Hey All
Sorry for not posting an entry in a while. Things have been super busy around here! I've been working 12 hour days and still not getting everything done that needs to be completed. Also, the Coles are moving out of the dorm and into the duplex very soon. And I just learned that they have been supplying the internet to the dorm. Basically, that means we no longer get internet in the dorm. So i have not been able to use my laptop to load pictures or post a journal entry when I'm done working and the Ed building is closed. =(
It's been a pretty harsh week work-wise and emotionally as well. Hopefully I will post all the details soon, but for right now I have to work on my devotionals for this week. So here's just a basic summary:
Saturday Oct. 4
A wether kid named Flannery was eaten by coyotes in SE pasture around 3:30pm
Sunday
Walked the SE and back pasture fences to check for holes where a coyote could get in - found at least 7-12 major holes and sags
Monday - Wednesday
Attempt to fix sags in fence and scheduled time Thursday and Friday to put up new T-posts to fix holes
Wednesday Night (technically Thursday) 3:00am
Wake up to hear coyotes screaming in SE pasture and behind Ed Building. Take a large stick and run out to do a goat head-count. After counting goats and seeing that everyone was present I stood out with the herd for an hour until the coyote screaming stopped. Returned to dorm and wrote AM milkers a note to do a head-count of the dry goats in the morning. Went to sleep and had a terribly disturbing nightmare.
Thursday
David said to let the dry goats out in the morning and bring them in after lunch (since the afternoon seems to be the problem time). I removed the doe kids from the dry herd and let the dry goats out in the SE pasture. All morning I watched vultures circling the back pasture and right before lunch they moved to circling over the SE pasture. I walked into the pasture to do a head-count before lunch. Could not find the goats even though they always come when I call. Half way through the pasture I hear a terrifying scream that sounded either like a kid, a child, or a rabbit being injured. Yelling and running toward the scream I hear something running away from me, but with no weapon, I decided to turn around and check on the goats instead. I found them at the gaited entrance to the pasture obviously freaked out and I sat with them for a half hour as the vultures stopped circling and the crows stopped creating a ruckus. Then I brought them back into the paddock where they would be a little safer.
Friday
Unable to set up T-posts because no one was able to help carry them into the pasture or hold the posts straight as I tightened the fence, etc. Cattle escaped into the high school football field and the permanent fence had to be cut in order to herd them back onto farm property.
Saturday
A very close game of soccer and we only lost by 1 point (while being out-manned 9-11, i may add). Worked on more fencing projects around the farm and continued to walk the SE and back pastures checking for signs of predators. Found HUGE pile of scat full of fur and berries just outside the SE pasture fence. Also found large tufts of goat fur in one area of the pasture, bones with gnaw marks, and piles of large white feathers.
Sunday Oct. 12 (Today)
I plan to work on my shared devotions for this week, set up the temporary fence in the SW pasture and grab Darren and perhaps Nick and work on setting up T-posts in the SE pasture . . . while bringing a shotgun, hopeful of catching something.
It's been a pretty harsh week work-wise and emotionally as well. Hopefully I will post all the details soon, but for right now I have to work on my devotionals for this week. So here's just a basic summary:
Saturday Oct. 4
A wether kid named Flannery was eaten by coyotes in SE pasture around 3:30pm
Sunday
Walked the SE and back pasture fences to check for holes where a coyote could get in - found at least 7-12 major holes and sags
Monday - Wednesday
Attempt to fix sags in fence and scheduled time Thursday and Friday to put up new T-posts to fix holes
Wednesday Night (technically Thursday) 3:00am
Wake up to hear coyotes screaming in SE pasture and behind Ed Building. Take a large stick and run out to do a goat head-count. After counting goats and seeing that everyone was present I stood out with the herd for an hour until the coyote screaming stopped. Returned to dorm and wrote AM milkers a note to do a head-count of the dry goats in the morning. Went to sleep and had a terribly disturbing nightmare.
Thursday
David said to let the dry goats out in the morning and bring them in after lunch (since the afternoon seems to be the problem time). I removed the doe kids from the dry herd and let the dry goats out in the SE pasture. All morning I watched vultures circling the back pasture and right before lunch they moved to circling over the SE pasture. I walked into the pasture to do a head-count before lunch. Could not find the goats even though they always come when I call. Half way through the pasture I hear a terrifying scream that sounded either like a kid, a child, or a rabbit being injured. Yelling and running toward the scream I hear something running away from me, but with no weapon, I decided to turn around and check on the goats instead. I found them at the gaited entrance to the pasture obviously freaked out and I sat with them for a half hour as the vultures stopped circling and the crows stopped creating a ruckus. Then I brought them back into the paddock where they would be a little safer.
Friday
Unable to set up T-posts because no one was able to help carry them into the pasture or hold the posts straight as I tightened the fence, etc. Cattle escaped into the high school football field and the permanent fence had to be cut in order to herd them back onto farm property.
Saturday
A very close game of soccer and we only lost by 1 point (while being out-manned 9-11, i may add). Worked on more fencing projects around the farm and continued to walk the SE and back pastures checking for signs of predators. Found HUGE pile of scat full of fur and berries just outside the SE pasture fence. Also found large tufts of goat fur in one area of the pasture, bones with gnaw marks, and piles of large white feathers.
Sunday Oct. 12 (Today)
I plan to work on my shared devotions for this week, set up the temporary fence in the SW pasture and grab Darren and perhaps Nick and work on setting up T-posts in the SE pasture . . . while bringing a shotgun, hopeful of catching something.