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Can anyone point me to where this week has gone? I just realized that today was Thursday. These tight deadlines are killing me and I have been working so much on everything that we need to get to the bank that I have lost all track of the days somehow!
I have been through an emotional rollercoaster when it comes to this new business. I am tired of reading and rereading everything. Tired of all of the seemingly endless changes. Tired of people we are working with not listening and not completing the tasks at hand in a timely manner. Heaven help me, I just want this stage to be completed and move on to getting machinery set up and the doors open. Our opening date is actually set for July 1st and nothing seems like that will happen...but there seems to be a divine hand in everything that we do with this business, so I will just take each day as it comes and go from there.

The animals on the farm are doing great...they aren't enjoying all of this hot weather we have had lately but they are doing so well. Belle is steadily gaining weight and is looking better with each passing day. Buck is still is same typical self...full of piss and vinegar and a royal pain in the butt. Norman is doing great. He is healed up so that he is now running, jumping, kicking and playing with his two other playmates now. He is slowly adding more gain into his diet everyday and is growing like a weed now. Danny is eating tons of grain and packing on the weight like a mad man. He is up to almost 170 lbs. now and looks fantastic! Davy is doing well. He is eating the least grain out of any of the calves but seems to be managing well. They are all eating tons of grass everyday and drinking so much water that the 40 gallon drum has to be refilled about three times a day in this heat.
The chickens are doing well but aren't laying anywhere near the amount of eggs that we now have requested for each week. I may have to add in a few more laying hens just to keep up with the demand. We are now selling on average between 9 and 12 dozen eggs per week. Not bad for the 21 layers that I have. I have orders that I could fill for 16 to 20 dozen per week...that means that I would need about 40 laying hen to keep up with that kind of demand. Not sure if I could talk Rich into that one or not. Good project for over the weekend :)
The chicks are growing so fast it is unbelievable. They are all up to around 4 or 5 lbs. now. Either this weekend or next week we will butcher a couple of them for a bbq...then the rest will be divided into the coming weeks until they are gone and the next batch is here. The turkey poults are all doing great in their improved area. They are running around, inside still due to the potential of blackhead disease, but will be able to get out sometime over the weekend once the fencing is constructed. I want to keep them inside a fenced area until they are a little bigger and can fend for themselves a little better with the chickens and other turkeys.
The dogs have become whimps in this weather. They spend most of their time lounging in front of the air conditioning trying to stay cool. It has been nice with this heat though...things are quiet other than the tractors going up and down the road due to perfect dry hay weather.
Our garden is growing like wild fire. We planted three different kinds of tomatoes that are all looking great...plus a special tree tomato that you pick the small cherry like tomatoes from and then dry them in the oven so they look like raisins. We now have three different kinds of peppers. Two seperate kinds of cukes. Two varieties of squash. Three varieties of peas and corn. Then there is swiss chard, broccoli, califlower, basil, oregano, chives, onions, potatos, sweet herb (an all natural plant that grows to replace refined sugar) and beans. I have one large garden that is about 300 feet in length and about 30-35 feet wide, one small garden that is about 30 feet long and about 20 feet wide and then I have two raised beds that are approximately 5x6, 5x5 and 3x4. Thank heavens some of it is lined with plastic to cut down on the weeding but a little rain would be nice so I don't have to water the plants daily.
I will be busy this weekend. I have tractor and truck pulls that I am going to be the photographer for, just like I did on Labor Day weekend last year. That means two whole days of being out in the hot sun, standing on my feet. I love it though...just hope that it doesn't really stay in the 90's all weekend like it has this week. I plan on taking a huge cooler full of water but still, I will be out where there is zero shade!
I must return to finish some paperwork up that needs to be edited now so that it can be sent in for review tomorrow. Never ending battle but that is alright...I will get it all done someday, somehow.....
God Bless you all...and remember...everything happens for a reason. We just need to go along for the ride, don't question it too much and learn from each new experience. Have a great weekend...I will update if I have the time! Miss you all!