Someone Shot My Dog

His stature reflected his pain level.

I let my dog out at 7 am on Monday, January 2nd. I fed the goats and chickens and puttered around the homestead. Around 11 am I noticed Airies sitting off to the side of the house. Something just didn't look right. I called him over and noticed him favoring his front left leg. He cried and laid his head in my lap as I searched to see if something was stuck in his paw. That is when I noticed the puncture wound and a little blood on his left shoulder. I took him inside, cleaned up the injury and put some antibiotic ointment on the wound. It didn't look bad and wasn't even bleeding.

By the time we got to the vet
he was clearly not himself

He seemed to be doing ok at first, but as the day progressed I noticed he just seemed to lay around and wasn't his normal, spunky self. He looked so pathetic. He continued to favor his leg and cried out when he put pressure on it. I was getting very concerned. Even the way he would stand looked uncomfortable. Could he have gotten caught in a barb fence or maybe run into something hard enough to cause the puncture and maybe dislocate his shoulder? Getting annoyed with me fussing over him, Airies took himself to the lower pasture and just laid in the grass, continuing to look pathetic.

That night he cried out frequently and could not seem to get comfortable. After a very long, sleepless night, I called the vet and scheduled an appointment. Airies knew he was in for a visit to the vet because that is the only time he ever rides in the car. He looked torn between the pain in his shoulder and concern over the car ride.
The vet took one look at the wound and said, "I think he got shot. Lets get an X-ray and take a look."

 Here is what the doc discovered: 

The X-ray revealed the bullet

Can you believe it? I couldn't. Honestly, I was shocked. Yep, that is a 22 caliber bullet in his left shoulder. Thankfully the bullet did not hit bone. Thinking back over the morning, I didn't recall hearing any gunshots, however I live out in the country on a large tract of land. With a .22 I may not have heard it. but there are a couple of ways my dog could have met with the business end of a gun. 

First, he could have been on someone else's property. Out here a strange dog on your property normally means your chickens or other livestock may be at risk. It is not uncommon for folks to shoot an animal threatening their livestock.

Second, it is hunting season here in Oklahoma. Because the bullet did not go further than through muscle tissue, it is possible it was a stray bullet. That thought is not very comforting either.

Finally, someone could just have been being mean and have shot him on purpose. I am certainly hoping this is not what really happened.

Recovering at home

The vet said because the bullet is in soft tissue and did not damage any of the bone, the bullet will remain a souvenir of the time my dog got very lucky and dodged a bullet, so to speak. (Sorry, I could not resist.)

Three days of pain pills and a week of antibiotics combined with rest and Airies will be good as new. However, I have greatly curbed his freedom and now am securing him on a zip line when he is outside until I can afford to build him a dog run. Unless I can be sure he remains on the confines of my four acres, Airies will have to get used to the 70 feet of zipline he is allotted.

Airies has been spending a lot of time relaxing indoors as he heals. He even seems mildly irritated when I put hims on a leash to go outside. However, a good farm dog is invaluable and I don't want to see him come to harm. I consider my farm dog a member of my family.

Lesson learned ... the hard way.

County Extension Offices: A Homesteader's Best Friend

For many of us former (or hoping to be former) city slickers, the purpose and role of the County Extension Office is somewhat of a mystery.
Whether you live in the city, suburbs, or country, the County Extension system today is an invaluable resource available to everyone.

To understand the role of the Extension Service, you must travel back in time to the start of Land-Grant Colleges, commonly known as Land-Grant Universities today. Land-Grant Universities were identified by a state to receive the benefits of the Morrill mmActs of 1862 and 1890. The Morrill Acts granted Federally controlled land to the states to sell, raise funds, establish, and endow Land-Grant colleges.

In 1819, after the American Revolutionary War, the American Farmer encouraged farmers to report on achievements and their methods of solving problems. This forum was a popular way for farmers to exchange information on what worked and what didn't work. Being able to share useful, practical, and research based information made sense and caught on quickly.

The mission of the Morrill Act of 1862 was to build Land-Grant institutions foucssing on teaching practical and useful agricultural, science, military science, and engineering skills to the population without excluding classical studies. This movement was in direct response to the Industrial Revolution and the evolution of the social classes. The first Morrill Act provided funds to allow educational institutions to study and develop scientifically proven methods for agriculture, science, engineering, and military science and then to share that knowledge with the public.

The Second Morrill Act of 1890 was aimed at the former Confederate States. The same principles and goals of the 1862 Act held, however new limits were imposed. The new limits stated the states benefiting from the Act could not consider race a criterion for admission or, if they did, a separate Land-Grant institution for people of color would need to be established. The states were granted cash instead of land for these new Land-Grant institutions.

