Rasing sheep - for eating

Sometimes I do not understand people. Specifically these people tend to be non- animal people. And, to give fair warning here, I am going to use this post to rant because it has been bothering me for several days now.
Let me back up. So in addition to our 22 goats (or 21.5 goats if the miniature counts as ½) and the dog and the 11 or so chickens (this number has decreased because I think an owl took a few away – they have mysteriously vanished completely) we got a sheep.
He was only 3 days old when we got him and he is black and woolly and is rather cute, but really that is beside the point. My friend’s dad owns a grazing company with some 2000 sheep and goats. Many of his ewes are lambing right now and when there are large groups of sheep lambing there are bound to be bummer lambs (lambs whose mother does not want to feed them). My friend no longer wanted to deal with these sheep (and apparently neither did her mother) so when we agreed to take one – well two days later we got a call to come get him.
Anyway he is here and I intend to feed him out and eat him.

(this white space represents the silence that usually follows that announcement)
And this is where I get the “how can you do that” or “that’s so mean” or “you’re just evil for wanting to eat him”
Frankly I’m getting a little tired of it. Why do people care if I want to raise a lamb and then use it for meat? What else are you going to use a castrated ram lamb for? Some people tell me it should be a pet – I don’t understand, should this happen to all of them? Do we all want pet sheep? Can you imagine the amount of pet sheep roaming the earth! We would be overwhelmed.
Frankly I don’t think he would make a very good pet. He is very …well void of personality. He screams when he is hungry and he toddles after you if you let him. But this is at a month old – if we had a kid who only cried when they were hungry and toddled around we would be so freaked out that they had been dropped on their head or something. He doesn’t climb and jump or do anything cute. He looks cute but he doesn’t do anything. He lives in a large crate during the day (the pasture is a swamp from the rain) and the garage at night and as long as we feed him, he doesn’t seem to care.
Then people find out he was really sick for a while and we had to nurse him back to health. Then the questions of “how can you eat him since you are so attached and have taken this much care of him?” begin all over again. Seriously people… if I didn’t nurse him back to health he would be very hard to eat that is just simple.
Then the other day topped the list. Someone told me I was either a “sociopath or had no personality” to be able to raise an animal and then eat it. And mind you this person was NOT a vegetarian (the vegetarian I know was cool with the idea) and had even come from a town known for their agriculture. In some ways these comments remind me just how far removed people are from the food they eat and in other ways it really does hurt. I know I don’t why I should let it hurt me but I grew up in a big city where I was looked at strangely for having livestock. You would think once I moved somewhere where they actually had land and horses and cows and stuff that I wouldn’t be so strange. Instead I’m still strange. Sigh.
Alright, well I’ve spoken my mind, I’ve said my piece, I think it is time to go feed Easter dinner.

