Larsen Poultry Ranch
Herd Master
If you want to try to save the air mattress, you could bring it into a pool to see if you can spot the air bubbles from where it is leaking and patch it. It might be easier to get a new one though.
Ridgetop - our place and how we muddle along
- Thread starter Ridgetop
- Start date
Bruce
Herd Master
Or a couple of quality inflatable camping mattresses so you don't have that "heavier person" problem.
Sounds like you are living in a 12 ring circus!
Sounds like you are living in a 12 ring circus!
- Thread starter
- #1,733
Ridgetop
Herd Master
Computer was down for a day. Had to reboot again. And photos sent from my phone are not showing up in e-mails.
Anyway, had to drive in yesterday to Lacey to real estate office since couldn't get computer e-mail up. Received 2 offers. Chose one - higher price and less in escrow fees - and back in escrow again with new closing date of June 28, 2021. Agent is telling other offer that he is backup. Both offers were above asking price. We chose the VA offer but told the agent to find out what the points will be since if too high we will back out of that offer.
Mattress is complete goner - completely flat after only a couple hours last night! DH re-aired it twice but finally it just stopped holding any air. DH finally go up and slept in camping recliner, I stayed on floor, we are both exhausted today. Hope the motel bed tonight is comfortable! Doesn't help that when cleaning out old barn I had to keep bending over to pick up trash while DH held the garbage bag. DH can't bend over. My bad knee won't let me bend the knee so just bent from waist. Nothing was heavy - mainly light trash and styrofoam for some reason. Squatting means not getting up again so I am in a lot of pain yesterday and today from knee and back of legs. Obviously need more exercise! But barn looks better for appraisers.
On way home yesterday we ran by Lowes and got a quart of exterior paint (matched to old can) and I touched up places that were chipped or flaking. After 5 years of wet and freezing weather the house was showing some areas needing touchups on the side that the storms come in from. Also the plumbers when putting in the new pump had scraped a bunch of places on the house and pump shed. Had half a bucket of trim paint so painted the area where the window pane was replaced last February. We left before I could paint it last February, since the window putty had to cure for 2 weeks. Touched up all those flaking or scraped places on the trim at the same time.
Packing now. DH decided not to leave anything except the fridge so we don't have to return unless we want to. I bought a storage case for the kitchen stuff and coffee maker to leave it here. Now I will take it but leave all that stuff packed for return if we need to. I think being here to show the house and tell people the history, and what was done to reno it helped when showing.
We are feeling sort of sad about selling now due to feelings about my aunt. But we really need to move ahead with selling this property and moving on with our lives. Being up here with nothing to do has been rather boring. Shows what retirement is like if you don't have interests or hobbies. With our sheep we would have been repairing the barns and fixing jugs, etc. Weed whacking the yard and cleaning the old barn helped, but we are needed at home - sheep to move around and lamb out - and we need to pick up our new ram!
Plan to run by DS3 and drop off the 2 ducklings on the way home. Apparently, they are Cayuga ducks - will have to look them up when I get home. They are large ducklings and DDIL1 is excited about having them for the grandchildren. They have poultry and turkeys which the children love, so these ducklings will fit in well.
Got most packed last night. Have to finish now so DH can finish loading the trailer. Probably won't be back on for a couple days while on the road. Packed our lunches for 2 days. Just have to pack up kitchen stuff. OOPS! Forgot that we have to make more coffee to fill thermos before packing coffee maker. DH is making another pot of coffee and I have to roll u sleeping bags, etc. Gotta go.
Anyway, had to drive in yesterday to Lacey to real estate office since couldn't get computer e-mail up. Received 2 offers. Chose one - higher price and less in escrow fees - and back in escrow again with new closing date of June 28, 2021. Agent is telling other offer that he is backup. Both offers were above asking price. We chose the VA offer but told the agent to find out what the points will be since if too high we will back out of that offer.
Mattress is complete goner - completely flat after only a couple hours last night! DH re-aired it twice but finally it just stopped holding any air. DH finally go up and slept in camping recliner, I stayed on floor, we are both exhausted today. Hope the motel bed tonight is comfortable! Doesn't help that when cleaning out old barn I had to keep bending over to pick up trash while DH held the garbage bag. DH can't bend over. My bad knee won't let me bend the knee so just bent from waist. Nothing was heavy - mainly light trash and styrofoam for some reason. Squatting means not getting up again so I am in a lot of pain yesterday and today from knee and back of legs. Obviously need more exercise! But barn looks better for appraisers.
