Scaly Leg Mites Be Gone!

 I don't want to jinx things, but Marigold's footsies may have turned the corner.  Since we've been treating them over the past two months they have improved pretty dramatically from the scaly leg mites but we hit an impasse with one foot.  The only option left (to my knowledge) was schmearing her with ivermectin.  I had been using Green Goo and Prid.  Of course any and all ivermectin is now securely locked up at Tractor Supply (since covid).  I've been buying ivermectin paste for horses and donks for over 30 years and I still can't get used to this.  Anyway, this photo is from March 14.

See the little "knobs" on the right foot.  Well after one dose of the ivermectin one of them is gone.  Hallelujah!

And the little girl continues to feel perky.

After the girls are let out of the coop in the morning and wander around a bit, she's usually the first one back demanding breakfast.  Well demanding might be a bit harsh; she has a little chirpy voice.

Here are the troops charging out for their morning constitutional.

 The donks will be so happy to have the warmer temps this week to even out the quite bumpy ground in the donkey yard.  When it warms, gets muddy, and then freezes we all have inches deep divets to maneuver.  Spice especially was hesitant to try to traverse the worst area.

Here her sister, Sugar, steals the last bit of Equine Senior.

Although Spice is allowing it her ears are back indicating her displeasure.  But Sugar has established her place as food stealer and both Gabby and Spice usually allow her dominance.

With limited room to place food bowls (out of snow) this is a typical scene of me getting blocked.

 And, no, in the midst of chores it's not funny.

I'll leave you with a quick shot of the living room foliage.  I thought it made a charming scene.

Look just to the right of the white humidifier and you'll see Stella the hibiscus.  She's leafing out more and more by the week.  

Is It Spring Yet?

None of us on the teeny tiny farm are especially happy with arrival of more snow coming in dribs and drabs.  Well, except perhaps Phinny.  I've sat at the computer and watched him bound through the snowy woods, apparently having a ball.  

I, on the other hand, have not been joyously bounding through the snow to feed the chonkeys.  More of a trudge or perhaps a slog.

And because the walkways are narrow in the donkey yard I almost got knocked over by a 300-lb donk who was a bit too eager to get to her hot slop.  It's tricky business out there.

To revive spirits, let's take a look at some true spring photos.

 

Turning to plants, Stella, the hibiscus, continues to green out.  Bear in mind I was absolutely sure she was a goner.  But she just needed some winter sun to perk up and is now, although not lush with foliage, pretty perky.  

And hey!  The orchid is feeling pretty perky too.

 At least in the house there are signs of spring.  Sigh...

****** Vegan Delights ******

Rick made a most delicious and easy vegan bean soup recently.  So I must tell you how to whip it up.

You will not miss the ham.

I can't tell you amounts, except for the beans, so use your good sense.

Boil chopped carrots until slightly tender, add chopped celery.
Drain.

Saute vegetables plus chopped onion in dairy free butter.

Add basil, salt and pepper.

Dump in two 15-oz cans (with liquid) of great northern beans.  Please note:  if not using organic beans, check ingredients on the can carefully to make sure you're not adding icky stuff with the juice.

Add enough veg broth to thin slightly.

Cook roughly 10 minutes.

And voila.

What a Rollercoaster

 In the past 10 days we've had two ice storms and a snowfall of 10".

Scenes from an ice storm

donkey bowls are ice filled and stuck solid to the ground

transporting water and a torch to the chonkey area 

It was impossible to open the chicken porch (ice buildup  blocked the door) and the horse trailer where all chicken food and supplemental salt for donks is stored.

Thank goodness the chicken feed supply in the barn was full.

Scenes from a snowstorm

Thank goodness for the manger shelter Rick built in 2019

It allowed for immediate feeding outside of the barn.  Then I got to work shoveling a couple of other feeding areas.

With a snowfall this big, I had to shovel paths for the prima donas. 

It was tough with heavy wet snow.

Their bowls were lost under the snow.  We finally unearthed all three today.

Chickens faced a wall of snow outside one of the little doors

As it stands tonight, snow has melted somewhat and everything is accessible -- thank goodness!

