Cabbage recipe #2 and vet day

It was vet day for animals and off to the doctor for the human.   I ended up at the doc's today with a virus and a cold, stressing my blood sugars and blood pressure...lovely. Nothing rest won't help. (the doctor knows me and sternly said -REST) Rest, hmm difficult but not unattainable. I got home and the veterinarian and the farrier were here. Summer, one of our horses, needed her check up and both horses need their hooves trimmed. Manicure day is not as fun for horses as it is for humans. They were having trouble with trimming the horses hooves and they needed sedatives, not something you give lightly, so the vet was here.  After all, these are HORSE sedatives.  Libby, our mellow horse, but this time was the one giving the most trouble. These are extremely experience farriers who service Colorado, Wyoming , and Nebraska.  They were heading to Cheyenne, Wyoming next. It took a while and a lot of , "whoa girl, whoa girl" but they got the job done. Despite the horse being a pain, she would snore in between her orneriness. Dude did a great job of holding her up. The farriers were exhausted.

  Doc Samantha checked out Angelo and congratulated him on his recent weight loss but told him he still had a ways to go.  She checked all the other goats and they were doing well.

Wilbur was up next for a check up and shots.  He did great and looks good. The vet did give me a tip not to let Wilbur's fur get much longer in the summer.  He will sweat under that fur and sheep have a potential to get maggots.  OHMY!  So he will get another trim in a month or so.

Murder in the bird yard. Not sure how it happened, no one's talking. We got the geese, African Heritage breed because they are great at alarming and trying to protect their owners ...or area. Last night, we aren't sure what happened but one of the geese got so mad at a guinea that wandered a wee bit too close to the pool that the goose pulled it in , drown it and then the two geese swam around it like nothing happened. (they must of thought, " you can kill snakes but we ...." oh, I can't finish the thought).   Dude ran out to see what happened but it was too late, the guinea was dead and the geese didn't even blink! They just kept swimming.
They were funny today when the vet and farrier came out. They ran over to tell them to get lost and even stood under the horses yelling at the farriers. They take their job very serious. Everyone on the homestead has a purpose. 

Four guineas remain. 

I drove up from a doctor visit just as the farrier and vet were here. I was glad I got to see it all. But the doctor ordered me to rest.  Rest? I really didn't think I could but after everything calmed and folks got back to road, I settled in and was surprised I slept for two hours solid. It was good to just sit on the porch, read and watch Dude make a set of steps for my brother who had a serious leg injury earlier this year. 

I longed for quiet slower times and God made sure I got it... one way or another. 

"Come to Me, all you who are weary and find life burdensome, and I will refresh you." –Matthew 11:28

Quick Healing Cabbage Soup

From the garden:
1/4 of a large cabbage or half of a small one (all our cabbage are huge) chopped
1 onion chopped
2 carrots chopped
3 cloves of garlic
healthy pinch oregano and basil

tablespoon of oil

a few dashes of turmeric 
3 tablespoons vinegar
4-6 cups of chicken broth (we had homegrown)
tablespoon honey (homegrown)
salt and pepper
hefty pinch of red pepper flakes

Saute the first four ingredients .  Add the rest and simmer until heated through.  

Since I didn't feel good and the doctor ordered keep the liquids coming, this was very soothing.

Plan is to back in bed by 730pm. 
                             peace

Garden update, farrier comes to visit and old fashion bonfire and sing-a-long

Well, here it is Friday.  It began rough with the pumphouse  leaking running water out from under it. We knew the awesome water pressure in the house was too good to be true.  Dude went on hunch it was the switch and replaced it.  His hunch was good and after many cuss words, he had the water back up and running .

I went to work in the greenhouse after chores. 

Broccoli 

Peppers 

Onions

Beets

Looks like tomatoes but it's okra. 

See? Here's a pod. 

Plants outside are growing but our soil (even after 2 years of working with it) is no good. 

We have vowed next year to have raised beds outside like we have in the greenhouse. 

The farriers came to work on the horses hooves and asked.... How far along is your horse?  HUH??  Yep, looks likes she about 4 months pregnant.  What the heck?  We got her about 3 months ago. Since we don't know definitely, we will be calling the vet to confirm sometime soon. 

After work we headed to the John Denver Fest just down the road from us. Tonight was the bonfire for everyone travelling in.  Tomorrow is the all day music beginning at 2pm with a flyover at 130pm from our town's finest.... the crop duster.  Smile.  This is the country life.

I guess this fest has been going on for three years and it is just down the dirt road from us. 

Let's get this party started.

People came from all over... we met people from Chicago, Australia, and all over Colorado. Everyone was welcome and it was all free. We drove up and many people had campers and tents all set up .

We brought my mom from the city to come and enjoy a bit of our country life.  

Everyone sang. There were folk songs from John Denver, Peter, Paul and Mary, Gordon Lightfoot and so many more.  The fire felt good since the temps were only in the 60* today.

Everyone shared sausages, pepper cheese, and marshmallows. Foiled potatoes and corn on the cob were thrown on the fire. 

I can't wait for tomorrow for more music. 

peace