On way home yesterday we ran by Lowes and got a quart of exterior paint (matched to old can) and I touched up places that were chipped or flaking. After 5 years of wet and freezing weather the house was showing some areas needing touchups on the side that the storms come in from. Also the plumbers when putting in the new pump had scraped a bunch of places on the house and pump shed. Had half a bucket of trim paint so painted the area where the window pane was replaced last February. We left before I could paint it last February, since the window putty had to cure for 2 weeks. Touched up all those flaking or scraped places on the trim at the same time.
Packing now. DH decided not to leave anything except the fridge so we don't have to return unless we want to. I bought a storage case for the kitchen stuff and coffee maker to leave it here. Now I will take it but leave all that stuff packed for return if we need to. I think being here to show the house and tell people the history, and what was done to reno it helped when showing.
We are feeling sort of sad about selling now due to feelings about my aunt. But we really need to move ahead with selling this property and moving on with our lives. Being up here with nothing to do has been rather boring. Shows what retirement is like if you don't have interests or hobbies. With our sheep we would have been repairing the barns and fixing jugs, etc. Weed whacking the yard and cleaning the old barn helped, but we are needed at home - sheep to move around and lamb out - and we need to pick up our new ram!
Plan to run by DS3 and drop off the 2 ducklings on the way home. Apparently, they are Cayuga ducks - will have to look them up when I get home. They are large ducklings and DDIL1 is excited about having them for the grandchildren. They have poultry and turkeys which the children love, so these ducklings will fit in well.
Got most packed last night. Have to finish now so DH can finish loading the trailer. Probably won't be back on for a couple days while on the road. Packed our lunches for 2 days. Just have to pack up kitchen stuff. OOPS! Forgot that we have to make more coffee to fill thermos before packing coffee maker. DH is making another pot of coffee and I have to roll u sleeping bags, etc. Gotta go.
Larsen Poultry Ranch
Herd Master
Yay! Congrats on the new offers! Hopefully this time it goes smoothly.
Bruce
Herd Master
What happened with the original buyer and their diabetic coma?
Baymule
Herd Master
Hope everything goes through this time! Y’all really need to close the book on this and start a new chapter. Texas is calling!
- Thread starter
- #1,737
Ridgetop
Herd Master
I asked our realtor when we were signing the new offer but he had no further information on the man's health. He did say that the other agent told him that relatives who relayed the health information to that agent said that the man had been making peculiar decisions for some time and there was concern for his mental health. Hopefully he survived, but we couldn't find out his status.
My computer was down from last posting to this morning when we got home and I hooked it up with an ethernet cable. DS1 says he is pretty sure that the wireless card needs to be replaced. The computer is only 1 year old or less!
Anyway, left on Saturday and picked up the ram Sunday morning then went on to Nipomo to deliver the ducklings. They are Cayuga ducks which my daughter-in-law is ecstatic about since they are apparently classified as a "rare breed. She showed e a picture of them. The adults have beautiful iridescent green- black plumage. They are a large breed and lay eggs that vary between beige, gray, and black! Had a nice evening with DS3 and DDIL1, BBQed 3 of their chickens, Yummy! Spent the night and then came on home the next afternoon.
Got the trailer unloaded, trailer mats removed and scrubbed (duck poop is nasty), floorboards scraped and scrubbed, ready for DH to pick up hay tomorrow, our laundry done, most of the luggage unpacked, sleeping bags returned to the 5th wheel, etc. Still have one suitcase to unpack. The new ram is in the jug in the barn temporarily. We need to remove Axtell from the bred ewes and turn the ewes out then separate out the next lot to be bred and turn them into the breeding pen with the new ram. That is for tomorrow.
Put a frozen lasagna i the oven. Now that I am home it appears that I am reinstalled as the cook. Please let the Yelm house close escrow so we can go to Texas in our trailer for a month! Alone . . . .
- Thread starter
- #1,738
Ridgetop
Herd Master
DH went to get a load of hay this am. Just back with empty trailer. I was afraid this would happen after the holiday weekend. The hay supplier is not always reliable because he sells out so quickly. I try to convince DH to keep the sheds full but he likes to wait until we are almost out. Like now.