Singing the whole way home

I’m having this strange desire to write – not sure what this is all about but for the last two days I have really wanted to write and currently all I write is facebook updates or blogs. We are opting for blogs.
So now that my brain has happily constructed that sentence it is content to sit back and watch me type randomly. Driving home, in the dark, late at night, I was listening/singing with the radio and it really made me sit back and think about music. People say that smells are the things that trigger the fastest memory but I am not really sure. In some ways a smell may make me think of an instant in time – but a song gives me a much more complete memory. Something that a glimpse of a person or the thought of a location. No, a song gives me a memory of what I was doing and more importantly who I was when the song meant so much to me.
For example – the song Collide by Howie Day. The memory that is permanently assigned to that song is driving over the grade into San Luis Obispo for the first time. The words in the song have nothing to do with driving or anything like that, rather it was the song that was playing while I drove over the grade into SLO in the pouring rain. Wow, what a different person I was then. So scare, so unsure of what lay ahead. And yet, there was still the same determined spirit and the curiosity. I had not yet lived on the dairy with Jenn, I had not yet sat in wonder in Bio 161, I had not yet gone back to teach the Supplemental workshop for 161 and been amazed all over again at how the material was presented and how amazing it really all is. But every time I hear that song I can almost see the rain pouring down (it never poured again like that as I drove over the grade) and wondering what college was really going to be like.
Another one – going even farther back – was a song from a soundtrack called “The tide is high”. Yes, it was not the original but a remix, but for me that remix was almost more appropriate. The song talks about how all the girls like the same guy but maybe he will look at her (the singer). At the time I had the worse crush on the same guy I think everyone in by grade had. Like couldn’t even sit next to him and focus bad. How young I felt. Maybe he would notice me? Maybe I have grown cynical from that time but now I figure no one is actually going to notice me much.
Sometime the songs are assigned memories because of when they are played. Sometime they are assigned a memory because of what the words say. Sometimes it is a feeling. I think music is the emotion I feel if you could hear it. It contains all the things I see and feel.
If I had to pin down a song for the fall it would definitely be either “Rhythm of Love” by the Plain White T’s or Sara Bareilles’ song “King of Everything”. Not because they hold a deep meaning to me that applies to this fall but definitely because that is when they have been played and every time they come on I turn the volume up high and sing along. Not because I sound all the fantastic – more because it is just too fun not to. Perhaps I should make this a habit and see where the seasons take me. Oh! Season – Christmas music is just around the corner.

Dissasociation

This is my piece of fluff for the day.

Have you ever tried to not focus on something. You know - don't think about those pink elephant?


So next time you really need to get your mind somewhere else (and you have a friend to play with of course) try this.

You say a word ("elephant")

then they have to say a different word that is not related at all to your word ("roses")


How you make sure they are related is totally up to you. Maybe you knew an elephant named roses - so maybe that doesn't work. BUT maybe your mind went Elephant - africa - hot - texas - yellow rose of texas - Roses!


So I don't know where this blog is going but I think this game really streaches you imagination. Can you make a chain link so far? What does that means about your brain? I personally think if you practice it means you don't dwell on a topic too long. Now you have to ask yourself if THAT is a good thing.

Ya, okay I think I am made my point - now you need to go see how hard it is to actually play.

Dizzy

So obviously I have been really horrible about posting pictures. I mean I often (not always but often) take them but I can't seem to find the time to get them online. So in the meantime I thought I would just write a plain blog entry.
I feel like my world is running at top speed and it is making me dizzy.
First school has started again, that means I am back to taking classes. Homework, stress, other type of stress, getting to school on time, making teachers like you and so on and so forth. This quarter I am really stressed that I will do poorly again like I did in spring quarter. My favorite teacher tells me she has faith that I will do fine. Unfortunately this doesn't seem to help - really just one more person to let down. Maybe I will be fine - maybe I will invoke my back-up plan. Either way I worries me.
Then one of my first crushes is getting married. I know I should not admit this but still, when I found out I was very surprised. No, there are no more feelings like that, just the "wow, I can't believe we've reached that age" The notion, or thought, or something has been sitting at the back of my mind. Like those little flashes of light you see out of the corner of your eye when you are not looking.
Then my good friend is moving to the east coast. I know that we are all adults now, and we call all get on a plane a visit, and thank the Lord for facebook and chat to stay in contact with, but I am still going to miss him. I don't get attached to people very quickly. And most people I don't get attached to at all, but I still feel strangely sad. It is like one more flash of light on the edge of my vision.
Finally you add in thinking of trying to come up with Christmas presents, thinking of going down and visiting Cal Poly - most honestly to see the teacher mentioned above, a book I am reading is really sticking with me, and life with the goats and I feel like I am going to be a twitchy person soon.
Maybe when this all passes and it is all a distant memory I will laugh at how easy my life was but boy the forest seems thick now.

Tomatoes!

I am amazed how bad I have gotten at this. I have been posting to the 365project website, but wow, it has been several weeks since I posted here. Well!! to make up for it I will post a certain amount of pictures on the theme that seems to have overcome my life right now: TOMATOES!!!!

