it grow back up. Before I can put them back in there though I’m going to have to really examine that back fence for more trouble spots. I can’t have the ‘wild ones’ getting out. I’m really lucky it wasn’t Blonde who had gotten out. She’s worse than Cherry when it comes to trust.

Freeze It

With the physical work I do on the farm, I always have an ache, or pain somewhere. Sore muscles are a part of the bargain–they just are. So I have a medicine chest full of creams, ointments, and even pain reliever pills for the stubborn won’t go away ones.

I got the opprotunity the other day to try out a sample of a fantastic new product called Freeze It. I tried it out immediately on a sore shoulder muscle that had been plaguing me all day. It worked very well. What I liked most about it is the odor, or should I say lack of it. At first when you put it on there is an odor, but it’s not the obnoxious odor some ointments or creams have, it’s a mentolyptus type odor. Best of all, the smell goes away almost immediately. This is a really nice aspect when you are normally called ‘grandma’ as you walk about the house, or go to bed loaded up with other creams, or muscle rubs. I went to bed that night after applying it once again to the shoulder just in case, and also to my calves that tend to be really achy after working outside all day and Bob didn’t even realize I had anything on.

The next day I told him about it and he admitted he hadn’t even smelled it at all. Later on as we got ready for bed that night he suggested I try it on my wrists. I have carpel tunnel problems and my hands ache a lot at night. I usually end up taking pain relievers, or anti-inflamatory pills to be able to sleep. I thought it was a good idea. It’s not something I’d tried before although I’m not sure why not. After all, carpel tunnel is caused by a swelling of the tendons around the carpel cannal in the wrist, perhaps the Freeze It could help with that. I slept fine all night without being woken up by the pain so it helped a lot. I really like that because I don’t like taking pills when I don’t have to.

Freeze It comes in two styles, a tube of ointment, or roll-on. I used the ointment for the sample and I like it. You can put on as much or as little as you desire and massage it in to the muscle. The roll on might be nice too though especially for harder to reach areas, and it wouldn’t be all over my hands. Both types are greeseless, stainless, and offer long, fast pain relief.

The 3 oz roll-on, or the 4 oz tube cost $9.99 so it’s priced just right. I’m going to have to run out and get some, I only have one packet left.

Check out this cool Freeze It ad spot.

I just have to make an amendment here today (Jul 24). Freeze it just passed what I would consider the ‘ultimate’ test. At least it was for me. I thought it was good before, now I think it’s GREAT.

This morning I was awakened two hours early by a massive headache. The headache was plainly caused by an extreme muscle tension in the neck and shoulders. This isn’t at all uncommon for me. My usual course of action under those circumstances is to roll over and turn on the heating pad–which I did. The heating pad did allow me to get back to sleep. Most times when I wake back up after having the heating pad on (mine is set to shut itself off after 2 hours so I don’t barbeque myself) the muscles have relaxed and the headache is gone. Not today.

Today I woke back up with an excruciating headache again and my shoulders and neck were just as tense and knotted as they had been the first time. I got up and started to get ready for a day of working through the pain and decided while I was in the bathroom to give the Freeze It a try. Part of me thought it was a waste of good ointment. After all, if direct heat didn’t work, surely this wouldn’t either. Wrong. Ten minutes later headache gone, muscle pain gone… the world is good again and I can do my day’s work pain free.

Thanks Freeze It! I was going to pick some up next time I went to the store, but I’m making a special trip tonight after I get done with work. I sure as heck hope the local WalMart has it in stock! I’m down to my last sample pack.