Reconnecting with an Old Friend & Storing Water for Emergencies

It was cold and foggy this morning but was sunny the rest of the day. I actually turned on the heat to warm up the house enough so that I didn't freeze when I took my shower. I turned it off after Chas took his shower. We really didn't need it during the day.

In the morning I rearranged the basement pantry. I started by removing all but three containers of water. Those I'm going to leave in the basement; the rest I will take out to the well house and store them in the west corner. Some of the water was purchased water in one or two gallon containers but most are empty containers that I will need to fill. I do need to replace the water and add a drop or two of bleach but can't see doing that until the beginning of November when we generally have big wind storms.

We can always haul water from the creek and from the 55 gallon barrels we have under the down spouts to use as toilet flushing water.

Ryan did not show up today. I think he must have gone back to work at TNT Trailers but since he lost my phone number probably couldn't call me. I should have had him come yesterday to finish cleaning out the goat barn. Oh well, I guess can finish it myself. There's not much left.

I emailed Susie (of the Dexter cows) and she returned my email. We haven't talked for awhile since we're both so busy. We discussed all sorts of things including the California Castrator which her vet now uses on her bull calves, the new feeder I made by punching a hole in the barn wall and using 2/3 of a round bale feeder attached to the wall and about my possibly getting a bred cow with a heifer by her side. She wants to get rid of four more cows so I might get lucky. Hay is going to be a problem for her.

That California castrator costs $54.00 delivered but can be used on adult bulls to turn them into good tasting, tender steers. Takes awhile for the critter to become a steer - at least in terms of tenderness. I have 5 bull calves to neuter but I'm going to wait awhile to do the Black Baldies. They're still pretty small. I will do the Dexter and the Shorthorn bull calves

I hauled the water bottles out to the well house in the afternoon and put them in large boxes for storage. I also took three broken boxes and put them on the nearest burn pile for disposal.

Dinner was pasta with shrimp and pesto (store bought from Costco). Chas loves that dinner, too.