So...........where to start. I was MIA for two weeks because my poor old computer finally succumbed to the abuse that Boogie has (literally) dumped on it for the past few years. The power switch had broken and the motherboard was fried. I had just replaced the monitor he dropped with a used unit I found on a local Craigslist style board and was able to get a refurbished computer from the same guy. He also transferred over all my data, which was very helpful and very reasonably priced. Once I can finally get high speed internet I will consider a bigger, better, faster computer, but for now it wouldn't make any difference with my dial up connection.
I am helping a friend with a dairy get through her kidding season and somehow managed to bring home two misfit kids. One brown doe was stepped on and has some issues getting around. She is doing just fine now and has a great appetite.
The white doe was chilled and is having issues with regulating her temperature and taking a bottle. Keeping them in a box in my warm bedroom has helped immensely. I've been tube feeding her and didn't have much hope but today she took a few tentative sips from the bottle and still continues to stand and be alert and happy. Only time will tell if she will make it, but I am cautiously optimistic at this time.
I am lucky to have a great little helper!
Yesterday, the chimney from the wood stove, the heat exchanger actually, got clogged from a build up of creosote and ash.
If I tried to open the door to add wood, smoke just billowed into the house, another draw back of having a wood stove in the house. I had to let the fire burn out, take apart the chimney and clean up all the build up that was restricting the flow of smoke to the main chimney.
After putting the chimney back in place, I cleaned out the fire box. The fire wasn't actually out, there were a lot of banked coals, but I did dig out the ash built up towards the back of the stove which gives me a lot more space for wood now. Having a nice bed of coals left helped to get a new fire burning right away.
It was down to 55 degrees in the living room this morning, but I was able to keep the bedroom nice and toasty for Boogie and I by running the propane heater intermittently in there through the night.
The Boogie-monster did have commentary when he came downstairs just after I finished loading the fire box - BRRRRRRRR Mommie! It wasn't long before the temperature was well into the 60's and all is well. I have to say that I am strangely lucky, despite the fact that this is all a lot of work and a pain the the butt. It just happens that this is the warmest stretch of weather we have had in about a month, it could have been much worse during the sub zero temperatures we had just last week.
We will be spending another afternoon at the dairy, and I imagine I'll end up with one or two more little goats before it is all over.
I need to get out and get some chores done, but I am really enjoying the heat from the wood stove right now!
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