Then in 1914 the Smith-Lever Act was a federal law establishing a system of cooperative extension offices connected with the Land-Grant universities which would be used to "inform on current developments in agriculture, home economics, public policy, government, leadership, 4-H, economic development, coastal issues, and other related subjects." This education would be in the form of "home instruction."

By British government - Original publication:
Poster in Britain in 1917-18*

There are 100 Land-Grant Universities. Some examples are Pennsylvania State University, University of Arizona, Oklahoma State University, University of Wisconsin, along with Rutgers (the oldest University to receive the Grant), and Iowa State (the first to receive the grant.) Every state has at least one Land-Grant University.

Extension offices really began to shine during WWI. During the Great War extension offices helped increase wheat production from 47 million acres in 1913 to 74 million acres in 1919. The Extension Service partnered with the USDA to teach canning, drying, and preserving of food. The Extension Service helped with war-time labor shortages by organizing the Women's Land Army and The Boy's Working Reserve.

Many, many programs have come from the Extension Service. One of the most well known is 4-H. 4-H is a youth development program that has served over 1 million of America's youth. Programs vary, but in my neck of the woods 4-H students raise livestock, grow crops, and learn public speaking. Extension Service can teach us to grow our garden, grow our lawns, manage our forests, control pests, learn to preserve foods safely, offer community gatherings, and much, much more. It is useful even if you reside in an urban or suburban environment. Remember how you could just dial up your local librarian back in the day? How you could just dial up, ask a question, and get an answer? Your local extension office can do the same. The local extension office in your area will produce materials dealing with plants, pests, birds, game, basically anything in your area. They can help you identify that unknown mushroom growing on your tree, identify what pest is eating your prized tomatoes, and help you maximize the use of your land. If you are not utilizing their services, you don't know what you are missing. Get to know the folks in your county extension office. You won't be disappointed.




*By British government - Original publication: Poster in Britain in 1917-18 Immediate source: http://www.rosiesworkwear.com/blog/?p=1327, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48248817

Brightest Blessings on You and Yours

The Elusive Farmer Barbie

Recently I was made aware there is a Farmer Barbie. Who'da thunk it? I had to have Farmer Barbie for my granddaughter. I mean, how fabulous is Farmer Barbie?!!

So I go to my trusty Amazon site and type in Farmer Barbie to find she is SOLD OUT! OMG, I set about hunting down the only Barbie I have ever considered acquiring for my granddaughter only to find out she is sold out not only on Amazon, but at Target, Toys R Us, and at Kmart NATIONWIDE. I mean, really? SOLD OUT!

Who would have thought a Farmer Barbie would be a hot commodity this holiday season? 

Then tonight, quite by accident, I found Amazon had them available to ship the day after Christmas. Score!!! I snatched one of those suckers up as quick as my fingers could move the mouse to the "one click to buy" button!

I think Farmer Barbie is a great example of a toy which can show our daughters women can do almost anything they want to be. Farmer Barbie says, "Barbie is glamorous, but has no problem shoveling animal shit, helping birth goats on cold, rainy nights, and is capable of taking care of business by providing for herself while being environmentally friendly and a touch glamorous." Farmer Barbie is a Barbie doll this grandmother can get behind. Farmer Barbie is a doll my granddaughter will be able to play with realistically. Farmer Barbie is like her Nona, only way more glamorous (and a whole lot thinner, lol.)

I am going to use Farmer Barbie as both a teaching tool and a fun toy. Farmer Barbie will take care of the menagerie of small farm animals I have been sending my granddaughter since moving to the homestead. I will teach my granddaughter how Farmer Barbie existed in the Women's Land Army in WWI and WWII and how Farmer Barbie is still alive and well today. Farmer Barbie, and women she represents, have been a significant part of providing for their families since the dawn of time.

Farmer Barbie can bring home the bacon, raise it up, butcher it,  and fry it up in a pan.

You go girl!

Brr...Baby it's Cold Outside

If you live in the United States right now most likely you are aware of the blast of Arctic air making its way south as far as Texas. In Oklahoma it is all we have been talking about for a week. The news has been abuzz with warnings about just how deadly the wind chills will be with this storm due to the high winds coming along with it. In my area we are predicted to have snow later today and a high of 9 degrees. That is pretty damn cold by anyone's standards, but consider the fact that I live in a tiny house and preparations for such weather are in fact a matter of life and death.

