Saturday, July 11, 2015

Fun homesteading

It's been so busy lately. High summer is probably one of the busiest times on a homestead, especially if you work off-farm as well, as I do. The boys did not get done back on Monday, as I  got to the bottom of the road with them and the serpentine belt came off the car. A bit of finagling got me and them back home, and they got rescheduled for this Monday, the 13th. As I have a solid ride this time, they ARE getting done, no question about it, this time!

Now, don't let anyone fool you into thinking homesteading is not fun, and is nothing but hard work, before I tell you what my day has been like. It is tons of fun, but it is also a ton of hard work. Nothing gets done as fast as you would like, but even if it is done in bits and pieces, it does all get done eventually.

The MAM afghan strips got finished up back on Monday while I watched a couple of movies, so they went in the wash today. The wringer for the home laundry station arrived the other day, so we could get the tubs and piping at Home Depot today. Still no piped water to the house, but we do have the cistern up and going again, so I can go out and fill buckets or jugs from the hose which feeds down the hill from there to haul inside and fill the wash and rinse tubs now. Today made our last trip to the laundromat. I even got some good eye bolts and clothesline today at the store, so I can put up indoor clothesline in the dining area now (since we don't really use it for anything), and if the weather is bad, I can hang stuff up in there to dry. So the laundry tubs are up and going and I just need to put up an indoor line for bad and cold weather drying.

We made a payment on Quentin's new Ariat boots for work, and I need to find me a pair of rubber boots for work Monday while the cats are at the vets. My sneakers are disintegrating again, because the chlorine water on the floors at work just eats the glue away holding the sole to the uppers! We had lunch at the Chinese place we like and hit up Wally World for things we can't or don't make ourselves, like cat food, a box of the topical flea treatment to stock up for the next round on everybody, and some children's Benadryl. The vet said that with Bouncer's flea allergy and how much he licks and chews his fur off, and with how much he is trying to dig himself raw, that 1/4 teaspoon 2 to 3 times a day of the stuff should help with the itching and irritation for him, so it won't be worse than a normal flea bite would be. It will still annoy him, but not so badly.

We went with the liquid so I would not have to grind up pills and hope that he only got 1/4 tablet. A quarter of a child's dose should do it. Quentin loaded up the oral syringe that the pharmacy gave us, pried his jaws open, and shot the dose right down Bouncer's throat. Kitty had no choice BUT to swallow, after which he made all kinds of dirty looks and funny faces that pets will do with that. I will do anything I can afford to do so that Bubba is more comfortable with his blasted allergies to the flea bites, especially since he will not let anybody bathe him. Quentin and I already agreed that if the vet wants to give Bouncer a bath prior to neutering so that he will be more comfortable, and it does not cost a small fortune, that we will do it so he will be better for the snip job.

I also washed the bathroom counter, tub and the bath mat to get rid of the mildew trying to build up. A gallon and a half of water and a half a gallon of bleach made for a strong solution to put my hands into, but it will help kill the mildew. The bathroom now smells much nicer. Bleach is stinky, but it smells so much better than the mildew building up from all the recent rains! Then dishsoap and water to clean my hands and some aloe lotion to soothe the slight burn from that strong bleach water. I also had to wash the bottom sheet and put it on the outside line to dry. Despite putting the tarp on the bed before leaving, one of the kittens got UNDER it and pooped for some silly reason.The litter boxes all got fresh litter the other day and were cleaned prior to leaving for errands, so there was no excuse other than sheer bad behavior. Not the first time I've slept on a bare mattress, and likely won't be the last. The afghans all finally are outside on the grassy weeds near the parking area, getting aired out prior to going to the laundromat (okay, so today wasn't the LAST time, just the last time for CLOTHES) and being put up until cold weather hits. I keep putting it off and putting it off, and it only took five minutes. I'm just really good at procrastinating sometimes! (Especially when it comes to winter-smelly blankets!)

I still need to put away laundry tonight, though I need a break first from everything. The temps were in the mid-nineties today, and I am rather exhausted! Tomorrow I need to clean out the Escort, as once Bill gets a decent 4x4 in, that problematic car is being taken back and traded in against a 4x4. I also need to tie up the tomatoes again. I have three small golf ball sized ones on one of the Arkansas Travelers already, and I think I spotted one or two on the Georgia Peach. The four Red Beefsteaks are not blooming yet! And that's just what is up at the house!

Overall, life is good, but I need to relax. Hugs and love, all!

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