So many... so little time.

Kaylinn comes to the show!

Kaylinn showing Arizona! How cool is that!

Old places and pens

Last night we went out an pulled fencing from the house where we use to live. I did not grow up here, nor do I have any family here, but it is still interesting to look at where the goats use to live. Such a small area compared with the pasture they have now.

I know that the house has nothing to do with me, but it was really the first place I felt safe after high school, maybe even jr high. Like no one was going to get me there, I could hide there. I know it was more the people than anything else, but even when I was alone there was something comforting there. I am not sad that I left, but there is some emotion there, even if I can't seem to figure out what it is. Maybe a little bit like pity for the house, I'm not sure.

Messy Seeds

There is something about this picture that reminds me of my life as it stands right now. Full of Lepidium seed and really messy and lost. Sad but true

Nothing like the ego boost to see how fast they will run to you. Oh course they are really just running for food, but I try to think they really love me that much

Catch up

Okay, so I am falling behind again, but I was very busy and honestly I am trying right?

I saw this cooker when I was clothes shopping. What is not to like! It looks like it does it all, sigh, why didn't they have this when I was a student.

Every week of the summer the plant science dept does a cook-off where each lab hosts. Well our theme was that everything had tomato in it, from the chocolate cake to the salsa to the lasana. I think it was a big hit

Went up to see the family camping at Bass Lake.

Audiobook

Some people are taking this project as a chance to improve their photography skills. I wish I could say I thought I was going to improve my skills, maybe I will and maybe I won't but for me it is more a chance to really look at the year in photos. As a result, today's picture, although taken my me is really not that exciting, however it does allow for a 2 fold comment on my life.
First I spend a lot of time in the car. A LOT of time. I hate it really. However I have discovered that audio books make my commute a little more bearable. Plus it forces me to actually read/listen to the whole thing, not skip around when it get boring.
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Second is the Abhorsen trilogy. Less and less am I getting swept away by books. Captivated by the idea of what they are presenting. Probably one of the reason I like fantasy so much is that you do not have to follow any of the same rules that you have to follow in say historical fiction. Don't like the idea of no telekinesis - put it in the story. Don't like the idea of not being able to see the future - put that in too, want dragons or talking dogs - sure why not. Although I have not come across it often, I'm sure there are books where gravity is broken. Still there are only so many plot lines, but this series really made my imagination work a bit and what I also liked is that Garth Nix did not spoon feed me the way the universe worked. I had to work out a bunch of it along with the characters. Sometimes I was ahead of the characters, sometimes behind, but it never left me disappointed with the result. In other words, I laughed, I cried, I went home happy.

The Herd and the New Herd Additions

It is amusing to me when pictures come in sequence. The picture above is an amusing picture of the herd. As we drove in from grocery shopping Monday night, all the goats jumped up and came running to the gate to tell us how starving they were. Oh course you can all see the lush clover behind them. Ah well, it gives you a glimpse of the herd as it was Monday

And now, because we are all a little insane, I would like to introduce the two newest members of the herd. Lanney, on the left, is a 5 year old doe who stunned us with her General Appearance when she walked over. Keegan, who we loved on paper when we saw her pedigree was an easy choice once we saw her live. A very correct little yearling milker with a smaller but extremely strong udder she was by far my first choice.

These girls were so sweet once we got them home. Lanney acted like a perfect show doe as Jenn clipped her and clipped her hooves. Keegan is not as familiar with the milkstand, but even she is quickly adapting to the milking routine. I probably didn't need another goat, but honestly I am really glad to have these girls and will be happy to see what they look like come spring.

Baby boys and shopping

At least I tried to combine two of the funny pictures into one so that it would not be all one image. Today's official picture is of Brian, by friend Diana's new little boy. He looks so much like his sister it is amazing. Laura had a party to let everyone meet her little boy Linzy (such a good idea if you ask me - get all those curious people out of the way at once). Any way, being able to cuddle Brian as well was a great bonus. What a sweetie!