My home sits up on blocks (how redneck, right?). I have it on blocks because if I put it on a "foundation" it would be taxed differently. I like not having high taxes, so having the building raised and level is fine with me. I have toyed with different kinds of skirting, but haven't settled on what exactly I am going to go with. Meanwhile, high winds blow under my home steal precious heat. 9 degrees and high winds means a very cold floor and difficulty maintaining heat in my living space. I needed a temporary solution and I needed it fast.

My solution was to purchase 10 bales of straw. Now, I have to say that I am not a fan of using straw around the base of a tiny all the time. The problem is straw retains moisture, will mold, and critters love to make a home in them, however in a pinch straw bales make an excellent wind break and insulator. I would not, however leave the bales against the building any longer than necessary. As soon as this storm passes, I will move them, stack them aside for the time being, and move them back if a new storm threatens to arrive. In colder climates where the snow stays frozen and it doesn't just rain or thaw out in a couple of days (Oklahoma snow melts in a day or two), I suppose you could leave the bales in place, however if the moisture is trapped against your building it could do damage, so keep an eye on them.

Bales of hay from my local feed store run $7 each. I bought 10. 8 to form a wind break and the other two I broke apart and spread in the goat shed and chicken coop to give the animals extra bedding material. As I lay in my nice warm bed typing out this post I am very comfortable and the building is noticeably warmer as compared to the last windy cold snap about a week ago.

** Update: Last night temps crashed to 2 degrees. Guess what? Yup, the Shouse remained warm and comfortable. Hay bales are a success!

Progress Update on the THH Studio

I have been busy busy working on the new Tiny House Homestead Studio building. Any working homestead needs a good office space and I have wanted a recording studio for several years now. I finally settled on a place and a building. I set things in motion and the building was delivered last week.

Measuring 8' x 14', this building will be used as an office, sewing room, and recording studio. I am super excited to christen this space, make it my own, and put it to good use.

Inside wasn't much, but I love the light all the windows allow in. The first step is always to give a new building a good cleaning. Sweeping and vacuuming up all the sawdust, loose nails, and such in preparation is important.

After giving the building a good cleaning, I set out to paint the walls. Since I do not intend to insulate this building as it is so small heating and cooling it will not be an issue. I chose a nice clean creamy white to make the space seem larger.

Using two old bi-fold closet doors I got for $10 each, a frame was built to support each door and then secured to the wall. This created a large L-shaped work surface on two of the walls. A decorative wooden curtain rod was sacrificed to create decorative legs to support the outside edges of the table.

Using left over lumber and other building materials, shelves have been built between the wall studs. It has been slow going as they must be spaced, leveled, and plumbed before being secured using long screws. However, progress is being made. Some of the shelves will be painted and some will remain their natural wood appearance.

Things are coming along and the building is really taking shape. As time allows over the next week I will continue to install all the shelves. I still have to decide on flooring, but I may just paint the floor and bring in a room-size rug.

I need to insulate for sound in the ceiling, so I am exploring building my own sound baffles which will control sound and offer some insulation in the ceiling area. Once I figure it out, you can bet I will share it with you!

Thanks for stopping by the homestead!

Tiny House Recording Studio

So I have been wrestling with a problem. This is totally a Tiny House problem. In a tiny house space is limited; very limited. No kidding, right? The problem I have been running into is a lack of office space at home. In my former suburban life I had a separate office. In my separate office I set up all my recording equipment, had a working desk area, and had access to all supplies at all times. I didn't have to set things up and take them back down in order to serve a meal or go to bed. I miss that. I miss it a lot.

I have toyed with and talked about building a separate tiny building to serve as my recording studio and home office. I have kicked it around now for two and a half years. Well, I finally made the decision, sucked it up, and ordered a small prefab shell of a building measuring 8' x 14'. It was one of the cheapest models that matched my other buildings here on Tiny House Homestead. It was delivered on Thursday. It is p-e-r-f-e-c-t!

A good friend and I spend a few days of labor raking leaves, cutting down fallen and dead trees, and cleared a great space in the forest for the studio. To keep things on a budget I have decided not to insulate the building except in the ceiling. Being only 112 sq. ft. it is easy to heat and easy to cool only when I am using it. It will not have running water, so I don't have to worry about freezing pipes. Besides that, most days in Oklahoma are above freezing anyway.

I had 6 windows installed so fresh air, the cool breeze, and beautiful views could be enjoyed from any direction. I am re-purposing two old doors I scored for $20 as my work table. I have whitewashed the walls and I will be building shelves between the studs. I hope to have the entire building completed by Thanksgiving day so I can get out a podcast soon telling all about it.

Perhaps now I can get more blog posts out and release podcasts in a more timely manner?

It has been two and a half years and I still love my Tiny House and homestead life!