Spot has a date... in microfleece?

We made lotion last night. Lots and lots and lots of lotion. We thought making it all at once would save time... and actually making that quantity made things work less efficiently. Lesson learned.

The funny part of the evening was the new seal on our lotion bottles. I had been using shrink wrap bands but those can be easily pulled off. My new bottle supplier has these "lock and seal" things. Think aspirin bottle and the Styrofoam disk you have to break through that says in tiny letters, "sealed for your protection".

We put them on and screwed down the lids... and since we can't READ directions... we unscrewed the lid to see this new lock and seal technology.

Wha? It's not working! The little disk is stuck up in the threads of the cap! How is THAT gonna work?!? We were stressing over it but put them on each bottle anyway.

I looked at the directions this morning and sure enough, at least 30 minutes needs to pass for the micro seal glue to adhere. Furry Husband unscrewed 4 bottles randomly and sure 'nuff the lotion is locked and sealed. Hooray!

The wind kicked up... drifts of snow so hard packed they can support our body weight (and I ain't no petite flower people!) were on either side of the gate - knee deep - and we couldn't get out to the cars. There was another drift behind my car... after much shovelling I broke out.

Only to have Furry Husband call about an hour later to tell me, "uh, honey? Spot is in a full on heat."

Great.

She was supposed to meet the buck, Headliner, last night for a little tryst. It was so cold, she was not showing any signs of wanting to meet the George Clooney of goats.


Now that the sun is out and it's a whopping 7 degree heat wave out there, she's changed her mind.

**Oh - side note - when you buy your goat some fleece outerwear at the thrift store because they are cold and shivering and you are worried about them? It's not nearly as easy as you might think to get said human clothes ON said 180 lb goat when she is quite sure she should NOT wear human clothes.

Do you think she should keep her fleece outerwear on for her "afternoon delight" with the buck today? Do you think he will find her that much more irresistible?

B-B-B-B-BRRRRRRR!

Last night saw a low of -23 with a -31 wind chill. Oh the poor ani-mules! The horses have blankets, the goats extra straw in their little houses... we gave everyone mucho hay so they can generate heat from the inside out. It's all we can do but man was I cringing thinking about them out there.

Spot has her date tonight. I don't know if cold will affect her "mood"? Tho', it is supposed to heat up to 18 with sun today, so maybe the date will be unaffected. Fingers crossed.

Scary story today for you!

The front page of the Denver Post had a story about cattle mutilations... these 70 yr old ranchers in Southern CO are finding cows with all the innards taken, eyes, brains, ears, tongues, udders...

The tender meat is left, the bones of the skull/neck are picked completely white and clean... literally overnight.

There are no tracks anywhere near the carcass. There is no blood anywhere near the carcass. The areas taken are cut with surgical/laser like precision.

I tell Furry Husband I think it's the Chupacabra. He thinks aliens.

Drum roll please.....

The whole reason I started this funny little blog was because I wanted to start a small business... I read that showing customers a glimpse of who you are helps sell product.

And then the blog sorta went in all directions - ka-blam!

Mostly I wanted to make some extra money to help with the money sucking black hole in our back yard called: Horses. (oh I love them dearly and it's what I DO to be happy - but they get a bit spendy)

Well - stuff happened along the way and my business was put on hold.

Guess what?

I took my product to EsScentuals in Old Town (our quaint downtown area full o' local shops and eateries) to see if they'd be interested in carrying it or if they'd have advice.

THEY WANT TO CARRY MY LOTION! There was no hesitation. The owner of the shop liked the lotion feel, liked my packaging, they have no goat milk product on their shelves, it's fresh, it's local... she thinks it will do well and she asked me (get this) if I was ready to go big!We have your 2oz gift packs, 2oz singles and 6oz bottles....

Furry Husband and I are very excited. We have an order to fill and we have an idea of the type of boutiques/spas/stores we'd like to see carry our product. The owner of EsScentuals has been in the business since the early 80's. She is knowledgeable and a very lovely woman. She thinks I won't have any issue.

It's only one order, I know... but every body's got to start somewhere.

I sorta keep thinking someone is going to come pound on my door and ask 'Just what in the hell do you think you're doing? YOU can't do this...'

Oh. But I can. And I am.

Star's Hollow Farm is goin' retail baby!

Oh no! Little Toe!

Thanksgiving night we were going to bed and we kennel up the dogs cuz our bed just isn't big enough for 2 adult humans, 3 dogs and 6 cats...

Well Toe seemed a bit "off"... a slight limp.

Hmmm. We didn't think that much of it because he'd been bombing around all day and was perfectly fine. He ate his dinner with the usual gusto... he seemed fine and the limp was very slight.

The next morning... the limp was still there... a bit more pronounced, but he ate his breakfast and I could find nothing wrong with his foot.

I stayed home from work that day (not because of Toe's foot but cuz I had the day off) and as the day went on, Toe's foot swelled and kept swelling. He wouldn't put any weight on it at all, he was hopping around on 3 legs and when I tried to have another look, he would yelp and wriggle and struggle cuz it must've hurt like a mofo.

I clipped all the hair around the area and for the life of me, I could NOT find any injury, grass seed head, mark or puncture anywhere.