No problem. Hay guy has plenty but had an appointment so DH has to go back at 4:00 pm. Unload that then get 2 more trailer loads over the next 2 days. Takes 3 trailer loads to fi the hay shed and barn storage. Price was up last time not sure what it will be now Everyone up north was just starting the first cut the end of May, The barns were empty, and with no water last winter, don't know how many cuts they will get off the fields. We will need to stock up for the summer and winter too.
DS1 said area between 2 connexes is full of metal - some of it is pipe corral and the rest is scrap metal to sell at the metal yard. DS1 needs to get the scrap metal out and sold, then we could put up a roof over that space, put wire on the corral panels that are forming a barrier around it to keep out the sheep, and use it to store hay. DS1 says the old hay shed won't last much longer before collapsing Probably the hay stacked to the ceiling inside is what is keeping it up!
Checking on ewes and #Orage 5 is due tomorrow and looks ready to drop her lamb(s) any time. She is a first freshener, her lady parts are swollen and wobbling madly as she walks, and she has a cute little udder. I checked the calendar and her first marking date shows her to be due tomorrow. Her half sister is also due this month. I show her as due in 2 weeks but if she bred the same time and the mark did not show, she could lamb sooner. She is not as obviously ready to go as Orange 5 though. 0439 and 8111 are also due in 2 weeks and are uddering up. They are 2nd and 3rd timers. Hopefully they will lamb before we leave for Texas IF Yelm closes. The next lot are due starting August 12.
DS1 said we will transfer Axtell out of the breeding corral this evening. The bred ewes can go out onto the field and we will sort out another lot to go into the breeding pen with the 2 spring yearlings that haven't marked yet. In 2 weeks we will harness and turn in the new yearling ram to breed those ewes. I have several young ewes that are being bred for the first time but need to decide if I want him in with them or a more experienced ram. Need to check the numbers and bloodlines on the next set of ewes to decide. The spring yearlings can wait anther couple of months and the fall yearlings can wait to be bred thus winter. Summer lambs won't bring great prices in the fall, but I might take a coupe early spring lambs to the Reno show and auction in May.
Got the last of the laundry done from the trip and our bedding. I have to go through the trailer and see what needs to be loaded for our trip to Texas. Whether the Yelm place closes or not, I need to empty the trailer anyway. I have some Covid food supplies stored there too that need to be brought inside. Also need to wipe down the interior and vacuum, etc., then empty the belly and reload what we need. Over the years we have pared down what we used to think was necessary. Since most every town has a Walmart with groceries, we can travel lighter than when we had to drag along all our feed when camping. Of course only feeding 2 adults is a lot less stuff to take than when we had 4 children and 2 of their friends to provide for!
I have loading the trailer down to a science although choosing what clothes to take is harder since DH has to try on all his clothes to make sure they fit.
(BAYMULE: Let me know if we need to bring the electric shears!)
I also have to phone the campground in Weatherford and see if we can get reservations. IF escrow closes. Although I think we will make them and just cancel if necessary. We don't have to go back to Washington if it closes.
Got to fold my laundry!
I was afraid this would happen after the holiday weekend. The hay supplier is not always reliable because he sells out so quickly. I try to convince DH to keep the sheds full but he likes to wait until we are almost out. Like now. No problem. Hay guy has plenty but had an appointment so DH has to go back at 4:00 pm. Unload that then get 2 more trailer loads over the next 2 days. Takes 3 trailer loads to fi the hay shed and barn storage. Price was up last time not sure what it will be now Everyone up north was just starting the first cut the end of May, The barns were empty, and with no water last winter, don't know how many cuts they will get off the fields. We will need to stock up for the summer and winter too.
DS1 said area between 2 connexes is full of metal - some of it is pipe corral and the rest is scrap metal to sell at the metal yard. DS1 needs to get the scrap metal out and sold, then we could put up a roof over that space, put wire on the corral panels that are forming a barrier around it to keep out the sheep, and use it to store hay. DS1 says the old hay shed won't last much longer before collapsing Probably the hay stacked to the ceiling inside is what is keeping it up!
