Ridgetop - our place and how we muddle along

[Baymule]

Curse and scream would be more like it.

 

[Bruce]

Euclid Auction in Chino.

I lived the first 2.5 years of my life in Chino. Grandpa had 2 small farms, Dad ran one. Grandpa's brother had another farm in town. Dad wasn't that fond of farming and we moved to Downey. Before the interstates went in we'd take Carbon Canyon Road to get to Chino. Still remember the hairpin turns.

I'm surprised they still have auctions in Chino given everywhere were were associated with has been stomped on by houses cheek by jowl, just like the rest of So. Cal., and that happened well over 40 years ago. But Centro Basco is still in town Grandma was Basque, the family has been going there since it opened in 1940, still do. Dad's cousin still lives in Chino and my aunt and uncle, who have been living in Upland for over 50 years are well known regulars as is Tia Rosie (dad's cousin). Always go there when I visit though that isn't often.

 

[Ridgetop]

Chino used to be a large dairy enclave. It was confirmed some years ago as a "protected" dairy area but was not able to remain that way because the new laws on dairy effluviant required more area for runoff basins than space existed. Now it is a sad reminder of the dairies that used to make it a great environment. Old dairies are identifiable by the occupied homes next to the dairy facilities/milking parlors that are deserted. Only a few are still trying to remain in business. The auction will eventually go too, but foe now it is still in a good location for Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties. Since San Bernardino County still has some ranching activity there is still support for the auction. The Chino auction location used to have a horse auction but now just has cattle auctions during the week. Certain days are reserved for dairy, others for slaughter and culls, and they even have a day for a roping cattle and longhorn auction. Wednesday afternoons is when they have the sheep auction.

The vet called this morning and said they had received several call outs for emergencies and would I be able to reschedule the health exams. I said "OK" since we are not leaving for another week or so (or whenever the truck is ready). New appointment is February 14. I emailed all the information about the sheep to the vet so they would be able to fill out the paperwork before coming out, and also sent a copy of the transport slip. Normally you only need the transport slip for transporting cattle but since my auction has started asking for them on all livestock I figured I would be prepared just in case. I will do the CDT vaccinations/boosters and worm today though since we have the 5 in the barn ready for the vet. Then we can turn them back into the creep and bring another bunch into the barn for hoof trimming.

I went down yesterday and cleaned the barn. I raked up 4 barrels (40-60 gals each) of old hay stalks and sheep poop. I plan to dump them over the edge of the gully today. DS1 told me to wait and he would do it because the barrels are hard to handle and he didn't want me to get hurt. So sweet. I might wait, or I might not. Haven't decided yet. Anyway, I realize that I have let myself get out of shape badly. Finishing raking and shoveling up all the debris (about 4-6" deep) and came up to serve dinner. I had already made fajitas in the morning. Sat down for a few minutes and when I tried to get up I was crippled!!! My back, shoulders, legs, and even my feet hurt so bad I could barely hobble around. I am in my prime and should not hurt after shoveling up a barn full of stuff. The barn is only 24 x 36 feet! I think I need to do this every day to get back into shape.

So - the truck. Apparently now it has a bad flywheel in the transmission (?) If that is where a fly wheel is located. The shop manager told DH they would replace the flywheel for free. Maybe after keeping our truck for 5 MONTHS they are showing some responsibility for making sure it is fixed? Who knows, I just hope they finally finish it. Of course, DH said that as soon as we get it back we have to drive it 500 miles, then get an oil change before going to Texas! Do we have time for that? Do we have gas money for that?
Maybe we should go to DS3's place in Nipomo which would be about 300-400 miles round trip. If so, we could go up with the flatbed and load Big Blue the Tractor up to take to TX now. Then come back, load the truck and stock trailer to go to TX. After that trip do another turnaround trip back to TX with another flatbed and stock trailer load. That way the tractor would be there at the ranch when we go back, and we could start some of the fencing, right away. Otherwise, we have to go up to Nipomo when we return anyway to pick up Big Blue. That would be even more miles and gas money. I will ask DH about it. We also still need to get our 5th wheel back from the shop where it has been sitting since the breakdown October 1.

 

[Baymule]

I’m not impressed by your repair shop. I really think you could give monkeys a tool box and they could do a better job.

 

[SageHill]

Maybe after keeping our truck for 5 MONTHS

OMG --- I'd lost count of how long !!! YIKES

 

[Ridgetop]

So yesterday DS1, DGD1, and Robert went down to the barn to sort, vax, and worm "The Texas Five".

DGD1 was using the "mini crook" (an old bamboo cane that DFIL had given to my older children 30 years ago to use when showing their hogs. Since my standard crook is too big for the little guys to handle, they grab that cane as their "crook" when we work sheep. Robert wanted it. After nonstop screaming, and because DGD1 did not need it in the pen, she gave it to Robert. Then we locked him into a jug so he would not get run over by any sheep that got away from us.
With Robert safely jailed, we caught each eweling, gave a booster CDT, wormed them and ran them out into the creep where they can stay until next week when the vet will finally come for the health exams. We also caught BL18 and gave her an antibiotic.

Then DGD1 wanted her crook back to try to bring i the sheep from the field. she attempted to wrestle it out of 22-month-old Robert's grip. That is one determined and strong little boy. I looked over to see her holding the cane in the air with Robert hanging on to it with his little boots flailing off the ground!

I talked her into using my larger crook and she went over to try to chase the sheep into the barn. No dice since they were all in the night pen waiting expectantly by the feeders for supper. They ignored DS1 and DGD1 trying to cajole or even chase them out. DS1 finally said he would get them in the barn in the morning by withholding their breakfast in order to coax them into the barn. Once we have them in the barn, we will start doing hooves again. This time I will have a list of those that are 12 months old and need a CDT vaccination before being bred in April/May. I wonder if we should also worm them while they are in the chair. They don't seem to have any condition problems so maybe not. I used to worm them immediately after lambing but haven't bothered for the past 2 years since we have had no living greenery on the property. With the rains though, forage has started springing up.

We have Lewis with a harness and crayon in the breeding pen, but no one has marked in the past 10 days. If no one marks before we pull him out when leaving for TX, it will mean that all 11 ewes in the pen are bred, not just the 7 that marked. Sometimes in the heat the crayons get too soft and covered with dirt. That will mean 11 ewes lambing between mid-March and mid-May. I will be sorting out ewes and yearlings to go in for breeding in April and May for September & October lambs.

 

[Baymule]

I have a mental picture of Robert with a death grip on the crook, dangling and boots falling off. Laughing my head off. That’s funny!

The Texas Five. Sounds like a bunch of Old West gunslingers. I like it. After my calm, gentle sheep, yours are coming in, batsh!t crazy, bouncing off the walls. Don’t anybody give them a pistol.

 

[Finnie]

I'm Sooo sorry your son was butted, abused and trampled ....but gotta say -- I was laughing my a$$ off imagining the scene!

Me too! As I was reading it, these words ran through my head:

The Ridgetop Way

 

[Ridgetop]

Yep, that's the way we go about it!

If no one is limping or bruised after a job, we figure we "done real good". LOL

 

[Ridgetop]

Don’t anybody give them a pistol.

Speaking of pistols - did anybody see the clip of the guy with a rifle trying to rob the hotel clerk in Houston, TX? She keeps telling him she is getting the money then whips out her own gun and chases him off. I think it was on The Five on Fox - after the clip you hear one of the presenters saying, "Welcome to Texas!"