I called our vet and she stopped by with some antibiotics. She looked and couldn't see anything either... her thought was maybe a grass seed head had worked it's way into the webbing between his toes.

Poor Toe. He was miserable... he was hiding, he didn't want anything to do with anybody... when I took him outside, I had to carry him and when I set him down, he would lay there vs. running around announcing his presence to the neighborhood with a happy BARK, BARK, BARK!

.

I was really worried. I was imagining all sorts of terrible things... he had an infection in his blood stream, the seed head would move through his body and cause some instant death somehow...

I dunno... after Booker died and then my Dad... I was feeling like this new dog that I love so much would be taken as well. Furry Husband, a big softy (shhhh don't let anyone know!) let Toe sleep with us that night.

The next day Toe was markedly better. The antibiotics were doing their thing or whatever happened to his foot was on the mend... tho' he began licking it and wouldn't leave it alone so I had to wrap it with a sock and elasticon.

I never did figure out what happened. He's fine now. No swelling, no abscess, no scab, no nuthin! We think maybe it was a spider bite... after all that painting, all the spiders were displaced and maybe one bit him? I don't know - it's a mystery! I'm glad to have my happy, joyful, bossy, grumbly baby dog back to normal tho!

We took him with us to Jax Farm and Ranch today... he was mooned over by several of the staff, he was wiggle butt happy to see everyone and he got several treats. THAT is the Little Toe I know and love.

Here he is today.. in his new coat. I know - it sorta sissi-fies him.

Shrug.

He has longer hair and he is short enough that he gets really wet when we have more than a couple inches. We've gotten about 5" of snow today; it's the first time he's worn it and it really does help keep his little belly dry!

Martha Stewart I ain't...

We've been living here 8 yrs and we had new windows put in so there was exposed drywall/texturing above the windows. I guess we sorta got used to it... you don't really see it after a few years.

Since we were having our biggest crowd yet for Thanksgiving, we decided to paint with Thanksgiving as our deadline. We started out taping the trim and washing the foot boards/walls, putting down drop cloth...

And then?

And then we reached a point where we just didn't care. We wanted it DONE.

.

I'd come to an obvious dog slobber mark with dog food/hair stuck to the wall and I'd paint over it.

Martha Stewart would be white knuckes to her open mouth horrified.

I also discovered I'm a really bad housekeeper. We moved the couch, or the washing machine or whatever and there were violently rabid warrens of dust bunnies.

We had spider webs at all corners of our ceilings... we brushed them all down and ever since we find spiders jumping out at us in the oddest places. They've been displaced and they are looking for new homes.

I'm pretty sure Martha would be putting on a hazmat suit to come into our home.

We had this cat a long time ago who had some sort of growth in his sinuses... it caused him to sneeze violently every hour or so and each time he had a sneezing fit, ropes of snot would be flung on the walls. Awesome.

Once they dried, there was no gettin' 'em off. It was like cement. Those remnants were also covered with paint. So there will be no more misty eyed fond remembrances of Pancho (now gone to kitty heaven) when we'd pass by some long ago dried snot flung upon our walls....

I think Martha might have a quiver lip... getting ready to cry at this point.

I stopped using tape and tried detail work with a brush and a wet rag to wipe the drips or "coloring outside the lines" and there were no more drop cloths. The little hallway area has drips of paint embedded in our carpet. meh. It's on our list to get laminate floors next year anyway....

So while I'm sure we woulda sent Martha screaming down the road, we're pretty happy with the results. I like to think it's a warm Tuscan yellow... but really?

It's like we're living in Velveeta macaroni and cheese. It's comforting. Mac n' cheese is total comfort food is it not?

yes, our washing machine is right smack in the kitchen. Fun huh? Cook up yer meal and wash yer delicates all at the same time!

Babies and Raisins

I just heard on NPR that some lady went into labor on a Southwest plane and delivered a baby on board while the plane diverted to Denver.

She and the baby were whisked away by ambulance and they are in Aurora, CO doing fine. The plane continued on to Ohio or wherever it was supposed to go....

How messed up would THAT be?

You are on a plane and some lady's water breaks... there is blood and mucous and membranes and placenta and umbilical cords and 'gina.

The story said there were 2 nurses and a Dr. on board to assist... as well as flight attendants ... and they took over the back of the plane for the birthin'.

Eww. Talk about yer stains.....

*************************************************************

And then there was a story on Yahoo about the Sun-maid Raisin girl gettin a makeover. She went from looking like this, the raisin girl I know and love from the 1970's....

To....

VOILA! This new raisin girl. *cough* lookit her raisins *cough*

She's not SO different from the 1970 version...exept for her bigger *cough* raisins *cough*

I dunno man. I guess Sex. Sells. Raisins.

I think the next time I'm feeling a bit randy... I'm gonna give Furry Husband a new pack o' raisins and we'll see where it takes us. To new heights I'm sure. (rolling of eyes)

Maybe instead of changing Sun-Maid raisin girl's *cough* raisins *cough*... they should update her hat...

Ummmm...

Is it wrong that I had to mail something to a man by the name of Dick Chase today and it made me laugh?

I know, I know - it's a generational thing. My Dad went by the name of Dick... but um... at least my Pa's last name wasn't Chase.