Weekend Project and a Huge Mess!

Boo hoo - I couldn't connect all weekend to share my weekend project or visit blogs. But I'm up and running again with lots to tell you.

I've been living with painted sub-flooring in my bedrooms and living room for a few years now. I've wanted to install laminate flooring but keep getting deterred by lack of employment....uh hum. Anyhow, I took the plunge this weekend and installed new flooring in my bedroom. It isn't laminate, but luxury vinyl and a nice choice for my bedroom, I think.


It's nice to walk on and it doesn't make as much noise when the dogs' nails click, click, click across it at night. I'll admit it isn't as pretty (to me anyway) as my beaufitul laminite but I'm very happy with it and will use it in the other bedrooms when I can get to them.

Here's what I've been living with for a while now...

Because I didn't want the "planks" to move out of place I used painters tape to hold them in position till I got across the room. Once I reached the other side there was no place for them to shift to.

I'll take some pictures of the completed project when I get all my stuff put properly back into place in there.

Now for the huge mess part. The weekend here was rather miserable for me and the goats. Fizz has grown and gotten quite horny. Sorry, there is no other way to put it. His nose was constantly up the girls' butts and his behavior was getting quite disgusting.
Then Lola started coming into heat and he really went bananas. I had to wait till he was four months old to have him neutered (sounds a little better than castrated), so he is at the vets tonight recovering. Remember what a tough time he had with the debudding (removal of horns). Well, seems everything he grows is extra big, if you get my drift hence, the overnight stay at the vets. Oh, brother.

I don't want, nor can I afford another single animal and I'm certainly not going to start breeding goats to sell as a few friends have suggested. I can't bear the thought of them ending up on somebody's table or used for bait to train fighting dogs. Nope - no more goats around here.



So to make certain that doesn't happen, all the girls have to go in later this week for "morning after" injections. Fortunately they only cost $10. In the mean time, I have to keep Fizz-Man away from the girls for 30-60 days.

You wouldn't believe how impossible that was over the weekend! I had him in a rooster pen and that contained him for about 24 hours. Then I moved him to my fenced in back yard with the 5' fence which added additional stress because I couldn't let the dogs out at will for fear of them terrorizing Fizz. After all, he still is very much a baby for the most part.

The back yard fence didn't contain him either. All the while I was installing my new flooring and having to run outside to check on the goats, all of which were bellowing for each other non stop. Fizz was scared and miserable, mama Lily was miserable because her baby was crying, Lola and Bindi were miserable because ... well because of a lot of reasons. So by yesterday I had no alternative but to tie poor Fizz to the tree in the middle of the back yard - far enough from the fence so that if he did climb over, he wouldn't hang himself. Talk about non-stop bellowing for hours...and hours...and hours. I was so incredibly grouchy all weekend from it all.

So how am I going to keep Fizz away from the girls when he comes home you ask? Fortunately, I have some neighbors who have a few alpine goats in a huge, safe area and they have agreed to babysit my little guy for two months. I am so relieved. I don't know what I would have done if they said no to me. I'll be taking them a pan of brownies tomorrow evening as the beginning of my 60 days of gratitude for them. So for tonight at least, the goats are quiet and I am happy. Not to mention exhausted!

The Magic Lily and Farm Critters

Summer has always been my least favorite season. This one has been especially difficult for most of the country and I am so sick of it! Here's what we have to look forward to this week...again. It's brutal and hasn't eased up since sometime in early June. As hot as it will be, it's better than the 100+ temps we've been having.


My little magic lily is blooming. How it has survived deer and voles is beyond me! I went to Gail's garden center yesterday and a very knowledgeable gal told me that a complete bulb can grow from the tiniest piece that an animal has eaten and then deposited. So either it was in mulch from the town that I got two years ago or a deer has tried to repay me for all it has been eating in my yard. Either way, I'm surely enjoying it, and it's my favorite color of flower to boot!








I don't know about you, but I haven't had many butterflies this year at all. I've seen a few Yellow Swallowtails and Black Swallowtails, but I haven't seen the first Monarch! My butterfly bushes are blooming, but not in abundance. I've got plenty of annual salvia, which they usually flock to. Only one of my lantana has survived and it's in an area I don't look at very often. I hope this isn't a sign that the butterflies are in distress.

How about you - have you noticed a decrease in butterflies this year?

Because I ran my weekly errands yesterday and then chose to stay indoors to vacuum up pet hair (it was actually a drizzly day), I have no choice but to spend today outdoors mowing weeds and cleaning the barn.

Here are a few pictures of the chickens and goat family trying to stay out of the direct sun. That is a huge forsythia bush the chickens like to rest under. The branches used to come out much further from the fence but the little goat family has eaten some of it.



It's not even noon and the poor little things are already panting :(



I haven't taken pictures of the goat family for a couple of weeks. Fizz and Bindi are growing so fast. Fizz is almost as tall as Lola already.


Bindi is still small and such a sweet little girl goat. Don't tell the others, but she and Lola are my faves. This is Bindi next to her mama, Lily.



Lola - the most curious little goat. She follows me everywhere when I let them out.


Lily was quite curious about what I was holding and was trying to sniff what was in my hand. They pretty much expect treats of some sort when I go out to talk with them. Sorry, Lily.


The little goat family wasn't very happy when I closed the gate. They get quite tired of the pasture. There is so much more to eat on the outside. Later, guys - I'll let you out this evening when I can watch so you don't get into trouble!

No Solution Yet

My little flower still isn't open, but looks like it might be tomorrow. I hope it survives the darned deer tonight.

I think Amy is correct that it's a surprise or magic lily. I've always wanted some and now, somehow, I have one. Thanks for identifying it, Amy!

My Vole Movers don't seem to be working. A new round of vole damage is all over the front yard and gardens. I've just come in and am soaked with sweat and have decided to quit watering and trying to keep flowers alive. I'll continue to soak the trees once a week, but that's it. The gardens will have to survive the deer, voles and drought on their own. It's just not worth it for me to spend every night in 90+ degree heat trying to water only to have everything eaten by animals. I've got so many other things to take care of - like getting started on Christmas gifts!

I'll post a picture of my little lily if it's still there tomorrow. Have a good evening everybody.

I don't have a clue

as to what this plant is. I don't remember planting anything in this spot, but I've been watering quite a bit to try to keep my cherry tree alive.

Whatever this is, it should be blooming tomorrow. It appears to have five buds or petals. The foliage is a small licorice mint that volunteered.

I know - one of the pictures is pretty blurry...I moved the camera just before it took.





Stay tuned for the solution to the mystery :)