Checking on ewes and #Orage 5 is due tomorrow and looks ready to drop her lamb(s) any time. She is a first freshener, her lady parts are swollen and wobbling madly as she walks, and she has a cute little udder. I checked the calendar and her first marking date shows her to be due tomorrow. Her half sister is also due this month. I show her as due in 2 weeks but if she bred the same time and the mark did not show, she could lamb sooner. She is not as obviously ready to go as Orange 5 though. 0439 and 8111 are also due in 2 weeks and are uddering up. They are 2nd and 3rd timers. Hopefully they will lamb before we leave for Texas IF Yelm closes. The next lot are due starting August 12.
DS1 said we will transfer Axtell out of the breeding corral this evening. The bred ewes can go out onto the field and we will sort out another lot to go into the breeding pen with the 2 spring yearlings that haven't marked yet. In 2 weeks we will harness and turn in the new yearling ram to breed those ewes. I have several young ewes that are being bred for the first time but need to decide if I want him in with them or a more experienced ram. Need to check the numbers and bloodlines on the next set of ewes to decide. The spring yearlings can wait anther couple of months and the fall yearlings can wait to be bred thus winter. Summer lambs won't bring great prices in the fall, but I might take a coupe early spring lambs to the Reno show and auction in May.
Got the last of the laundry done from the trip and our bedding. I have to go through the trailer and see what needs to be loaded for our trip to Texas. Whether the Yelm place closes or not, I need to empty the trailer anyway. I have some Covid food supplies stored there too that need to be brought inside. Also need to wipe down the interior and vacuum, etc., then empty the belly and reload what we need. Over the years we have pared down what we used to think was necessary. Since most every town has a Walmart with groceries, we can travel lighter than when we had to drag along all our feed when camping. Of course only feeding 2 adults is a lot less stuff to take than when we had 4 children and 2 of their friends to provide for!
I have loading the trailer down to a science although choosing what clothes to take is harder since DH has to try on all his clothes to make sure they fit. (BAYMULE: Let me know if we need to bring the electric shears!)
I also have to phone the campground in Weatherford and see if we can get reservations. IF escrow closes. Although I think we will make them and just cancel if necessary. We don't have to go back to Washington if it closes.
Got to fold my laundry!
Baymule
Herd Master
Take care of all your sheep and lambs, then come on to Texas!
- Thread starter
- #1,740
Ridgetop
Herd Master
Axtel was not transferred from the breeding pen yesterday evening. However the ewe and her half sister were cut from the flock and moved into the barn after much effort. Seriously considering firing DS1 as ranch foreman or even ranch hand since he ignores what I say to do and does it the way he wants to do it which causes much more work and takes much more time.
"No need to put up the chute panels Mom" "We can do it tomorrow Mom" "I can get them into the barn alone Mom" "Mom! Why aren't you here there wherever I want you to be stopping sheep RIGHT NOW!" GRRRR!!!
I had already cleaned out the barn, setup the jugs with full hay feeders and water buckets. Cleverly I had made dinner early in the day so it was all ready to serve. A good thing too since DS1 started at 6:00 pm to move the sheep ad we didn't sit down to eat until 9:00 pm! I didn't eat until later since I wanted a shower first and didn't particularly want to eat with my ranch hands who had pissed me off. I would have had them draw their pay and sent them down the road except they don't get paid and DH lives here with me. If I seriously wanted to get rid of DH, I would have to pack everything for him and drive him somewhere! 
Good thing I love him.
What would have taken 15 minutes to set up the chutes and half an hour sorting with the chutes in place now takes 2 hours of chasing sheep. I am so getting permanent chutes and alleys set up when we move. Then I can move the sheep by myself. Almost. But at least it won't take 2 hours of running in the dust. It just shows that being too lazy to set up chutes and get ready beforehand causes more work in the long run!
Planted the last 3 tomatoes that I was planning to put in the long raised bed after DH moved the rest of the planter dirt into it. Not in the long planter of course, since the dirt never got moved either before we left by DH or by DS1 while we were gone. Instead I planted them in the 3 empty spots in the first planter bed with the other tomatoes. They survived with their bottomless buckets around them however the last squash struggling bravely when we left has disappeared. Possibly not enough sun in the bucket fence? Or? At any rate I am left with 2 straggly zuchini plants to find a place for. This is absolutely the last garden I plant here. I will wait till we get to Texas. although with the worthless ranch hands and garden assistants I have, that golf course condo in Palm springs is looking better and better.