To finish of the day, and since we had already driven all the way over the hill, we went shopping at the Gilroy outlets. These mannequins were in the store window. Who knew the fall fashion this season was paper wrapped around your body?!?! Man that will be a fun style when it starts raining.

Eggs + Cemetery = ???

It happened again, two pictures for the day. Sorry but I take these lovely pictures in the morning and then later something happens. This morning these yolks turned into our breakfast, but not before we got to admire the very different colors they have.

Well then I am driving past this cemetery and saw the sign. I couldn't help it. Who would make a "opening soon" sign for a mausoleum. Really, this just BEGS for the joke to be made about it is so awesome that people are just dying to get in. Okay, I'll admit it was bad, but you thought it too right? Right?

Katie, Zaire, and the little ones

The cool thing about doing a blog instead of JUST the project is that when I have two pictures that seem to work equally well for the day, well then I just post both of them. So the top picture is of Katie (on the left) and her two daughters Alaska (middle) and Arizona (right). The thing I love about this picture is it shows how much these girls have grown. Goodness sakes, they are almost as big as their mom! We keep making jokes about how we don't know if they will be big enough to breed. On the other side (you have to look through the feeder) you can see Ysis and her daughter Artemis. Although less nurturing and mothering then Katie, it is undeniable that the mother-daughter bond is present. The girls are all getting a rare treat before they are sentenced back to the weaning pen (let me tell you, they are taking advantage of it) and get to be out with their mothers for a while on pasture. They will eventually be back, don't worry, but not until the does are dried off so that there is a reduced temptation to nurse :)

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Once I took that picture I turned around and there is Zaire standing at my front door. Apparently Jenn (my roommate/best friend/co-herd owner) had let her free on the milk stand but Zaire had just stood there finishing her grain. Oh course as soon as Jenn when into the house Zaire got all worried and ran over to the front door and stood there nibbling on a weed by the door. I had to take this picture because it was just too funny to pass up. Apparently Zaire jumped 10ft in the air when Jenn re-opened to door to come back out, but sadly my back was turned so I missed it.

Alfalfa flowers

Okay I am giving up a few pictures. If you REALLY must see them, they are on the calender. They are really just filler pictures because I did not have a picture for Monday, and Tuesday my camera got left at school so I had to use something else.
Todays picture (in addition to me playing with my camera's features) is of alfalfa flowers. The funny story behind this is it took several weeks before I realized what this plant my co-worker was growing. Good grief, I see alfalfa every day! but no I did not recognize it. Really it is quite a pretty plant.
Okay now, off to bed.

State fair

Today we have several pictures from the last few days when Internet was less accessible and sleep was even less present. Also they are in reverse order starting with the latest one and going to the oldest ones.
Little-Bit (aka Acorn) drove home with me in the truck. Since we took 2 cars to State fair (too long of a show to pack everything in one car) she drove with me alone and no passenger's lap to sit on. She was tied to the door so she could not full on jump onto my lap, however she got as close as possible by driving the whole way on the arm rest between the seats.

Two pictures for Saturday (July 31). I was doing all the grand champion line-ups as my pictures this week, but then as we are pulling Alaska and Arizona out and talking about how they are still rather chubby she goes and looks like this. I mean really, if it was Arizona there would not be a better capture of her personality right now and for Alaska it is also a good representation. Above is the Lamancha Champion line-up. As expected Evian won and then went on to win Best Doe in Show (BDIS). Honestly one of the most beautiful and well-deserving does.

Recorded Grade champion line-up (Fri July 30). Another set of beautiful does. Mon-Amie (3 year old) won, and a well-deserving win in this line-up. Such a pretty doe AND a Saancha like Ysis.

The Saanen champion line-up(Thurs July 29). Jewel (4 year old) was the champion. Although the line-up was nothing you wouldn't expect, it is always stunning to watch and see such beautiful animals.

Ready for state fair!