****** Vegan Delights ******

One of my taste treats.
It's a bit pricey so I ration it.  :)

Sweet Pea Boasts Her Age

 It appears I'll be limping along tonight with this installment of the blog; my computer is being a tad persnickety.  But let's see how far we can go.

As I mentioned last week, Sweet Pea is turning eight.  Although I can see changes as she's aged, she appears to be in good health.  

2020

In the past couple of years she has become more sensitive to the cold, often just peeking out of the coop while her colleagues feast on treats.  And she used to be johnny-on-the-spot to tear apart a flake of straw.  Her gusto for that task has diminished.

 

see the little head just barely peeking out

2022

I will tell you after spending the past month and a half doctoring (picking up and holding) Marigold, Sweet Pea feels like a tonner.  She must weigh 2-3x what little Marigold weighs.

Speaking of Marigold.  One foot continues to improve and is looking pretty darn free of scaly mites, while the other (which started as the better foot) just won't shake loose.

This is the awfulness of the situation when we started in January.  

Clearly we learned the lesson of stopping treatment too soon last fall, so we continue to plug on.  If we could just get that left side to drop the last three small scaly nodules.

Let me leave you with the story of Stella.

If you were with me last summer you heard the saga of babying Stella the hibiscus.

 .at her full glory

Over the winter she lost all of her leaves but two.  Two.
I have made sure she's getting all the sun the house provides (southern exposure) and have continued to water what has looked like a dead plant.  Would you believe she started leafing teeny foliage about a week ago.  Who knows what will transpire in the next months until i can get her outside, but I'm proposing the moral of the story is never give up!

Goofy Donkadonks

 This photo sums up our weather.

Taken February 5 -- lots of snow, donkeys blanketed.  And yes that's Gabby photobombing the scene.

Today snow is gone, ice is 97% gone and mud has arrived.  March-like weather.  Of course we've not off the hook yet.  It's Michigan and snow could be just around the corner.

Here the little prima donnas peek out at the rain.

Heavens to betsy, we wouldn't want to get our little footsies wet...

And here the goofs show their enthusiasm for Sunday hot slop.  They actually recognize the bucket I regularly use and start singing as soon as they spot it.

As for chicken news, we are a month in to treating Marigold.  We goop and wrap her feet every 2-3 days.  Immense improvement but not quite 100% and we haven't seen improvement in the past week.  Well, that's not exactly true, but we can't seem to get over the final hump.

Next week the spotlight will shine on Sweet Pea.  She'll be turning 8!

Snowy Donkeys

 Once again we have a winter wonderland in southeast Michigan.  The big snow dump arrived last Wednesday.

I think I show you this scene every year, but it's my favorite winter view on the property.  Just outside the garage, heading up the driveway.  I love it.

 

Looking across the pasture

Thank goodness for the covered manger - less shoveling to clear dining areas.

 Donkeys are not eager to forge new paths and, conveniently enough, leave that for me.  When we run out of room significant traffic jams arise.

And I am stuck, um "allowed" the task of shoveling another.

With immense love I remember the last snowy video of Luigi...

Teeny Tiny Farm Happenings

 I must admit, nothing tremendously exciting is happening on the teeny tiny farm.

Marigold is getting treated for her scaly leg mites and we're finally seeing improvement.  Every other day we schmear her footies with herb treated goo, wrap them in gauze and then in vetrap.

Here she shows off her vogue look.

A spring-like mud fest

gave way to a couple of inches of snow.  Which I much prefer.

My little mountaineer, Stevie, is drawn to the garbage cans (full of chicken feed and donkey Equine Senior) almost every morning.

And Gabby's face says how much she loves hot slop Sunday.

* * * * * * Vegan Delights * * * * * *

After a recent visit to a local farm's organic produce market (slimmed down for the winter season) and talking to the farm's director about her mom making lentil stew as a kid, I said, "gotta do that".  And voila, a recent dinner.

Hearty Lentil Stew

The addition of sweet potato helped make it a nice blend of flavors.  And I do favor lentils.