Seriously considering having DS1 come with us to help set up everything then having him return home. He is a lot of fun and great sense of humor but also seriously annoying when he ignores my instructions. Maybe in Texas it will be better with the proper tools and fencing to work with.
The on line Dorper sale is up today. However, not too much on offer. Most people must have gone to the Reno show and auction. There are a couple of back head ewes and fall ewe lambs that Debra should be interested in. However, I am getting confused abut her. First she wants to switch to high end breeding stock, then she has no money, then she does, then she wants to buy at the sale, now she is surprised when I tell her that Fullblood black head Dorpers might go for $700 and up since the breeders with stock to sell are the best name breeders around. I told her better to spend her budget on 1 or 2 excellent animals than on several mediocre animals elsewhere since if she is serious about breeding up she will be keeping all the ewe lambs for several years. Not sure she understands the process. She already has a flock of poor quality mixed breed ewes that she has kept for meat production. She can translate them into a Percentage/Pureblood flock in about 4 years using her new ram but she didn't seem to understand what I was telling her about that either. Oh well, not my problem.
However the ewe and her half sister were cut from the flock and moved into the barn after much effort. Seriously considering firing DS1 as ranch foreman or even ranch hand since he ignores what I say to do and does it the way he wants to do it which causes much more work and takes much more time. "No need to put up the chute panels Mom" "We can do it tomorrow Mom" "I can get them into the barn alone Mom" "Mom! Why aren't you here there wherever I want you to be stopping sheep RIGHT NOW!" GRRRR!!!
I had already cleaned out the barn, setup the jugs with full hay feeders and water buckets. Cleverly I had made dinner early in the day so it was all ready to serve. A good thing too since DS1 started at 6:00 pm to move the sheep ad we didn't sit down to eat until 9:00 pm! I didn't eat until later since I wanted a shower first and didn't particularly want to eat with my ranch hands who had pissed me off. I would have had them draw their pay and sent them down the road except they don't get paid and DH lives here with me. If I seriously wanted to get rid of DH, I would have to pack everything for him and drive him somewhere! Good thing I love him. What would have taken 15 minutes to set up the chutes and half an hour sorting with the chutes in place now takes 2 hours of chasing sheep. I am so getting permanent chutes and alleys set up when we move. Then I can move the sheep by myself. Almost. But at least it won't take 2 hours of running in the dust. It just shows that being too lazy to set up chutes and get ready beforehand causes more work in the long run!
Planted the last 3 tomatoes that I was planning to put in the long raised bed after DH moved the rest of the planter dirt into it. Not in the long planter of course, since the dirt never got moved either before we left by DH or by DS1 while we were gone. Instead I planted them in the 3 empty spots in the first planter bed with the other tomatoes. They survived with their bottomless buckets around them however the last squash struggling bravely when we left has disappeared. Possibly not enough sun in the bucket fence? Or? At any rate I am left with 2 straggly zuchini plants to find a place for. This is absolutely the last garden I plant here. I will wait till we get to Texas. although with the worthless ranch hands and garden assistants I have, that golf course condo in Palm springs is looking better and better.
Seriously considering having DS1 come with us to help set up everything then having him return home. He is a lot of fun and great sense of humor but also seriously annoying when he ignores my instructions. Maybe in Texas it will be better with the proper tools and fencing to work with.
The on line Dorper sale is up today. However, not too much on offer. Most people must have gone to the Reno show and auction. There are a couple of back head ewes and fall ewe lambs that Debra should be interested in. However, I am getting confused abut her. First she wants to switch to high end breeding stock, then she has no money, then she does, then she wants to buy at the sale, now she is surprised when I tell her that Fullblood black head Dorpers might go for $700 and up since the breeders with stock to sell are the best name breeders around. I told her better to spend her budget on 1 or 2 excellent animals than on several mediocre animals elsewhere since if she is serious about breeding up she will be keeping all the ewe lambs for several years. Not sure she understands the process. She already has a flock of poor quality mixed breed ewes that she has kept for meat production. She can translate them into a Percentage/Pureblood flock in about 4 years using her new ram but she didn't seem to understand what I was telling her about that either. Oh well, not my problem.
