First update on critters:  Dogs.

We currently have no fosters.  We have 13 dogs living here at the moment.
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One of these years things will slow down, I know they will.

Typical for me...
I work from 0000 to 0800 Monday night through Friday night. I try to sleep from 1300 to 2100 Tuesday through Friday. Saturday and Sunday I swap back to a daytimer's schedule so I can actually see my husband and get things done. Monday I stay up till around 1600 or 1700 and sleep till 2100. Monday I try to schedule vet appts, car appts etc, since I am up and functioning all day. When I get off work at 0800 (ok somedays I stay and talk to people for a bit), then I have to get started on my other stuff. Grocery run, if needed, takes until 10ish. If no store runs, then I have to feed all the animals, collect eggs, water everyone, if needed walk fosters, prepare dog food for evening feedings, and feed myself. If I am lucky I am done by noon. Rarely am I done before its time to go to bed. I am usually tired.

This week, a coworker was sick. So we had 2 days of 12 hour shifts. So I was working from 2000 to 0800. My coworker worked from 0800 to 2000. We are both tired.

We have 2 motorcycles, 2 trucks, and 2 suv's. 1 motorcycle is broken. 1 truck has been in the shop for over a month. 1 truck was in the shop for a week and still needs more work. The clutch went out on the old SUV.

We now have a total of 12 alpacas. However one of the newest ones is at Auburn with a severe ear infection caused by a infection of sheep mites. We have no clue how sheep mites came into contact with any of these critters, but she is being treated atm.

We have an alpaca show in Tennessee next week. And a wedding in Oregon in 3 weeks.

We have a local guy who is helping out about 4 hours a week, but we are still so far behind I am not sure if I will ever catch up.

I have had a heck of a time finding the time to write. We have been short handed at work, so all of us are working extra hours. We have the farm almost where we want it, but that means extra work.

Current animal count:

9 alpacas (4 Huacaya females, 1 suri female, 3 gelded huacaya males and 1 intact suri male)
2 mini donkeys (who had their first public outing on 09/24)
2 standard mules (Rose and Angel) Angel is an emaciated rescue that we are trying to save.
2 standard donkeys (Maverick and Seven)
1 mini mule (Miss Daisy)
13 turkeys
2 geese
13 permanent dogs (King 10, Emmett 8, Maggie 8, Bilbo 8, Frodo 8, Stevie 6, Pocket 6, Beau 3, Jack 3, Macy 15, Cooper 10, Xena 2 and Virginia 1)
1 stray/foster dog Murdock (not 1 yet)
2 ferrets (Crash and Bandit)

D moved out. He moved to Huntsville to continue his education at UAH. He still returns most weekends to help get some things done.

We have very little outside help. But we are getting our name out there. Dustbunnies and Dog Hair will be at their first show in November with the 2 suri alpacas, and in March with 2 or 3 alpacas. Both of us are working our tails off but we are enjoying life.

I have been without a computer for almost 2 months. I had a junky little computer to allow me to check email but I could barely do that on the thing and it would not even load lj. SO now I have a ton of catching up to do.

SO our 2012 Jeep is no longer ours.  It was the biggest piece of junk I have owned.  And I will NEVER own another one.  We wound up trading it in on a 2012 Ford Flex.  Ok I am in love wtih this car.  Enough room for the two of us, mom and dad, and cargo, but does not have a huge footprint.  It gets the same gas mileage as the Jeep and is in MUCH better condidion.  Even though the Jeep had less than 30k miles on it, it had already been in the shop for over 2 months, the trim was falling off, there was a strange resonance from the exhaust so you could not ride with the windows down, there was not enough room to put more than 1 medium sized dog in the back even with the seats down, passengers had to be short, and passenger seat riders had to be thin.



Emmett had his 2nd knee surgery.  He is doing very well.  Now we have a problem trying to keep his activity level down some. And when we did xrays (at my request) we found that he had been shot in the past.







I am loving working nights, except I still cannot get in a rhythm of getting things done around here.  The animals are all cared for but not getting a lot of extra attention or training work. But I do get time to work on projects.  This is my latest work in progress... and one I completed last year.



Our foster dog, Wendy, had to have hip surgery and just got a clean bill of health from the vet.  She will be transported to NJ as soon as the rescue has an opening in transport.  Then we might be done with fosters for a while.  The lady at the shelter we were working with left due to idiots in management.

We have a new alpaca, Melodic Song (call name Melody).  And our blue tongued skink passed away.  So now our count is 12 permanent dogs, 1 long term foster, 1 short term foster, 1 cat, 2 mini donkeys, 2 standard donkeys, 1 mule, 2 suri alpacas, 1 Huacaya alpaca, and about 20 chickens.

I have been very bad about keeping up with anything lately.
In the past 3 weeks...
our foster dog has a blown hip (it has been that way since before we got her and it appears at least 1 vet and another foster missed it) She will have surgery once the rescue gets the funds up.
Emmett fell Saturday and tore his knee up.  Choice between surgery and him being permanantly lame in that leg... so he is getting surgery Wed.
Sis fell off a handicap access ramp and broke her ankle
Sis (same one) is getting married (again) today or tomorrow to a guy she has known for 3-4 months (again) and moving to TX
Frodo now has epilepsy, so that makes 2 dogs with epilepsy and 1 with bladder issues that I have to make food for
I have moved to nights full time.  So I now work 3rd shift M-F... and I no longer sleep like a normal person *sigh*
Our utility trailer was stolen from our property, so now we lock the gate (until I get the cameras installed, once i have money... if ever)
D has had pneumonia so has been mostly useless (and is now in TN visiting family)
Our heat was not working so we had to make a service call (found it was a dead bird in one of the blowers)

I have a ton of pics from the farm and all but so far they are all on FB, feel free to check it out.... Dustbunnies and dog hair

More at another time when I can sit down and think

I am working... a lot.  Between my job and the farm, I am working.  I am hoping to get caught up and post a real post in the next few days.

I have been completely off lj until last night.  And will be a bit spotty for the next 2 weeks.  Trying to work my arse off and get ready to go to CO for the memorial, and get Matthew ready to go, is going to put me in bed for a month I think.  None of my friends that were going to help around here while we are gone have said word one about stopping by and we leave in less than 2 weeks.  This is a high speed low budget entry.  I am hoping to do a longer one in the next couple of days.

Everyone is doing ok here so far.  I am spending way too much time on duty.

And this was started almost a month ago.   Wow I have been bad.  Very bad about posting.

Still working my arse off, but the trainee should be released for duty this week so things will ease up.

I started cutting grass today.  Its been 2 weeks to 2 months since its been cut.  Takes forfreakingever to cut 5 acres on this hill.

I have pics from Colorado.  Some are really really good.  A couple of my favorites...



Matthew in front of a snow bank at the visitor's center



Me in the same location

Its been the month from hell.  M's 26 year old daughter died Friday morning.  No warning.  Her mom and step dad went to wake her up and she was unresponsive.  Not cold, but unresponsive, so they started CPR and she was pronounced a little later.  Since it was an unattended death and she had no medical issues we know of, there has to be an autopsy.  SO we are waiting to see when we are headed to Denver for the memorial.  It was just over a year ago that his son died.

Another family member died Sunday and a close cousin is in ICU recovering from a heart attack.  I give.

Pics though... we have chicks!!!!
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King and Bilbo got out this morning and chased the chickens.  They could not get to them, but tried very hard.  I had to chase them down.  I was beat.

Do NOT underestimate a determined badger dog and a GSD