At 11:15 when I got home I did the best I could and DID get a picture taken, however it gets posted today along with Today's picture. One of these shirts was dyed because it started white and I am NOT going to wear a white shirt if I can help it.

Today's picture comes to you courtesy of our Nubian-Nigerian cross who goes by many names from Acorn to the more popular "Little Bit"

She is going with us to state fair although she is not staying at the fair but rather at Jenn's grandfather's house with us. While we were doing vet check, she was hanging out in the car (with the window WIDE open, in case you were worried). Well when I came to back front to check on her and she had climbed up and was looking at me wondering where I went. "HiHiHiHi! I missed you and I was just looking for you and I was wondering if you were bringing more food!!!!!"

Well the goats are in, bedded down, and ready for the rest of the week at the fair! Fun all around. I'm sure there will be no shortage of pictures on that subject. Only the poor dog was pouting at home because she didn't get to come this year.

New Desk

A day late again, this week is crazy so we shall see if I get everything up loaded the way it should be.
This is my new desk. I moved in Monday (yesterday, the day I actually took the picture). I have been in this lab a while but never had a desk for myself. Finally I do and it makes me more than a little bit happy to have a place to sit while I am not working. Everyone else did, and now I finally do too. Sad but true.
Like I said before, this week is State Fair. So fun but so exausting too. If I upload everything later, you will have to forgive me. That and I don't know what the internet over the weekend will be.

Clipping for State Fair

Yesterday's picture because my internet went out at home :(

Spend last night finishing clipping the goats. Seems like an appropriate picture - sign of the days.

Irrigating

Irrigating this morning. Flooded pasture = happy clover and angry, wet goats

Lepidium Seed pods

It is funny, I've noticed that I start out thinking about what I would like to photgraph for the day early in the day, then what actually turns out to be the photograph of the day. Originally I wanted to get a large overview of that the greenhouses look like, but I suppose this will just have to wait. This picture was just to show the people back at lab what I was actually seeing. But then I think this is a better picture. It is a picture of almost ripe seed pods of the plant Lepidium that I am doing research on. Right now these plants are wild an crazy but I am hoping to collect seeds in the next few weeks.

The other thing that I am noticing is how much more closely I look at the world around me. I keep looking for things to photograh. Tonight I found myself thinking "Oh I want to be sure to get an Acorn picture" and then later "sooner or later I need to get a milking picture" Who knows it this new found fasination will last the whole year or not, but we will see.

At first I was not sure I should post this picture as my picture of the day. How will my mom feel that I am taking pictures of a bathroom? How will people react to a bathroom stall?
Then I realised that no one is really reading this, and hey! this is my blog. If I think the most interesting picture that I noticed today was that the bathroom stall was actually off the ground - well that is what I will post. Besides, is the blog is about maintaining childlike wonder and curiousity - well what do you think a child is likely to notice?



The other post of the stall was perfectly normal, but this side is several inches off the ground. Who designed that and didn't notice when they were building it?

Little Green Frog

Mm-ah went the little green frog one day, Mm-ah went the little green frog, mm-ah went the little green frog one day, and his eyes went Mm-Mm-Ah.

This little guy jumped out of our garage during milking this morning...

Another use for goat ribbons

Miss Ally found the ribbons won by the goats. At one point she had at least 3 on!

Welcome to a mostly photo blog.

I've decided to try out project 365 for the rest of 2010 and the first 1/2 of 2011. It will be a challenge first to see if I can even continue for a year and second a chance to reflect on what the year really was like. My mind is a picture book without words as it is so maybe it will be a better way to express myself.

If you want to see my "rules" check out the extra pages.
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Why the title of the blog? It comes from a theme of Randy Pausch book "The Last Lecture". The only lesson I think I have truly internalized. I have a wild imagination and still can look at a blade of grass and really wonder about it. This is my chance to really explore the world with you

Picture - the wonder of a child discovering her hand print in the beads. The look on her face is expresses what I hope to keep with me forever