That was so sweet of you, Amelia, to ask about Moo and Sparky. :) They are doing quite well. Sparky is starting to graze just a little, although she mostly shakes her head wondering what that green stuff is and why she should be eating it. She hangs with mama pretty close except when Moo sneaks into the oatfield. Ah yes, we have a bad cow. She has somehow learned to wiggle her tiny little body (ha!) through the five-wire fence and help herself to the oat crop. Now we have no problem with her eating it mind you, it's the dang going in and out through the wires that have us irritated! Ed mentioned today that he'll just make a gate for her tomorrow and show her wear she can safely enter/exit at will.

Needless to say, after several months of a pregnant cow living (and birthing!) in the coop - well it aint pretty in there. In fact Ed mumbled something about a match and a gallon of gasoline. Our three boarder horses in the front pasture can't be put out back with the others but they'll be leaving the end of the month as their owners are transferring to Louisiana. Once those three vacate Moo and Sparky will go into that pasture and I'll..... well I have no idea what I'll do to the coop but I'll figure something out to get it back to a chicken coop and hopefully matches won't be involved.

Poor mama hen - she's lost 13 of her chicks over the past week and is down to just two of them. She decided to stop roosting with them in the coop (can't say I blame her) and took to going under one of the cars. Something's been feasting on them each night and I noticed this morning it's just the two little chicks now. Next time a hen gets broody and hatches some we're going to keep them in the coop - we'd like to have a crew of layers just stay in the coop and pen area for easy egg collection and still let the remaining out ranging for cleanup.

Brian and Kim sold their horses so we only have our three in the back with Cartman, the gelding from Arizona. Cartman's finally adjusted to the fly biting and doesn't look like a horse with hives any longer! With just the four of them out there they are grazing like there's no tomorrow and we've taken to putting out just a handful of hay each day for them. I swear Fire gets fatter ever day! Unfortunately, for him, we've scheduled his gelding next week along with Midnight's. The vet will come out for a farm call for vaccinations and surgery. I guess they just lay a tarp down and knock 'em out - 10 minutes later it's done. Won't this be interesting? I can't decide if I want to watch or not seeings how I normally faint dead at the sight of blood. We'll just have to see on that.

All the ladies I know online are doing those "Day In The Life" pictorials where you take many many pictures throughout a 24 hour period of just your normal everyday routine. I keep thinking I should do that but then I remember - I have the most boring life! Really, it would just be pics of me shoveling shit, feeding animals (including three on summer break from school), and cleaning the kitchen. Again. And then again. Totally boring.

Oh, and just as a follow up, Ed did finish the back of the corral fence today for me. Yay for him. :) I finally broke down and turned on the air conditioner yesterday when the house hit 85' at noon. Just couldn't take it any longer and I'm glad I did as it's nearing the 100's this week. Hopefully the rains have stopped though and we can get on with the worst of the summer. The sooner it hits, the sooner it's over and my favorite season of all begins - fall.